Two weeks ago, I would have said catcher is the least of the Giants worries and they should not even consider drafting one early. All that has, obviously, changed dramatically. I'm not advocating drafting a catcher thinking he's going to enable the Giants to move Buster Posey to another position next year or to take his place if, God forbid, he's not able to come back at all. It's just that if there is a catcher who is the BPA at any given draft slot, you take him because much like pitching, you can never have too much catching in your system. Here's a rundown of BA's catcher rankings by round of talent level with my own comments:
First Round:
1. Blake Swihart, HS- Athletic catcher on the smallish side at 6'0", 175 lbs. May be more of a third baseman. Led Team USA in batting. Switch-hitter.
2. Austin Hedges, HS- Top defensive catcher prospect in the draft. Some scouts doubt his offense will develop.
3. Andrew Susac, Oregon State- .320/.453/.552, 5 HR. Might be available at #29 and I've seen at least on mock draft that has him going to the Giants there. Seems to be a pretty good all-around talent, but not a standout in any one area.
Supplemental Round: None
Second Round:
4. Brett Austin, HS- Switch-hitter with some power. 6'1", 190 lbs. Not athletic so has to make it at catcher.
5. Cam Gallagher, HS- 6'3", 210 lbs. Average hit tool with plus power who might stick at catcher.
6. Nick Delmonico, HS- More of an offensive catcher who might not stick at the position. One early mock draft had him going to the Giants in round 1.
Third/Fourth Rounds:
Peter O'Brien, Bethune Cookman- .308/.384/.564, 14 HR. Love the power here. Might be too tall at 6'5", 225 lbs.
8. James McCann, Arkansas- .308/.393/.477, 6 HR, 9 SB, 6 CS. Nice size at 6'3", 210.
Fifth/Sixth Round:
9. Riley Moore, HS- No info.
10. John Hicks, Virginia- .340/.382/.519, 7 HR, 5 SB, 4 CS. 6'2", 205 lbs. Has played multiple positions.
11. Pratt Maynard, NC State- .328/.418/.482, 5 HR. 6'0" 220 lbs. I like catchers with a low center of gravity.
12. Jake Lowery, James Madison- .364/.450/.808, 23 HR. 6'0", 200 lbs. This guy might be worth a flyer in rounds 5 or 6 on his college offensive stats alone. No scouting report, but that's some mighty impressive hitting. Lefthanded bat to boot.
13. Aramis Garcia, HS- No info.
It's generally not a good idea to take catchers high unless they have overwhelming talent and I don't see anyone here who fits that description, so it's hard to see any of them being the BPA in the first 2 rounds. Lowery's numbers intrigue me, although I'm sure there is a reason he is ranked in the 5'th/6'th rounds by BA.
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