MLB Bans Officials From Scouting Amateur Players During Downtime
The Major League Baseball (MLB) has implemented a new policy that prohibits team officials from observing amateur players or collecting data on them for an extended period in winter. This measure, according to an obtained memo, seeks to protect young baseball talents from potential injuries.The document, distributed to high-ranking personnel from all 30 MLB teams, establishes the “Amateur Recovery Period Policy.” This will cover high school students (juniors and seniors) from October 15 to January 15, and college players from November 15 to January 15. The goal is to “alleviate pressure on young players to forgo rest and recovery, curb overuse, and keep players healthier as they strive for a future in professional baseball.”
During this period, team employees will not be able to see any player covered by the policy in a baseball environment or attempt to obtain videos or data from third parties about the players. Failure to comply with this policy could result in fines, suspensions, or permanent inclusion on the game’s ineligible list, while teams could face sanctions in the draft or in international signings of amateur players. The policy prohibits team employees from attending games, showcases, training sessions, and “any other activity related to throwing, hitting, catching, or fielding.” Videos are also prohibited, as well as tracking the ball, bat tracking, and biomechanical data during this “recovery period.”This policy arises from the December MLB report on pitcher injuries at all levels of the sport. A series of high-profile arm injuries led MLB to consult with more than 200 people to better understand the cause. One of the experts’ recommendations was to regulate a baseball schedule that now sees high-effort training throughout the year by fans and an industry full of off-season events. Elbow injuries in players before entering major league organizations have become common, and although the cause differs for each player, studies have linked year-round play with an increased risk of long-term damage. A July study in The American Journal of Sports Medicine said that more than 80% of the pitchers who participated in the 2023 MLB combine “had some anomaly within their ulnar collateral ligament”, which, when torn, requires Tommy John surgery, and three-quarters of the pitchers exhibited tears in their shoulder. While teams generally aren’t as active in scouting amateurs during the winter as in the months leading up to the July amateur draft, the proliferation of winter tournaments in states with warm weather and showcase events, in which players try to throw at high speeds to impress scouts, analysts, and college coaches, have encouraged players to train for maximum-effort pitches outside of typical competitive environments. With “broad support” from scouting directors, medical experts, college coaches and others, the policy will begin next month, two days after the end of the Perfect Game WWBA World Championship, a high school event considered one of the largest on the amateur calendar. While players have no restrictions on participating in winter events, by prohibiting team personnel from participating beyond meeting with a player at home with their family, MLB’s policy could affect dozens of events organized by Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report, the two companies that control the amateur space. If players send an organization unsolicited videos or data during the offseason, the team must notify MLB within 24 hours. The policy does not cover agents, who are regulated by the MLB Players Association and often use winter events to scout players as young as 13 years old.MLB encourages players to use this period to rest, recover, and train for the upcoming season, rather than engaging in high-intensity and maximum-effort activities.
MLB Memorandum
