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Top 10 MLB Catcher Prospects for the 2017 season

By Benjamin Chase

Mar 10, 2017; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Cleveland Indians catcher Francisco Mejia (73) gets ready for a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2017; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Cleveland Indians catcher Francisco Mejia (73) gets ready for a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports /
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10. Chase Vallot, Kansas City Royals

Vallot received notice coming out of high school in 2014 because he had a big power bat, winning a home run derby at a Perfect Game showcase the summer before his draft season.

He also possessed a powerful arm behind the plate, and the Royals hoped that the combination of both would allow him to become a passable catcher with big time offensive skills.

Instead, the team has seen Vallot develop into one of the most highly-regarded defensive catchers in the game, exhibiting solid blocking skills, though his error rate was high in 2016.

The Royals know Salvador Perez won’t last forever, and being able to see a guy like Vallot hit for the power he has along with a solid walk rate (.367 OBP in 2016) with good defense would be a huge bonus to take over when it is time to replace Perez.

9. Mitch Garver, Minnesota Twins

There were three things I heard from people who were present at the Arizona Fall League about catching – first, that the defense by most catchers in the AFL was rough, to say the least. Second, that the ones that did field didn’t seem to know how to swing a bat. Last, that Mitch Garver fit into neither of those two categories.

Garver has been underrated since the Twins took him with a ninth round selection in 2013, assumed to be a senior selection for cheap to help pay for the rest of their draft, the catcher out of New Mexico just went about displacing higher-regarded catchers along the way.

This offseason, the Twins allowed former third round selection in that same 2013 draft, Stuart Turner, to be available in the rule 5 draft while protecting Garver.

Garver’s got an excellent reputation as a framer, and he has a very strong arm as well, giving him an excellent skill base behind the plate. Add in his solid power bat when at the plate, and you can see why there are some in Minnesota that think Garver could supplant offseason signee Jason Castro as soon as the middle of 2017.

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