Catchers have always been hard to figure out. They play one of the most important positions in baseball and are the hardest position to develop. The burnout rate is high, the success rate is low and the wear and tear is great. A player has to be physically, mentally and emotionally tough. It is very hard to know who is going to succeed in this position and who isn't. Mike Piazza was drafted 1390th overall in 1988 and went on to be one of the best hitting catchers of all time. Catchers are one of the hardest positions to scout and draft and here are the numbers to back that up.
Even these numbers are skewed because many of the best players drafted as a catcher were moved to other positions. Craig Biggio, Troy Percival, Paul Konerko, Justin Morneau, even Jayson Werth were all drafted as catchers. Take this into consideration when looking at these numbers.
|
1st round |
C |
C |
C |
||
|
4-yr |
HS |
JC |
|||
|
All-time great |
8.33% |
7.14% |
0.00% |
||
|
Superstar |
25.00% |
28.57% |
0.00% |
||
|
Occasional All-Star |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Starter-Solid Regular |
16.67% |
14.29% |
0.00% |
||
|
Part-time player |
8.33% |
14.29% |
0.00% |
||
|
Bench warmer |
25.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Minor leaguer |
16.67% |
35.71% |
100.00% |
||
|
1st supp |
C |
C |
C |
||
|
4-yr |
HS |
JC |
|||
|
All-time great |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Superstar |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Occasional All-Star |
33.33% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Starter-Solid Regular |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Part-time player |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Bench warmer |
33.33% |
33.33% |
0.00% |
||
|
Minor leaguer |
33.33% |
66.67% |
0.00% |
||
|
2nd round |
C |
C |
C |
||
|
4-yr |
HS |
JC |
|||
|
All-time great |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Superstar |
6.67% |
3.45% |
0.00% |
||
|
Occasional All-Star |
0.00% |
6.90% |
0.00% |
||
|
Starter-Solid Regular |
6.67% |
3.45% |
0.00% |
||
|
Part-time player |
20.00% |
6.90% |
0.00% |
||
|
Bench warmer |
46.67% |
20.69% |
0.00% |
||
|
Minor leaguer |
20.00% |
58.62% |
0.00% |
||
|
3rd round |
C |
C |
C |
||
|
4-yr |
HS |
JC |
|||
|
All-time great |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Superstar |
0.00% |
11.76% |
0.00% |
||
|
Occasional All-Star |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Starter-Solid Regular |
7.69% |
11.76% |
0.00% |
||
|
Part-time player |
23.08% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Bench warmer |
15.38% |
5.88% |
0.00% |
||
|
Minor leaguer |
53.85% |
70.59% |
100.00% |
||
|
4th round |
C |
C |
C |
||
|
4-yr |
HS |
JC |
|||
|
All-time great |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Superstar |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Occasional All-Star |
0.00% |
4.55% |
0.00% |
||
|
Starter-Solid Regular |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Part-time player |
25.00% |
4.55% |
0.00% |
||
|
Bench warmer |
16.67% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Minor leaguer |
58.33% |
90.91% |
0.00% |
||
|
5th round |
C |
C |
C |
||
|
4-yr |
HS |
JC |
|||
|
All-time great |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Superstar |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Occasional All-Star |
4.55% |
4.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Starter-Solid Regular |
4.55% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Part-time player |
13.64% |
16.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Bench warmer |
13.64% |
12.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Minor leaguer |
63.64% |
68.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
6th round |
C |
C |
C |
||
|
4-yr |
HS |
JC |
|||
|
All-time great |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Superstar |
6.25% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Occasional All-Star |
6.25% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Starter-Solid Regular |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Part-time player |
0.00% |
5.88% |
0.00% |
||
|
Bench warmer |
6.25% |
0.00% |
50.00% |
||
|
Minor leaguer |
81.25% |
94.12% |
50.00% |
||
|
7th round |
C |
C |
C |
||
|
4-yr |
HS |
JC |
|||
|
All-time great |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Superstar |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Occasional All-Star |
6.67% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Starter-Solid Regular |
6.67% |
12.50% |
0.00% |
||
|
Part-time player |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Bench warmer |
13.33% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Minor leaguer |
73.33% |
87.50% |
0.00% |
||
|
8th round |
C |
C |
C |
||
|
4-yr |
HS |
JC |
|||
|
All-time great |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Superstar |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Occasional All-Star |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Starter-Solid Regular |
3.45% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Part-time player |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Bench warmer |
3.45% |
33.33% |
0.00% |
||
|
Minor leaguer |
93.10% |
66.67% |
100.00% |
||
|
9th round |
C |
C |
C |
||
|
4-yr |
HS |
JC |
|||
|
All-time great |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Superstar |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Occasional All-Star |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Starter-Solid Regular |
4.55% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Part-time player |
4.55% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Bench warmer |
9.09% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Minor leaguer |
81.82% |
100.00% |
100.00% |
||
|
10th round |
C |
C |
C |
||
|
4-yr |
HS |
JC |
|||
|
All-time great |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Superstar |
0.00% |
5.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Occasional All-Star |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Starter-Solid Regular |
0.00% |
5.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Part-time player |
0.00% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Bench warmer |
7.14% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
||
|
Minor leaguer |
92.86% |
90.00% |
100.00% |