You’ve heard the term "five-tool player" thrown around during trade deadlines or draft night like it’s some kind of magic spell. It sounds cool. It sounds like a superhero origin story. But honestly, most casual fans—and even some die-hard bleacher creatures—kinda muddle the details of what these tools actually are.
Scouts don't just look at a guy and say, "Yeah, he’s good." They use a specific, cold, almost clinical framework to deconstruct an athlete. This isn't about heart or "grit," at least not in the traditional five-tool sense. It’s about raw, projectable physical assets.
If you want to understand what are the five tools in baseball, you have to look past the box score. You have to look at the 20-80 scouting scale, a grading system where 50 is major-league average and 80 is "hall of fame, elite, unicorn" status.
Let's break down the anatomy of a ballplayer the way a scout behind the backstop does.
The Pure Hit Tool: Can You Actually Put Wood on the Ball?
This is often the most misunderstood of the bunch. People see a guy hit a 450-foot bomb and think, "Man, what a hit tool!"
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Actually, no.
The hit tool is specifically about your ability to make consistent, hard contact. It’s about hand-eye coordination. It's about a short, compact swing that stays in the zone for a long time. Scouts look for "barrel awareness"—the innate sense of where the bat head is at all times.
Think about Luis Arraez or Tony Gwynn. These guys aren't necessarily trying to dent the scoreboard. They’re looking to find holes. A plus hit tool (a 60 or 70 on the scale) means you can handle high velocity, recognize a slider in the dirt, and still spray a line drive to the opposite field. If you can't hit for average, the other tools barely matter because you'll never get on base to use them.
Power: The Ability to Change the Scoreboard with One Swing
Power is separate from hitting for average. You can have a "70" power grade and a "30" hit tool. We call those guys "Three True Outcome" players—they either walk, strike out, or hit it into the next zip code.
Scouts split this into two sub-categories: Raw Power and Game Power.
Raw power is what you see in batting practice. It’s the sound the ball makes. It’s the "exit velocity"—the speed at which the ball leaves the bat. Game power is the ability to actually apply that strength against a guy throwing a 99-mph sinker with a nasty tail.
Someone like Giancarlo Stanton or Aaron Judge is the gold standard here. When people ask what are the five tools in baseball, power is usually the one that gets the most "Discover" clicks because, well, home runs sell tickets. But without the hit tool to back it up, power is just a loud out in the cages.
Speed: More Than Just a 60-Yard Dash
In a scouting report, speed is usually measured by a 60-yard dash, but real baseball speed is about "instinctive twitch."
It’s the first-step explosion. It’s the ability to go first-to-third on a single to right field. It’s not just being fast; it’s being "baseball fast." A player might have elite track speed but have "bricks for feet" when it comes to stealing bases because they can't read a pitcher’s move.
Rickey Henderson is the obvious historical king here, but modern guys like Corbin Carroll or Elly de la Cruz show how speed puts immense pressure on a defense. It forces the pitcher to rush. It forces the infielder to hurry the throw. Speed is the only tool that impacts both offense and defense (covering ground in the grass).
The Glove: Fielding and Defensive Range
Fielding isn't just about not making errors. In fact, some of the best fielders in history had high error totals because they could reach balls that other players couldn't even get close to.
Scouts look for:
- Soft hands: Can you transition the ball from the glove to the hand without fumbling?
- Range: How much ground can you cover to your left and right?
- Footwork: Are you in the right position to make a throw before the ball even hits your mitt?
Shortstop and Center Field are the "premium" defensive positions. If you have a 70-grade glove at first base, that’s nice. If you have a 70-grade glove at shortstop, you’re a multi-millionaire.
The Arm: Velocity and Accuracy
The final piece of the puzzle is the "cannon."
For an outfielder, this is about the "carry" on the ball—does it stay low and straight, or does it "tail" off? For an infielder, it’s about the "zip" across the diamond.
Think back to Ichiro Suzuki’s famous throw to third base against the Athletics in 2001. That wasn't just strength; it was a laser beam. A strong arm can't be taught easily. You either have the ligament elasticity and shoulder strength to pump 95-mph across the infield, or you don't. It’s the most "raw" of all the tools.
Why the "Five-Tool Player" Is So Rare
Most players are "three-tool" guys. Maybe they hit for average and field well but have zero power. Or maybe they are absolute giants who hit 40 homers but run like they're pulling a piano.
The true 5-tool player is a freak of nature. Willie Mays is the prototype. Mickey Mantle, before his knees gave out, was the blueprint. In the modern era, Mike Trout and Ronald Acuña Jr. are the names that usually come up.
But here’s the kicker: even those guys aren't always an "80" in everything. A true five-tool player just needs to be above average in all five categories. Finding someone who is elite in all five is like finding a unicorn that also speaks three languages.
What Most People Forget: The "Sixth Tool"
While we’ve spent a lot of time defining what are the five tools in baseball, modern scouts often talk about a "sixth tool."
This isn't physical. It’s the "makeup" or the "mental game."
You can have all the physical tools in the world, but if you can't handle a 0-for-20 slump or if you don't know the situation with two outs and runners on the corners, those tools will rot in the minors. The 6th tool is "Baseball IQ." It’s the ability to slow the game down when 40,000 people are screaming and the season is on the line.
How to Scout Like a Pro Next Time You’re at the Park
The next time you’re watching a game, don't just look at the batting average. Try to grade the tools yourself.
- Watch the player's feet on a ground ball. Do they look heavy or light? (Fielding)
- Listen to the sound of the bat. Does it "crack" or "thud"? (Power)
- Count the seconds from the moment of contact to when the runner touches first. (Speed)
- Look at the flight of a throw from the outfield. Does it require a "rainbow" arc to get there? (Arm)
- Notice if the hitter is fooled by off-speed pitches. (Hit Tool)
Your Next Steps for Baseball Mastery
If you're looking to dive deeper into how these metrics are evolving, your next step is to check out Statcast data on MLB.com. Look for "Sprinting Speed" percentiles and "Outs Above Average" (OAA). These are the modern, data-driven ways we now quantify the classic five tools. You can also look up "Scouting Grades" for top prospects on sites like Fangraphs to see how the next generation of stars is being measured before they ever take a big-league swing.