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Physical Description: Thick,
mature frame. Sturdy catcher’s build. No remaining projection.
Hit: Starts open and utilizes a leg kick
timing device. Loads high and keeps his hands up throughout.
Long swing. Makes poor swing decisions. Rarely walks and
approach needs a lot of work. Overly aggressive and has trouble
recognizing spin. Swing gets out of sync easily, especially with
his timing. Gets himself out too often by expanding the strike
zone and making weak contact. Potential below-average hit tool.
Power: Plus raw power. Can really impact
the baseball, especially up in the zone. Records high max exit
velocities. Power is mainly to the pull side; every home run in
his career prior to being acquired by the Red Sox was to left or
left-center. Ability to tap into raw power will depend on how
his hit tool develops. Potential average in-game power, but
unclear if it will actualize due to his hit tool projection.
Run: Well-below-average speed. Not a part
of his game.
Field: Does not look
comfortable behind the plate. Does not move well and really
struggles with framing and receiving. Not a natural catcher,
struggles with his glove position and getting down quickly to
block balls in the dirt. Lack of mobility limits potential for
improvement in the future. Potential below-average defensive
profile.
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Arm: Plus-plus arm. Does a good job controlling
the running game. Arm is a weapon.
Career Notes:
Was an infielder before signing with the Rays, moving behind the
plate after signing. Was added to the Rays 40-man roster in
November 2019. Spent much of the 2020 season traveling with the
Rays on the taxi squad. Acquired from the Rays in February 2021
with Nick Sogard for Jeffrey Springs and Chris Mazza. Was
recalled to Boston twice in 2022 for emergency one-game stints,
but did not play in either instance. Reportedly qualifies for a
fourth option year in 2023. Outrighted to Worcester in December 2022.
Received an invitation to 2023 Major League Spring Training.
Summation:
Potential up-and-down, bat-first catcher who is the third or
fourth catcher on the 40-man roster. Ceiling of a regular
catcher in a timeshare if he improves his defense and approach,
but the likelihood of that happening is low. Given the barrier
at catcher right now, could be used there in limited
opportunities if his bat warrants it. Type of defensive profile
that could really benefit from the automated strike zone.
Questions about his approach, hit tool, and defensive profile
cloud his future projection. Needs to improve hit profile to
project as a major leaguer if defense stays as-is.
Links
Scouting Report Update (2.19.2021) |
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