Scouting the 2020 Draft: Two More College Catchers

Dillon Dingler C, College(Ohio St).  B-R, T-R.  6'3", 210 lbs.

2018:  .244/.332/.369, 8 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 176 AB.
2019:  .291/.392/.424, 9 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 165 AB.
2020:  .340/.404/.760, 4 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 50 AB.

Extremely athletic and tooled up for a catcher.  Dillon Dingler played CF for the Buckeyes his freshman season.  He moved back behind the plate for his sophomore season which was interrupted early by a hamate fracture.  Fully recovered for 2020, he came out smoking before the season was shut down.  He's got natural power that was probably blunted by after effects of the fracture in 2019 but was evident this year.  He runs a sub-6.6 60 yard dash so could easily play corner OF if not CF.  His arm is above average.  Fangraphs has him ranked #42 with an up arrow.  MLB Pipeline has him at #24.

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Michael Rothenberg C, College(Duke).  B-S, T-R.  6'3", 210 lbs.

2018:  253/.372/.385, 4 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 91 AB.
2019:  .269/.390/.481, 10 2B, 3B, 11 HR, 33 BB, 45 K, 212 AB.
2020:  .341/.531/.585, 4 2B, 2 HR, 13 BB, 9 K, 41 AB.

Tremendous raw power from both sides of the plate.  Runner up in a college HR derby with a video of one shot that cleared the LF bleachers.  Improved his plate discipline and power in 2019 and may have been starting a breakout campaign in 2020 before the season was cut short.  Superior student who also gets high marks for field leadership and handling of pitchers.  Most scouts peg him as a defense first catcher, but I think there is a high offensive ceiling in there too.  Fangraphs has him ranked #141.  MLB Pipeline does not have him in their top 150.  I really like this kid and think he could be a tremendous value in 3'rd or 4'th round.

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Some perspective on catching in the 2020 draft:  There are no Adley Rutschmans or Joey Barts in this draft but multiple catchers who could go in the first 2-3 rounds.  We previously profiled the top 3 in Tyler Soderstrom, Patrick Bailey and Austin Wells.  Soderstrom, Bailey and Rothenberg are all switch-hitters.  Wells bats lefty and Dingler righty.

Soderstrom easily has the highest ceiling and seems to have some helium.  HS catcher demographic is frightfully high risk.  He is probably a lock to go top 20 and 50-50 top 15 and an outside shot at top 10.  Bailey is considered the top college C prospect who would be a safer pick than Soderstrom and could also go top 10 but more likely top 15-20.  I absolutely love Wells' bat, but scouts are starting to see him as more of a 1B in the pros which greatly diminishes the value of the bat.