MLB Draft Names to Know: The Catchers

Sep 7, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Catchers mask and glove sits in dugout before the game between the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 7, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Catchers mask and glove sits in dugout before the game between the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
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Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

In this year’s MLB Draft, the catcher position has quite a bit of depth. Can any of these players become major league stars?

We’ll go straight into this list today as there are plenty in one of the deepest catching classes in many years. Catching is always a position of need at the major league level, and the position will be the theme of all three “Names To Know” segments this week, starting with the MLB draft.

Zack Collins, University of Miami

Who Is He?

Collins was drafted in the 27th round out of high school by the Cincinnati Reds. He chose instead to go to college, where he’s had a tremendous career. He was the Freshman of the Year in 2014 and has put up an OPS of over 1.100 throughout this season for the Hurricanes while playing behind the plate.

Collins has tremendous raw power and may be the best offensive prospect at the position since Buster Posey, but his defensive skills leave many to wonder if he’ll end up moving off the position. Collins does have a great arm and can control the run game, so if he could work on his lateral movement behind the plate further, he could be a long-term catcher.

Where May He Be Picked?

Collins is certainly a top 10 talent in this year’s MLB draft on raw skills alone, but there have been reports leaking about high contract demands. That could limit his prospective teams. I still could still see a team as early as #2 in the Cincinnati Reds falling in love with him during the process and having the money to make those demands work. Another team to consider is the San Diego Padres, who don’t make their first pick until #8, but due to multiple compensatory picks due to losing free agents, they have the 4th highest draft pool.

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Next: An NCAA Champ

Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports /

Matt Thaiss, University of Virginia

Who Is He?

If Collins has questions about his future at the position, Thaiss has to be questioned even more. If not for injuries early in 2015, he would not have been anointed to the position that he’s now held through two seasons, including one as the starting catcher for the NCAA champions. He’s got plenty of arm at the position, but his receiving skills are in question. His bat will definitely carry his position in the MLB draft.

Where May He Be Picked?

Thaiss has received a lot of love toward the back of the first round from teams that believe they can take the bat and teach the catching. He seems like a perfect Cardinals draft pick in that he’s a hitter with multiple possible positions that he could be usable in, but the main thing is that the lefty bat will play. He’s probably a guy that will go from about pick 20-35.

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Next: Small School College Gem

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Sean Murphy, Wright State

Who Is He?

Murphy was a walk on at Wright State, so it seems odd to see him on this list until you consider that he’s grown from a 5’9, 140-pound junior in high school to a 6’3, 220-pound junior in college. Along with that growth spurt came a significant growth in his baseball skills.

Murphy has tremendous raw power and has enough bat speed to rate with an average hit tool at least, and he could be argued as one of the best college defenders behind the plate with great framing skills, good blocking skills, a great arm, and still having that baseball rat attitude that makes you think he’ll keep working hard to get even better.

Where May He Be Picked?

Murphy should be getting a lot more love in my book, but I think the small school exposure is pushing him down boards a bit with some actually concerned that he could have yet another growth spurt in him and outgrow catching.

He’ll most likely be a guy whose name is called very early in round 2, if not in the compensatory or competitive balance picks following round one.

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Next: HS Defensive Wiz

Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

Cooper Johnson, Illinois HS

Who Is He?

Johnson has elite defensive skills, but his bat is definitely behind the glove. He puts up pop times that most major league catchers can’t match, outside of Yadier Molina in his prime. He also has incredible flexibility going after pitches as well, showing the sort of catching flexibility that normally is restrained to goalies in hockey.

All that said, the bat is rough, to say the least. Johnson has a lot of movement in the swing, though he does have power in his swing when he gets it all put together. However, a team drafting Johnson would be looking at the long view in developing his stick to go with the glove.

Where May He Be Picked?

Johnson has a commitment to Mississippi that he’s willing to go exercise if he doesn’t go early enough, but I don’t see him lasting past the first 10 picks of the second round. The thing will be whether that team that selects him is willing to invest the right number on him to keep him from Ole Miss.

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Sep 3, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a catchers mitt prior to a game between the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a catchers mitt prior to a game between the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

Ben Rortvedt, Wisconsin HS

Who Is He?

It’s fairly rare that you see a high school catcher participating in one of the showcase home run derbies, but that’s exactly what Rortvedt did last year. He has a very explosive left-handed swing, though he can get fooled on good breaking stuff, so he’ll have to work on that early on to ensure that power can play in the game.

Rortvedt has the skills to play behind the plate, but he’s more raw than Johnson for sure as far as high schoolers go, with a very good arm and solid movement skills, but not a ton of polish, partially due to cold weather seasons.

Where May He Be Picked?

A team could absolutely fall in love with Rortvedt and he could be a guy to go in the early second round, or, as I am more apt to project, he’ll end up in the 3rd-4th round range, where his commitment to Arkansas will be challenged by how much his drafting team is willing to offer him.

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Next: A Big Group Of Guys

Sep 7, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Catchers mask and glove sits in dugout before the game between the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 7, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Catchers mask and glove sits in dugout before the game between the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

The Long List of Who Is Left

This obviously isn’t going to be an extensive list by any means, but I want to highlight a number of the catchers who will also be highly sought after on draft day.

Chris Okey, Clemson – Okey does nothing exceptional, just does everything at an average level, but his makeup marks are off the charts. He could slip ahead of the guys I mentioned if someone really believes in that leadership.

Logan Ice, Oregon State – Outside of one of the coolest names in the draft, Ice may also have one of the most interesting profiles. He’s really jumped up on draft boards this season, and teams could value his switch-hitting and more “natural” 5’11, 200-ish frame over one of the other guys in the second…or he could drop as far as the fourth. His profile is very intriguing.

Jake Rogers, Tulane – Rogers is an absolutely beauty behind the plate, incredibly athletic and with an arm that’s rated as plus-plus. His hitting, however, needs a lot of work, so a team drafting him may end up pushing him as more of a backup type unless they’re patient enough for the bat to come.

Next: Mock Draft, Version 1

Mario Feliciano, Puerto Rico – Feliciano is part of a strong group of Puerto Rican draftees, headlined by likely top-5 overall pick, shortstop Delvin Perez. Feliciano is the top of a very solid catching class from the island that could start to speckle into the draft starting in the 4th round or even earlier if a team really believes in his raw skills.

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