Future Projection Episode 95: Scouting Physicality & Body Type

Image credit: Moises Ballesteros (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)

In this week’s Future Projection episode, Ben Badler and Carlos Collazo delve into a fascinating subset of prospect evaluation: the importance of scouting and projecting body frames for players.

Ben wonders whether or not we are too critical of superficial “bad body” players who actually have proven hitting chops, while Carlos talks about how projecting bodies might be more important for defensive profiles than anything that happens in the box. The two discuss early physical developers, hyper skinny frames, whether or not they weight physicality more or less for hitters vs. pitchers and more.

Discussion then moves on to how impressive Cardinals 2024 first rounder JJ Wetherholt has been in pro ball before digging into a few other notable 2024 draftee debut performers. The two revisit their preseason 2024 drafted teams to see who has panned out better so far and then talk about the major league player of the year race.

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Is Aaron Judge’s offensive dominance too much for any other player to challenge him or is Bobby Witt Jr.’s well-rounded game enough to make a defensible case for the honor?

Finally, Ben and Carlos wrap things up with a chat about a few standout defensive rookies—Jacob Young and Masyn Winn—while Carlos offers up a 2025 draftee player comp to Winn to see what Ben thinks.

Time Stamps

(1:00) Fall ball changes
(4:00) Scout jobs being cut
(14:30) How scouting bodies matters (Moises Ballesteros, Dasan Hill, Michael Mercado, Braden Shewmake, Alejandro Kirk, Kyle Schwarber)
(26:30) Early physical developers
(39:40) Deceptive body types
(42:00) Body types for hitters vs. pitchers
(48:00) JJ Wetherholt
(52:00) 2024 Debut hitters
(1:08:00) Major League Player of the Year race
(1:15:00) Giancarlo Stanton’s HOF case
(1:22:00) Jacob Young & Masyn Winn
(1:30:00) Nationals young core