Multiple Positions Can Make You More Valuable
June 3, 2009
Many young players while growing up have the dream of playing professional baseball, one way to ensure you get a better look is to play multiple positions. You become more valuable to scouts and managers when you have more to offer. This is often due to some teams carrying two dominate hitters who play the same position. Sometimes players will come into camp and battle at the same position and both of them will have tremendous power or hitting abilities. A prime example would be a corner outfielder, 1st basemen or 3rd basemen. Two first basemen play for the same team and both are great offensive players, well with at least one or two of the players being able to play the outfield, it allows the manager to have the option of moving one to either left field or right field. I have even seen players be converted into playing another position after they already started playing professional baseball. Look at Pat Burrell for instance, he played in college and was drafted as a third basemen, however he ended up playing left field his whole major league career. This was good because at the time, Scott Rolen was the third basemen and it ensured both of their bats in the lineup.
So even once Pat Burrell got into professional baseball he still had time to learn another position, however this does not go for 99% of the players who even make it professionally. Only first round draft picks or big investment players get this extra time to be worked with. So therefore I encourage you to learn multiple positions at an early age so it doesn’t take you as long later on when you need to make the transition to another position. Below I have included a few good multiple position combination’s for you.
1st base – Pitcher
1st base – Left & Right field
1st base – 3rd base
Catcher – Left field
Catcher – Right field
Catcher – 1st base
2nd base – Shortstop
2nd base – 3rd base
Shortstop – 2nd base
Shortstop – 3rd base
Shortstop – Centerfield
Shortstop – Pitcher
3rd base – 1st base
3rd base – Left & Right field
3rd base – Pitcher
Left field – Right field
Left field – 3rd base
Left field – 1st base
Left field – Pitcher
Left field – Catcher
Center field – Shortstop
Center field – 2nd base
Center field – Pitcher
Right field – Left field
Right field – 1st base
Right field – 3rd base
Right field – catcher
Right field – Pitcher
Pitcher – Any position
