Position Review: Catcher

[mace]

This is the last one I intend to do for now. Others are welcome to present the remaining positions.

AAA Louisville: Craig Tatum, 26 . . . excellent defense, questionable offense
AA Carolina: Chris Denove, 26. . . showing signs as hitter, adequate defense
High-A Sarasota: Devin Mesoraco, 21 . . . operating strictly on potential at this point
Low-A Dayton: Kevin Coddington, 22 this month . . . surprising hitter, excellent defense
Rookie Billings: Mark Fleury, 21 . . . presumed competent as hitter, catcher
Rookie GCL: Petr Cech, 21, Danny Viciosi, 21, Yovan Gonzalez, 19 . . . I have no idea whether any of them can hit or catch
Rookie DSL: Yimmy Lopez, 16 . . . nice offensive start, unknown defense
Pre-Rookie: Tucker Barnhart, 17/18 (expected to sign) . . . Excellent defense, capable offense

Estimated offensive rank at maturity:
1. Coddington
2. Barnhart
3. Mesoraco
4. Fleury
5. Lopez
6. Denove
7. Lopez
8. Tatum

Estimated defensive rank at maturity
1. Coddington
2. Tatum
3. Barnhart
4. Fleury
5. Mesoraco
6. Who am I kidding? I have no clue from here on out . . .

Comments: Anybody have a better idea of Denove’s defense? . . . Would anybody like to hazard ranks of the GCL guys? . . . Mesoraco’s shaky start has left the position thin, but Coddington is making a bid to take up the slack . . . Barnhart should provide a significant boost to this group.

[Mario-Rijo]

I still like Jordan Widemann as a prospect here as well.

[dougdirt]

I think you are really underestimating Mesoraco. At the plate he has solid plate discipline with some pop at age 21. His slash lines look ugly, but his peripherals look good. He has a much better ceiling as a hitter than Coddington. Coddington is Ryan Hanigan if everything goes perfect for him. Thats fine and all, but its the absolute sky for him offensively.

Behind the plate, he has really started gunning guys out. After throwing out an attempted base stealer tonight he has thrown out 50% of the last 30 attempted base stealers (including 9 of the last 13). I have heard that his defense has really made progress back there as well from a recent report from someone who saw him play.

[redsfandan]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

... Behind the plate, he has really started gunning guys out. After throwing out an attempted base stealer tonight he has thrown out 50% of the last 30 attempted base stealers (including 9 of the last 13). ...

I understand that baserunners will be better in the majors (so maybe 50% in high A translates into 40% in the majors )but that's still impressive to me.

[mace]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

I think you are really underestimating Mesoraco. At the plate he has solid plate discipline with some pop at age 21. His slash lines look ugly, but his peripherals look good. He has a much better ceiling as a hitter than Coddington. Coddington is Ryan Hanigan if everything goes perfect for him. Thats fine and all, but its the absolute sky for him offensively.

Behind the plate, he has really started gunning guys out. After throwing out an attempted base stealer tonight he has thrown out 50% of the last 30 attempted base stealers (including 9 of the last 13). I have heard that his defense has really made progress back there as well from a recent report from someone who saw him play.

I agree that Mesoraco clearly has the power potential, and Coddington hasn't shown that. But I'm partial to guys who simply demonstrate the skill to hit. That looks to be a tool that Coddington has. We haven't seen it yet in Mesoraco; at least, not with any consistency. That said, I do recognize that he is improving a lot defensively and has the raw ability to mark a mark.

[medford]

Originally Posted by redsfandan

I understand that baserunners will be better in the majors (so maybe 50% in high A translates into 40% in the majors )but that's still impressive to me.

Wouldn't it reason that Mes (and all young catchers) will improve their footwork and delivery to match the improved baserunning in the majors?

Anyone have a comp rate for minor league thrown out stealing to the expected result in the majors? Other factors in the mix, are I would assume major league pitchers are better at holding runners, pick off moves, delivery to the plate, etc.. that would help keep that transition closer to equal. The other factor that I admit I'm stretching on, but popped in my head, are minor leaguers faster on average that their major league counter part? Seems like the young athlete would be more prone to stealing a base prior to filling out his frame and slowing down a bit, ie, A-Rod was a pretty solid stolen base theat when he first came up, not nearly as much now, as he's packed on muscle (legal or otherwise)

[redsof72]

If you broke it down per capita, there would be a lot fewer major league players who really try to utilize the running game than in the lower minors. Part of that is because of the power and home run potential in the majors that effects strategy. Another part is that you have athletes in the low minors who have one tool, speed, and that got them signed but they are not rounded players and all they can do is run. You don't have many of those players in the majors if any.

It is also much harder to steal bases in the majors. Pitchers are better at holding runners. You don't see catchers in the majors that simply can't throw like you do in the low minors (Dayton stole eight bases in a game recently against a guy who could not throw at all). The big difference comes in between high-A and Double-A. Look at guys who stole 50-60 bases in high-A and they got to Double-A and stole 25-30. That is a common thing.

Throwing percentages can be misleading in the minors because of the huge variation in the pitchers' ability to hold runners.

Coddington throws the ball very well, as does the other catcher in Dayton, Jordan Wideman. Big improvement there for the Dayton team from what they had last year with Mesoraco.

[medford]

Originally Posted by redsof72

If you broke it down per capita, there would be a lot fewer major league players who really try to utilize the running game than in the lower minors. Part of that is because of the power and home run potential in the majors that effects strategy. Another part is that you have athletes in the low minors who have one tool, speed, and that got them signed but they are not rounded players and all they can do is run. You don't have many of those players in the majors if any.

Wily T says hello!

Seriously though, thanks for the info/input. Kind of meshes with my hunches, though I don't pay close enough attention to back any of them up.