The Keepers - #80 - C - Kai Gronauer

Photo by Mack Ade

80.     C        Kai Gronauer

Gronauer was an international undrafted free agent, out of Germany, signed prior to the 2008 season.

He played sporadically for the GCL Mets in 2008… 45-AB, .356/.408/.378/.786… 15 of his 16 hits were singles…

2009 brought a platoon situation with the Savannah Sand Gants. He split time with Jean Luc Blacquiere (who was promoted to St. Lucie ahead of him) and finished the year: .243/.294/.352/.646 with 0-HR and only 6-RBIs in 230-AB.

4-28-10: - Kai Gronauer – C – A-Savannah – Gronauer platooned last year at Savannah and returned this season as the number one backstop. He’s off to a great start which included a torrid week last week. For the year, Kai stands at: .321/.410/.453/.863

There’s no power here, but that’s okay. He’s a great defensive catcher who the pitchers love for his intelligence.

8-19-10: - We’ve also written a number of times about the lack of Mets’ catching prospects and the fact that German-born Kai Gronauer has impressed us these past few seasons in Savannah. He has since moved on to St. lucie and, after 84-AB, he’s hitting .310/.370/.369/.739. No pop, but you have to love a Mets catcher hitting .300. And he’s right-handed. Would make an interesting platoon with a left-handed hitting catcher if the Mets had one hitting .300.

4-15-11: - Stock Up: - Gronauer has taken advantage of a situation that is a little embarrassing for the Mets. Frankly, there hasn’t been any catching prospects in the system past the development of Josh Thole, so Kai decided to become one on himself. He stepped up big time last season for St. Lucie, hitting ,324 in 139 at bats. He’s off to a slow start in Binghamton but it’s his job to lose.

9-3-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/09/prospect-pulse-buffalo-2012-help-on-the-way.html  - Kai Gronauer - The 24-year-old German back-stop is known for his defense, game calling, and throwing out would-be base-stealers. His bat has lagged a little behind in his developmental curve because he has only been playing baseball for 9 years. But 2010 was a breakthrough season for him as a hitter, when he hit .291 combined between Savannah, and St Lucie. 2011 in AA started slowly for Kai at the plate and then he went down in early May with a bad hamstring injury that cost him three months of the season. He’s been back about a month and is hitting .248 in 149 AB’s. He could be kept back in Bingo for the start of 2012, but with no real talent at the catching position in the upper levels of the farm system, he has a fairly unimpeded path to the starting catcher job at AAA. All he needs to do is stay healthy and hit a little bit and he may be making his debut this year at Citifield. I guess that would make him the first German national to play for the Mets, no? Actually, no, I mean yes, he is the first German national to play for the Mets. The great Tobi Stoner was born in Germany, but his parents were in the millitary, and he’s a US citizen. The first German born Met player, was Ron Gardenhire. Yes, that Ron Gardenhire.

10-3-11: - http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/season-review-the-full-season-catchers - Kai Gronauer led the B-Mets in games caught with 51, hitting .253/.326/.373 at age 24. His season was interrupted by a hamstring injury. Gronauer is a good communicator and a good interview, but threw out 29% of opposing base stealers (17 of 58). That’s not enough to even be Nickeas.