It’s not often that I say this, but Major League Baseball could learn something from the NFL. No, I’m not suggesting that MLB adds two teams, so that both leagues have the same number of teams. I don’t think players should celebrate Chad Johnson-style after hitting a home run or that Major League Baseball should implement an instant replay option for managers. And, no, this isn’t another column about the difference in PED policies between the two leagues.

The National Football Scouting Combine got underway Thursday at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis and I can’t help but wonder why such an event doesn’t exist for baseball. During the five-day period of the combine, potential NFL draft picks will be tested physically, mentally and psychologically. They will be measured, photographed and interviewed. They will have X-rays taken, a urinalysis performed and will be examined by doctors from every team. Last year, Major League teams spent an average of $3.2 million to sign their draft picks…from the first three rounds. The price tag for top draft picks continues to rise and the first few guys selected last year received bonuses exceeding $3 million each. However, some special players, such as the Upton brothers, Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira, Mark Prior, Jered Weaver, Stephen Drew, Gavin Floyd and Alex Gordon have received bonuses of $4 million, or more. And then there are some not-so-special players, like Joe Borchard, Josh Hamilton, Dewon Brazelton, Bryan Bullington and Eric Munson, who also received huge bonuses and ended up being busts. With escalating price tags for top draft picks, Major League baseball needs to establish a scouting combine as soon as possible. You wouldn’t buy a car without kicking its tires and taking it for a test drive, would you?

Don’t get me wrong, I realize that teams are already “kicking the tires” of kids all over the country, scouting games, tournaments and showcases. But having the opportunity to look at the top 300-400 players – both college players and high school kids – at the same time, in the same environment, would be greatly beneficial. Don’t you think teams would like to watch college hitters like J.P. Arencibia, Matt Mangini, Beau Mills and Matt Wieters alongside high school guys like Josh Vitters, Michael Burgess, Kentrail Davis and Ryan Dent? Wouldn’t teams benefit from getting a look at Vanderbilt’s stud pitching prospect, David Price, and Texas-prep fireballer Blake Beaven on the same day?

Now I know you’re probably thinking, “Alright smart guy, when is this MLB combine going to take place?” And, that’s a valid question. The NFL combine is relatively easy to schedule because college football season ends in early January and the NFL draft isn’t held until late April. Having a five-day scouting workout in late February doesn’t conflict with any other schedules. Baseball, on the other hand, doesn’t have the time between the season ending and the draft, like football. June is insane for a baseball player expecting to be drafted. High school players are finishing up their seasons, graduating and preparing to live away from home for the first time. College players are still playing for their college teams – sometimes even after they’re drafted. Last season, for example, the MLB draft was held on June 6th and 7th, the College World Series took place from June 16th – 26th and short-season ball started in mid June. So, June is out of the question. However, I believe conducting an MLB scouting combine in mid May could work. College games are typically on weekends and, generally, the regular season for high school players wraps up in early May. So, an MLB scouting combine could work out if it was scheduled for a Monday through Thursday in mid May.

Just like the NFL Combine, the players would be able to workout on an invite-only basis, as determined by a panel of experts. Just like the NFL combine, an MLB combine could host 300-400 of the nation’s best high school and college players. This would guarantee that nearly all players selected in the first 10 rounds of the MLB draft would have worked out at the combine. Obviously, you would want to split players into groups by position. Two-way players could choose their preferred position, or do drills for both positions. The drills, however, would obviously vary from those performed at the NFL combine. Here are the drills prospective NFL draft picks have to perform: 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, 20-yard shuttle, three-cone drill, and a 60-yard shuttle and position-specific drills. Understandably, drills at a baseball combine would need to be sport specific. Players could be timed running from home to first and from first to third. Position players could perform agility, footwork drills and fielding drills, so that teams could compare footwork, range, agility, hands, arm strength and accuracy. As hitters, they could hit in cages, having their swings taped so that teams could review their swing mechanics leading up to the draft. They could have their bat speed measured, as well as having their reflexes and eyes tested. Pitchers could have taped bullpen sessions so that teams could compare the stuff and mechanics of the young pitchers. There could also be games, so that you could see all the best players playing against each other and using wood bats. Talk about a scout’s dream…

On top of the physical drills, players at the NFL combine must also complete interviews, physical measurements, injury evaluations, and a drug screen – all things I believe would be beneficial for potential MLB draftees, as well. Could the Devil Rays have avoided the Josh Hamilton fiasco if they had psychological tests from the MLB scouting combine? How about the Yankees, with Brien Taylor? Would the Devil Rays still have drafted Elijah Dukes if they had a glimpse of what lie ahead? Pedro Martinez’s special ability is oftentimes partially attributed to the fact that his arms and fingers are especially long for his body. Wouldn’t teams want to have measurements on all players being considered for million-dollar bonuses? Don’t you think teams would want the ability to get an MRI on a kid’s shoulder and elbow before they draft him, rather than the time between drafting the player and negotiating their contract? What about a urine test to determine if potential draft picks have been using steroids or narcotics?

And then, of course, NFL combine participants have the Cybex test, which tests the flexibility and joint movement of each prospect, and the infamous Wonderlic Test, which is similar to an IQ test. For the Wonderlic, players get 12 minutes to answer 50 multiple-choice questions. Many people consider the Wonderlic to be irrelevant, but I disagree. It’s certainly not the be-all, but, all else being equal, would you want a player who knows that 21x4 is 84, or one that doesn’t?

If I were the scouting director for a Major League team, I would want all the information I could get when considering which players I would be willing to draft and sign to multi-million dollar contracts. Beer and tacos! This is why I think Major League Baseball should set up a scouting combine. I know that baseball is slow to adapt changes, and sometimes that’s a good thing. But this change would certainly be for the better of the game and should be put into action as soon as possible.