PBR Scout Day: Diamond Deacons - Statistical Analysis
November 18, 2019
Prep Baseball Report Scout Days allow teams an opportunity to showcase their players for PBR scouts, and college coaches, while working with PBR to produce a full pro-style workout. Players, at a PBR Scout Day, will run a laser timed 60 yard dash, workout offensively, receiving multiple rounds of live BP, as well as going through exit velocity testing. Following the offensive workout, players are able to workout at their primary defensive position. Pitchers will then throw a controlled bullpen.
On Saturday November 9th, PBR of North Carolina ran a Scout Day for players in the Diamond Deacon program and a handful of players from the Muddog organization. As PBR continues to take a deep look at each player in attendance, we take a look at the stats produced during the scout day, including leaders from each category. Individual player breakdowns will be coming soon.
CLICK HERE to see the full roster and stats from the day.
Diamond Deacon Scout Day: Statistical Analysis
THE 60 YARD DASH
The 60 has been used for a long period of time to gauge speed in baseball players. A bit antiquated, it does allow scouts to compare players from different time periods and has become a standard testing distance for pro-style workouts. During the PBR Scout Day with the Diamond Deacons, players ran on a laser timed course. The surface at the event was a natural grass with a rye over-seeding that just took, creating a still soft surface. Three of twenty-six times came in under 7.30. The median time for the laser timed 60 checked in at 7.86. The top 8 times came from 2023 and 2024 graduates.
EXIT VELOCITY
During the offensive portion of the day, players worked through an exit velocity testing station. At this station, players attacked a ball on a tee with a radar gun reading the exit velocity of the ball off the barrel. Players had the chance to swing their own bat, plus bats provided by Mizuno. The numbers below are only from the exit velocity station. The top exit velocity checked in at 94 mph and 3 players registered a speed of 90 mph or higher in the testing. The median exit velocity from the PBR Scout Day was 79 mph.
POSITIONAL VELOCITY – INFIELDERS
Infielders were able to workout at Shortstop in the pro-style portion of the PBR Scout Day. Players were hit a variety of ground balls, moving to secure the ball before transitioning the ball into a throw across the diamond. Scouts are evaluating multiple areas during this session. Arm strength, carry, accuracy, and ease of actions can all be marked. PBR scouts add a radar gun to give a number to the arm strength. While the radar reading does not tell the entire story, it does give evaluators a feel for pure arm strength. Ninteen infielders worked out from either shortstop or 1B. The top radar reading across the diamond registered at 81 mph, with a median reading of 69 mph.
POSITIONAL VELOCITY – OUTFIELDERS
Similar to the infielders, there are several data points that evaluators are looking for as outfielders took batted balls from right field, making throws to home plate. PBR scouts, again, took radar readings on each throw, giving scouts a chance to gauge arm strength with a solid number. Thirteen outfielders worked out from right field. The top positional throw marked at 80 mph. The median outfield throw for the group was at 73 mph.
CATCHER POP TIMES & POSITIONAL VELOCITY
In the pro-style workout, catchers workout from behind home plate, making multiple throws to 2B, simulating a stolen base attempt. Scouts again are looking for a quick, clean transition to the release as well as carry and accuracy on the throw. For catchers, evaluators will put a stopwatch on the “pop time” or the time the ball hits their glove to the time the ball hits the MIF’s glove at 2B. Coaches can also time the transition from when the ball hits the catchers glove to when he is able to release his throw. PBR scouts add the radar gun to put a number on the arm strength out of the crouched position. The top pop time in the workout was a 2.06, with a median time from the group of 4 catchers of 2.32. The top positional velocity checked in at 73 mph out of the hand, while the median for the group clocked in at 66 mph.
MAX FASTBALL
Pitchers threw in a controlled bullpen for PBR Scouts. Each arm had a chance to throw on a side mound to get loose prior to moving to the live mound where they would be evaluated. While scouts are evaluating stuff, mechanics, efficiency, and command, velocity can be a key component in an evaluation. PBR used the new Stalker Pro SII radar gun to collect velocity on each arm while they threw live in the game. Eighteen arms threw at the event with the top fastball registering at 81 mph. The median top fastball came in at 72 mph.