Mack's Mock Pick - #49 - C - Luca Tresh

 

Luca Tresh

Mack's spin - 

This is a subjective pick of mine.

You don't draft Tresh for his defense behind the plate of his ability to get on base, You pick him for his pure power.

He started out like a house on fire but opposing pttchers learned to pitch around him.

I see him as a future DH or 1Bman. 

 

C      NC State

 

2021 stat line - 55-games, 55-started, .236, 15-HR, 43-RBI

 5-11-21 - Motor City Bengals -

 

Luca Tresh – Tresh got off to an amazing start this season, with seven home runs in his first eight games. He has cooled off considerably in the last month, with just one home run, but he’s still a potentially average defensive catcher with a plus arm and plus raw power, so there’s a good chance he lands in the first round.

 

 4-25-21 - Keanan Lamb  @keananlamb

 

2021 catcher Luca Tresh has been very patient at the plate today, racking up several walks and finally getting into the hit column with this hard shot into left field

 

 4-15-21 - BA -

 

Luca Tresh, C, North Carolina State

 

After the Giants drafted Patrick Bailey with their first-round pick last year, Tresh took over at catcher for North Carolina State. With the way Tresh is playing, the Wolfpack could have first round catchers in consecutive drafts, with Tresh ranked No. 25 on the BA board. Tresh is loose and flexible behind the plate with a plus arm. He showed off that arm multiple times, including when he caught Frelick on a stolen base attempt with an outstanding 1.85-second pop time. He had another laser throw that was right on target, with the only problem being that neither of his middle infielders went to cover the bag (it was a 1.90-second pop time from mitt to the turf behind second base). Tresh has recorded several pop times in the 1.85-to-low-1.9-second range this year. His footwork and exchange are quick, but sometimes this season (particularly early in the year) he has tried to be too quick, causing him to either bobble the transfer or rush his throws that ended up one-hopping the bag. But when he's able to sync everything up, he produces plus times on his throws to second. Tresh isn't as athletic as Bailey, and scouts who have seen Tresh this year have noted that there's some stiffness to his actions and that he doesn't look like a natural receiver, with six passed balls in 25 games.

 

Tresh has hit well every season at NC State, though this year is his first as a regular. He's batting .308/.365/.587 with a team-high eight home runs in 115 plate appearances with 10 walks and 23 strikeouts. He has a spread-out stance with a simple lower half load and takes a professional batting practice with hard line drive contact to all fields and bigger power in games. Tresh is strong and has leverage in his swing with an approach geared to hammer fastballs. He rarely swings through a fastball and does most of his damage against heaters, including a home run and a double in this series, as well as a deep fly out to the left field warning track on a 94 mph fastball from Boston College righthander Mason Pelio.

 

Tresh's 20% strikeout rate (which is manageable, but on the high side) seems to mostly stem from offspeed stuff. With the exception of a hanging breaking ball that he lined over the shortstop's head for a single, Tresh showed swing-and-miss tendencies against both breaking balls and changeups when they were located down or beneath the strike zone. His swing has a bat wrap and he has an out-front contact point suited to pull a fastball, so whether it's an issue of swing adjustability, approach or pitch recognition, Tresh will have to prove he can adjust to secondary pitches down. As a catcher with a chance to hit for power and control the running game, Tresh could fit into the back of the first round, though other clubs would have him a tier below that range on their boards.

 

 3-30-21 - Prospects Worldwide -

 

34. C Luca Tresh | School: North Carolina State | B / T: R / R | Ht: 6’0 | Wt: 200bs | Age: 21.5

 

Tresh brings Plus power that has showed up in a loud way in the shortened 2020 season and 2021. 30 HR Power is realistic. Swing and miss concerns may ultimately dampen the long term power numbers, but there’s a big league bat here. Will offset some of those strikeouts with at worst a league average walk rate. Receiving and framing need some work, but the arm is solid here. Should have a future behind the plate as a slugging catch and throw type profile. Has also played 1B, 3B, and LF during his time at NC State when stashed behind Patrick Bailey (Giants 1st rounder, 2020). Similar to Gary Sanchez.

 

 3-25-21 - BA - Breakout Players -

 

Luca Tresh, C, North Carolina State

 

In past seasons, Tresh has shown glimpses of his game-breaking power at the plate, but it has been on full display in 2021. The third-year sophomore catcher, who is known for putting up absurd exit velocities, is hitting .352/.410/.778 with seven home runs, all while handling catching full-time for the first time in his career. Like Clarke, his future is largely tied to his offensive production, but proving that he can handle his position can’t hurt his professional prospects.

 

 3-10-21 - draft risers -

 

Luca Tresh, C, North Carolina State (No. 163)

 

.400/.467/.950, 7 HR, 1 2B, 5 BB, 9 K

 

Perhaps North Carolina State is coming for Georgia Tech’s reputation as “Catcher U.”

 

After Patrick Bailey went 14th overall to the Giants in the 2020 draft, the Wolfpack has another catcher who could wind up going on the first day of the draft in Luca Tresh, who has tallied a hit in 9-of-10 games this season and is tied for second in the country with seven home runs.

 

Tresh is far from the defender that Bailey was, but his bat could be better. He elevates the ball at a high rate and has gaudy exit velocity numbers, which analytics departments will love even with the swing and miss that comes with the package. While all of Tresh’s home runs this season have gone to the pull side, he has shown an ability to hit for power to the opposite field as well in 2019-20.

 

The catching evaluation will be the biggest question for Tresh, as scouts haven’t had much time to see what he can do behind the plate, given Bailey’s presence. Tresh uses a one-knee setup and needs to improve his receiving, but if a team believes he can stick at the position there’s no reason why he couldn’t go in the first round—especially in a class lacking in college bats.

 

 3-8-21 - Lookout Landing -

 

Quality college catchers that can hit and profile to stick behind the plate at the next level generally don’t last long in the draft. Add in the plus raw power and you’ve got a bat that I think will be pretty popular come draft day. Personally, I don’t see Tresh making it out of the first day... 35 or so picks... but we’ll see what happens. He just really isn’t too dissimilar from Bailey a year ago.

 

Tresh hasn’t had the long track record behind the plate to buoy his stock higher and higher over his career. But now that Bailey is gone and he’s the star of the show, you certainly get the feeling with every passing weekend, his name will get more and more popular as we approach the MLB Draft.

 

 3-1-21 - Prospect Live -

 

LUCA TRESH, C, NC STATE

 

8 FOR 18 (.444/.474/1.167) 4 HR, 1 2B, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K

 

When your program loses a program-great like Patrick Bailey, it’s fair to be skeptical how you’re going to replace such offensive production. After all, getting loud box scores from the catcher position isn’t typical. That said, those within and familiar with the Wolfpack program knew they’d be just fine handing the reins over to Tresh.

 

In 2020 primarily as a designated hitter, Tresh led the team with a .405 batting average. He had three home runs and three doubles in just eleven games. That trend has certainly made its way into 2021. Through six games, Tresh is slashing .458/.519/1.125 with five homers and a double.

 

As far as the draft goes, Tresh should hear his name called early. It’s plus raw power with a plus throwing arm behind the plate. His footwork and actions behind the plate are at least average and he figures to stick behind the plate long-term.