What are the 5 tools of a 5-tool player in Baseball

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  • Five tools indicate characteristics of an elite baseball player

  • Recent addendum includes a sixth tool to include aggressive play

Maybe you’ve heard the term “Five Tool Player” before and wondered what that meant. Or maybe you know the term, but want to learn how to achieve that lofty title.

So, what are the five tools in baseball? ​

Simply put, the five tools are the categories that scouts use to break down a player’s abilities on the field. If you rate highly across all five tools, you’re known as a five tool player and you’re showered with love and money. Yay!

It should be noted that this applies to position players mostly, and not pitchers. Pitchers have a different scale with which they are rated.In the game of baseball scouts look for 5 key tools in every baseball player.

The 5 tools of baseball are:

  • Speed and footwork
  • Hitting for Power
  • Hitting for Average (a.k.a. contact)
  • Fielding
  • “Cannon” Arm Strength

If you say you possess all of these qualities you are what is known in baseball as a 5-tool player, you would be laughed at because this combination of these talents is as rare as an unassisted triple play.

In the history of the game, there are only a handful of players that can legitimately be considered to be big league 5-tool players. This list celebrates the ones who stepped onto a baseball field and could do it all.

Top 10 best Five-Tool Players in Baseball History

Sixth Tool?

In recent events, some in the scout circle are adding “aggressive play” as the definition of a sixth tool. It is not a gradable metric but more of a “can do ” attitude.

That means sprinting 90 feet on a ground ball to put pressure on the opponent. It means looking to turn a single into a double to force the opponents to make a play.

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