By Greg Corcoran

One of the toughest positions to fill in the major leagues is catcher. It is rare to find a catcher who possesses all of the tools you would want offensively and defensively. Defensively he has to be able to block, frame, have a quick transfer, and a strong, accurate arm. He also has to be able to manage a pitching staff. Despite being in a crouched position all game, he must still be able to put together competitive at bats and is held to the same standards of hitting as the other positions.

No perfect catcher exists in modern baseball, though Adley Rutschman does come close. The best catchers in baseball hit above .250 with around 20 homeruns. They typically have a caught stealing rate of 20-25%. It’s not easy behind the dish.

After the Yankees traded Kyle Higashioka in the offseason, they now have three catchers competing for two spots on the major league roster. Jose Trevino is a lock for one of them. The other will be a “may the best man win” battle between Austin Wells and Ben Rortvedt. Rortvedt has had an injury filled career thus far and has not hit well in limited major league action. He did hit well in Triple-A last year, and he swings lefty. He is considered a strong defender.

Austin Wells fared much better in his first major league appearance last season, though he hit just .229. Still, he hit four homeruns in 19 games and was much better than expected defensively. While now seen as an average defensive backstop, he still has a lot of work to do with the run game. He threw out just 15% of base stealers last year, which is relatively consistent with his minor league performance.

Whoever does not win the second catcher job in the Bronx will begin the year in Triple-A, where he will be joined by Carlos Narvaez and recently signed Luis Torrens. Narvaez is a stellar defensive catcher who will play in the major leagues at some point. He had a 27% CS (caught stealing) rate last year in Triple-A. He also slugged 12 homeruns in 100 games and is an extremely patient hitter.

Luis Torrens has major league experience and is a former top Yankees prospect. He is solid defensively and throws out 20% of baserunners. Offensively he has yet to fulfil his once great potential. Torrens did have one year where he hit 15 homeruns in 2021 but has not come close since then. He’s a great depth piece to have in case of injuries.

I would be remiss if I did not mention another player who could get time at catcher this year, Ben Rice. Rice has garnered a lot of attention for his work with the bat in 2023, but there is still work to be done on the catching side. He can also play first base, so if 2023 was not a mirage there are multiple ways he could find himself on the major league roster next year.

Another catcher will be in the mix in Triple-A. He is an under-the-radar signing this offseason who played in independent ball from 2022-2023. Throughout his career as a catcher, he has had an excellent CS rate.  A recent scouting report out of Cuba also has him greatly improved with managing the pitching staff. His framework has greatly improved and he doesn’t allow many passed balls. Escarra can also play first base and his versatility could help him find a way to the Bronx this year. His bat has also been impressive in Indy ball. He had a 1.131 OPS in the Atlantic league last year.

In Double-A, the Yankees have one of the most promising catchers in the system. Agustin Ramirez is a big thumping catcher who hit .271/.364/.455/.819 with 18 homeruns in 114 games last year over three levels. He is considered average defensively and had a 27% CS rate in 2023.

They have a pair of catchers below Agustin named Jesus Rodriguez and Omar Martinez. Neither are known for their defensive prowess; however, both have done wonders with the bat. Rodriguez hit .310 with an .849 OPS and nine homeruns in the low minors. He did have a 33% CS rate in 30 games. Meanwhile, lefty Omar Martinez hit a whopping 18 homeruns with an .812 OPS. His CS rate was just 14% in 53 games. Both are promising players, though their long-term position is still in question.

2023 draftee Tomas Frick will likely begin the season in Low-A. He is a solid defensive catcher and came into some power last year, hitting 12 homeruns in 59 games for UNC. He is also known to be a clutch performer as he saved his best work for the NCAA playoffs.

Down in rookie ball, the Yankees have one of the most exciting catchers in the system in Engelth Urena. He has dealt with injuries the last couple of years, but scouting reports have been glowing. He is expected to hit for average and power while also being a plus defender. He is a name to watch out for this year.

Edgleen Perez and Josue Gonzalez could be joining him in the FCL. Edgleen has recently been lauded as a top 20 prospect in the Yankees system by both Kiley Mcdaniel and Fangraphs. When Kiley has a high opinion of a prospect, I take notice. Gonzalez had the best season of any Yankees catcher in the DSL last year. He hit .324/.517/.529/1.046 with two homeruns and 13 doubles in 33 games. Though he was a bit old for the level this year, he has certainly earned an opportunity to come stateside.

Catcher is one of the hardest positions to develop. The Yankees have done a nice job recently of improving hit-first catchers into good ones. Austin Wells could be a nice boost to the Yankees, who have not gotten much offense out of the catcher position since Brian McCann. They will go into the 2023 season with solid depth at the position, and some exciting players in the minors to follow.

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5-foot-10

192-pounds

Catcher/First baseman

Throws: Right-handed

Bats: Left-handed

22-years old

Born: San Felix, Venezuela

It’s rare for a prospect in Low-A to be able to handle high velocity, off-speed, and pitches up in the zone. It’s even more infrequent to find a player who can do these things while also having good patience and power. Omar Martinez checks off all of these boxes. Even better, he’s a catcher, where these traits are a big bonus.

Martinez joined the Yankees organization at the age of 16. As is often the case with catchers, he took his time to reach the full season leagues, getting there for the first time in 2023. Despite that, he announced his presence emphatically.

In 105 games, Omar had 18 homeruns, 16 doubles, a triple, and eight SB. He hit .251/.367/.445/.812 with 110 K : 67 BB.

Martinez is a patient hitter who can really put a charge in the ball. As previously mentioned, he hits high velocity and off-speed well. His power is mostly to the pull side, but can get a hold of pitches all over the zone. Omar regularly registers exit velocities in the 105-107 mph range. Don’t let the eight stolen bases fool you, Martinez is not fleet of foot. You’ll see him run through first base on singles to right field.

Defensively, he has some work to do on his blocking. He threw out just 14% of would-be base stealers last season, though the FSL is notoriously a difficult league for catchers. He has a thick lower half, so quickness and agility will be important for him going forward. If improvements are not made, he may be a first baseman long term.

Omar’s ceiling is not immense, but I could see him hitting 20 homeruns at the next level. He certainly has the power, but it will just be a matter of whether or not he can get to that power with regular contact.

He should begin 2024 in High-A with the Renegades. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him spend most of the season there, though a big season could of course result in a promotion to Double-A.

The catching depth in the Yankees organization is solid, and Omar Martinez plays a part in that. He’s underrated in this system at the moment, but another big season or to would change that quickly.

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11/6/2023

Here’s the last ten prospects in the Beyond the top 30 series. There are also some bonus rankings at the end. Some of these guys could be top 30 by next year.

61. Blane Abeyta – 6-foot-3, 220-pounds, SP, RHP, 25-years-old – Abeyta is another prospect who took a step back in a few categories this year. His ERA ballooned to 5.67 and he let up 18 homeruns compared to six the year prior. Paradoxically, his strikeout and walk rate both improved this season despite the increase in ERA. He had the same average against, and he threw a career-high 127 innings. Abeyta was an undrafted free agent, but it was in 2020. He likely would have been drafted in the top 10 rounds otherwise. His fastball, which once sat 91-94, now sits 92-96 mph. His best secondary offering is his slider which is above average to plus. He also throws a changeup and curveball which are still in the development stages. The Yankees keep trotting him out as a starter which tells me there is something more there. He’ll likely start back in Somerset in 2024 and if he has made some improvements could be in Triple-A before the end of the season. A move to the bullpen could speed along his development as well.
62. Will Brian – 5-foot-11, 220-pounds, SP, LHP, 24-years-old – Brian likely would have been a breakout player if he had been able to stay healthy in 2023. Alas, he only managed to throw 6.1 innings before succumbing to Tommy John Surgery. We will be lucky to see him at all next season, but there’s a silver lining. He came to camp in 2023 with a velocity increase to low-90’s topping out at 94.2. That fastball averages 12-18 inches of run and 18 inches of induced vertical drop. His curveball, meanwhile, has an insanely good movement profile with 53-60 inches of vertical break and 12 inches of horizontal break. In his second start he introduced a slider with nasty movement. He even threw a changeup which has tail and break. He had difficulty controlling these offerings in the early going, but when he finally does come back, he could really break out.
63. Hans Montero – 5-foot-9, 160-pounds, SS, RHB, 19-years-old – One of the more hyped international signings, Montero finally began to show some of his potential this year in the FCL. He hit .257/.419/.404/.823 with five homeruns, six doubles, three triples, and 17 SB in 53 games. He also had 48 K : 44 BB. Compared to his previous two seasons, this was a drastic improvement. One thing is for sure, Hans can play a solid shortstop. He can play all around the diamond, with 22 games at third and three games at second this season. He has a long way to go, but if he can continue making strides offensively the Yankees may have a good one on their hands. He’ll likely get some time in Low-A next season once some of the bigger names either move up, get hurt, or prove they’re not ready for Low-A.
64. Baron Stuart – 6-foot-4, 209-pounds, SP, RHP, 24-years-old – It’s impressive when your system can develop undrafted free agents as effectively as draft prospects. The Yankees deployed Stuart as a starter in Low-A this year and then promoted him to High-A despite some bigger names, high ceiling arms being options. Baron didn’t have a great statistical season, but he was effective and showed promising stuff. He finished with a 4.47 ERA and 85 K : 46 BB in 100.2 innings. He had a .237 average against. Stuarts bugaboo this season was the walks. If he can rein that in, Stuart could really break out in 2024. Stuart throws a two-seam fastball which sits in the low-90’s and touches 95. He has a slider and a changeup which he uses effectively. The two-seamer has an excellent movement profile, as does the changeup. His slider has mostly vertical break but can be above average at times. The Yankees’ development team will look to get a bit more velocity out of him and help him with his control. He’s pitching in the AFL this offseason working on his stuff. His first stop next season will be High-A. Depending on his offseason work, we may be hearing his name a lot more often soon.
65. Beau Brewer – 6-foot-1, 215-pounds, 3B, RHB, 21-years-old – Brewer was taken in the 19th round in the 2022 draft and was known at that time as a very good contact hitter. Those skills translated to the minors well, as he hit .280/.410/.293/.703. What also translated, however, was the lack of power. This season was a nice building block for Brewer going forward, and he is still young enough that the extra base hits could come later. I’m sure this will be priority #1 and 1a in the offseason. His offseason priority will be to gain strength and retool his swing for more loft. He’ll likely spend most of the year in High-A.
66. Jerson Alejandro – 6-foot-6, 255-pounds, SP, RHP, 17-years-old – It’s hard to imagine a 255-pound 17-year-old, but Alejandro is that guy. He’s a physical beast and was a high-profile pitching sign out of the Dominican Republic. Jerson had a decent first season in the DSL, with a 4.5 ERA and 36 K : 17 BB in 36 innings. Alejandro has a fastball that has already peaked at 98 mph that he pairs with a top-notch changeup and a curveball. He should break camp with the FCL next year and will hope to follow the same trajectory as Carlos Lagrange and Henry Lalane, getting some innings in the USA while learning to master his craft.
67. Omar Gonzalez – 6-foot-4, 175-pounds, SP, RHP, 18-years-old – Gonzalez had a fantastic debut season in 2022, with a 0.44 ERA and 36 K : 9 BB in 20.1 innings in the DSL. Unfortunately, he succumbed to Tommy John Surgery shortly after the start of the 2023 DSL season. Gonzalez is a strikeout machine and has a low-90’s fastball that has touched 93 with high spin rates and movement. He also throws a slider and a changeup which could both be above average. The early news in camp in 2023 was that his stuff had improved across the board, including velocity. Now we will have to wait until he comes back from injury to see if he can sustain those improvements. When he comes back, he should be in the United States, but that may not happen until 2025.
68. Angel Benitez – 6-foot-7, 204-pounds, SP, RHP, 20-years-old – Benitez missed all of 2023 after getting Tommy John Surgery following the 2022 season. In 2022, he threw 17 innings and had 24 K : 7 BB and a 1.06 ERA. Before the injury, Benitez sat in the mid-90’s and topped out at 97 mph with a fastball that has cutting action and ride. He also possesses a plus changeup and a sweeper that is already above average. He has a low arm slot with good extension. Many are excited about Carlos Lagrange and Henry Lalane, but what most don’t realize is that Angel Benitez might be the best of the bunch. Benitez will make the journey to the United States next season but mark my words, he will not do it quietly. He should be one of the most talked about players in the FCL next season.
69. Danny Flatt – 6-foot-4, 190-pounds, SP, RHP, 19-years-old – Flatt has a low-90’s fastball that got up to 95 mph during his senior season. He also has a high spin curveball and slider. He even throws a changeup. That’s four pitches for a high school level pitcher. To get that kind of package in the 14th round was impressive for the Yankees. Like most high school pitchers, the Yankees have a lot of work to do on the development side with Flatt, but he has an immense ceiling that could be tapped. He’s already a spin-rate darling, as the fastball has 2300 rpm, the changeup 2100 rpm, the curveball 3036 rpm, and the slider at 2924. A hard worker and a big kid, the Yankees should be able to get more velocity and movement on his pitches. They’ll have plenty of time to develop him since he’s a high school draftee. They haven’t drafted a guy quite like Flatt in the past, but he has a profile that I have confidence the Yankees can develop. They’ve had success with Sean Hermann and Brock Selvidge out of high school recently, and Flatt could be the next exciting guy with a big ceiling.
70. Sebastian Keane – 6-foot-3, 187-pounds, SP/RP, RHP, 23-years-old – The Yankees took it slow with Keane in 2023, who spent most of the season in the FCL despite being 23. The 2022 18^th round pick was clearly overqualified for the level, with 35 K : 16 BB, a 1.71 ERA, and a .126 average against. He dominated inferior competition. He was finally promoted to Low-A at the end of the season where he made two starts. He finished the year with a 2.56 ERA and 43 K : 19 BB in 31.2 innings. Keane throws three pitches, all of which have excellent movement. He has a sinker that ranges from 91-94 mph and has 12 inches of horizontal movement and 18 inches of vertical break. His changeup has 12-18 inches of horizontal movement with 30 inches of drop. His curveball has 45 inches of break and 6-12 inches of sweep. Keane didn’t get a chance to pitch in the long season leagues this year, but I’ll bet he will next year. Given the competition he faces, he’ll likely be a reliever unless he has a significant uptick this offseason. He’s a sleeper going into 2024.

Bonus ranks:

Luis Arejula – 6-foot-1, 170-pounds, RP, RHP, 21-years-old – On the surface, Arejula’s numbers do not jump off the page. That’s not where you’ll find his appeal. Arejula has a fastball with excellent movement, as well as a nasty changeup and a slider that has good vertical and horizontal break. He sits in the low-90’s and tops out at 95.4 mph with the fastball. In 2023, he had a 4.96 ERA and 17 K : 10 BB in 16.1 innings. Arujela could have a Harrison Cohen/Mason Vinyard-like breakout next year if he gets more innings and can figure it out.

Tanner Myatt – 6-foot-7, 245-pounds, RP, RHP, 25-years-old – Myatt has managed to continue to keep a low profile despite his massive size because of the giants surrounding him (both figuratively and literally). The fact of the matter is that he had a good season in his own right. He had a 2.78 ERA and 72 K : 40 BB in 58.1 innings for Somerset. Batters hit just .160 against him, which is in line with his career numbers. The challenge for Myatt comes with his control, which is understandable given his long levers. If he can find that, he could be a high-leverage reliever in the major leagues. He’s older, but it’s not too late. Some players don’t find their command until their mid to late 20’s. He throws an upper-90’s fastball, changeup, cutter, and slider. He has done some work to simplify his pitches and delivery to attempt to make everything more repeatable. So far it has not resulted in a significant decrease in the walks. He’ll likely start in Triple-A with all the other high ceiling relievers in the system and could help the big-league team if the above improvements are made. Myatt might be a minor league free agent after this year. If so, all bets are off.

Christian Zazueta – 6-foot-3, 163-pounds, SP, RHP, 19-years-old – Zazueta throws four pitches and has good command. This year in the DSL, he threw 52 innings and had a 3.29 ERA with 50 K : 16 BB. He had a .211 average against. He appears ready to take the next step in his career and make the leap to the FCL. Rail thin, with some weight gain and strength training Christian is expected to gain 5-6 mph on his fastball as he develops. The FCL rotation is going to be loaded next year.

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