Jeremy Booth

THE SCOUTING CLASSROOM Stories Behind the Report THE TWO-INNING EVALUATION THAT HELPED LAUNCH K-ROD Two Looks. Two Reports. A World Series Run. Sometimes the biggest scouting assignments come with the fewest explanations. In September 2002, the Angels were chasing something the franchise had never experienced: a World Series championship. I was a young Area Scout, and the organization was building toward a remarkable stretch of success. From 2002 through 2009, the Angels reached the postseason six times and won five AL West titles. But that September, none of us knew how the story would end. THE CALL FROM TOM DAVIS I received a call from the late, legendary Angels scout Tom Davis. He told me that Bill Stoneman, whom we called Mr. Stoneman, wanted the two of us in Salt Lake City to evaluate a young reliever and our top pitching prospect Francisco Rodriguez. Our instructions were simple. Get two looks at him closing the ninth inning, however long those outings lasted. Scout him cold, do not discuss what we saw with each other, and submit our reports within 24 hours of the final look. We weren’t told what the organization had in mind. TWO LOOKS. ONE ELECTRIC ARM. K-Rod had just transitioned from starting to relieving that year, and it didn’t take long to understand why he was being fast-tracked. The fastball sat 94–97 mph, with the ability to locate it on both sides of the plate. His signature breaking ball was a vicious, hard slurve with sweeping action. Today, people might describe its shape as a sweeper. He could bury it off the plate for ugly swings, land it for a called strike, or start it at a right-handed hitter’s front hip and bring it back over the inside corner. And he had a third weapon: a heavy, sinking changeup, that he didn’t need now, but rarely used it. That pitch would become increasingly important later in his career. Then there was his unmistakable high leg kick and pinwheel delivery. It was all part of the deception. This was before today’s obsession with spin rates, induced vertical break and pitch-shape dashboards. We had our eyes, our experience and the hitters’ reactions. And those Triple-A hitters had very few answers. THE REPORT THAT MATTERED Across our two looks, Rodriguez made quick work of the ninth inning. Tom and I only gave each other that look, knowing we were seeing something special and then went to work on our reports. I remember my conclusion vividly: “He’s ready to jump into late-leverage situations right now and help the big league club if needed!” That wasn’t a projection for two years down the road. It was an evaluation of immediate readiness. We filed our reports. Just days later, K-Rod was called to Anaheim. FROM SALT LAKE TO OCTOBER In five regular-season appearances, he threw 5⅔ innings, walked two and struck out 13. Then October arrived. With Troy Percival closing games, Rodriguez became a devastating late-inning weapon. His slider baffled hitters, his fastball attacked the zone, and his fearless approach helped the Angels win the 2002 World Series as the first American League Wild Card team to do it. He later became the club’s closer, saved 45 games in 2005 and set the still-standing Major League record with 62 saves in 2008. He finished with 437 career saves and six All-Star selections. THE LESSON Scouting isn’t always about months of history or dozens of looks. Sometimes the assignment gives you two innings and asks you to make a professional judgment. You have to recognize what plays now, not just what might play someday. I didn’t know why Mr. Stoneman wanted those reports at the time, but days later, it became clear. What we saw was something special. A young pitcher ready for the moment. Twenty-four years later, I still remember those two ninth innings in Salt Lake City. What a ride that became. #BehindTheRadarGun 🔎

THE SCOUTING CLASSROOM Stories Behind the Report WHEN THE DRAFT ROOM DISAGREES WITH THE AREA SCOUT Eight Years of History. Two Crosschecker Looks. One Decision. One of the toughest situations for an Area Scout is when decision-makers see a different player. Two looks don’t always tell the same story as eight years of history. DYLAN FILE | 2017 MLB DRAFT I’d known Dylan File since eighth grade, when he played travel ball for one of my former Southern Utah University players. His high school coach was another former player. By the time he reached Utah Tech, I’d followed his delivery, arm action, competitiveness and makeup for years. There was a personal connection, too. After my wife passed away in 2014, Dylan and his mother occasionally texted to check on me and offer their prayers. Those gestures meant more than they realized. But personal relationships don’t replace objective evaluations. The report must stand on its own. TWO LOOKS. TWO DIFFERENT PICTURES. Our National Crosschecker evaluated Dylan’s opening-day start in Southern California, the only game that day, drawing roughly 50-60 scouts. The mound was wet and slippery, his velocity was down, and he didn’t pitch well. I followed him all spring and saw the arm I’d known for years. Most days, the scout section was nearly empty. Our Regional Supervisor evaluated Dylan’s final regular-season start, also in Southern California. Again, Dylan struggled. But he’d seen Dylan pitch well at the previous fall’s scout day with me. Those two spring looks showed a different pitcher than the one I watched between them. THE WEST COAST DRAFT MEETINGS Dylan wasn’t on the front office’s discussion list. After I finished my assigned players, our Scouting Director said: “I know you’re chomping at the bit to talk about one player. Jeff, let’s hear your thoughts on Dylan File.” I presented his history, development, stuff and why I believed in his future. Our National Crosschecker, who’d seen the poor opening-day start, spoke first. “I can’t help Scholzy on this one.” He couldn’t support Dylan based on his look. Then our Regional Supervisor weighed in. He’d seen the poor final start and the strong fall look. He also knew my track record identifying overlooked pitchers. His recommendation? “We go with Jeff on this one.” The organization considered the full scouting history rather than letting two outings define the player. THE 21ST ROUND Milwaukee drafted Dylan in the 21st round in 2017 for $75,000. In 2019, he won 15 games between High-A Carolina and Double-A Biloxi, followed by an outstanding postseason. When COVID canceled the 2020 Minor League season, Dylan developed at Milwaukee’s alternate training site, facing Major League hitters and earning praise from Ryan Braun. Then came November 2020. Milwaukee added Dylan File to its 40-man roster. Three years earlier, he wasn’t even on our draft-meeting discussion list. Now Milwaukee was using a valuable 40-man spot to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. A 21st-round pick. A $75,000 investment. A 40-man roster spot three years later. He hadn’t made his MLB debut, but the Brewers believed enough in his future to protect him rather than risk losing him. THE LESSON Neither Crosschecker was wrong. The National Crosschecker saw one poor spring outing. The Regional Supervisor had a good fall look and a poor spring outing. I had eight years of history. Scouting isn’t about winning arguments. It’s about presenting the most accurate picture of a player. Two looks tell you what happened. Eight years of history help explain who the player really is. #BehindTheRadarGun 🔎