Speed is a valuable commodity for running the bases - and scoring runs - and for defensive range. Quick ballplayers can catch more balls because they can get to more balls.

Timing the 60 Yard Dash When it comes to evaluating speed, there are Major League clubs who make it mandatory for their scouts to run prospects in the 60-yard dash. Most clubs look for times under 7.00 in the "60". Times of 6.7 - 6.9 usually equate to an average runner on the playing field. Of course anything faster is considered above average.

Timing a Hitter From Home to First Base The universal way to scout speed on the playing field is to time hitters from home to first base. The scout starts the stopwatch on "contact," or as the bat is hitting the ball; It is important to anticipate the swing to get an accurate time. Most scouts will click their watch as the ball is crossing home plate, whether the batter swings or not, in anticipation of contact. The scout then stops the watch as the hitter's foot touches first base, again anticipating the contact to stop the watch as accurately as possible. Since left-handed hitters are a step closer to first base, their times are graded a 10th of a second quicker.

Scouting Pitchers

 When a scout goes to a ballpark to evaluate a pitcher, there are a number of items that are observed and graded. Velocity is only part of the evaluation; There are many pitchers in high school and college that can touch 90+ mph on the radar gun but are not really considered professional prospects. Listed below is a list of pitching criterion used by most Major League clubs  

	Fast Ball: We start with this because it is the most obvious. Scouts want to see a pitcher'' average velocity - what your fastball pitches at on a consistent basis throughout a game. (some scouts call it "the cruising speed") Your top velocity is also noted and may be used, depending on your age and mechanics, to project a better fastball grade in the future. Along with radar gun readings, a scout must look at how the baseball moves, sinks, cuts, etc. in order to complete the fastball grade. If you throw 90 - 91 mph, but it is straight as an arrow and gets hit frequently, your fastball may be given a below average grade despite it's velocity. The following fastball velocities are Major League Baseball pitcher ratings Very Above Average 94+ mph Above Average 92 - 93 mph Average 89 - 91 mph Below Average 87 - 88 mph Very Below Average 85 - 86 mph (Left-handed pitchers are graded on the same scale, but fastball velocities are usually given less weight if their breaking balls and change-ups are effective.)
	Arm Action: Scouts will note at what arm angle you throw from. Moving from highest release point to the lowest, the arm angles are: over-hand, high 3-quarter, 3-quarter, low 3-quarter, or sidearm. Next, scouts will determine how much tension, or effort, is in the arm action. A max-effort pitcher is tough on his arm and risks injury, as opposed to someone who is smooth and effortless. Pure arm speed is also noted, which usually translates to tighter rotation and better velocity with pitches. A pitcher's arm action will also determine what type f break a curve or slider will have (down break, sweeping, sharp, loose, hanging, etc).
	Delivery: Are pitching mechanics clean and smooth, or is there work to be done with the mechanics? There are a wide variety of mechanical flaws that may prohibit a pitcher from being efficient and consistent. Scouts need to note both the good and the bad, or what needs improvement.
	Breaking Pitches: This includes curves, sliders and screwballs. A major league pitcher needs at least two quality pitches to keep hitters off-balance. Scouts need to grade the effectiveness of the breaking balls on a Major League scale. Good breaking balls have velocity, they break late (close to home plate), have a tight rotation (tougher to read the spin), and hitters struggle to make solid contact with them.
	Other Pitches: This includes the split-finger, change-up, knuckle balls, etc. Again velocity, rotation, sharpness, and how hitters react to them will help determine their grade.
	Aggressiveness: Does the pitcher go after hitters with his fastball? Does he challenge hitters with his best stuff? Does he work quickly on the mound between pitches? Does he intimidate hitters with his body language and attitude?
	Baseball Instincts: Does he have a feel for pitching (knowing when to use his fastball or when to go off-speed); Is there field awareness for where base runners are and where the play needs to be made; does he back-up bases and cover first base when necessary; and does he support his teammates after an error is made?
	Control: Can the pitcher pitch, or does he just throw in the direction of the plate? Can he locate his fastball for a strike when behind in the count? Does he pitch ahead-in-the-count, or behind? On average, a good inning for a pitcher would be 15 pitches or less. Greg Maddux of the Braves once threw a complete, nine inning game on 78 pitches, which is fewer than 9 pitches an inning ... on average.
	Physical Maturity: Scouts will evaluate a pitcher's body to determine if he "feels" the pitcher can improve his velocity in the future with added strength and natural, physical maturity. Scouts will examine the height, weight, visual body fat, and athleticism to help them come to a conclusion. There are some 20 year old pitchers who have been weightlifting for 3 or 4 years and are so physically developed that it is difficult to project any velocity improvement from maturation. But on the other hand, scouts have seen high school pitchers weighing 165-175 lbs. Adding 2-5 mph on their fastball as they gain weight and strength in pro baseball. The problem is, strength and maturity does not insure added velocity, so this is purely speculative, or "playing a hunch." Each Major League team has their own report forms for evaluations, and these items are on them. Arm action and fastball grades are perhaps the two most important evaluations. Arm action evaluations are important because they will tell a team if there is a "better than average" chance of a future injury, because of how the players arm works. Arm actions are difficult to change in pitchers, and there are risks involved in changing how the arm works - velocity may decrease, the angle of the breaking ball will probably change, and the pitching arm is susceptible to injury because the muscles are being used differently. So the arm action had better be able to work efficiently and resist injury. The fastball evaluation is largely dependent on velocity, but movement and how hitters react to it is also very important. You can teach a fastball how to move, but velocity is God-given. A Major League pitcher had better be able to have enough velocity or movement to get the best hitters in the world out. Scouting Catchers The evaluation of high school catchers may be the most subjective of all the scouting involving young players. Many professional scouting directors will tell you that after pitchers the drafting of high school catchers has the biggest "wash out" rate percentage among players drafted each year. Some scouts like catchers with long lanky bodies, others prefer shorter more compact or thick bodies. Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder when it comes to evaluating catchers. It used to be that if a catcher was a great defense player (what is known as a catch and throw guy) he had a chance to make it to the Major Leagues. In today's game the catcher is also expected to provide a substantial offensive output. The days of a professional baseball catcher being a big slow-footed wide body are long gone. It is important to remember that the overall evaluation of a player's baseball skills is subjective to the scout's personal opinions about how those skills will play at the Major League level. The Catcher A scout will time a catcher's throw to second base by starting his stopwatch as the ball hits the catcher's glove and he stops it when the ball is caught at second base. (this is called the "pop to pop" time) A good scout will anticipate the ball-to-glove contact in order to start and stop the watch. A solid Major League time is under 2.00 seconds Most Major League catchers are in the 1.80 - 1.98 range, on average In college, times under 2.10 will often work Throwing times will be affected by the glove-to-hand transfer, or how quickly the ball can get into the throwing hand. The catcher's footwork and throwing action will also affect the release time for a catcher. These things can be improved, and a scout will judge how easily those changes may come for the catcher - based on the overall athleticism of the catcher - as part of the evaluation. Other Things Scouts Look For Stance - Athleticism Setting Up For Pitches Framing of Pitches Blocking Skills Throwing Footwork Fielding of Bunts Plays at the Plate On Field Leadership How a catcher works during a bullpen - This can be very important - Does the player practice like a game - or does he receive the pitches in the bullpen with less than full effort and skills There is little emphasis as to how a catcher "calls a game" or works his pitchers in high school. This is due to most of these items being done by the coaches. These are skills that can be learned. Professional scouts understand this and do not consider these factors significantly when evaluating a catching prospect.    Arm Strength Arm strength grades are very subjective to the scout doing the evaluating. Two different scouts from the same organization may evaluate an arm at the same time but conclude two different grades. It gets fuzzy sometimes trying to grade an arm that is on the verge of being at the next highest grade, but is not quite there yet. For example, you see a fielder make a strong throw, but there is just enough "pop" missing in the throw that you give a below-average grade instead of an average grade, but the scout next to you decides to give it an average grade. This happens in real life. (If you want to get your throws as strong as possible, you should play long-toss as often as possible, as far as possible. You do not need to throw more than 10 balls at your maximum distance when playing catch to add, and preserve, arm strength.) It is important that you try to show-off your arm as much as possible when you are playing in a game, because you never know who is watching. In infield practice, before a game, show-off your talents in case you do not get any plays during the game that allow you to "air it out." Scouts always try to see batting practice and infield/outfield before a game to help them evaluate defensive skills and arm strength, so BE READY. Scouts grade arms visually; in general, radar guns are not used to measure arm strength in the infield or outfield. But if you do not have a radar gun, average-grade velocities throwing from shortstop to first usually around 85 mph and higher. And, I have seen a Major League outfielder with an above-average arm (when he was a minor leaguer) throw a ball 91 mph from behind the mound to home plate. What Scouts Do Look For When Evaluating INFIELDERS True, raw arm strength is best evaluated when having to make a throw from a back-hand fielding position. This position does not allow the fielder to gain much, if any, momentum to throw across the infield. Infielders usually have to plant their back foot and throw to have a chance of throwing out a base runner, and this type of throw will display how strong an infielder's arm actually is.   Average Arm Strength Is graded when a thrown ball can get across the infield ON A LINE with some "pop" on the throw.   Above-Average Arm Strength Is graded when the throw stays on line and really carries across the infield - like a laser beam. Derek Jeter, Miguel Tejada, Rey Ordonez, Alex Rodriguez and Chipper Jones are all examples of Major League infielders with great arms   Below-Average Arm Strength Is graded when throws are "soft", but they get across the infield to make most of the plays. Below average arms can look and "play" average if the player can get rid of the ball with quickness. Mike Bordick, does not have an average arm, but he makes the plays because he gets the ball in-and-out of his glove so quickly; Mike is considered an above-average defensive shortstop, by Major League standards. Very Below-Average Arm Strength Is given when the arm is barely acceptable at the Major League level. There are very few of these arms in the Major Leagues, and they are usually at first or second base. Players with very below-average arms should focus on their foot and glove work to speed up their release times; quick throws can be as effective as strong throws.   OUTFIELD Arm Strength   Scouts look at how the ball carries to the infield. Does the ball stay up in the air with good back spin, or does in sink and cut, taking the throw off course. Outfielders should always be able to get a 4 seam grip on the ball to help their throws stay true.   Scouts watch to see how quickly an outfielder can catch and throw the ball. There is a rhythm to throwing; the footwork of the outfielder should be in-synch with his arm so he does not have to slow down to throw.   Scouts will also look at the distance an outfielder can throw on as true a line as possible. In other words, a "rainbow" throw is not as strong as one on a straight line, or with only a slight arc.   Above-Average Arm Strength Is grade when the throw can get to it's target ON THE LINE with POWER. Maybe the throw has to bounce, but it is a long-hop that stays on-line to it's target. Bernie Williams, Ken Griffey Jr. and Andrew Jones all have great arms. Great arms are rarely challenged by base runners when the game is on the line.   Average Arm Strength Is graded when the ball can get to it's target ON THE LINE with average velocity.   Below-Average Arm Strength Grades are for softer throws that may arrive in one or two bounces, but they lose velocity along the way. Below-Average arms are occasionally said to be "playable" if they have enough carry and are accurate.  Very Below-Average Arms Are seldom seen in Major League outfields, and they are usually in left field if they are present. These throws lack distance and velocity, but have enough carry to play if the outfielder can get some momentum for his throws.    Arm strength grades are important to baseball because it may determine where you best fit defensively on a Major League playing field. You can improve your arm strength, or at least maintain what you have, with long-toss. There are players in the Majors with below-average arms, but they are able to compensate with a quick release and accuracy.