Overview
Scouts are specialists who evaluate players across high school, college, industrial league, and independent league levels, assessing ability, projection, and character for their club's front office. Each NPB organization typically employs 10 to 15 scouts who travel nationwide to gather intelligence on prospects. Evaluation criteria span a wide range: for pitchers, velocity, pitch quality, command, frame, and mechanical repeatability; for position players, exit velocity, defensive range, arm strength, speed, and bat speed. The integration of tracking data and video analysis has added objective metrics to the traditional eye test, but intangible qualities such as clutch performance, mental maturity, and team adaptability still depend on a scout's personal experience and judgment. Since draft selections are heavily influenced by scouting reports, the quality of a club's scouting department fundamentally shapes its long-term competitive trajectory.