For instance, a manager might want to give his shortstop a day or two off, and then his third baseman a day off. A good utility player can fill both of those roles while using up just one roster spot.
Utility players usually have to be at least average hitters to survive in their roles because they are often not talented enough to crack the starting lineup. A few utility players can even play catcher in a pinch, but most alternate between 2 nd , 3 rd and shortstop or any of the outfield positions or both.
Being a back to back World Series winner, Zobrist is listed as the best utility sportsman in baseball. He is described as an all-rounder, who is an extremely versatile fielder. Carpenter comes in a very close second to Zobrist.
He is a reliable fielding option, as well as a great baseball hitter, making him an important asset to the St. Louis Cardinals. In , Carter played first base, second base, and third base. However, he has also shown his ability when playing both corner outfield positions.
A master of all trades, he thrives wherever he is placed. Holt is nicknamed the super-utility man of the Milwaukee Brewers and is considered a backup for every position except first base and catcher although he can play first base as he has in the past. His defense is on point , and his duties were recognized with a trip to the All-Star game in The league average for third base is. In 94 games, Hold hit seven home runs, making him a solid backup option for Milwaukee.
In , he was tasked with taking on every single position beside batting and played roughly 24 games at four different positions. Being able to perform well in multiple positions makes any player a great asset to a team.
Con being the kid one town over who is a SS day in and day out is going to have more reps than you and if the school you want really needs a SS that kid is more likely to get it because he has more experience at the position and had a greater chance of being seen play that position. I think being able to play more than one position is a huge plus. In our State, there are even special all-league and all-state roster spots reserved just for utility players.
Playing different positions helps kids learn all aspects of the game. Every position has a different primary and secondary role on the field. My son plays many positions. Well, as many as a lefty can realistically play. He mostly played 1st and pitched growing up because lefty , but he has turned into a great outfielder.
He is the starting left fielder for his HS summer team this year and is also a grad. But, he jumps in at any outfield position, 1st base and pitches whenever needed. He is valuable to the team because he can fill many roles. Even in college and the pros, you hear about kids who get recruited for one position, but transition to a different position.
Or, they play multiple positions throughout their careers. A local college coach told my son that he rarely ever recruits kids from the corner positions. He recruits up the middle i. So, if a kid has experience playing all over the field, they can make themselves very marketable. If you want to play, then be willing to do whatever is needed.
The above is correct. Position players are recruited as athletes. Very few in college are playing the position they played in high school. Otherwise there would be a crowd at short and center. Bob Boone was an All-American third baseman at Stanford. The Phillies drafted him and "poof" you're a catcher. Agreed, general athletic capability is the main focus. But don't people associate certain positions with certain attributes?
For example, in my mind, a pitcher would be above 6 feet more than pound and don't necessarily fast or coordinated; SS and 2nd are agile but not necessarily need the most arm strength; Outfielder needs to run fast, but not necessarily react as fast as infield; etc. Also, if coaches recruit "up the middle", a utility player should sign up as 2nd base or center field for showcases, correct? You will find in college ball most of the position players were shortstops and center fielders when they were in high school and showcase ball exclusive of catchers.
If a kid is talented enough to play those two positions he can be taught to play anywhere. Bogeyorpar, in our experience, one major question to ask is why is a player viewed as a utility player.
Some have that "status" because they can hit, the coaches want them in the line-up, and they truly are versatile and can play a number of positions, some of which also have talented players on that team. The gradations move directionally from the question posed above, especially as players move up in the level of competition.
As an illustration of where I think you would need to rework your views is your comment about shortstops, 2B and arm strength. To be scouted and viewed in a positive way, a shortstop has to be a very strong arm. There is a big difference between short and 2B in terms of arm strength. If the arm strength is such as to limit a player to 2B, he probably is also limited in the outfield to left, if he truly is versatile not center, when being scouted. A shortstop can be moved to 2B and centerfield, based on arm strength.
A 2B cannot be moved to shortstop or CF, based on the difference in arm strength. At the levels above HS, especially, someone who will get considerable playing time in multiple positions has to hit, throw, throw well and be athletic.
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