Jeremy Booth

THE SCOUTING CLASSROOM Stories Behind the Report FROM THE AREA SCOUT TO THE DRAFT ROOM What Happens After the Scouting Report Is Submitted? In our last Scouting Classroom, I discussed writing a report that allows someone to see the player without watching him play. But what happens after that report reaches the scouting director? During my 20 years with the Angels and Brewers, I learned that identifying talent was only the beginning. The next challenge was convincing an organization your evaluation warranted an investment. THE AREA SCOUT: WHERE IT BEGINS An Area Scout identifies, evaluates and builds a history on players throughout his territory. That means multiple looks, gathering information, grading tools, projecting development and placing a value on the player. My report wasn’t simply describing what I saw. I was recommending what that player could become and where he belonged in the draft. THE CROSSCHECK PROCESS Once a player became a legitimate prospect, regional and national crosscheckers provided independent evaluations, comparing him against talent from other territories. Sometimes we agreed. Sometimes we didn’t. And that’s where conviction mattered. If I believed a player possessed a particular tool, future role or draft value, I needed to explain why. Disagreement wasn’t necessarily bad. It challenged our evaluations and sometimes required another look. THE SCOUTING DIRECTOR AND DRAFT BOARD The scouting director brought those evaluations together. Every territory produced prospects. Every scout had players he believed in. But organizations had limited selections and bonus money. Players were compared by talent, projection, probability, signability and organizational priorities. A player I valued in the fifth round might not be selected until much later. That didn’t automatically make my evaluation wrong. DYLAN FILE: DRAFT POSITION VS. SCOUTING VALUE In 2017, I evaluated Dylan File, a right-handed pitcher at Dixie State, now Utah Tech, in St. George, Utah. I placed a fifth-round value on Dylan based on his pitchability, tools, projection and professional potential. Milwaukee selected him in the 21st round. My evaluation said fifth-round talent. His draft position said 21st round. My grade reflected his projected talent and value. His selection reflected where Milwaukee drafted him. Dylan signed, progressed through the Brewers’ system and earned a place on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster in 2020. Although he never reached the Major Leagues, that roster spot was a significant accomplishment supporting my original conviction. It didn’t prove he delivered fifth-round Major League value. But it showed that a 21st-round selection could develop into a player worthy of protection on a Major League roster. CONVICTION VS. CONSENSUS One mistake an Area Scout can make is changing an evaluation simply because another scout sees the player differently. Listen to the crosschecker. Consider the information. Reevaluate when necessary. But don’t abandon your conviction just to agree with the room. Conviction without evidence is simply an opinion. GRADES = WORDS WORDS = GRADES A fifth-round evaluation needs to read like a fifth-round player. The strengths, weaknesses, future tools and projected role must justify that value. Otherwise, the report loses credibility. THE LESSON The Area Scout identifies the talent. Crosscheckers provide additional evaluations. The scouting director builds the board, and the organization makes the investment. But the original report is where the process begins. Dylan File reminded me that draft position and scouting value aren’t always the same thing. The draft tells you where a player was selected. The scouting report tells you why someone believed in him. #BehindTheRadarGun