Matt Crisp

The Scouting Classroom #20 THE HARDEST POSITION TO FIND AND DEVELOP For me, the hardest position for a scout to find and develop is catcher. Not because there aren’t players willing to put the gear on. There are plenty. The challenge is finding a true catcher. There is a big difference between someone who catches and someone who can run a game, handle a staff, control tempo, receive velocity, block with toughness, throw accurately, and still compete in the batter’s box. That is what makes the position different A catcher has to do a little bit of everything, and most of it does not show up in the box score. Fans may notice pop time or arm strength. Scouts are watching the quieter details. • Does he receive the ball cleanly?
 • Does he steal strikes without making it obvious?
 • Does he block with conviction?
 • Does he recover quickly?
 • Does he throw with carry and accuracy?
 • Does the pitcher trust him?
 • Does he control tempo?
 • Does he lead without needing attention?
 • Does he handle failure without carrying it into the next pitch? That is why catching is so difficult to evaluate. You are not just grading tools. You are grading responsibility. THE BAT MAKES IT EVEN HARDER The toughest part is finding a catcher who can defend and still hit. Many young catchers fall behind offensively because the position demands so much. Their legs get tired, their hands take a beating, and their minds get overloaded. They spend so much time learning to receive, block, throw, call pitches, and manage pitchers that the bat often develops more slowly. That does not mean the hitter is not in there. It means scouts have to be patient. Some catchers need more time, more innings, or better competition. Some need to fail, adjust, mature, and learn to slow the game down. A young catcher may have the arm before the receiving, the bat before the trust, or the toughness before the feel. That is development WHY REAL CATCHERS ARE RARE A real catcher has to earn trust from everyone around him. Pitchers have to believe in him. Coaches have to trust him. Scouts have to project him. Organizations have to stay patient. You can move a good athlete to the outfield. You can shift a shortstop to another position. You can dream on a pitcher with arm strength. Catching is different. You cannot fake the innings, the feel, or the leadership when the game speeds up. The position exposes you • It exposes your toughness.
• It exposes your instincts.
•It exposes your aptitude.
• It exposes your patience.
• It exposes your ability to think while your body is getting beat up. That is why scouts pay close attention when they see a young catcher who can truly handle the position. THE SCOUTING LESSON When a scout finds a catcher with defensive trust, arm strength, toughness, leadership, feel for the game, and offensive upside, he does not just write it down and move on. He follows him Because those players are hard to find And even harder to develop The position is not just about tools. It is about carrying responsibility pitch after pitch, inning after inning, game after game. That is why catcher, for me, is the hardest position to find and develop. That’s scouting! #BehindTheRadarGun