GM's OFFICE: On Athleticism

Athleticism.

You see a version of this term all the time in scouting reports, both here and in other places. Prospect A has “plus athleticism.” Or Prospect B has an “athletic” delivery, or an “athletic” swing, or any other baseball noun that we can reasonably hang the “athletic” adjective in front of. Athleticism is understood broadly as a positive trait, something that adds an intangible plus-mark to any player’s evaluation. 

But in our context of projecting a player’s future success—including, but not limited to, the world of prospecting the minor leagues—what does “athletic” really mean? ...

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