Letters From an Average Guy

Evidence over hype on developing young athletes — plus the history and numbers behind baseball. From a coach, teacher, and dad.

OPINIONS AND VIEWS ARE MY OWN.

By Andrew Reed

· Launched 2 years ago

What MLB Scouts Actually Look For at 10 vs. 15 and Why the Exposure Pitch Is Wrong

Inside the 20-80 scale, projection-based scouting, and the timeline that exposes the youth baseball industry's biggest sales pitch.

May 7•Andrew Reed

Recent Posts

The Youth Baseball Metric Trap: Why Exit Velocity and Launch Angle Don't Matter Yet

A former high school coach on the three upstream skills, quality at-bats, zone literacy, and barrel contact, that actually build young hitters, long…

Jun 19•Andrew Reed

Did Walter Johnson and Bob Feller Really Throw 100 MPH? The Pre-Radar-Gun Velocity Debate

Before the radar gun, they clocked fastballs with munitions labs, motorcycles, and artillery equipment. Adjust the old numbers for where they were…

Jun 16•Andrew Reed

A Baseball-Only Elementary School? Why My Florida District's New Microschool Reinforces the Specialization Trap

Orange County's tuition-free baseball and softball microschool gets one big thing right and one big thing wrong.

Jun 12•Andrew Reed

Barry Bonds' 2004 Season: The Greatest Display of Plate Discipline in Baseball History

A .609 on-base percentage, 232 walks, a 1.422 OPS, and a 263 OPS+, how Bonds' record-breaking 2004 redefined what hitting discipline could look like.

Jun 10•Andrew Reed