International prospects: what's the point? - Page 2

Pelican · 05-11-2026, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reed

This is from MLB.com
Scouting grades have been a staple of MLB.com's prospect coverage for years, and they generally match how clubs grade players as well.

Players are graded on a 20-80 scale: 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. When discussing prospects, the most important number is the future overall grade, an all-encompassing number on the 20-80 scale that signifies what each player is projected to ultimately be in the big leagues.

A future overall grade of 65 or better is for a player who could develop into a future impact Major Leaguer, perhaps an All-Star-caliber standout. (Note: Some clubs use a 2-8 scale -- as opposed to 20-80 -- which is basically the same thing but without half-grades.)

Understood. And when I see these kinds of "grades" on sites like Baseball Prospectus, I secretly wish they could be converted to a decimal 1-100 scale. It's always tough resisting the conventional wisdom. I kinda hoped that advanced sabremetrics would leave this old system behind, but not so much. Just lots more data on top of impressions now based in part on more raw data. I'm grateful that OOTP has the option of the 1-100 scale to convert this into numbers I can readily grasp.

BaseballATeam · 05-12-2026, 09:46 AM

I believe the 1-600 type scales used in the editor are "true" values, by which I mean a 300 is always a 300 and so on. If the league average for an era is 150 power, a 300 power hitter will be expected to hit 20 HR. If, in another era, the average is 450 power, a 300 power hitter will be expected to hit 20 HR. Of course, actual game outcomes are subject to the entire hitting profile, not just one score.

However! In the first scenario, an OOTP scout might call that guy a 65-grade power (20-80, or maybe like 85 on your preferred scale?). Double-digit HR hitters would be rare. In the latter scenario, that guy will show as 35-grade power because everyone's out there bopping 35-50 dingers.

05-12-2026, 09:46 AM	#22
BaseballATeam Minors (Double A) Join Date: Mar 2020 Posts: 150	I believe the 1-600 type scales used in the editor are "true" values, by which I mean a 300 is always a 300 and so on. If the league average for an era is 150 power, a 300 power hitter will be expected to hit 20 HR. If, in another era, the average is 450 power, a 300 power hitter will be expected to hit 20 HR. Of course, actual game outcomes are subject to the entire hitting profile, not just one score. However! In the first scenario, an OOTP scout might call that guy a 65-grade power (20-80, or maybe like 85 on your preferred scale?). Double-digit HR hitters would be rare. In the latter scenario, that guy will show as 35-grade power because everyone's out there bopping 35-50 dingers.