This is the first installment of a new feature that will take a look at the top prospects in Doubleday world by position. For the first list of rankings, we will be taking a look at the best catching prospects Doubleday has to offer.
1. Zeus McBride - Tucson Sidewinders (AAA)
Zeus tops the rankings mainly due to the offensive potential he possesses. He projects to be an all-star caliber C based off of offense alone and is no slouch on the defensive end either. Currently through 47 games, Zeus is hitting .261 with 10 HR and 31 RBI at the AAA level.
2. Felipe Martin - Las Vegas Thunder (Low A)
Felipe projects as an everyday ML catcher who is almost a lock to make it through the season injury free. Martin is another catching prospect who possesses a solid bat and pretty decent defense, although his pitch calling is a question mark at the time. Currently, through 47 games Felipe is hitting .310 with 6 HR and 35 RBI at the Low A level.
3. Charles Pribanic - Salt Lake City Trappers (RL)
Charles is another top notch offensive prospect who will excel with the bat in his hands. His pitch calling is a question mark at this stage of his career, but he looks to more than make up for it with his production at the plate. The former 33rd pick in the draft hit .364 with 14 HR and 60 RBI in season 10 at the RL level.
4. Wandy Galarraga - Portland Gladiators (High A)
The glaring concern with Galarraga thus far is the lack of durability he seems to possess. So far he has failed to play more than 66 games in a season and doesn't look to be the type of guy that will be able to play every day in the future. There is no arguing, however, about the production at the plate when this guy is in the lineup. He's not a liability behind the dish and will put up great numbers when he's in the lineup. Through 43 games this season, Galarraga is hitting .302 with 10 HR and 51 RBI.
5. Yeico Mateo - Seattle Pilots (Low A)
You guessed it, yet another offensive minded catcher makes the list. Yeico might be the best defensively of the top 5 catchers though. He doesn't project as a big time power hitter, but will hit for average every year. Signed as an IFA out of Villa Vazquez, DO, Yeico is hitting at a .376 clip through 48 games with 11 HR and 34 RBI.
6. Marty Charles - Detroit Wolverines (AA)
What stands out about this young catcher is his great patience at the plate. This guy will make pitchers work out there and if he's not taking a walk, he's putting the ball in play. Through 54 games at the AA level, Marty is hitting .267 with 9 HR and 24 RBI. He also has taken 39 walks in that span.
7. Sparky Sinclair - St. Louis Brown Stockings (AAA)
Sparky projects to be a solid every day ML catcher in the near future. He is a good offensive player, but his lack of speed keeps him from beating out close plays as well as stretching hits extra bases. Sparky is hitting .224 though 52 games at the AAA level. He has only 9 extra base hits out of his 44 hits on the year.
8. Don Harper - Seattle Pilots (AAA)
Seattle has their second catcher in the top 10 with Harper. Harper, unlike the top 7, is known for his defensive ability and calling an exceptional game behind the plate. Harper is the type of guy who any pitcher would love to throw to and can make a staff better than they are. Harper can also hit the ball around a little bit as he is known for putting the ball in play and not so much for his power. Through 8 games at the AAA level Harper is hitting .429. Harper had a brief stint at the beginning of the year in the ML but not enough to keep him off of our list. He struggled from the plate hitting just .167 in 27 games.
9. Henry Corey - Montreal Shamrocks (High A)
Corey is another player who was drafted as a catcher and is geared more towards the offensive aspect of the game. His lack of ability to manage a game from behind the plate has some scouts worried and wondering if he ultimately won't end up at the DH spot. He has plenty of pop in his bat to produce in the lineup for an ML team. Through 47 games at the High A level, Corey is raking with a .339 average to go along with 15 HR and 59 RBI.
10. Brant McCormick - Detroit Wolverines (Low A)
McCormick rounds out the top 10 list. The only thing keeping Brant from being a top 3 prospect is his durability. The guy simply just can't go for very long. When he is in the lineup, however, McCormick might be the best combination of defense and offense on our list. Through 22 games McCormick is hitting .374 with 6 HR and 25 RBI.
Stay tuned for the next installment which will take a look at the top 1B in Doubleday.
