Over the last year I've been secretly trying to change my ways from a stat-heavy perspective to a more well-rounded view of the game.  I don't talk about it much because honestly I'm miles behind the curve when it comes to scouting.  The big problem is that I don't see the little things that scouts see when they are watching a game.  I'm so used to looking at the macro view of the game that when I try to pay attention to a pitcher's mechanics or a fielder's footwork, it still happens too fast for me to really grasp what's going on.  It kinda looks like this:

That's why I'm excited about the new site called Saber Scouting.  It's run by two guys (Frankie Piliere and Kiley McDaniel) who both have some experience working with Major League organizations.  Their stated goal for the site is "to be a place where sabermetrics and traditional scouting are friends and work together like the Justice League."  I like the sound of that.  And so far they've done a pretty good job.

I bring all of this up because today McDaniel posted a scouting report of Johnny Cueto based on a start he saw last summer in the Florida State League.  I know there are some people who haven't gotten a chance to see Cueto pitch and might find the descriptions interesting.  He has some nice things to say about Cueto with surprisingly few negative comments for a pitcher that young.  It's an easy read as McDaniel touches the major points without getting too technical.  Here's his description of Cueto's fastball:

Fastball - Sat at 93-95 effortlessly with great command and late explosion the entire game. Moves it inside, outside, keeps it down, rarely elevated but it was eye level and purposeful when he did. Almost every one had heavy sink, mixed in some with cut, above-average life. Kept the ball down and overmatched FSL hitters. Clearly his best pitch and he knows it--fun to watch him confidently throw darts at 94-95 pitch after pitch.

He projects him as a #3 level pitcher, but feels that he has a high-probability of reaching that ceiling (as opposed to someone who might project as a #1, but may not get there).  Maybe he's not the ace we're all hoping for, but at least it's better than Jose Acevedo or Jeff Austin.