Josh Thole 1B L R 6-1 190 10-28-86 Mater Dei H.S. (IL.)
Thole was drafted straight out of High School in the 13th round of the 2005 draft by the Mets. He was scouted and signed by Quincy Boyd, the Midwest Scouting Director for the Mets.
As a senior at Mater Dei High School, in Illinois, Thole batted .545 (36 hits in 66 at-bats) with eight doubles, five triples, 10 home runs, 40 RBIs and 30 runs scored. He walked 28 times, many intentionally, and struck out just once in 95 plate appearances. His on-base percentage was .681 and his slugging percentage was 1.273. He was named the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (local newspaper) player of the year.
Originally a first baseman, Thole was converted to a catcher last year at short-season Kingsport; however, he has returned to 1B in Savannah, where he had an outstanding 2007 season (.267/.372/.311 in 389 at bats).
The Mets have always seem to have a bunch of young, talented, 1st base prospects who can swing a bat, but for whatever reason, none ever are taken serious by the home office to play full time at Shea. Mike Jacobs had 100 at bats a couple of years ago and put up a .600 slugging percentage; however, all that got him was being traded to Florida.
Thole is currently behind a long talented pecking line, with names like Mike Carp, Brett Harper, and Nick Evans first in line for their shot. It’s far too early to project him, but being able to be a 3rd string emergency catcher can only help his quest for the majors.
A May 2008 propect report by Andy Braunstein:
JOSH THOLE - C/1B - He is in a dead-heat with Wabick and I gave it to Thole because he is more versatile where it counts, he could catch. Thole doesn't have great tools, bat speed is avg, 5.5-6, power 10-15 is good for a C, not good for a 1B, not much speed and his catching skills are avg to slightly above avg. Best he could hope for is as a utility player who could offer a lively bat, and serve as a secret 3rd C on a ML roster. Tho don't count on this happening.
In September 2008, Thole was assigned to the Peoria Saguaros team in the Arizona Winter League.
In 2008, Thole had an all-star year for St. Lucie, hitting .300/.382/.427 in 347 at bats. He also became the top Mets catcher prospect by the end of the year.
Feburary 2009: From Toby Hyde -
#16 - C Josh Thole - Why Ranked Here: Thole produced an .808 OPS in the FSL as a 21-year old and then improved on that with a .820 OPS in the AFL. In both leagues, he walked more than he struck out, a feat he has also accomplished in two of his previous two professional seasons. As Thole has matured, he’s started to drive the ball more. In 347 AB in the pitcher friendly Florida State League, Thole had 32 extra base. He had collected just 26 XBH in his previous 591 professional AB. Entering 2008, Thole had played a mere 26 professional games as a catcher. Thus, it is not surprising that early reviews on his defense in St. Lucie were fairly critical. Thole has the arm and the athleticism to learn the footwork for the position, but is not there yet. 2008: After going 1-2 with a walk on the season’s final day, Thole was removed for a pinch-hitter to preserve his .300 batting average. As little as batting average matters, it’s a nice mark for Thole to hang on his resume as he’s proven himself more than ready for AA with the stick. Projected 2009 Start: AA Binghamton
February 2008: - Baseball America wrote:
Josh Thole, c, Mets: A 13th-round pick in 2005 out of Mater Dei High in Breese, Ill., Thole was a light-hitting first baseman in low Class A in 2007, when he batted .267/.311/.372 in 117 games for Savannah. Last year, Thole had a mini-breakout as he hit .300/.382/.427 in 111 games for high Class A St. Lucie in the FSL. Thole has always controlled the strike zone (he has 133 walks and 131 strikeouts in his minor league career). He has excellent bat-to-ball skills, as the 21-year-old lefthanded hitter struck out last year only 38 times (nine percent of his 402 plate appearances). Thole also became a full-time catcher, the position he played in high school and dabbled in sparingly in his previous three pro seasons. Scouts have concerns about Thole’s defense and his below-average power. Thole hit only hit five home runs in 2008, but that’s an improvement from the goose egg he posted in that category in ‘07. He’ll likely start this season in Double-A and play all year at age 22 as a relatively under-the-radar prospect
2 comments:
You need to strike Mike Carp from the list of folks that Thole's behind on the depth chart; Carp was part of the Putz trade.
The facts I listed are under a timeline, thus, they were written when Carp was still with the team.
I list each fact or story in their proper order, so you can get a feel what was written when...
Mack
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