12/7/11

My Rule 5 Targets - by Mack Ade


Mack Ade:  Okay, the Mets have filled in some holes and I wonder if there are any more to fill on the 25-man. My guess is catcher and here are two guys I target:

Sandy Leon (23) C – Scouts rate Leon as one of the top defensive catchers in minor league baseball. Boasting a career 46% caught-stealing percentage and just 40 passed balls (allowed) through 316 starts behind the plate, Leon is surprisingly advanced for a twenty-two-year-old catcher. His performance at the plate doesn’t measure-up to his work behind it, though his career .647 OPS isn’t too shabby considering his age and position. He posted a career-high .304 wOBA (weight on-base percentage) last season, and used his strong, accurate arm to gun down 60 of 113 attempted base-stealers (56%). If the young switch-hitter can make develop his average raw power, he could eventually secure a job as an everyday defensive backstop. Regardless, his premium fielding ability should give him a long career as a Jose Molina-type back-up catcher

Johnny Monell (26) C – Monell holds a Career .796 OPS in pro baseball and he posted a solid .249/.334/.394 line with the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League) in 2011. An athletic catcher with above-average arm strength and average running speed, Monell has the makings of a big league catcher. He’s thrown out  30% of attempted base-stealers throughout his career and his receiving skills are nearly MLB-ready. A favorite of his coaches, Monell is a blue-collar catcher with a strong work ethic. Pitchers generally enjoy throwing to him and he’s did a better job of blocking the plate last season. At the plate, his plus power should translate nicely to the MLB

Your thoughts?

1 comment:

David Groveman said...

If he's available, I can't pass up Beau Mills even if it means that I need to throw Satin back into AAA. The potential for hitting is too great for me to focus on the fact we don't need him.