Around the System–Catchers

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Suddenly, a new mindset as we look at the catchers throughout the system.  We now have three legit prospects (AAA, AA, High A) and two with legit potential to be outstanding in the majors.  I am also intrigued by the Austudillo fellow in the GCL.  Check out his numbers.

Lehigh Valley

Sebastian Valle, 22, Signed as a free agent in 2006; .258/.277/.428 in 318 AB’s between Reading and Lehigh Valley; 13 HR 47 RBI; 3%bb/26%k rates. 81 games caught with 1 error (.998); 9 passed balls; 26/91(29%)CS.  Has played well this year and should spend most of 2013 in AAA with maybe a September call up if the progression continues.

John Suomi, 31, Re-Signed as a free agent in 2012, .284/.328/.432 in 162 AB’s; 4HR 18 RBI; 1SB; 6%bb/15%K rates; .263 vs. LH, .287 vs. RH, .209 with RISP; Hitting .206 since July 1. 25 games caught with 3 errors (.983); 4 passed balls; 2/17(12%) CS. Good bat this year, no arm.

Reading

Tommy Joseph, 21, Acquired from Giants in 2012; .268/.323/.398 in 314 AA At Bats; 8HR 39 RBI; 8%bb/19%k rates. 53 games caught with 3 errors (.992); 8 passed balls; 19/40(48%) CS. Has also played 14 games at 1B with one error.  Not sold on him very simply because I havent seen him yet but his numbers are very impressive.  Give me a couple of weeks to watch.

Steven Lerud, Re-signed as a free agent in 2012; .221/.362/.299 in 77 AB’s; 0HR 7 RBI; 13%bb/28% k rates. 24 games caught with 1 error; (.995); 1 passed ball; 13/31(42%) CS. Performs well in his role as backup catcher.  Good defense.

Clearwater

Cameron Rupp, 23, Phils 3rd round pick in 2010; .255/.328/.416 in 286 AB’s; 9HR 42 RBI; 10%bb/20% k rates; .281 vs. LH, .238 vs. RH, .260 with RISP; Hitting .307 since July 1. 84 games caught with 7 errors (.991); 5 passed balls; 44/128(34%) CS. Has done everything you would want this year. SHould move to Reading in 2013.

John Hill, Phils 14th round pick in 2011; 154 in 91 AB’s between Lakewood and CLearwater;  0HR 7 RBI; 11%bb/23% k rates; 27 games caught with 5 errors (.978); 2 passed balls; 8/27(30%)CS. Hitting numbers tell the tale.

Bob Stumpo, 25, Phils 33rd round pick in 2010; .252/.348/.321 in 158 AB’s between Lakewood, CW, and Reading; 1HR 18 RBI; 13%bb/13% k rates. 39 games caught with 3 errors (.989); 6 passed balls; 13/53(25%) CS. Has also played 8 games at 1B with one error.  Has played a valuable role in the organization bouncing around as needed this season.

Lakewood

Gabrial Lino, 19, Acquired from Baltimore in 2012; .199/.278/.304 in 276 AB’s; 4HR 20 RBI; 9%bb/28% k rates;  71 games caught with 14 errors (.974); 23 passed balls; 27/105(26%)CS. If you think the offensive numbers look bad, take a look at the defense.  Yikes.

Josh Ludy; 22,Phils 8th round pick in 2012;  .271/.358/.286 in 70 AB’s; 0HR 9 RBI; 10%bb/18% k rates;  .188 vs. LH, .342 vs. RH; Hit .278 in July. 14 games caught with 3 errors (.963); 1 passed ball; 6/23(26%)CS. A relatively high draft pick out of a large college program, Ludy should be solid at this level.

Williamsport

Logan Moore; 22, Phils 9th round pick in 2011; .226/.332/.299 in 164 AB’s between Lakewood and WIlliamsport; 1HR 17 RBI; 12%bb/23% k rates; Hit .177 in 96 AB’s before being sent to Williamsport, 30% K rate in Lakewood. Hitting .294 for WIlliamsport. 49 games caught with 2 errors (.994); 14 passed balls; 20/83(24%) CS. A Scranton native, I am rooting for Moore but he has gotta take it up a notch or three.

Chace Numata, 20,Phils 14th round pick in 2010; .239/.288/.303 in 109 AB’s; 0HR 13 RBI; 1SB; .087 vs. LH, .287 vs. RH, .172 with RISP; 6%bb/11%K rates. 24 games caught with 3 errors (.984); 7 passed balls; 8/35(23%)CS. Not awful, not good.

Kevin Quaranto, 24, Hitting 200 in 10 AB’s. 3 games caught with an error (.952); 0/5 CS.

GCL

Willans Astudillo, 20,SIgned as a free agent in 2008; .327/.342/.439 in 102 AB’s; .0HR 18 RBI; .345 vs. LH, .321 vs. RH, .302 with RISP; 1%bb 2%K rates; 19 games caught with an error (.993); 4 passed balls; 13/30(43%) CS.  My eyes popped out when I saw his “k” rate.  Hitting and gunning runners down.

Liam Bedford, 19,.SIgned as a free agent in 2011; 071 in 14 AB’s; 13 games caught without an error; 2 passed balls; 0/7(0%) CS.

Chad Carman, 23, Phils 24th round pick in 2012; Hitting .281 in 31 AB’s: 13 games at caught with 3 errors (.961); 2 passed balls; 6/14(46%) CS.

ANgel CHavarin, 21, Signed as a free agent in 2010; Hitting.256 with 1HR 4 RBI in 43AB’s. 19 games caught with 1 error (.984); 4 passed balls; 9/23 (39%)CS. SHowing a good arm.

38 thoughts on “Around the System–Catchers”

    1. I don’t know if either of them would be capable of this although it may be worthwhile if one of them can establish themselves at the catcher spot with the big league team. I don’t see either of them ready to contribute until at least 2014 though maybe even 2015. Valle is in AAA but he could still use a good bit of time in the minors to work on his approach at the plate.

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    2. Wasn’t Valle projected as a third baseman by baseball america when we still had D’Arnaud in the system?

      Personally, I don’t think (unless his walk rate spikes up) that he’s going to be much more than a backup catcher so we could potentially have a starting/backup catching combo both making the league minimum.

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      1. Not in the sense that you are thinking. BA does a project future lineup for 5 years down the road every offseason. If a prospect is blocked as a position then BA moves them to another one. So for the Phillies, they had catchers blocking Valle and no 3B prospect so they just took it on themselves to project him there.

        So its not like BA had scouts saying they think he is a future 3B. That never happened. It was just a frivolous future lineup they made up that has no bearing on reality.

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      2. If their production means anything, a Valle/Joseph catching combo will mean the Phillies have another hole in their lineup.

        These prospect guys need to get it together. If Joseph has “plus-plus power” then where is it? Jiwan James looks like a great bat taking BP, he’s a slap hitter in games. I don’t care if Joseph can hit a ball at Reading that lands in CBP during a game, it’s what he can do in a game against live pitching that matters.

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        2. I don’t think anybody’s saying Joseph has plus-plus power. Unless I missed that somewhere.

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  2. Very early to make final decisions on our future (post Ruiz) catcher…BUT going into this season several of us here saw large holes where prospect catchers were meant to occupy. So much so that after our June ’12 draft, I and others were wondering if the ’13 draft upcoming would have to be used to fill that position.

    Somebody must have been listening to us because their reach for catchers in trades have yielded a couple, particularly Tommy Joseph. He seems to be–according to scouting reports–our best and maybe our closest one to the bigs.

    Valle has always had a minus for patience at the plate and will likely be eaten up by MLB pitchers throwing him “strikes” out of the zone. His OBA needs vast improvement though he has shown power enough to hit maybe 15 dingers /season. His defense has improved steadily; yet without better work at bat, he likely will be a backup catcher. A good one for that. But a starting guy on a first division team ?… not so much.

    The real power at catcher for prospects is Joseph’s. Playing him at Reading and Valle at LV means that the worrisome prospect catcher issues have been seemingly answered. Joseph has shown power for 20 plus HRs already in the minors. With his build and some time he is likeliest to be putting on that mask and shin guards in Philly by 2014…I bet.

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    1. It seems like Valle is more advanced behind the plate than Joseph though, which I think is why the Phils sent him to AAA instead. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Valle get to the show first, even if Joseph is a better bet to be a long term answer.

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  3. 2013 Rupp to AA, Joseph to AAA.
    Valle is trade bait. KC would be a good destination as would Oakland… wish Diego needed a catcher. Valle with a couple of others (Worley, May) could net a good 3B.
    Astudillo needs to be in Lakewood by the end of 2013.
    Lino is 19 and in “A” ball so let’s cut him some slack.
    Phillies have Ruiz and Kratz for 2013 – I hope they have more confidence in Kratz than they’ve shown so far… he can crush mistakes and has a decent arm.

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    1. I agree generally that a catcher will be traded in the off season, but could easily see Joseph go in a deal. Makes sense to trade one of them as Rupp could handle AA. Valle and Joseph manning the same position and in Phils’ top 10 is a luxury the Phils can’t afford considering their other needs.

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  5. It is very impressive that Tommy Joseph has put up those numbers as a 21 year old catcher, in Double A. The Phillies main catchers in the GCL and on the Williamsport roster are 20-22 years old. Joseph is 3-4 levels higher than those guys, and he is succeeding.

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    1. You have low expectations for what qualifies as “success”.

      I don’t see this “plus-plus power” at all. He’s certainly not the second coming of Mauer or Piazza as a batting average guy so what is there that looks good?

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      1. Mike Piazza’s first 499 PAs in MiLB he had 14 HRs at AGE 20—- Joseph’s first 475 PAs he had 16 HRs at AGE 18. Satsified?

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  6. The Phils should not rush any 4 of these strong prospects – Joseph, Valle, Rupp, and Lino – in that order. Joseph and Valle remain very young for their levels and their position, and there s no urgent need for next year at the big league level. Additionally, it is likely Ruiz will resign for a modest contract given the market limitations for 35 year old catchers. The more these guys play and improve at AA and AAA, the more valuable they become. The Phils can think through position change possibilities if warranted, or utilizing one of these guys in a trade. But patience will be key.

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        1. Didn’t you know a 20 year old with 3 years professional experience, playing well against HS players, is obviously better than a guy who should be a Freshman in college, in full-season ball.

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    2. Don’t forget about Josh Ludy, the 2012 draft pick from Baylor. He has a good bat and decent skills behind the plate. Coming out of college he should advance somewhat quickly if he shows that he is a decent prospect.

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  7. Given the news on Ruiz, who gets called up if something happens to Kratz or Schneider in the next 4-6 weeks?

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    1. I think Valle gets the call up because he is on the 40 man. I could see them putting him on the major league bench in September after the AAA season is over just to have a third catcher. I believe he was already optioned back in Spring Training so as long as they call him up in September he won’t even gain service time.

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  8. Wow, Astudillo’s K-rate has been pretty amazing throughout his whole career. Why haven’t they moved him up a level?

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    1. 18 strike-outs total over 600 career minor league AB’s. The Phillies probably have a dozen prospects(or more) who average 18 strike-outs every 2 weeks of a season. He doesn’t walk at all though. So he’s always putting the ball in play. He’s like Polanco-extreme.

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  9. Talk about running hot and cold. Cameron Rupp is like the catching version of Pat Burrell. Hopefully he gets back to mashing soon. Gotta like his progress from last year- he’s hitting more doubles, more HRs, striking out less and walking more.

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  10. A comment about Chad Carman on the GCL Phillies. Three of his four errors this season were due to nobody covering the throwdown to second base on steal attempts. Not much he can do about that. He’s was a two time gold glove winner in the NAIA who had only one error in two years at catcher.

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  11. A couple more positives on Carman……8% K rate, threw out 46% of runners, and already knows how to call his own ballgame.

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    1. Okay, knew he was fairly sound defensively from looking at the GCL numbers at the end of the season. A review of those numbers shows , yeah, he’s probably a better defensive catcher. That, alone, would get him to XST next season, as there is always a shortage of catchers somehow, and beyond that he could, at least, become one of the catchers they move around to fill various injury and other shortages, such as Robert Stumpo and John Hill have done the past season. But, it seems to me , as I recall, that both Willians Astudillo and Angel Chavrin got more time at catcher on that GCL team. And many who look at these sorts of things are offensively oriented and, as I recall, the offense could be improved. It’s a long hard slog to the top.

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      1. OK….let’s look at the numbers at the end of the season. Astudillo hit .318 with a .327 OBP, a .419 SLG%, and .746 OPS. Chavarin, in his 2nd season on the GCL team, hit a lowly .206 with a .275 OBP, a .302 SLG., and .577 OPS. Carman ended up hitting .306 (just 12 points under Astudillo), had a OBP of .370 (43 points higher than Astudillo), .429 SLG% (10 points higher than Astudillo), and his OPS was .799 (53 points higher than Astudillo). Not sure why Carman saw such limited playing time early in the season (not a single start in almost the first three weeks), but once he got some playing time, he proved he was the real thing, and earned more starts at catcher in the last month than Astudillo or Chavarin. Futhermore, look at the numbers by month……Astudillo hit .423 in June, .303 in July, and .286 in August. Once teams figured him out, his average dropped significantly. Carman hit .111 in June, .333 in July, and .360 in August. The more pitches he saw, the better he got. Argue all you want, but numbers don’t lie.

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        3. Okay, didn’t realize Carman put up some all right percentages at the end of the season. I checked most of the season and saw some lower percentages, so I stuck with that impression. He must have got hot at the end of the season. But you get into the whole Small Sample Size, thing, not that I always believe in that. But Carman came in at 49 AB and 54 plate appearances. Chavrin at 63 AB and 69 PA. And Astudillo, who is the only one some would consider to have significant feedback 148 AB and 153 PA. Don’t look like any of them are big on walks. But , with Ruf to MLB there is room for another much-maligned older player. It fits .. Chad Carman- Cause Celebre.

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          1. I don’t think it’s a case of Carman getting hot at the end of the season. He just finally saw enough pitches to be able to adjust. When you only have 9 AB’s in the first three weeks of the season, you’re not going to hit well. But, as you get more AB’s, you adjust. Something Astudillo didn’t do as shown by his declining numbers at the end. The reason for the big discrepancy in AB’s and plate appearances is because they played Astudillo 12 games at 1B and 7 games as DH. He only caught one more game than Carman.

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