This Nolan Arenado scouting report showed signs of the third baseman he'd become
In just four Major League seasons, Nolan Arenado has already established himself as not only one of the game's preeminent hitters, but also among its best defenders. The two-time All-Star has won the Gold Glove at third base every year since his debut in 2013.
Terrific plays like the one below simply aren't that unusual for the Rockies' superstar.
It's hard to envision Arenado anywhere else.
But back when he was merely a Draft-eligible 18-year-old at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, Calif., he was a shortstop. Two scouting reports from that time now offer some curious insight. Both scouts felt good about the 2009 second-rounder's future with the bat. (Click here to enlarge)
However, the scouts were divided about his future in the field. (Click here to enlarge)
Arenado was more of a shortstop than a catcher, but one scout thought that his best path to the Majors was behind the plate. The video clip above, from his Draft reel, paints a familiar picture with Arenado charging in from shortstop on one play.
Compare that to now:
As the other scout suspected, Arenado made a position change to third base. In fact, he never played an inning anywhere else in the Minors, appearing at the hot corner from day one with the Casper Ghosts of the Pioneer League in July 2009.
That move certainly worked out.