Position Specialization for Elite Youth Baseball Athletes
Baseball requires many athletes to specialize at a young age if they want a shot at going pro. According to a 2017 study, 48% of professional baseball players specialized early, with a mean age of specialization being 8.91 years old (1). During tryouts, practices and games, many coaches are looking for specific skills and physical characteristics for position specialization.
When it comes to being a top-notch pitcher, you'll find that the best ones are usually tall and mid-weight, with strong lower bodies and extreme arm strength. Catchers who excel tend to be on the heavier side but have greater arm strength and make smart decisions, and height isn't as crucial for them. As for infielders, they stand out with their high agility, lightning-fast reflexes, and powerful moves from both their legs and arms. Outfielders, on the other hand, are a combination of tall, strong, and powerful, and they can cover a ton of ground in no time.
These observations come from tons of experience and knowledge of the game. However, scouts & coaches now understand the importance of relying on data-driven insights to identify talent more accurately. That being said, the crucial question all stakeholders (i.e. scouts, players, coaches, CBL, MLB etc) wish to address is what skills aside from demographics are important in identifying elite baseball players, and what relationship these skills have with position specialization.
Identifying distinct skill sets can assist stakeholders in uncovering exceptional talents akin to Shohei Ohtani, who demonstrated the daring aspiration of excelling as both a full-time hitter and pitcher in the MLB simultaneously. Standing at 6’4” and weighing 210 lbs, he is both tall and mid-weight. In the year 2022, he showcased his exceptional arm strength by delivering a 102-mph pitch. During his early years, his coaches would have likely taken a particular notice to his stature, weight, and arm strength. That being said, what Ohtani is hoping to accomplish is rare. For most young baseball players, specializing allows them to play to their inherent strengths and natural talents. Within this article, we will delve into the precise assessments utilized for establishing the positioning of elite youth baseball players. These assessments empower stakeholders to make more informed positioning choices grounded in data-driven insights.
A recent study of 14-21 year old elite youth baseball players tested grip strength, functional vision, explosiveness, rapid decision-making, and handedness (2). These tests were compared against their age, weight and height for physical markers. Here is a summary of their findings:
GRIP STRENGTH.
Increases in age, weight and height are associated with higher grip strength
Catchers, infielders, and outfielders showed higher grip strength compared to pitchers
Overall, outfielders had the highest grip strength
Functional Vision.
Age was associated with an average increase in functional vision. Functional vision included the ability to keep eyes still, pursue moving objects with eyes, oculomotor mechanics, and reaction time.
Catchers, infielders, and outfielders each had significantly better functional vision scores, compared to pitchers
Overall, catchers showed the highest average scores.
Explosiveness.
Age was associated with an average increase in explosiveness.
A higher weight was associated with a decrease in explosiveness while height has no significant impact on explosiveness.
Catchers, infielders, and outfielders had higher explosiveness scores compared to pitchers.
Overall, outfielders showing the highest average scores.
Rapid decision-making.
Both age and height were associated with an average increase in rapid decision-making scores, while weight was not.
Catchers were not significantly different than pitchers, but infielders and outfielders had significantly higher factor scores compared to pitchers.
Overall, infielders producing the highest scores.
Handedness and grip strength.
There was no significant difference between right and left handed players results for their grip strength.
Between all three hand positions, grip scores were highest in the palm facing down position.
While expertise and experience have traditionally influenced position specialization, it is clear that the industry recognizes the importance of data-driven insights for talent identification. Understanding these specific tests and their correlations with position specialization can provide valuable insights for shaping the future of baseball talent identification. Armed with this knowledge, the sport can continue to evolve and uncover the stars of tomorrow.
1) Wilhelm A, Choi C, Deitch J. Early Sport Specialization: Effectiveness and Risk of Injury in Professional Baseball Players. Orthop J Sports Med. 2017 Sep 22;5(9):2325967117728922. doi: 10.1177/2325967117728922. PMID: 28975134; PMCID: PMC5613849.
2) Ho J, Liu S, Feng Z, Appelbaum LG (2023) Psychomotor and visual skills underlying position specialization in 1352 elite youth baseball players. PLOS ONE 18(1): e0278689. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278689