Professional Baseball Scouts Association

PACIFIC NORTHWEST


TOP 10 NFL CONTRACTS IN 2015
Eli Manning - $65 million
Philip Rivers - $65 million
Colin Kaepernick - $61 million
Ben Roethlisberger - $60.7 million
Russell Wilson - $60 million
Cam Newton - $60 million
Ndamukong Suh - $59.9 million
Tony Romo - $55 million
Aaron Rodgers - $54 million
Jay Cutler - $54 million

TOP 10 MLB CONTRACTS (as of Feb. 2016)
Giancarlo Stanton - $325 million
Alex Rodriguez - $275 million
Miguel Cabrera - $248 million
Albert Pujols - $240 million
Robinson Cano - $240 million
Joey Votto - $225 million
David Price - $217 million
Clayton Kershaw - $215 million
Prince Fielder - $214 million
Max Scherzer - $210 million

How do I get noticed by a scout?
It doesn't matter where you're located or what team you play for...if you're good enough, a scout will find you. Scouts work hard to create networks of trusted sources eager to tip them off on talented players. A scout's job is to find players and we scour our areas searching for that "diamond in the rough." Players come from all different areas, big and small, and there are major leaguers from every round of the draft.

What do scouts look for in a player?
Scouts use a 20-80 (or 2-8) scouting scale for measuring everything a player does. A grade of 50 (or 5) represents average at the Major League level. For position players, the basic tools graded include hitting for average, hitting for power, running speed, fielding, and arm strength. Because it's exceptionally rare to go straight from the draft to the Major Leagues, projection is also factored in—we're looking for players who have room to improve. For pitchers, we grade each pitch type, control, as well as mechanics. We also factor in what we call "makeup"—how competitive a player is, what kind of teammate they are, what kind of person they are off the field, work ethic, etc.

How many scouts are there?
There are 30 Major League Baseball organizations. Each organization has a full-time scout responsible for scouting the Pacific Northwest, which may include all, or part of, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Northern California, Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, Hawaii, and Western Canada—depending on how each organization splits up the country. Some organizations also use part-time scouts, because it's such a big area with so many players to see in a limited amount of time. Each area scout also has "crosscheckers"—supervisor scouts responsible for seeing the best players in a region. There are also National Crosscheckers and Scouting Directors—senior-level scouts within an organization responsible for seeing the best players throughout the entire country.

What is the basic information on the MLB Draft?
The MLB Draft has been in place since 1965. Beginning in 2023, the order for the first 6 picks in the draft is determined by a lottery system. After that, each team takes turns picking players in reverse order of last year's standings. The draft is now limited to 20 rounds. Players can be drafted from the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Players don't need to "declare" for the draft. To be eligible, a player must be a senior in high school, any year at a junior college, or a junior or senior at a 4-year college or university. Exceptions are made for college freshmen and sophomores who are the same age as juniors in the Draft. The Draft takes place over three days, coinciding with MLB All-Star Break festivities. More information can be found at MLB.com.

What is the MLB College Scholarship Plan?
Because players can be drafted from all levels of school—high school, junior college, or a four-year university—Major League Baseball has been committed to providing money for a player's education, in addition to any signing bonus or salary he receives. This is a negotiable part of the first-year player contract. However, many players receive enough money for 100 percent of their education: tuition, books, and living expenses. The money is set aside and players have up to two years after their playing career is finished to begin using it. Players can also use their scholarship money for classes online! More information can be found by clicking here.

To put that in perspective, the top five highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL would have to combine their salaries to be guaranteed more money than the highest-paid player in Major League Baseball.