Tony Wolters, Colorado Rockies
Who Is He?
Wolters is a unique player in that he was a middle infielder until 2013 after being drafted in the 3rd round of the 2010 draft by the Cleveland Indians out of high school. However, in the Indians system, he was behind a lot of guys, and he had the perfect skill set to make the move behind the plate, so they made the move in 2013.
Wolters was acquired by the Rockies last season off waivers, and he made the big league club out of spring training this year. Due to injuries to other catchers in Colorado, he’s played more than I believe anyone thought he would this early. Even though he’s not exactly hit well, all the defensive metrics say he’s definitely a valuable piece to have on the bench.
Wolters has 3.6 Framing Runs in only 1381 chances this year, which is quite impressive for such a raw player at the position. He’s also still able to play the infield, and he has a couple of times on the season. His biggest value is definitely behind the plate, though, with his framing and his excellent lateral movement and blocking skills, with a great arm allowing him to nail 33% of base runners this year.