I've been wanting for a while to do a position-by-position prospect rundown series, just to pass the time, and I'm finding the new system finely inspirational.
I figured calling it "Around the Horn" would be a cliche, so I'm going to call it "Around the Cape of Magellan". I know it's actually Cape Horn and the Straits of Magellan, but let's agree to ignore that.
So. Catchers. Here's how they shook out in the last version of my top 100 that I have on record, from January 17 (so says the last modified date on my laptop, anyway):
5 - Matt Wieters, BAL - love him.
28 - Geovany Soto, CHC - pretty much the best hitter in the minors last year; despite his age and the PCL, I mostly buy it.
36 - Jeff Clement, SEA - was always skeptical, but some of the more recent reports on his zone control and contact ability have encouraged me.
57 - Max Ramirez, TEX - this is pretty high, based on my "just hit" credo. but he's probably not really a catcher.
58 - Jesus Montero, NYY - same basic deal.
63 - Taylor Teagarden, TEX - galt's use of mike napoli as an offensive comp for his cal league numbers is sort of fascinating.
68 - Hank Conger, ANA - i'm cooling on him a bit now with this shoulder injury thing.
71 - JR Towles, HOU - not sure why i had him this low. i guess i read some stuff about flaws in his swing. we'll see.
95 - Wilson Ramos, MIN - our up and comer.
Others I'd listed in the holding tank:
Josh Donaldson, CHC
uh, i guess that's it.
So who else is relevant? Some other catchers of note, divided into two groups, will follow.
(EDITED thursday 3/20 10:31AM EST)
group 1: "close and solid" (carlos ruiz division)
Bryan Anderson, STL
Mitch Canham, SD
John Jaso, TB
Lou Marson, PHI
Craig Tatum, CIN
Jonathan Lucroy, MIL
Ed Easley, ARI
James Skelton, DET
JP Arencibia, TOR - i hate him
Lars Davis, COL
Jackson Williams, SF
Matt McBride, CLE
Adam Moore, SEA
group 2: "farther off and maybe awesome" (hank conger division)
Tyler Flowers, ATL - my latest "the guy" among catchers, supplanting ramos (who i still like, of course - he's just not the newest any more) - played more 1B last year due to injury, but can catch and can hit (supposedly)
Devin Mesoraco, CIN
Austin Romine, NYY
