scouting

Chargers defensive line coach Mike Elston and safeties coach Chris O’Leary, who both coached at Notre Dame during Hart’s career, knew the 6-foot-2, 207-pound prospect brought unique and necessary toughness to the position and lobbied for him in the scouting process before the Chargers drafted him in the fifth round.

This year, McCullough was key in Shohei Ohtani’s career-high 59-steal season, going over scouting reports of opposing pitchers’ pickoff tendencies with the $700-million star on a season-long basis.

Over the last several seasons, the Dodgers have dedicated considerable scouting efforts to evaluate Sasaki’s development.

Shortly after the end of the regular season, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and vice president of player personnel Galen Carr were in Japan on a scouting trip.

And they’ve been scouting Sasaki for several years, awaiting the moment he could be next.