2059.2 Flight School-Charlotte Prospect Report-Catcher

[Krathan]

In this edition of Flight School, we take a look at the top prospects in the Charlotte system at the catcher position going into the 2059 season.

The top catching prospect in the organization is Lawrence Stewart. Stewart was selected in the 7th round of the 2057 draft. He played very well in his first pro season, slashing .37/.410/.490 in 80 games at the AA level. There were some who thought that Stewart would get the opportunity to play at the big league level in 2058. While that didn’t happen, the fact that the team only signed Farid bin Mubarak to a 1 year contract indicated that it was very likely he would soon get that chance. Not that bin Mubarak is on his way out, I would expect Stewart to see a lot of playing time with Charlotte in the coming season. His offense was solid but less impressive in Richmond. He did show some growth defensively. The team hopes that will continue going forward. In fact, Stewart is almost certain to be sent to the team’s development lab to work on his defense this offseason.

Another interesting backstop prospect is Reynaldo Fernandez. A 5th round pick in 2054, Fernandez has farther to go defensively than Stewart. He may never be able to handle the role at the big league level. Offensively, he has shown some positive signs. After a strong showing in rookie ball in 2054, Fernandez has spent time at A and AA. He had his best season in 2058, slashing .327/.395/.505 in 76 games. He had an impressive wRC+ of 145. He will likely move up to Richmond, replacing Stewart. He will be asked to work on his defense and try to prove that he can hit at the higher level. He also played a few games at 2B this season but was not effective there.

The last prospect we will discuss here is Victor Torres. Like Stewart, he was drafted in 2057. He was not selected until the 12th round. Torres is the most polished defender in the system, and while the scouts don’t like what they see, rating him below average across the board offensively, his statistical output as a pro has been pretty good. He finished 2057 with level A Danville, slashing ..305/.392/.430 with a wRC+ of 122. In 2058, he played for New Bern, slashing .272/.347/.375 with a wRC+ of 100. He is likely to spend much of the upcoming season as the starter for New Bern once again. The team is hoping he can continue to find offensive success to go with his quality defense.

[BaseClogger]

I’d look to ease Stewart in by platooning him with a lefty. He’s a borderline BBA starter IMO.