Introduction to Five Tools Analysis: Hitting

[kyleb]

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Hey Kyleb, great stuff!

1) I thought you were more into pitching than hitting, so it surprises me that you're a hitting coach and not a pitching coach. What gives?

2) What's your opinion on the Moneyball idea that tools/scouts are largely irrelevant and all you need is a player's stats?

(Also, does anyone else read his name as Kyleb (Ky-Leb) instead of Kyle B? Or am I the only idiot?)

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1) I love pitching, but over the last year or so, I've learned that I can pick up hitting a lot easier. It makes sense and is much easier to explain, study, and practice. I'll do a short bit on pitching later on as well.

2) That's not really the Moneyball idea, but I see why people get that feeling based on Lewis's book. I believe what a player has done (stats) is more important than what a player can do (tools), but too much reliance on stats will lead to the Blue Jays Syndrome - getting a ton of low-ceiling low-variance players in your farm system without any impact players.

Drafting mainly college kids with emphasis on what they have done rather than what they can do will lead to a farm system that produces a high percentage of players to make AAA/MLB, but a low percentage of All-Stars.

Drafting mainly high school / foreign kids with emphasis on tools rather than what they have done will lead to a depleted farm system that produces a low percentage of players to make AAA/MLB, but a higher percentage of All-Stars.

You need a blend of both to succeed.