On a recent episode of our On Deck travel baseball podcast here at ITG Next, we had the chance to sit down and speak with Johnny Goodrich of Scorpions Baseball.
A travel baseball organization based out of Orlando, FL, Scorpions Baseball has been around for almost 30 years, placing some 22 players in the first round of the MLB Draft during that span. Along with producing countless other draft picks and collegiate players, Scorpions Baseball has long been one of the Southeast’s top travel baseball organizations, one that continues to provide a platform for players to reach the next level.
“We just try to put players on a platform to give themselves an opportunity to continue to play baseball at the next level,” Goodrich said. “We take pride in the development of our players.”
Scorpions Baseball has age groups ranging from 8u to 17u, with two teams per group and numbers continuing to grow year-by-year. Goodrich’s development philosophy focuses not just on on-field talent, but on players’ character as well.
According to Brooks Rikeman, a Scorpions assistant coach, this approach sets the organization apart when compared to others.
“We do look heavily into that, and I think that it makes people want to come back,” Rikeman said.
Rikeman and former Scorpions players have come back to pass down their knowledge of the game to the next generation, something that has become a sense of pride within the organization and its alumni.
Fast forward to today, and the program has continued to place players at the next level. In fact, in recent years the organization has an estimated 90% placement of players at the next level, something that Goodrich and his staff take pride in when looking at the best fits for kids both athletically and academically.
“For me, the wins and losses aren’t where it’s at,” Goodrich said. “It’s about the success rate at which we’re able to place our players.”
Scorpions Baseball has continued to combine its development approach with a platform that puts players in great position to reach the next level. It’s clearly a recipe for success – one that benefits both players and the organization as a whole.
