Top Catcher Prospects

by High Heater on May 9, 2006 8:15 AM EDT

who would get your vote for the best Catcher prospect to date in baseball.

if u can name their strengths or weaknesses as to why u chose that player.

ranging from anywhere to A to AAA, however pls exclude players who have lost their rookie eligibility status

Poll

Best Catching Prospect is...

JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA

110 votes

JEFF CLEMENT

36 votes

RUSSELL MARTIN

53 votes

NEIL WALKER

8 votes

JEFF MATHIS

3 votes

KURT SUZUKI

17 votes

227 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Another candidate

George Kottaras is rising up the ranks.
Not sure how his defense is, but he is tearing the cover off the ball in AA.

by SmokeyJoeWood on May 9, 2006 9:28 AM EDT reply actions

Towles

Look out for JR Towles in the Astros Org. Hitting 360ish in Low A just waiting for a chance to move up.

by Duman on May 9, 2006 10:24 AM EDT reply actions

Does Salty's rough start do anything to dimish his value?: .220/.309/.385 through 29 Southern League games. Not that it really matters, as he's unlikely to be traded, and the Braves will probably keep him the minors until at least mid-2007. He's got time to raise those #s.

If we're thinking ahead to the 2006-07 offseason, I imagine we can write off guys like Willingham, Johjima, Mathis, Napoli, Paulino, Russ Martin & even Carlos Ruiz.

Others:
KSuzuki, .326/.436/.467, AA, 24 games
Kottaras, .289/.413/.600, AA, 27 games
Clement, .288/.386/.525, AA, 15 games (out with injury)
NWalker, hasn't yet played
Montero, .247/.378/.464, AA, 29 games
JJaso, .350/.419/.475, A+, 22 games (though no longer a catcher)
Thigpen, .195/.298/.390, AA, 12 games (is he not playing?)
BSnyder, .228/.283/.413, A, 23 games
Teagarden, hasn't yet played
Knodeler, .211/.263/.338, AA, 21 games
Iannetta, .269/.364/.463, AA, 19 games
FHernandez, .247/.313/.306, A, 24 games
MRamirez, .318/.425/.500, A, 26 games

by Azteca on May 9, 2006 10:39 AM EDT reply actions

Can't lick the Cocks...

Landon Powell, .296/.363/.519, A+, 23 games

by cooper7d7 on May 9, 2006 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions

Salty

Not sure if his rough start diminishes his value as much as likleyhood he won't remain at catcher. The bat will come around, unseating McCann/being good enough defensively probably won't happen.

"Second guessers are guys that could have never gotten it right the first time." - Tommy Lasorda (for guys that have no other defense for their actions.)

by slurve on May 9, 2006 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Kottaras

It's an easy choice - he's slugging .600 with a OBP over .400. And he's not an overhyped A's prospect.

by delmonfan on May 9, 2006 12:04 PM EDT reply actions

Yep

Agreed. I like him, but when will he be playing? Piazza gonna be around another 2 years???

by ChrisRef19 on May 9, 2006 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions

over Salty?

please

by nms on May 9, 2006 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Salty being moved?

the only thing that kinda turns me off on him is probably a position move in store with McCann entrenched at Catcher now(McCann has better defense imo)

i could see Salty going over to 1B in the near future.

by High Heater on May 9, 2006 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Sure

but as far as how good of a prospect he is I dont think the prescene of another good catcher should deminish that at all.
Not that hes a great defender (neither is Kottaras, who doesn't hold a splinter to Saltys bat) but he can stay. It just might make more sense in the Braves situation to not bother with it

by nms on May 9, 2006 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions

hay luuk

eye kaint speel

by nms on May 9, 2006 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions

wow, overhyped A's prospect?

Both Powell and Suzuki were very high picks in 2004. Suzuki was known as having the best plate discipline in that draft. he does lack power, probably wont hit more than 10-15 hr's though, but he'll make up for it in avg/obp. he was horrible defensively last yr, but was a good defensive catcher/game calller in college. improved his defense a ton this yr. Powell was a 1sr rd ick, but badly injured his knee and was out all year. he's playing well and was compared to varitek type catcher when drafted. no need to hate on the A's prospects, just because the padres system is bad right now

by rayver723 on May 9, 2006 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions

more importantly

I don't necessarily see either Powell or Suzuki as being particularly hyped at all. Aside from the fact that they were high draft picks, that is. I suppose you could say that by being included in this poll question Suzuki is overhyped, but it seems to me that that has more to do with his hot start than the fact that he is an A's prospect.

That said, I do agree that Kotteras is better right now than either of the A's catchers (and maybe Kendall too).

Overall I'll stick with Saltalamacchia. He was the top guy before the season so I think he deserves more than a month before we give up on him. The pack is catching (get it?!) up though.

"Well I believe in the soul..."

by D O on May 9, 2006 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions

re

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on where these guys were drafted with the A's as they notoriously over draft college players. Just because the A's pick you in the first round doesn't mean you are a legitimate 1st round pick. Go ask Jeremy Brown.

by ScottAZ on May 9, 2006 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions

re

by ScottAZ on May 9, 2006 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions

re

by ScottAZ on May 9, 2006 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions

You mean

the guy hitting .333/.400/.507 in AAA?

Technically a 1st rounder, but it's a stretch to say 1st rounder when you are selected 35th overall. I've always looked at him more like a high 2nd rounder.

"Second guessers are guys that could have never gotten it right the first time." - Tommy Lasorda (for guys that have no other defense for their actions.)

by slurve on May 9, 2006 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Or...

the one that just got called up to the bigs?

"Second guessers are guys that could have never gotten it right the first time." - Tommy Lasorda (for guys that have no other defense for their actions.)

by slurve on May 9, 2006 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions

russ martin

the best defensive catcher on that list and still has value offensivsely with a high OBP. Sure he doesnt have the raw power of salty of clement, but defense is the #1 priority out of the catcher's spot anyways.

by npurcell on May 9, 2006 3:53 PM EDT reply actions

Martin

i dont see him as a power guy but he has a perfect build for a catcher... compact short/stubby.

i think he's a defensive machine with above average hitting.

i think he could develop into a .300 hitter with well above average OBP little power and a really good arm for throwing out runners.

his body type resembles Pudge alot but i dont think he will have his power #'s.

by High Heater on May 9, 2006 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions

power

scouts think he will develop to hit 12-18 hrs annually. We'll see how it goes, he already has 1 homerun in 3 games in the bigs already.

by npurcell on May 9, 2006 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Pudge

He won't have his power numbers, but thats because he won't be on steroids.

(After pitcher tells GM he will pitch half of the games, complete them and they will all be QS)The GM has an orgasm and a heart attack at the same time.-Shamus

by ohad @ Minor League Ball on May 10, 2006 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Jake Fox

in the Cubs system; he's batting well in hi a, and I recall his name popping up on Dayn Perry's top 100. Is he still a catcher?

by Azteca on May 9, 2006 4:02 PM EDT reply actions

he's still a catcher

But I believe he's 23 years old and still in A ball.

by HuskerBob on May 9, 2006 4:12 PM EDT reply actions

Catchers

It does seem like there is a coming wave of catcher prospects. But doesn't it also seem as though most touted catcher prospects don't really pan out? I'm thinking of guys from the not-too-distant past like Raul Casanova, Pat Cline, Bobby Estalella, and Todd Greene. Even the ones who make it don't put up particularly eye-opening numbers (though I guess Victor Martinez is a good counterexample).

In my NL-only Roto league, after experiences like those, I finally got gun-shy about catcher prospects. Are these new guys so good that we'll see a renaissance in the position? If they become the next Jason LaRues and Bengie Molinas, will you/we feel satisfied?

by FlipYrWhig on May 9, 2006 5:42 PM EDT reply actions

No way

No renaissance coming up with this class. There probably won't ever be one. The golden age of catchers was a little different because guys generally stole bases about as frequently as the Oakland A's back then. If you don't really care about a player's arm, then it's easy to make any good hitter who can call a game a catcher. Maury Wills changed all that, and then teams had to care more about finding guys with strong arms but who weren't mobile enough for RF or 3B. That doesn't exactly leave the biggest pool of players to pick from, so it's weaker than it was then even without taking pressure on the knees into account.

"If there wasn't nine guys out in the field, I'd have a hit every time except when I strike out." - Delmon Young

by Brickhaus on May 9, 2006 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions

interesting

this is exactly what leads me to think out of the afore mentioned that Russ Martin will come out on top of the rest. i just think with his build 5'10 210lb and arm he has the perfect catcher body to succeed. it all comes down to his bat which leaves me to question if he will ever develop power to go with his OBP and average.

interestingly he's 2nd behind Salty(who i think will switch to 1B) on this poll. he's come a long ways in the past year as far as a prospect goes.

how does LA handle the situation with Navaro there?

by High Heater on May 9, 2006 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions

i assume

I dont think navarro should lose his job due to injury. he was hitting very well before the injury.

personally i think when navarro comes back, martin should go down to AAA, have navarro play the year with the big league club, build up his trade value, and package him with other top prospects this winter for a premier player.

by npurcell on May 9, 2006 8:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Don't agree

but defense is the #1 priority out of the catcher's spot anyways.

Says who? For those of you that have not picked up BP's latest book (Baseball Between the Numbers) I suggest you get it, it's a great read and does a fine job of busting myths like the one above. Sure it's nice to have a catcher that "plays good defense", but what does that mean really? He's good at blocking balls, throws a lot of guys out?

Guys that are superb at this might be worth a win or two per year, but there might be two of those guys in the league at any given time. If we're talking about true run-creating and run-preventing skills, I'll take a guy like Vic Martinez that nets me 5 wins with the bat alone and live with his barely passable defense.

In my opinion the only thing to worry about with a catcher's defense is whether or not he's good enough to stay at the position coming up, and that might be a problem for Salty.

"When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen." (Hemingway)

by jmoultz on May 10, 2006 6:27 PM EDT reply actions