2062.71 Charlotte Prospect Watch-Catchers

[Krathan]

This is the first in a series of articles highlighting my top prospects at each position at the end of the 2062 minor league season. In this article, I am going to look at my top prospects at the Catcher position.

1 The top catching prospect in my organization is Thibaut Bonnet. The 18 year old right handed hitting backstop was acquired from Las Vegas in the Jim Fleming trade at the 2061 deadline. Bonnet has a long way to go in order to reach his potential, but if he gets there, he should be a good big league ball player. His potentials of 7/5/5/4 (Contact/Gap/Power/Eye) with 7 blocking, 7 framing, and 6 arm would make him a well rounded starting catcher at the big league level. He debuted in the minors this year after spending last season in the Vegas international complex. He played in 59 games between short A and rookie, with most of his time coming at the rookie level. He slashed .232/.312/.271. His current contact and eye both progressed this season despite his eye potential dropping from 5 to 4.

2 The next catcher on my list is Cipriano Martinez, my 5th round pick in this year's draft. The 19 year old right handed batter is not far from his potential but does still have some room to grow. He is currently rated 4/5/4/4 with potential ratings of 5/5/6/5. He has 7 blocking, 7 framing, and 5 arm defensively. If he reached his potential offensively, he could be a very productive big leaguer, especially if that 6 power turns out to be a high 6. Martinez had a very good year in the IFC in 2062, with a wRC+ of 123. He started his pro career with level A Danville and seemed a little overmatched (70 wRC+) but did produce .1 WAR, so he was at least on the positive side of the equation.

3 The third catching prospect on my list is Jesus Torres. He was acquired this year in a trade with San Fernando. He looks like he should be a good major league hitter but would need a lot of growth defensively to stick behind the plate. His offensive potentials are 6/5/6/5 but he has only 6 blocking, 5 frame, and 4 arm behind the plate. He is not far from his potentials now and has good intangibles, making it seems likely that gets to, or at least close to, those potentials. He has not put up great numbers in the minors up to this point, and at 22, may need to start showing some improvement statistically soon to remain a prospect of note. He did play fairly well in 55 games at the short A level for Adirondack, slashing .269/.353/.383, but struggled to a .660 OPS in 47 games with San Fernando's A level.

4. The fourth prospect is Henry Montes. He was drafted in the 2nd round in 2059. Montes is not as exciting of a prospect as he once was, having lumped several times since being drafted. His defense, however, is the best of the group. Offensively, his current ratings match his potentials at 5/4/4/3. Defensively, he has 9 blocking, 9 framing, and 6 arm. Despite the lumping, Montes had hit well from the time he was drafted through last year. This season, he ended his first AAA campaign with a disastrous 17 wRC+ with an OPS of .493. Defensively, he made 8 errors and had an Eff. Of just .952. I am hoping to see him improve in those areas this year as I would like to have him be at least capable of becoming a defense first backup in the big leagues.

5 The final prospect on the list is Eryx Lazardis. He is in the international complex and is currently 18 years old. His potential offensive ratings are 5/4/5/4 with defensive ratings of 6 blocking, 6 framing, and 4 arm. He needs some bumps to become a true prospect but it isn't out of the realm of possibility that he gets a bump or two at his young age.

[BaseClogger]

*rubs hands together*

[RonCo]

Martinez is one of those guys I try to funnel as much time to as possible in hopes of creating a bump or two. Nothing super special right now, but you can see a glimmer under the surface.

[Krathan]

Martinez is one of those guys I try to funnel as much time to as possible in hopes of creating a bump or two. Nothing super special right now, but you can see a glimmer under the surface.

I agree with you. I like Martinez. I don’t know if he’ll become something but ai definitely feel like he has a chance.