The moment Kodi Medeiros peers toward the plate, he can sense the gazes fixed on the mound. Spring is the season of stopwatches and radar guns around high school baseball fields as professional scouts take stock of this year’s local prospects.
Many have made their way to the Big Island to get a look at Medeiros, a Waiakea left-hander armed with a fastball topping out in the mid-90s and a wicked slider, and projected to be a high draft pick this summer.
"Before I even start to throw I see them all coming to the bullpen," Medeiros said. "I see them on the side or in the back running their radar guns or sitting behind me when I’m throwing.
"The pressure is there but I’m just trying to keep it simple and do my thing and not overdo anything."
Along with pursuing team goals, maintaining a balance between embracing a treasured opportunity while blocking out the inherent distractions is part of the challenge for high schoolers eyeing a future in pro ball.
"I’m just enjoying it and try not to get stressed out too much," Medeiros said. "Just trying to enjoy my senior year and I’m really blessed to have this type of experience as a player."
SAINT LOUIS COACH George Gusman has gone through the scouting process with several players and advised two current Crusaders — pitcher Jordan Yamamoto and outfielder Devan Stubblefield — on what the scouts would focus on when they take the field.
Everything.
"We talked about people are going to be out there, they’re going to watch every single move you make, how you run in and out (of the dugout), how you run to first base, everything will be scrutinized," Gusman said.
Gusman said Yamamoto, a University of Arizona signee, has received increased attention since his velocity jumped from the mid-80s last season into the low 90s and estimated 20 scouts were out to see him pitch a preseason game last month.
"Everybody’s out there with their notepads and guns. It could be very intimidating for a young guy but I thought he handled it very well," Gusman said.
Stubblefield, an All-State wide receiver who signed with the University of Hawaii, is also adjusting to the spotlight, which now often extends beyond the games.
"It’s just constant right now," Gusman said. "I get calls and requests almost daily. They want to talk to him, they want to call him, they need his email address. ‘Can we come over to watch practice, can we watch him hit, can we time him?’ It’s pretty intense. … They’re very intrigued with his athleticism."
MEDEIROS, WHO SIGNED with Pepperdine, is fairly accustomed to pitching in front of scouts by now.
Already on the radar as a junior, Medeiros elevated his profile with a strong performance at the Perfect Game National Showcase in Minnesota last summer. He was then the first player from Hawaii invited to the All-American Classic in San Diego, a showcase event limited to 50 players.
First-year Waiakea head coach Jensen Sato said every major league organization has been represented among the scouts in attendance between Medeiros’ two preseason starts.
"He had an idea because he pitched in the summer in all those big showcases and he met all those guys before coming into the season," Sato said. "So he had more of an idea of what was going on than I did with this whole process. … I’m sure he got used to a lot of the pressure."
PAL ELDREDGE HAS SEEN both ends of the process as a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Major League Baseball’s scouting bureau for 21 years and a Punahou coach for 28. While times change, the scout’s charge remains constant.
"You’re looking for the five tools," Eldredge said, "and everybody’s got five tools, it’s just you want the good five tools.
"You basically look for athletes … Can he run? Can he throw? The hitting they can teach him. Does he have power? All these things count."
Eldredge recalled a game in 1997 when he counted 33 scouts ("that means some teams doubled up") at Ala Wai Field to see Punahou pitcher Justin Wayne and Kamehameha catcher Dane Sardinha up close.
As a scout, Eldredge would rate a player’s attributes on an eight-point scale with five representing the Major League average. Scouts also have to gauge a player’s "signability," put simply how much money would it take for him to sign a contract.
While some traits are easily quantifiable, the scouts will also probe into aspects less obvious from the bleachers.
LIKE MEDEIROS, Mid-Pacific graduate and current UH freshman Marcus Doi performed well in summer showcases prior to his senior year and found himself answering personality-based questions as much as those relating to baseball leading up to the draft.
"They’d come to your house and that’s when you really get to know them and they get to know you as a person," Doi said. "That’s what’s most important. … They don’t want to pick up a guy that’s selfish or doesn’t want to do the right things all the time. I was told by many coaches and my parents, just be yourself, don’t be an ‘I’ guy and just be respectful."
Doi, the All-State position player of the year, was eventually drafted in the 25th round and opted for college, taking with him several lessons from the experience.
"You just have to play like there weren’t any scouts there and that’s what I tried to do," Doi said. "Some days it worked, but it’s hard to keep your eyes off of them. But that’s just part of being focused on the game."
