Minor-ity ReportTM
Catch This! Backstop Edition vol. 1
by Russell Sandman and Evan Rosen
What relatively unknown minor league catching phenom will become the next Victor Martinez, Russell Martin, or Joe Mauer? In this edition of the Minor-ity ReportTM we share our thoughts on some relatively obscure names that very well may be major league backstops in the near future.
- Jon Still (C, 1B)
There has never been much doubt about the offensive capabilities of this 23 year old Red Sox backstop. The question is whether Jon “Crosby, Nash, and” Still has the defensive tools to make it to the majors as a catcher. Drafted in the 4th round, 133rd overall, in the 2006 amateur draft, Jon Still has done everything to prove that Mark Wagner isn’t the only player deserving of the organizational brand “catcher-of-the-future.”
In part to preserve his legs and bat, Still has seen fewer games behind the plate and more at first base or DH (maybe Wagner’s job is safe after all). Still is considered by many in the Red Sox organization to be somewhat unathletic behind the plate and have a below-average throwing arm, making a permanent positional switch possible in the future.
Jon Still had flashed power to the tune of 8 homers in a little over 200 at bats throughout the course of his tenure in the NCAA for Stetson University. In 2006, however, Still under-whelmed in the power department, putting only two balls over the fence in 232 at-bats and batting a paltry .220. His 26/41 BB/K ratio was certainly not consistent with his performance during college, and might be attributable to rookie jitters as ’06 was his first foray into professional baseball.
By now you might be wondering why we chose to feature Jon Still given his lackluster 2006 performance and defensive woes. The reason? His standout performance in 2007. This year, Still pounded 25 homers and jumped two levels from A+ ball to AA, spending the majority of his season in AA, and improving after the leap. After hitting four homers and driving in nineteen runs in just 80 at bats for Lancaster, the Sox promoted Still to AA Greenville where he proceeded to hit 21 homers and drive in 79 runs in only 360 at bats. Looking between the numbers, the 105:103 ratio of BB:K indicates growing plate patience and his 29 doubles in 440 at bats may indicate the potential for growing power.
Still’s 2008 campaign will determine whether he will develop into a stud or a dud. The potential is there, as he possesses the rare qualities of power and plate discipline. Scouts often mention Still’s gap power, game calling ability, and excellent leadership skills. We believe that with continued offensive development and improved defense, Still could develop into a power hitting major-leaguer who will be especially valuable in statistically expansive leagues that factor OBP% (or OPS).
- Taylor Teagarden (C)
Who needs a nickname when your given name is Taylor Teagarden? As if the Rangers didn’t already have enough depth at catcher with the acquisitions of Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Max Ramirez, after being selected in the third round, 99th overall, by the Texas Rangers in the 2005 amateur draft, this 6’1 right-handed 23 year old Longhorn backstop promptly hit 7 homers in his first 96 at-bats in low A ball. Teagarden’s 107/130 BB/K ratio in college, his 23/32 BB/K ratio in 2005, and 75/128 in 2007 all signal the plate discipline we look for in aspiring batters.
In 394 combined at-bats in A+ and AA ball in 2007, Teagarden hit 27 homers and had 83 RBI. Ranking 3rd in OPS, 4th in slugging % and 15th in homeruns despite having about 100 fewer at-bats than most league leaders, Teagarden took the California League (A) by storm. He batted .315/.448/.606 with a 1.054 OPS in A+ and .294/.357/.529 with a .886 OPS in AA. We forgive the mild drop in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS given both the learning curve inherent to any level-jump and the fact that Teagarden’s power stayed consistent – he belted 7 homers in a brief 102 at-bat cup ‘o coffee in AA after his promotion. Touted as more of a defensive catcher, Teagarden said of his offensive ability, “I've always felt I was a better hitter than people gave me credit for. I got the wooden bat and I started showing some power. And I've shown I can hit, too."
Insiders often predict that Teagarden’s defense alone will carry him to the majors. Let’s take a moment to examine Teagarden’s storied defense: In 44 games behind the plate, he committed 6 errors for a combined .983 fielding percentage. While the sample size is small and Teagarden has seen his share of playing time at DH during his recovery from Tommy John surgery, his .983 combined fielding percentage rank him on par with Jarrod Saltalamacchia in that department. One minor league coach said of his defense, “Taylor's going to catch someday at the big league level. He's a backup big league catcher before he picks a bat up." We view this as important since some measure of Teagarden’s fanball value will rely on his ability to maintain or improve defensively behind the plate while continuing to mature as a hitter. In spite of the acquisition of “Salty,” Teagarden has not been mentioned as the subject of any positional changes as of now; in fact it is Saltalamacchia who has been sharing time at 1B in the early going. The jury is not yet out on whether Teagarden will have a spot in the Texas Ranger lineup in the near future. But based upon his 2007 offensive rampage and stand-out defense, Taylor Teagarden warrants careful watching in 2008 on his road to “the show.”
An analysis of catching prospects like Jon Still and Taylor Teagarden, would be remiss if it did not discuss defensive ability and its impact on playing-time, and, consequently, production. Have you ever heard of Hector Villanueva? How about Matt LeCroy? Rod Barajas? At one point or another each swung a formidable bat. In spite of that, none managed to hold down a starting job for a major league club for any sustained period of time. Unless your name is Mike Piazza circa 1999, being an adept defender is generally a prerequisite to longevity as a starter behind the dish in the bigs. In the case of Jarrod Saltalamacchia, or any hypothetical catching prospect capable of fielding elsewhere on the diamond, the astute fanball manager can expect a permanent positional change on the horizon or the feared typecasting of “utility player” and more limited at-bats. Having seen Matt LeCroy ousted by A.J. Pierzynski, Rod Barajas by Carlos Ruiz, and Ryan Doumit by Ronny Paulino, it is hard to feel at ease with a catcher whose starting job is constantly in jeopardy due to shoddy game-calling or glovework. For those reasons and more, we cannot overemphasize the need to appropriately weigh defensive ability when evaluating catching (as well as middle infield) prospects.
Think these two are the only less-known, big batting backstops of tomorrow? There are more catching prospects in the minors worthy of mention, which is why we’ve decided to deliver this cliff-hanger: stay tuned for Catch This! Backstop Edition vol. 2 which will continue to “name names” of noteworthy rising catching talents of tomorrow!
Copyright © 2007 Russell Sandman and Evan Rosen