Years ago, a long-time scout told me a good way to think about player comps is “what impact do they have, how do they deploy it?” Meaning, where does the batter fit in a good lineup, where does he fit defensively? Or, for pitchers, is it a starter or reliever, and where do they fit in a good rotation or bullpen?
The industry — both inside and outside the league and its organizations — falls into the ‘style’ comp habit quite a bit. My comps — used in the annual Prospect Rankings — are an attempt to focus on the future role of the player. Scouting is about projecting physical attributes, skills, and ultimately the role. The best scouts nail the projection at a relatively high rate.
But even the best in the business reevaluate their projections for players. As player develop and mature physically, their abilities can morph.
Comps can also go in the other direction, too. But for Seattle’s top prospects, it’s been a terrific year of development, and comps have held steady or taken a step forward.
Let’s go through some of the top prospects from last February and update their comps based on their developmental results this season.