Yankees organizational depth: catcher

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.