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Every Catcher With At Least 100 PA and an OPS+ of 110 or greater in 2058:
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Suffice it to say that the Hurricanes might not be exaggerating when they list Roy O'Donnell as potentially one of the top hitting catchers in the BBA. Right now, O'Donnell is hitting .265 with a .353 OBP and a .449 SLG, the sort of numbers you might expect from an outfielder. In fact, among players with more than 100 AB on the Hurricanes, only O'Donnell and DH Natsume Kondo have an OPS greater than .800 this season. (League average is .752 in the Johnson League this year.)
"This has been a thrill ride for me, but I'm just doing what I've always done - go up to the plate and do my job," said O'Donnell. "Hitting has always come naturally to me."
It was unsurprising when O'Donnell was called up, as the rookie has hit at every level, including in the major leagues last year in a short fill-in. The team has not rushed him, and at every level of the low minors he hit at least 50% above league average, including a glowing .337/.441/.582 slashline in AA. He had an .824 OPS in AAA when he was called up to try to help the flagging offense, and he has been a godsend for the team.
"We are thrilled with Roy's progress," said Jacksonville GM Aaron Weiner. "When we drafted Roy in the first round in 2054, we did it with the idea that he might take over the starting job from Luis Gonzales eventually. We never expected him to do it by the time he turned 21 years old."
The young backstop is still a work in progress. Reportedly, O'Donnell calls a good game, but his defense needs a lot of work, and he has a below-average arm behind the plate. The five home runs he has hit is surprising, but not the 12 doubles, as O'Donnell is an elite gap hitter, so that has been a bit of a bonus. Ultimately, this might be O'Donnell's regular production for the Hurricanes.
"There simply aren't a lot of catchers who can hit league average," said Weiner. "We're looking forward to seeing what Roy can do long term, but we think he's a keeper."
