2018 Draft – Top 10
Catchers Available in the 2018 Draft –
1. Will Banfield Brookwood
HS (GA)
PG Grade: 10 - Will Banfield is a 2018 C/RHP with a 6-0 200 lb.
frame from Lawrenceville, GA who attends Brookwood HS. Strong athletic build,
pretty mature physically. Highest level physical tools on defense, extremely
flexible and athletic in his lower half, strong hands that frame mid-90's like
a professional, high energy blocker, outstanding arm strength and release, 1.74
pop inn drills, regularly 1.8's in between innings. Right handed hitter, busy
hand load, strong swing with some lift, strong hands, best power at present is
to right centerfield, battles at the plate and will make adjustments and find
the barrel, lots of power potential. Plays the game hard. Good student, verbal
commitment to Vanderbilt. Selected for the 2017 Perfect Game All-American
Classic.
2. Mason Denaburg Merritt
Island HS (FL)
PG Grade: 10 - Mason Denaburg is a 2018 C/RHP with a 6-3 190
lb. frame from Merritt Island, FL who attends Merritt Island HS. Tall angular
build, lots of physical projection. Highest level two-way prospect, future is
likely on the mound. Very simple leg raise delivery, turn and throw mechanics,
essentially working from the stretch. Arm is fast and smooth, fastball topped
out at 97 mph with little effort, big nasty sinking and running life on his
fastball at times, will occasionally drift out in his delivery but mostly
together with his mechanics. Change up had similar sinking life to his
fastball. Did not throw a curveball in this short outing but has shown a solid
power curve in the past. Right handed hitter, high hand load with a balanced
and strong swing, big power to both alley's, swings as easy as he throws. 6.84
runner, plenty athletic enough behind the plate and could probably play most
other positions on the field. Good student, verbal commitment to Florida.
Selected for the 2017 Perfect Game All-American Classic.
3. Joey Bart Georgia
Tech
CBD - This past spring as a freshman he hit .296 in 186
at-bats with 36 runs scored, 13 doubles, 43 RBI, 16 walks and 50 strikeouts.
Bart jumped on a lot of scouts radars because he blasted 13 home runs after
hitting just one as a freshman. That season led to him being named a 2017
Johnny Bench Award Semifinalist and to the 2017 All-ACC Second Team. This past
summer he played eight games in the Cape Cod League but was also named to the
2017 USA Baseball CNT Training Camp roster. The 6-foot-3, 220 pound
right-handed catcher has a really good arm and should be able to remain a
backstop at the next level. With the power he showed as a sophomore he has the
chance to be one of the best catchers in the country in 2018.
4. Noah Naylor St.
Joan Of Arc HS (ONT)
PG Grade: 10 - Noah Naylor is a 2018 C/MIF with a 6-0 195 lb.
frame from Mississauga, ON who attends St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary.
Strong athletic build, good present strength with room for more. Very high
level athleticism for a catcher, 6.62 in the sixty, low and flexible behind the
plate, very quick shifting and blocked, high level arm strength with a loose
and fast arm, 1.78 best pop time. Also played the middle infield with
surprisingly good actions and tools, can develop this part of his game further.
Left handed hitter, slightly open stance, clean shift into contact and swing,
has lots of strength at contact and can drive the ball hard, tends to stay open
but can go the other way effectively. Has always performed at high level events
against top pitching. Verbal commitment to Texas A&M. Brother of former PG
All-American Josh Naylor. Selected for the 2017 Perfect Game All-American
Classic.
5. Anthony Siegler Carterfield
HS (GA)
PG Grade: 10 - Anthony Seigler is a 2018 C/BHP with a 5-11 200
lb. frame from Cartersville, GA who attends Cartersville HS. Solid athletic
build with good present strength. Unique athlete,completely ambidextrous in all
his baseball actions. Switch hitter with equal bat speed from both sides, lots
of lift left handed, puts the ball in the air, more of a level swing from the
right side but can still get the ball in the air and drive it, moves into
contact well from both sides and uncoils well. Has good athleticism behind the
plate with lots of quickness, big arm strength on his throws, 1.87 best pop
time, receives the ball well in games. Throws with both hands on the mound,
more polished from the left side, topped out at 88 mph with feel for his
curveball and change up. All fastballs from the right side from a higher arm
slot, worked down in the zone with an 88-90 mph fastball. Good student, verbal
commitment to Auburn. Selected for the 2017 Perfect Game All-American Classic.
6. Grant Koch Arkansas
Razorback website - As a Sophomore (2017)- >>>
All-SEC First Team - Appeared in 63 games, all starts, and hit .264 with a
career-best 13 home runs and 42 RBIs His home run total was seventh-most in the
conference, most among catchers and most by a Razorback catcher in the Dave Van
Horn era … Also hit 14 doubles and one triple with a .498 slugging percentage …
Totaled a .358 on-base percentage coupled with 33 walks, two hit by pitches and
one stolen base … Caught 16 base stealers in 24 attempts (.600), good for third
in the SEC … Hit .270 in conference play with seven home runs and 15 RBIs … His
seven home runs were also a top-10 total in the league … Finished the season with
15 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI games … His 11 multi-RBI games were good
for third on the team … Had a great 12-game stretch to begin the season as he
racked up a .358 average with 18 hits, 18 RBIs, and five home runs, which was
the best offensive start to a season by a Razorback catcher since Brady Toops
in 2004 … Had two four-RBI games during run (vs. Bryant – Feb. 24; vs. Nebraska
– March 4), both career-highs … Had a career-high four hits on Feb. 26 against
Bryant, his only four-hit game of the season … Against Nebraska, he went
2-for-3 with three runs scored and his first career grand slam … Hit a home run
in back-to-back games against Vanderbilt (May 13-14), one of five Razorbacks to
achieve the feat during the season … Had two hits in the NCAA Fayetteville
Regional, both coming in elimination games (vs. Oral Roberts – June 4; vs.
Missouri State – June 4) … Named to 2017 SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll.
7. Cal Raleigh Florida
State
Seminoles website - SOPHOMORE (2017): Was the only Florida State player to start
all 69 games of the season…ended the year with 51 runs scored, 16 doubles, and
nine home runs…picked up his first of 14 multi-hit games on the season with a
2-for-3 performance against Samford on February 25, including an RBI double
that opened a five-run inning that brought FSU to a 8-0 win…smacked his first
home run of the season with a first-pitch shot to open the top of the fourth on
February 28 in Jacksonville, helping the Seminoles escape a 3-0 deficit and
pull off a comeback to win 6-5…went 3-for-4 in the first game of the doubleheader
against Boston College on March 11 while notching two doubles and scoring two
runs in Florida State’s 11-1 victory…had his second three-hit game of the
season on March 21 against Jacksonville, which included a solo home run to open
the ninth inning to bring the FSU deficit to 9-8 before the Seminoles
ultimately scored two more runs and earned the first walk-off win of the
season…hit his first triple of the season in the fourth inning against FGCU on
April 5 before scoring the winning run on Dylan Busby’s RBI single…drew three
walks on April 25 against Stetson, tying a career-high that was set in the 2016
Super Regional game at Florida…knocked in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning
of the ACC Championship game against North Carolina on May 28, helping Florida
State claim its seventh ACC Championship victory…singled in the tying run in
the seventh inning against Sam Houston State on June 10 in the first Super
Regional game before the Seminoles walked off in the ninth to win 7-6…partnered
with Quincy Nieporte to hit back-to-back home runs to open the bottom of the
ninth in the final College World Series game against LSU before Florida State
ultimately fell 7-4.
8. Christopher Willis Rustin
HS (LA)
PG Grade: 10 - Christopher Willis is a 2018 C/1B with a 6-4 185
lb. frame from Ruston, LA who attends Ruston HS. Large athletic frame, loose
and physically projectable, has the potential to outgrow the catching position
but has the athleticism to play multiple positions. Left handed hitter, hits
from a wide base, loose hands and an easy tension free swing, creates bat
speed, very good extension, lots of power there, big carry to the middle of the
field. Plus arm strength on defense, throws downhill and is very accurate, 1.84
best pop time, has the athleticism to stay behind the plate at present. Good
student. Selected for the 2017 Perfect Game All-American Classic.
9. Austin Wells Bishop
Gorman HS (NV)
PG Grade: 10 - Austin Wells is a 2018 C/1B with a 6-2 195 lb.
frame from Henderson, NV who attends Bishop Gorman HS. Strong athletic build,
pretty mature physically. Left handed hitter, nice load and shift into contact
from a spread start, loose extended swing, has bat speed, hits to all fields,
polished hitter who sees the ball well at the plate, has been a high
performance hitter in the past. 6.97 runner, good athlete behind the plate with
quickness in his actions, has a quick release and makes accurate throws, 1.91
best pop time. Good student, verbal commitment to Arizona. Selected for the
2017 Perfect Game All-American Classic.
10. Kameron
Ojeda St. John
Bosco HS (CA)
PG Grade: 10 - Kameron Ojeda is a 2018 C/OF with a 6-1 185 lb.
frame from La Mirada, CA who attends St. John Bosco HS. Medium athletic build,
some present strength with room for more. Very solid defensive tools and
actions, very quick laterally and in getting rid of the ball, plenty of arm
strength with carry and accuracy, game actions in drills, 1.82 best pop, 1.97
in games, very polished mechanics and some explosive athleticism. Left handed
hitter, has spread out his stance over the last year, long swing with a pull
oriented approach, tends to pull off with his front side and leave the outer
half open. Good student, verbal commitment to Cal State Fullerton.
5 comments:
My Rule (XVII): If there's an ambidextrous catcher avail Rd 3, grab him.
You have two arms to burn out.
I expect the Mets to take a long look at Naylor once they get past the first round.
Naylor, Banfield, Denaburg all look very good
Not knowing anything about these players other than these snippets, the description of Christopher Willis caught my eye. While I know what a player does in high school or college doesn't necessarily translate to the way up the ladder, but I'm surprised the reports are revealing the stat lines for each one.
*are not revealing
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