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PA Notebook: The Mailbag

December 20, 2013

By Greg Williams
PA Director of Scouting

"The Mailbag", is a new feature that provides followers the opportunity to ask a question regarding amateur baseball in Pennsylvania. The feature has become quite popular in short order since we introduced the idea just three short days ago. We will continue to answer many of your questions on a daily basis as they are received on Twitter @pbrpennsylvania. We will also periodically compile some of the best questions and offer answers to the public in the PA Notebook.

Ground rules

We will answer a variety of questions, but can't possibly answer every question that is posed on a daily basis. Questions about specific teams, leagues or individual prospects are less likely to get answered as are more general questions that would be of interest to the masses. We will be running in-depth season previews of high school programs from around the state in the new calendar year leading up to the start of the high school season. We will also break down some of the top prospects in each classification and by geographic region at that time.

Top Questions

Do you think anyone from the Big 26 Classic has a chance at being drafted?

If he returns to full health, LHP LaRon Mitchell would have the greatest chance. At 6-foot-5, 215-pounds, Mitchell sits in the upper 80s when he is right. Several others on the roster may have an opportunity to hear their name called at some point during their college careers as well.

You talk about where certain players are ranked in a class, but all I can see on the website is the top 10 guys in a class. How can I see the rest?

Roughly 90% of the content on our website is free to the general public. We offer the last 10% to premium subscribers for $10 a month or $100 a year. The subscriber gets access to all player rankings and videos in all 10 states that PBR operates. The subscription also provides access to all PBR Plus stories that are published containing scouting notes and insider information on prospects across the PBR coverage area. For all details go to >> http://www.prepbaseballreport.com/premiumcontent

Is 5'8" considered as being undersized for an OF?

Definitely not. College coaches recruit baseball players. With that said, a 6-foot-2 outfielder with identical abilities as the 5-foot-8 outfielder is probably going to get a greater deal of initial interest. A prospect's height is one of the few things that he can't improve, so he should just work that much harder on improving all other areas of his game.

What do you think about players wanting to play baseball in the Ivy League, and Ivy League baseball in general?

I think that players that attend Ivy League schools to play baseball should be commended. Roughly 95% of all college baseball players will finish their baseball careers when they have played their final college baseball game. To be able to play college baseball and get an Ivy League education seems to be a no-brainer.

Has PBR ever decided to rank position players and pitchers separately?

No, we are ranking prospects based on their projectability as a college baseball player. The nature of the game at all levels is that pitching and defense over the course of the season trumps offense. If you ask 100 college coaches the No. 1 commodity they are in search of 99 will tell you pitching. Each class is going to have a strength. The PA Class of 2014 was extremely deep in catching talent. The 2015 Class has pitching depth. We are just beginning to get a feel for the Class of 2016.

The PBR Mid-Atlantic Border battle sounds like an awesome event. How do you pick the players to fill the teams?

We have sent out an initial round of invitations to prospects in non-PBR states (New York, New Jersey, Maryland & Virginia). Players in Pennsylvania and West Virginia that have an interest in participating for one of the five teams can request an invitation at http://www.prepbaseballreport.com/pennsylvania-store/pbr-mid-atlantic-border-battle-invite-only.html. We have filled roughly 20% of the rosters to date and are excited about the caliber of players that will be participating and the number of schools that are likely to attend the three day event. >> http://www.prepbaseballreport.com/pennsylvania-store/pbr-mid-atlantic-border-battle-invite-only.html

How do you guys rank a player? Like how is the number one contender better than the 10th ranked guy?

The best way to answer your questions is to compare our rankings to the BCS college football rankings. Florida State is currently #1 and Oregon is #10. Both are pretty darn good football teams. We evaluate players based on their current abilities as well as attempting to project where they will be when they walk on to a college campus. You will see players move around in the rankings far more as freshman and sophomores than as seniors. By the time players reach their senior year we have had 3-4 years of seeing them and being able to compare them to similar prospects across the state. That is also why there are 300 players in the current Class of 2014 rankings & just shy of 80 in the Class of 2016. That number will grow significantly as we see more players in this class at events this winter and in varsity level action this spring.

Will going to more PBR events increase rankings?

Not necessarily, but it certainly gives a player the opportunity to showcase his talents directly in front of PBR scouts and at the same time as other players that may be ranked above him in the rankings. We have seen players make dramatic jumps in the rankings as a result of improvements they have made through hard work and physical growth.

Should a 2016 grad OF with a 7.1 sixty and 80 OF velo look at D1, D2, or D3 schools?

Recruiting is like a house sale or car sale. The market sets the price for what a home or car is worth. Likewise, college coaches will determine whether this prospect is a D1, D2 or D3 recruit. More importantly this prospect needs to get out and see some teams play and practice at each level. It makes very little sense to go to a school because of the number associated with the program. Take a look at the rosters of a few quality D2 and D3 programs and see how many D1 transfers they have on their rosters. Those D1 transfers aren't there because they had a great experience at their first stop. Prospects need to be very honest with themselves and make sure they find a school that fits their academic needs as well as gives them an opportunity to experience being on the field.

What qualities do college coaches look for in catchers?

Catchers are much like Christmas trees, nearly everyone one is shopping for one and everyone has their own taste. Some college coaches place a high level of importance on defensive abilities while others want an offensive minded catcher. Arm strength, agility, physicality to be able to handle the rigors of a ton of games in a short college season, and the ability to hit with some power are just a few of the skills and traits they look for.

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