Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6' 2" Weight: 225 lb
Age: 23
Acquired: 2012 Rule 4 Draft, 1st round, Purdue University
2014: (AA/AAA) .309/.365/.460, 11 HR, 64 RBI, 0 SB (0%), 30 BB, 48 K, 31% RTO
2013: (A/A+) .305/.390/.448, 8 HR, 80 RBI, 1 SB (100%), 42 BB, 53 K, 29% RTO
2012: (SS-A) .250/.345/.384, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 0 SB (0%), 25 BB, 24 K, 32% RTO
Take your pick, would you rather have...A) a catcher with .260 avg, 20-25 HR potential, or B) a catcher with .290 avg, 10-15 HR potential but hits 40-50 doubles a season. Catcher A has excellent pitch framing abilities but poor blocking skills. Catcher B has good blocking skills, and average framing abilities. Both have below average arms.
That's the dilemma that the Mets front office is facing right now when comparing incumbent Travis d'Arnaud and challenger Kevin Plawecki. While d'Arnaud is already in the MLB, Plawecki has been tearing through every minor league level with relative ease. After posting a .250 avg in his 1st season with Brooklyn, Plawecki has never posted an average below .280 and his OPS is regularly in the .800's. For comparisons, only 5 catchers this season have posted +.800 OPS, Posey, Mesoraco, Lucroy, Gattis, and Martin.
MLB.com has Plawecki ranked as the #4 catching prospect in baseball and #61 overall. Baseball America has him even higher as the #3 catcher and 40th overall. No matter who you ask, a majority of talent evaluators believe Plawecki has a very bright future ahead of him. The ball's in Sandy's court to decide who's gonna man the dish for the next decade and potential be the team's next Mike Piazza.
Ceiling: Under the Radar Superstar MLB Catcher. (Johnathan Lucroy)
Floor: Average MLB starting C with 2 or 3 solid seasons. (Salvador Perez)
In 2015 the Mets will have catcher A behind the plate. No question about that. Plawecki does not need to be put on the 40 man roster this winter so that's the reason he will be in Las Vegas next year.
ReplyDeleteI wouldnt mind Centeno as the back up for TDA next year.