What's your favorite form for "info" relating to amateur baseball?

[Stotle]

Poll to come.

Do you prefer rankings? Scouting reports? Something closer to a more traditional article form? ML comparisons? How do you form your opinions on players you haven't had a chance to see and which of these forms of relaying info tends to carry the most weight with you, personally?

[Os_Watcher]

I don't have just once source for info... I will say that message boards like this one offer "some" very astute observations from some members and outrageously narrow minded ones too (not throwing stones).

If it's a stat I focus on for Pitchers it's definitely WHIP (it is your friend)

But I find http://www.baseball-reference.com/ to be really useful when I want to look up a player.

Often I'll read a scouting report, but I don't entirely trust them.

[Stotle]

Thanks, OW. I'm really looking to see what presentation of facts about a HS or college player clicks best with most posters, here. For example, if you read a scouting report that makes Player A sound like a legit front-end starter, and then read a ranking of HS pitchers and see him down around 15th on the list, which holds most weight?

The same, do you prefer an article that has a more anecdotal approach -- stories about the player's performance, quotes from a coach or scout, etc.?

I'm just trying to gauge how most tend to form their opinions. While I expect almost no one relies on one source or one info format, I'd like to get a grasp on what people personally feel is the best or most reliable form of info gathering regarding this group of baseball players.

[Os_Watcher]

We all know the great hype machine works in all things that there is interest. But in example... A 6'5" 210lb HS senior that Pitches in an area known to produce talent like say anywhere within a 100 miles of Los Angeles that absolutely dominates competition with 3 or 4 first rate pitches is going to carry alot more weight with me than an identical player that is in no-name Wisconsin.

With pitchers I like guys that have multiple pitches and height. HS Bats??? I like to hear about bat speed and athletic ability.

Stats in HS only tell you a little. By the same stroke we aren't likely to see any scouting report any major league team considers more than peripheral information. That's why while you likely will see me post an opinion on every move the Orioles make. I try to be a bit more conservative with opinions regarding draft choice selections.

[jerios55]

Having a very limited knowledge with all this stuff, I really like seeing player comparisons. After getting a better handle with some of those comparisons it's easier to read the scouting reports and follow the rankings a little better.

[wickedwitch]

I despise rankings as a means for getting information. A player ranked 3rd could be closer in ability to the player ranked 20th than the player ranked 1st. It tells you nothing about what the prospect is bad and good at, and it depends heavily on what the the people making the list value. It's only useful for mock drafts.

[QBsILLEST1]

Poll to come.

Do you prefer rankings? Scouting reports? Something closer to a more traditional article form? ML comparisons? How do you form your opinions on players you haven't had a chance to see and which of these forms of relaying info tends to carry the most weight with you, personally?

I love scouting reports as well as video of the ball player so you can get an idea how smooth he looks, or if he has any hitches or red flags for injury concern. Of your choices though I chose scouting reports. But I like to try to read as many different ones as possible rather than just 1.

I also love to hear quotes from coaches and the player. It gives you an idea about how other people see the kid and you also get a snap shot of his mentality when you hear quotes from the player himself. I always liked the format of "Mayo's Draft Reports" mostly because it gives you a little article each week about a few top draftees, then it has an actual scouting report based on his stuff. It shwos strengths, weaknesses and then quotes.....That gives me a good bit of info on the specific player, not just his stuff, but his character and how others see him...

[allstar1579]

I'm going to go with a scouting report, but it depends on who's doing it

[clarence]

I was listening to a former NFL position coach talking before the NFL draft last season and he said that when evaluating most people always want a comp. It made a lot of sense and I think it would be beneficial to us who follow your work and others to get a better understanding of what the stats are saying. Just my two cents, I really enjoy following the draft thread and the work done by many on here.

[McNulty]

I like the way Kevin Goldstein does his Top 11. He provides a perfect world scenario, and a "glass half empty" scenario. He goes over the good, bad, and a potential timetable.

Granted, this is all for players that have already turned pro, whereas you are writing up amateurs, so perhaps a range in rounds that you project the player to get drafted in would work.

I will say, my eyes start to glaze over when I read too much stuff about mechanics, command/control, leverage, release points, and so on. Personally, I like it quick and dirty without getting too much into the weeds on this stuff. But that's probably a minority opinion, and you know from discussing prospects with me that I prefer actually seeing them with my own eyes.

Not that I'm anywhere near a good scout or anything.

[LookinUp]

I love the idea of scouting reports, but I don't trust my ability to interpret them or the completeness of any individual scouting report. Indeed, the "scouting reports" that some people like to point to aren't necessarily in depth. I think many "scouting reports" end contributing to some folks jumping to unsupported conclusions.

For that reason, I chose rankings. Most rankings include the relative "value" of a player while also attributing some sort of designation that comes from the rankers interpretation of the scouting reports/scuttlebutt. The good ones, like BA or Tony's, will let you know if a player's an A or B prospect, or where he profiles in the majors, while also comparing to others AND they're done every year, which allows these folks to build some credibility.

They're much better, IMO.

[Stotle]

Thanks, everyone. The results are interesting, and not too far from what I expected. Looks like "article form scouting reports" that sort of tell the tale of the player are the least popular. Good arguments for the rankings, as well as getting comments/quotes from coaches, etc.

As expected, the scouting report is the most popular form of info. It strengthens my belief that sites like BA and Perfect Game should provide a little more transparency when it comes to their scouty reports. Keith Law gives grades, video and a little narrative, which I think is the most useful out there, though he doesn't indicate how much of a player he's seen. He does indicate whether or not he's personally scouted a player, not providing a report for those he hasn't seen (basically, not relying on second hand info to create grades -- I definitely appreciate and respect that).

Anyway, interesting poll -- for me, anyway. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[Leitch]

Beer and Tacos