Baseball is played by nine people, but each of the nine positions asks for something completely different. The position a player starts at changes their development path, their odds of reaching the pros, and even what they do after retiring.
Pitchers are the most drafted players, and also the ones who disappear the most. Shoulders and elbows wear out, so a single injury often bends a career. In return, the rewards for pitchers who survive are big. A spot in the starting rotation is rarer than a starting job in the field, and the salary of an ace who represents the league matches that of the top-paid hitters. Even among pitchers, starters, relievers, and closers are practically different jobs. Starters need stamina and the ability to change speeds, relievers need quick recovery and nerve, and closers need the mental strength to pour everything into a single inning.
A catcher squats and stands hundreds of times a game and takes foul balls off the body. The physical toll makes it hard to expect much at the plate, and the less visible skills, such as calling the game for the pitcher, blocking pitches, and throwing out base stealers, take a long time to learn. That is why many catchers are late bloomers, and a catcher who can hit is one of the scarcest assets in the whole league. On the other hand, catching trains you to read the game, so it is also the position that sends the highest share of players into coaching after they retire.
The four infield spots have a clear order of defensive difficulty. Shortstop is the hardest, second and third base come next, and first base is relatively easy. That order is the exact reverse of what is expected from the bat. A shortstop can survive in the pros on defense alone, but a first baseman carries a lighter defensive load and has to prove himself by hitting. That is why many players who were shortstops as prospects move to second, third, or the outfield in the pros. The harder the position a player starts at, the more options they have to move.
The outfield is split into center field and the two corners. The center fielder covers the most ground, so speed and reading fly balls are key. Corner outfielders face less defensive pressure but are expected to hit for power. Overall, the defensive barrier to entry is lower in the outfield than in the infield, so it is where players with a gift for hitting end up. Put the other way, the outfield is also where a replacement shows up fastest the moment a player's bat cools off.
A position is not a fixed fate. A catcher with a hurt shoulder moves to first base, a center fielder who misreads fly balls moves to a corner, and an infielder whose defense falls apart moves to the outfield, and their careers go on. The most dramatic change of all, switching between pitcher and position player, happens somewhere every year. Sometimes the position makes the player, and sometimes the decision to change positions saves a career.
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