(previos position} thru: 1-17-22
1. Daniel Susac (2)
C 6-4 205 Arizona
2021 Arizona stat line - 61-G, 242- AB, .335/.392/.591, 12-HR, 65-RBI, 47-K
He will make his money with the bat.
Potential plus hitter with plus power.
A big, tall, switch-hitting catcher.
Advanced in all aspects of game.
Above average power to all sides of the field.
Excellent defensive game.
Above average arm.
Easily projects as a top 10 pick.
2.. Kevin Parada (1)
C 6-0 200 Georgia Tech
2021 GT stat line -
52-G, 220-AB, team leading .318, 9-HR, 42- RBI, 41-K
No. 48 on the 2020 BA 500 but went undrafted.
Above average raw power.
++ Defense.
+ arm with better athleticism than you’ll find in most guys his size.
May call his own game in 2022.
Needs work on framing.
Mental game best in baseball.
Extremely athletic.
Also could play 1B and corner outfield.
Currently projects as a top 10 pick
3. Logan Tanner (3)
C 6-2 195 Mississippi State
Age At Draft: 21.7
2021 HallState stat line:
67-G, 244-AB, .287, 15-HR, 53-RBI
Above average bat - 111 mph exit speed
20% of at-bats found barrels.
Flashing power last season.
Well-rounded defensive tools.
A talented two-way backstop.
Big arm - projected to stick behind the plate.
Very few weaknesses defensively.
Scouts don’t see an above-average hit tool.
4. Hayden Dunhurst (4)
5-11 208 Ole Miss
Age At Draft: 21.8
2021 Ole Miss stat line -
65-G, 232-AB, 44-K, 32-BB, .280, 7-HR
Career .278/.380/.461 hitter.
Elite arm strength - 80 grade - may have the best throwing arm of any draft-eligible catcher in recent memory.
Clocked at 90 mph by area scouts.
Significant raw power.
Average hitting skills.
Needs to make more contact and stay in the zone.
Projects at least a fringe-average hitter with average power, maybe more.
Should stick behind the plate in the pros.
5. Malcolm Moore (5)
5-1 200 McClatchy HS (CA)
Age At Draft: 19.0
.412-2-7, 1.441 OPS
Significant riser in 2021.
Some untapped power.
Plenty of power, with a smooth and condensed load.
Named 'Most Outstanding Player' at Area Codes this August.
Some consider him a top 5 prep catcher in draft.
Played considerable 1M thus summer at Jupiter.
No glaring weaknesses behind the plate.
Could be tough sign (Stanford commit).
6. Brady Neal (6)
5-10 180 IMG Academy (FL)
Age At Draft: 17.8
Solid average run times.
Well balanced swing.
Compact, strong catcher with burgeoning pop coming.
A hit over power profile.
Best attribute might be the hit tool.
Average throwing arm.
Projected to stick at catcher.
Can play the rest of the infield, so he may end up at third base or second base.
Can play center field and infield.
@JoeDoyleMiLB -
“Industry far too low on Brady Neal”
7. Ike Irish (7)
6-2 200 Orchard Lake St. Marys
Age At Draft: 18.6
Key Stats:
84 games, .358-3-46, 1.055 OPS
Big, athletic, imposing catcher with serious tools.
Solid lefthanded power.
Arm is among the best in the class.
Can stick behind the plate long-term.
Has a quick, compact stroke with a bat.
Projected juice.
8. Adonys Guzman (9)
5-11 190 Brunswick HS (NY)
Age At Draft: 18.6
Travel Team: MLB Breakthrough Series 2022 - 6-for-15 (.400), HR, double.
One of the better catch and throw catchers in a class.
Some scouts think he is the best defensive catcher in the class.
Plus arm, natural instincts behind the plate.
WWBA 2021 World Championships star in 2021.
Needs to cut down on his swing and misses.
Boston College commit.
9. Ross Highfill (8)
6-0 205 Madison Central
Powerful righthanded bat.
Above average raw power.
Projects to be a plus power bat.
Really explosive with lightning quick hands.
Good defender behind the plate.
Strong arm.
Athletic enough to play in the outfield.
10. Jimmy Crooks (10)
6-1 190 Oklahoma
2021 Oklahoma stat line:
53-G, 223-AB, .287/.385/.502, 10-HR
Summer at Wareham -
115-PA, .260/.330/.346, 2-HR
Played for McLennan College before transferring.
Can hit, and limits strikeouts.
Walked 13% of his at-bats.
Puts the ball in play with authority.
113 mph peak exit velocity in 2021.
Average defender.
Above average throwing arm (1.95-2.00 pop times).
11. Nate Larue (11)
6-3 200 Auburn
2021 Auburn stats -
16-G, 32-AB, .219, 2-HR
Only 39-PA in 2021- needs work.
Advanced, explosive actions behind the plate.
Monster arm behind the plate.
Impressive pop times.
Good hit tool with burgeoning power at the plate.
Work is needed on contact and strikeout rates (22%).
12. Jared Jones (12)
6-4 230 Buford HS (GA)
183 games, .416-15-176, 1.238 OPS
Immense raw power.
Hits in the low-.400s every year, hits for power, and takes his walks.
Huge arm behind the plate.
Big body and some stiffness likely forces him to 1B or a corner as a pro.
Bat has enough power to play anywhere.
13. Luke Heyman (13)
6-3 210 Lake Brantley
Key Stats:
110 games, .361-2-78, 1.004 OPS
One of the better catchers in the 2022 class.
One of the best arms of any catcher in the class
Big significant power potential.
Also throws a 93 fastball.
14. Maxwell Romero (new)
6-1 204 Miami
2021 Vanderbilt stat line -
21-G, 50-AB, .300, 4-HR
Transferred from Vanderbilt to Miami.
In the off-season.
Generates power to all fields.
Swing mechanics are smooth.
Receiving and blocking is below average.
Plans on showing evaluators his improvements defensively.
15 Jonathan French (new)
6-1 195 Clemson
2021 Tigers stat line -
31-G, 101-AB, .248, 5-HR
Strong, burly frame.
Improving actions and a strong arm.
Above-average to plus raw power in batting practice (has yet to translate to in- game consistently).
Some swing and miss concerns.
Needs big 2022.
10 comments:
IMO...
The top talent here goes 4 deep.
They should all go in the first 40 picks, so if you want a top catcher, you need to draft early here,
At some point, we have to expect Alvarez to be a superstar catcher - probably their # 1 in early 2023 - Alvarez is probably better than everyone in this list - so I'd draft a kid who could be the next Jame McCann equivalent to have as my # 2 future catcher. We definitely need a solid # 2 for such a fragile position. Right now, behind McCann, it seems we have a few # 3 catchers in the pipeline and that's it. We'll need a real # 2 by 2025, when McCann will most likely be gone.
Tom
I share your sentiments but I wouldn't jump in on day one at this position.
There will be some very talented catchers around when we pick in both the send and third round.
I would wait until then.
You know how I am Clemson crazy.
Remember the name Jonathan French here.
Superior arm behind the plate and untapped power in his bat.
I look for a breakout season from him.
If any of these top four catchers is still available for the Mets second round pick, snag him.
We are very light in catchers in our system and we are one Achilles tendon injury away from a disaster.
Mack, we are one achilles tendon injury away from seeing Alvarez rushed to the big leagues. He might be more ready than most are willing to consider.
If he hits .210 with a HR every 20 at bats if needed in 2022 at some point, would that be so bad?
Following up on my last point, Mike Schmidt got called up early and hit just under .200 his first year, with a HR every 20 at bats - but is in the Hall of Fame now. I frankly hope Alvarez is a future Hall of Famer, as a lifetime Met. I don't mind rushing him a bit. Mid-2022 works for me.
I want Alvy to start this year in Binghamton and play the second half of the season with Syracuse.
This way, he gets to catch future members of our rotation.
Interestingly, if I can interpret Fangraphs correctly, they show Alvarez with 1 at bat this coming year, which to me means that they believe he will not debut in 2022. But then they also show a split of .210/.275/.376 for him for 2022. My guess is that is what they project for him as a major leaguer if he did play twith the Mets in 2022.
Tomas Nido was better in 2021 than his overall career, and he was .222/.262/.327. I don't want to rush Alvarez if it will damage him long term in any way, but to me, .210/.275/.376 is better than .222/.262/.327. I do not want to see Alvarez on the Mets' opening day roster. In July? I may feel he is ready. Like Soto before him, if he is ready, bring him up. Let him not sink, but learn to swim with the big boys.
I have not been as excited about a Mets hitting prospect as I am about Alvarez since David Wright was in the minors. I want Alvarez with maximum years in the majors before injuries and wear and tear creep up on him, as it does with most catchers.
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