End of Season Review–Catcher

Around the System

A look at the production (or lack thereof) from the Catcher position in the Phils organization in 2010 with predictions on where players will end up next year. Next up: The Outfield on Friday or Saturday.

Lehigh Valley

Paul Hoover, 34, 255 AB’s; .247/.326/.345 with 2HR and 21 RBI; .300 vs. LH, .231 vs. RH, .246 with RISP, .288 Post All STar; 9% bb rate, 23% k rate.  24/81 (30%) CS; 7 errors (.986), 6 passed balls in 67 games. Hoover did not play as well in 2010 as he did in 2009 and the years may be catching up with him.  Still serviceable as a AAA catcher but the Phils may want to look elsewhere for depth.

Dane Sardinha, 31, 222 AB’s; .207/.261/.311 with 5 HR and 24 RBI; .146 vs. LH, .224 vs. RH, .286 with RISP, .146 Post All Star; 6% bb rate, 29% k rate. 19/66(29%) CS; 2 errors (.996); 10 passed balls in 65 games.  I would be very surprised if Sardinha were back with the organization.

Reading

Tuffy Gosewisch, 27, 311 AB’s; .241/.353/.405 with 9HR and 32 RBI; .250 vs. LH, .238 vs. RH; .222 with RISP; .259 Post All Star; 14% bb rate, 19% k rate. 27/85 (32%)CS, 2 errors (.997), 2 passed balls in 94 games.  Gosewisch had a very good second half of the season and is a very good defensive catcher(Named Eastern League’s Best Defensive Catcher).  The 11th round pick in the 2005 draft will be a Minor League free agent after this year I believe, and the Phils would do well to bring him back as their AAA catcher next year.

Kevin Nelson, 29, 174 AB’s; .241/.297/.322 with 2HR and 19 RBI; .260 vs. LH, .234 vs. RH, .283 with RISP; .278 Post All Star; 6% bb rate, 20% k rate. 10/28 CS (36%); 3 errors (.988), 2 passed balls in 36 games. Also played 5 games at 1B, and made 2 errors. This was Nelson’s 2nd year in Reading and he is a good depth catcher for the organization.

John Suomi, 29, 212 AB’s between Clearwater, Reading, and Lehigh Valley. .264/.303/..368 with 5 HR and 27 RBI; .344 vs. LH, .238 vs. RH; .150 with RISP; 5% bb rate, 19% k rate. 2/31 CS (6%); 5 errors (.980), 2 passed balls in 34 games. Not bad with the bat but not good defensively.  May or may not be back depending on organizational depth in catching department.

Clearwater

Tim Kennelly, 23, 416 AB’s; .274/.341/..358 with 5HR and 59 RBI; .275 vs. LH, .274 vs. RH, .289 with RISP; .308 Post All Star; 8% bb rate, 12% k rate.  14/71 CS (20%), 8 errors (.982), 5 passed balls in 52 games. Also played 31 games at 3B committing 4 errors (.941), 2.06 R/F, and 35 games in the OF, committing 1 error with 4 OF assists. Somewhat of a surprise that Kennelly started the year in Clearwater, let alone finished there as well.  His bat is AA ready, however he still lacks a defensive position having spent time at catcher, 3B and the OF. Completing his 6th minor league season, 2011 should start in Reading if he is back.

Torre Langley, 22, 111 AB’s between Clearwater, Lakewood, and Reading. .234/.295/.261 with 0HR and 9 RBI; 8% bb rate, 23% k rate. 22/58 CS (38%), 2 errors (.993), 5 passed balls in 35 games. Langley was originally a 3rd round pick and one of the more highly regarded catchers in the 2006 draft when picked by the Marlins.  They gave him a big signing bonus ($422,500) but let go of him relatively quickly.  Langley didn’t play the last 3 weeks of the season.  I don’t know if he was injured or the Phils began to go in another direction.

Joel Naughton, 24, 182 AB’s; .308/.354/.429 with 5 HR and 31 RBI; .316 vs. LH, 304 vs. RH, .426 with RISP; .305 Post All Star. 16/78 (21%) CS; 7 errors (.982), 2 passed balls in 47 games.  It was an injury plagued year for Naughton but when healthy, he hit extremely well.  His defense, although still not great, was much better this year than last.  Another player completing his 6th year in the organization, he should be at Reading if he is back.

Robert Stumpo, 22, Hit .143 in 56 AB’s between GCL and Clearwater. 8/25 CS (32%); 4 errors (.975), 3 passed balls in 20 games. Stumpo, out of West Chester University was the Phils 33rd rd pick in the 2010 draft. He filled a hole a catcher in Clearwater when needed, however 2011 remains a total crapshoot as to where he will be, if anywhere.

Lakewood

Sebastian Valle, 20, 447 AB’s; .255/.298/.430 with 16 HR and 74 RBI; 3/5 SB; .248 vs. RH, .257 vs. LH, .317 with RISP, .256 Post All Star; 6% bb rate, 21% k rate. 54/165 CS (33%), 9 errors (.990), 12 passed balls in 101 games. Valle had a very good year both at the plate and defensively.  Needs to work on his “eye” at the plate.  2011: Clearwater

Kyle Lafrenz, 23, 112 AB’s; .241/.250/.330 with 1HR and 11 RBI’s; .194 vs. LH, .259 vs. RH; .167 with RISP; 1% bb rate, 35% k rate. 13/55 CS (24%), 6 errors (.980), 5 passed balls in 37 games. Phils 22nd round draft pick in 2009. With a good amount of talent below him, his placement in 2011, if anywhere is a real question mark.

Williamsport

James Klocke, 22, 100AB’s, .290/.330/.410 with 1HR and 17 RBI; .143 vs. LH, .296 vs. RH, .300 with RISP, 6% bb rate, 7% k rate. 5/33 CS (15%), 3 errors (.982), 5 passed balls in 21 games. Klocke, the Phils 31st round pick in the 2010 draft out of SE Missouri State was a nice surprise and produced well. I would expect him in Lakewood seeing some time behind Cameron Rupp.

Jeff Lanning, 23, 177 AB’s; .254/.322/.469 with 8 HR and 30 RBI; .182 vs. LH, .306 vs. RH, .255 with RISP, 8% bb rate, 23% k rate. 8/29 (28%) CS, 4 errors (.984), 7 passed balls in 28 games.

Lanning was the 8th round pick of the Twins in 2008 and was picked up as a free agent this season.  He made the NYPL All Star Team and provided very good punch at the plate. Based on his age and experience in this his 3rd season in the minors, look for him to back up Valle in CLearwater in 2011.

Cameron Rupp, 21, 193 AB’s; .218/.318/.378 with 5HR and 28 RBI; .189 vs. LH, .229 vs. RH, .203 with RISP, 11% bb rate, 23% K rate. A disappointing line for the Phils 3rd round pick in 2010.  8/54 CS (15%), 7 errors (.970), 8 passed balls in 28 games. Still very early and a full season as the starter in Lakewood should show the Phils what they have in Rupp.

Gulf Coast League

Francisco Diaz, 20, 75 AB’s; .307/.376/.387 with 0HR and 11 RBI; .474 vs. LH, .250 vs RH, .333 with RISP; 11% bb rate, 11% k rate. Threw out 20/49 runners (41%); 2 errors (.991), 2 passed balls. A good season for Diaz in the gcl.  2011: Williamsport

Marlon Mitchell, 19, 66 AB’s; .273/.385/.333 with 0HR and 6 RBI; 8% bb rate, 23% k rate; 9/36 CS (25%); 3 errors (.982); 6 passed balls. I would expect Mitchell to see some time in WIlliamsport as well after two years in the GCL. Phils 27th round pick in 2009.

Chace Numata, 18, 45 AB’s; .222/.340/.244 with 0HR and 6 RBI; 3/17 CS (16%); 6 passed balls in 18 games.  2011: GCL

Angel Chavarin, 19, .192 in 26 AB’s. 2/14 CS (14%)

45 thoughts on “End of Season Review–Catcher”

  1. Rupp had one of the highest ISO’s on the Crosscutters. If he can improve his defense and hit around .240, I could see him becoming a valuable backup catcher in the Kelly Shoppach mode.

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  2. I’m intrigued by Diaz in the GCL. While he has only 75 ABs I love the 1:1 BB to K ratio and the subsequent .376 OBP. I just always feel more confident going forward with guys who have a clue about the strike zone as I feel that is harder to teach than getting a guy to start to use more of their raw power in game. That combined with 41% CS and I think this is a player who could move up the ranks next year.

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  3. I’d like to see Gosewich make the majors at some point – most likely as an injury replacement/September callup – he seems like a decent organization guy who will probably has a great future as a coach.

    Valle is really the only guy worth getting excited about – and I think he has a bright future. I like the CS percent, and even if he isn’t a catcher, he could solve the third base issues since that’s where some scouts seem to think he’ll end up.

    Rupp will be an interesting guy to follow – he struggled a bit at Williamsport, but we’ve seen guys like Taylor and Donald do that and then really turn it around the following year.

    Nice work as always Gregg – your contributions to this site are invaluable.

    – Jeff

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  4. So, it just may be that everything above Clearwater is a question, and the offseason may see alot of Minor League veterans added to the top two levels, and lately that has applied to all positions. If Kennelly is brought back (maybe 40 man roster as they usually have a minor league catcher and don’t see any obvious choices to fill the catching spots other than Ruiz or Schneider) they should mostly use him at 3B because I don’t see any other good options for there, and the OF they can bring back D’Arby Myers and D. Mitchell in addition to Susdorf as starters. Naughton they can bring back to Catch.
    CLW- Valle is what they have here, and he should stay as Catcher, How does a Baseball America projection for 5 years in the future which sticks him at 3B because they didn’t have any one else for there and they had Travis D’Arnaud as C, become all the scouts say he should play 3B? I would keep Kyle LaFrenz as his back-up, maybe Stumpo trys out there also, maybe stays as 3rd C.
    LKW- I say Rupp starts there and Lanning is the back-up (only a year older or so than Rupp and Klocke, and showed more as a hitter, so see if he can continue on a direct path upward.) Klocke I would have alternate at 3rd with Carlos Alonso, and also at Catcher. Klocke and Lanning I would use as DH candidates and would favor Lanning as DH (but alot of choices there including Klocke, Alonso, I have Patrick Murray and Christopher Duffy at 1B , so one of them, and some 9 starting candidates in the OF.
    WPT- I say Francisco Diaz backed by Marlon Mitchell.
    GCL- FIL paricipants Chace Numata and Angel Chavarin, doesn’t seem to be any strong candidates to come from Latin America but since it will be a 35 man roster I’d bring Rafael DeLaCruz, as he can slide to 1B,3B, and lately has hit some.

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  5. ****Rupp will be an interesting guy to follow – he struggled a bit at Williamsport****

    From the little I saw of Rupp, he was still adjusting from metal bats. That could be a big part of it for him…whether or not he can make that transition.

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  6. Thought it might be worthwhile to start coming up with mini-prospect lists on these posts. If nothing else, it might help shape the discussion for the overall top 30.

    CATCHER
    1. Sebastian Valle
    2. Cameron Rupp
    3. Tuffy Gosewisch
    4. Tim Kennelly
    5. Francisco Diaz

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  7. Saw Diaz catch both GCL games. He is so small but a great arm. Saw Klocke catch only a game at Williamsport so do not know what kind of defensive catcher he is but he can flat out hit from the leftside. In 100 ab’s he hit .290. One of his outs was a long drive in that game which died at the base of the wall at cavernous and historic Bowman Field. Saw Naughton drop his bat head on an inside pitch drive it out of Brighthouse. It’s about time to move him up to AA or out. Also saw Kennelly line one out to left in a game there a night or two later but he was playing right field at the time. Interesting to see what Tim does in the AFL. He did not hit for average when he caught everyday earlier in the season. Tuffy needs to go to AAA. From June 1st on he hit .282 with 7 homers at AA. After watching Valle line one out at Lakewood Saturday night only enforces the fact he will be a major league catcher who sooner or later will hit 20 or more homers each season for a long time there.

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  8. Ricky Branch: You get around. I nominate you for Most Dedicated Live Attendee Fan Across Phils Minor Leagues.

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  9. Considering Rupp made about five throwing errors in his first five games, his final numbers don’t seem that bad. He only made 2 errors the last 23 games?

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  10. I remember Rupp getting off to a really rough start, at the plate and behind it, so he recovered from that somewhat. My catching prospect list:

    1. Valle
    2. Rupp
    3. Kennelly
    4. Diaz
    5. Mitchell

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  11. Some catchers and 3rd basemen should be a large aim of the next draft. Add in a SS or two and fill out the top ten with pitchers.

    The future looks dim at those positions even assuming Valle graduates to superior status. We get 12 picks in the first two rounds including the Sup’l round.

    How about two SSs, two catchers, two 3rd basemen…an OFer plus five pitchers. Or something like that.

    Plenty of farm holes to fill.

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  14. And to illustrate this, let’s flash back to the 2000 draft. Let’s say we went into the draft saying, “we NEED to draft catchers and third basemen.” The Phillies picked thirteenth. The next shortstops taken after that pick were David Espinosa and Corey Smith. The next catchers were Scott Heard and David Parrish. The next outfielders were Miguel Negron and Tyrell Godwin. NONE of those guys made the majors. And by drafting for positional need you would have missed out on Chase Utley.

    And for fun, the third basemen taken in the first round of that draft were Scott Thorman, Xavier Nady, Lance Niekro and Eric Keefner. Now there’s a recipe for success!

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  15. I think you take the best player available and leave it at that, unless your grades for two prospects are very similar and one is a weak spot. That probably applies more to teams picking high though, because after the top half of the first round there aren’t many guys who won’t need a lot of time in the minors. After 3 or 4 years when prospects are ready to graduate, a team’s needs could change a lot. So don’t be surprised if the Phillies take another 3 toolsy OFers high in the draft.

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  17. Alan I both agree and disagree with what you’re saying. I agree with you in that it’s disaster to go into a draft and specifically draft for need regardless of overall talent, but the one thing I don’t agree with is that I think player development is a random element.

    What I mean by that is that just because someone the Phillies draft is a bust for them, doesn’t mean they necessarily would have been a bust for someone else and vice-versa. All you can do is go with what your scouts think in terms of a player’s ability. If you strike-out, then you strike-out.

    The one area where I think you can draft for positional need is if you have two players on your draft board and you have two players with the same grade you would go with the position of need, and maybe if you have a player at a less ‘important/difficult’ position such as 1B graded out as a hitter of say 90, and then you have another hitter graded as an 89 and they play SS/2B/C/whatever. I think it makes sense to take the 89 since position factors into it.

    Of course I have no idea how the Phillies run their draft board so they very well may just make cumulative grades for players and the position they play and their defense, etc… all factor into what ultimately is the final grade for a player.

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  20. “OTOH failing to try to fill a need is what?”

    Suicidal. Unless of course you have other avenues to address an area of need on your club. Fortunately big league clubs have several. International signings. Free agency. Trades. If you don’t draft and develop a player at a specific position, you are not in trouble in the slightest.

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  21. And I meant to say first five rounds. Top ten and I would have had to mention Edwin Encarnacion. We could’ve traded him for Scott Rolen.

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  22. Draft for need! No you draft where you are strongest at the major league level, to a point unless you have ample prospects to project at that position(e.g. first base)
    The top non-pitcher draft next year should be second base. By the time that player matures Utley will be on the decline.etc.
    If you drafted for 3rd you might have already filled that need when the player is ready.

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  23. Boy that 2000 draft was awful….. You draft for upside potential first and foremost. Drafting high school kids means its at least four years before they’re sniffing the majors and lots of things can happen in 4 years plus very good college catchers and shortstops are all 1st round picks. Its a short list. For example, Rupp was considered a good college catcher and a 3rd round pick and maybe he will and maybe he won’t end up as a big league catcher.

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  24. Can’t agree. Do you believe that Biddle was the best player available when he was drafted first? Or, do you not believe that the FO saw a vacuum in oncoming better lefty starters in the system; THAT made Biddle their choice, IMO.

    Certainly that “need” influenced their choice…unless location, location, location was their mantra.

    Of course teams draft for need combined with quality. They realize it is always a crap shoot and sometimes they’ll select a guy they consider a “sleeper” (See Singleton, etc.) instead of a more “obvious” choice because of need when the choice is close.

    So…you’d rather live by the old, worn out advice: the best player available. Yet, how many MLB teams go around, over, and under that bromide…only to bring raised eyebrows from the phrase-makers.

    Clubs do that despite the sages’ advices. It’s their business and those are business choices…and not always because of money. Often it IS influenced by the status of their big club and the status of their farm system.

    Need will always be a consideration………….

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  25. I know this is a somewhat off topic but I thought it was a very interesting disclosure from David Hale’s blog:
    “J.C. Ramirez, who was acquired in the Cliff Lee trade, had surgery on his right hip labrum last week, the team announced. GM Ruben Amaro said the injury was diagnosed early in the year but that doctors said Ramirez could pitch with it without doing any more damage. He’s expected to be ready for spring training.”
    Could this be a reason for his subpar season and maybe he might show more next year.

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  26. In my opinion, pitching should be the only need in a draft. Trades and free agency can net a team a player at a position of need. Arms are always hard to come by, especially quality ones.

    I mean explain to me why it’s ok to have 3 of our top 4 starting pitchers all be free agents and not drafted, not to mention almost our entire pen save Madson and Bastardo, yet everyone cries out to draft a 3B player and a short stop. I mean were people crying to draft a dominant righty since Schilling left? I never heard those as much as I hear, “Gotta draft the next Rolen or Schmidty cause we need a 3B.”

    Drafting a player in 2011, he’ll might reach the majors by 2015….maybe 2014. By that point the current core will be done. So that 3B need turns into a 2B need, and a C need, and a CF need, and a SS need. However, if the Phills make smart decisions and get quality free agent bats, then picking another OFer in the 1st round won’t matter much.

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  28. Art D
    You sort of stated my point. We are strong at LH starters in the majors so we can draft Biddle now and he will be ready when Halladay etc falture. We are not going to get a shot at one year minor guys.

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  29. From Section 113
    Hardly the way to learn to win, pitching with a team full of losers behind you. At least some balance if needed. Besides you will be pressed to get top prospects in a trade.

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  30. In regards to the drafting of Biddle, repeat after me, left handed pitchers with projectionable bodies who throw real hard with 3 possible above average pitches will ALWAYS be a need.

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  33. Naughton’s .308 batting average was the highest of all lefthanded hitting catchers at A+ and of lefthanded hitting catchers higher up only one at AA and two at AAA hit more than Naughton.

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  34. I like Naughton, he’s said to have a pretty strong arm.

    And as far as the draft, just draft the guys you think have the best chance of making the majors. If they’re all right handed high school pitchers, or toolsy outfielders who cares, you can always trade a prospect who’s on the cusp of the majors vs. a guy who flames out early and was never that talented but filled a NEED.

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  35. …or who did fill a need that the team had had. From their own picks; no need to look elsewhere to trade for what they NEED.

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  36. Just a caveat about very young catchers. The Phillies (and probably all good organizations) stress defense and handling a pitching staff first. Offense comes later.
    So one should be hesitant to make too much of offensive numbers in rookie or near
    rookie receivers.

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  37. I’d make Naughton #2 on the C prospect depth chart, but I don’t think anybody except Valle belongs in the top 30. On the other hand, I think Valle belongs on the discussion for who is the second best overall prospect behind Brown. To me the others in that discussion are Worley, May, Cosart, and Singleton, probably in that order, although they are all very closely bunched.

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  38. Ken, Worley is not a prospect. He’s projected as fringe below average . Possible 5th starter or bullpen long relief. That is the ceiling. Brown, Singleton, Cosart, Colvin, May. Cosart is the best blue chip pitching prospect the system has. Even though he’s a few years away and went through some elbow pain, scouts said that he had the 2nd best fastball in the majors behind Strasburg. Cosart is 1 and Colvin is 1A

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  39. Just because Worley doesn’t have a real high ceiling doesn’t make him a non-prospect. He’s also got a much better shot at reaching his potential than any of the A-ball pitchers do. And when he was drafted scouting reports had him as a possible back end starter or 8th inning reliever so I don’t see what he’s done that would negate that possibility, and we know how valuable Madson has been the last couple years. I wouldn’t have Worley at number 2, but he’s a legit prospect.

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  40. Gosewisch has one more season before he’s a minor league FA. Next season will be his sixth. He has a chance to surprise as a late bloomer.

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