You might be surprised how little these guys care about your batting average.
When players self-analyze, they often limit themselves to a few basic questions like …
- How many batters did I strikeout?
- What is my batting average?
- How many HR’s/RBI’s do I have?
- What’s my Win-Loss record?
Unfortunately, most players do not mentally travel past those questions.
For a player to more accurately gauge how well he is doing and how he stacks up against the competition, questions like the following will usually be more productive.
- What are my batting stats (avg, strikeouts, walks, RBI’s, etc.) against other teams’ number 1 pitchers?
- Do I pitch ahead in the count when there are runners on base or just when nobody is on?
- When runners are in scoring position, do I make my best pitches in terms of location?
- Do I drive the ball when runners are on base or when nobody is on?
- How tough am I in my last at-bat when I already have two hits?
- Do I get my best jumps at first on steals late in the game when it counts the most?
- How well do I make the infield plays with two outs and a runner at third?
- Do I have my best stuff from the first pitch of the game or does it take me a while to settle in?
- Do I tend to make better pitches before or after an infield error behind me?
- Do I make my best blocks behind the plate late in the game or early?
- Do I run out to my position the same way when I’m 0-4 as I do when I’m 4-4?
These questions can be tough for some kids to ask. Some probably don’t even want to know the answers. However, taking the time to honestly answer them can give a player a realistic look at how he is performing when it really counts as opposed to just in general.
… And for those who don’t want to bother asking themselves these questions, keep this in mind …
Whether you ask them or not, the answers to these questions are exactly what college coaches and pro scouts are looking for when they see you play.