How many scouts work at the MLB Scouting Bureau?
We have 34 full-time scouts and 13 part-time scouts across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Q: How do your scouts rate prospects? A: We have basic generic things that apply to both position players and pitchers and then we have specific things for position players and pitchers. We grade position players on hitting ability, power, running speed, arm strength and fielding. We use a scale of 2-8 in each category to grade our players and come up with an OFP (Overall Future Potential). A total range of 40-80 covers Major League prospects. Forty is the minimum for our category of a Major League prospect. We have fringe, average and definite prospect [categories]. As the number gets higher, the better the prospect is. We grade pitchers on fastball, curveball, slider and other (if the pitcher throws a knuckler or split-finger). If a pitcher doesn’t throw an “other,” he gets graded on the three he throws. But that’s when a scout’s instinct comes into play. If a pitcher only throws two
