Top Catching Prospects in the Minor Leagues

The position of catcher is clearly the most difficult to learn and historically, there have not been many two-way catching prospects in the minor leagues. That trend changed in 2003 as catcher became arguably the most talented and deepest position in the minor leagues.

There can be no argument that Twins Class AA catcher Joe Mauer is the finest prospect in the entire minor leagues. The SportsTicker Player and Teenager of the Year is the complete package and among the elite prospects to come through the minor leagues in the last 20 years.

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In the coming years, Mauer has a chance to impact the game both offensively and defensively like Florida Marlins catcher Pudge Rodriguez. At the same points in their development, Mauer, the first overall pick in the 2001 draft, is ahead of Rodriguez offensively and his equal behind the plate.

Although Mauer stood out as the best, he was just one of a crop of six catchers, who emerged as standout prospects in their first season in the Class AA Eastern League.

Blue Jays farmhand Guillermo Quiroz, who had the reputation as a a defensive stalwart, finished fifth in the circuit with a career-high 20 home runs and also drove in 79 runs despite hitting at pitcher-friendly Yale Field in New Haven.

Fellow Venezuelan Dioner Navarro made a smooth mid-season transition from Class A ball to the New York Yankees' Class AA affiliate in Trenton posting a combined .321 average.

Kelly Shoppach, the Boston Red Sox' second-round pick in 2001, posted solid offensive and defensive numbers with the Portland Sea Dogs, while the New York Mets' Justin Huber earned his second straight Class A All-Star selection and finished the season with a strong showing in the Class AA Eastern League. His teammate at Class AA, Mike Jacobs hit .329 with 36 doubles and 17 homers but needs work defensively.

Outside of the Eastern League, Cleveland Indians' Victor Martinez continued to display exceptional offensive skills before being promoted to the big leagues.

Jeff Mathis, a supplemental first-round pick of the Anaheim Angels in 2001, had All-Star numbers in the California League before making the jump to Class AA. Brian McCann, the Atlanta Braves' second-rounder in 2002, ripped 46 extra-base hits and drove in 71 runs in the lower level Class A South Atlantic League during his first full season.

This year's catchers have excelled both at and behind the plate and several should make an impact in the major leagues within the next few years.

TOP 10 CATCHERS

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(NOTE: Players with less than 200 Major League At-Bats were considered)

1. JOE MAUER, TWINS

The lefthanded hitter batted a combined .338 with 30 doubles, 5 homers and 85 RBI while playing between Class A Fort Myers in the Florida State League and Class AA New Britain in the Eastern League. Equally impressive was the 19-year-old's just 49 strikeouts over 509 plate appearance. Defensively, Mauer was credited with turning around a New Britain pitching club that posted a 5.05 ERA and was 12 games under .500 before he joined it. The club won 15 of the next 18 games and rolled off 20 straight quality starts, going 48-31 after Mauer arrived. The 6-5, 220 pounder also threw out over 50 percent of attempted basestealers - unheard of in either the major or minor leagues. In fact, only 69 base runners attempted to steal on Mauer in 99 games.

2. VICTOR MARTINEZ, INDIANS

After a pair of minor league MVPs and batting titles in 2001-02, Martinez split time between the Class AAA Buffalo Bisons and the Cleveland Indians. Martinez finished with a combined .315 average, hitting at a .349 clip in August and September with the big club. Exhibiting knowledge of the strike zone and an ability to make contact, the 24-year-old switch-hitter reduced his strikeout totals and produced a combined .376 on-base percentage. He also drove in 63 runs, hitting .323 with runners in scoring position. Over the past three years, the Venezuelan slugger has hit .330, ripped 40 homers and driven in 194 runs. Showing defensive improvement, Martinez exhibited an ability to call games at the major league level, but struggled throwing out runners and gunned down just 14 percent of basestealers in the International League.

3. GUILLERMO QUIROZ, BLUE JAYS

Quiroz showed the greatest improvement of all catchers in the minors in 2003, producing outstanding offensive numbers to match his already excellent defensive play. Starting quickly, the 21-year-old Venezuelan hit .333 with six homers during the first month, crushing a pair of longballs on opening day. He finished with a career-best .282 average, including .340 with runners in scoring position, and also finished with 47 extra-base hits for a .518 slugging percentage as one of the youngest hitters in the Class AA Eastern League. Showing better judgement and patience at the plate, he produced a .372 on-base percentage and finished with a .912 league-adjusted OPS -- best among all minor league catchers. With agility and a strong arm behind the plate, Quiroz recorded a .994 fielding percentage in 100 games and gunned down over 44 percent of all basestealers.

4. JEFF MATHIS, ANGELS

Coming off a 2002 campaign in which he batted .287 with 41 doubles at low Class A, the 20-year-old Mathis produced 50 multi-hit games for a combined .315 average and 68 RBI between the Class A California League and the Class AA Texas League this season. The 6-0, 180-pounder utilized his plus bat speed, producing a .493 slugging percentage with 55 extra-base hits, including 39 doubles and a career-best 13 home runs. Also, his .847 league-adjusted OPS led all catchers in high-level Class A ball. The defensive player of the year in the Anaheim Angels organization, Mathis posted a .992 fielding percentage, but threw out just 25 percent of basestealers with a Rancho Cucamonga Quakes staff that surrendered the most stolen bases in the league. Despite being one of the youngest players in both leagues, the athletically gifted backstop displayed great leadership skills and a fiery competitiveness to match his strong work ethic.

5. DIONER NAVARRO, YANKEES

After hitting .299 with three homers as the second youngest player in the Class A Florida State League, Navarro was promoted to Class AA in mid-June and hit at a .341 clip in a 58-game stint with Trenton, including a season-high 18-game hitting streak in July. As the youngest player in the Eastern League, the 19-year-old switch hitter finished with 42 extra-base hits and a career-high 31 doubles. Defensively, the Venezuela native improved on blocking pitches, allowing just nine passed balls after yielding 19 in 2002, and also posted a .989 fielding percentage. Navarro possesses a strong arm and threw out a combined 33 percent of basestealer. Drawing comparisons to a young Ivan Rodriguez, the 5-9 Navarro's offense helps compensate for his developing receiving skills.

6. KELLY SHOPPACH, RED SOX

After missing the first month recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, Shoppach bounced back to have a strong second year in the pros. A second-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2001, Shoppach hit .282 with 30 doubles and a career-high 12 homers, finishing fifth best among Class AA catchers with a .815 league-adjusted OPS. However, he did most of his damage at hitter-friendly Hadlock Field in Portland, batting .335 with 20 doubles and seven homers. Defensively, the Baylor University product threw out just under 31 percent of potential basestealers, notched .982 fielding percentage and also reduced his past balls from 15 in 2002 to just three in 2003.

7. BRIAN MCCANN, BRAVES

A second-round selection of the Atlanta Braves in 2002, McCann produced 35 multi-hit games and a .290 batting average in an all-star season with the Rome Braves of the lower-level Class A South Atlantic League. More impressive, the 19-year-old hit .346 with 17 doubles and nine homers away from pitcher-friendly Floyd County Park. Overall, McCann finished third in the league with 31 doubles and connected on 12 home runs for a .462 slugging percentage, including four homers and 10 RBI in a six-game stretch in April. The lefthanded-hitting backstop smacked righties for a .316 average, but managed to hit just .216 against fellow southpaws. The Georgia native had an outstanding defensive year as well, producing a .995 fielding percentage in 64 games behind the plate. The 6-3, 190-pound backstop threw out over 38 percent of potential basestealers.

8. J.D. CLOSSER, ROCKIES

The top catching prospect in the the Colorado Rockies system, Closser produced solid offensive and defensive numbers as an all-star with the Tulsa Drillers in the Class AA Texas League. The 23-year-old switchhitter displayed power from both sides of the plate, finishing with 13 homers and a career-high 28 doubles, for a .471 slugging percentage. In June alone, Closser hit .389 with 12 extra-base hits and 22 RBI, more than double his other monthly totals. The Indiana native also produced a .839 league-adjusted OPS, which ranked third amongst Class AA catchers and tops in his circuit. Possessing natural quickness and a good arm, Closser gunned down 33 percent of potential basestealers, up seven percent from last season.

9. YADIER MOLINA, CARDINALS

At 21-years-old, Yadier Molina has already exhibited the defensive tools to be a major league catcher. Molina, whose brothers Benji and Jose are both catchers for the Anaheim Angels, has solid catch-and-throw skills and blocks the ball well. The Cardinals fourth-round pick in 2000 also has thrown out 46 percent of basestealers over the past two seasons. Despite skipping high level Class A, the Puerto Rico native had a solid offensive season with the Tennessee Smokies of the Class AA Southern league. After hitting a combined .223 in June and July, Molina raked at a .362 clip (34-94) with a 13-game hitting streak and 15 RBI in August. Overall, Molina finished with a .275 average and a career-high 51 RBI, but showed few signs of potential major-league power, managing just 13 doubles and two homers in 364 at-bats.

10. JUSTIN HUBER, METS

Despite playing in 18 less games this season, the 21-year-old Australian utilized his excellent bat speed and power to produce a career-high 28 doubles and 15 home runs between Class A and Class AA for a combined .469 slugging percentage. A patient hitter, the 6-2 backstop finished with .274 average, but also showed a penchant for clutch hitting, producing a .314 average with runners in scoring position. Huber managed to throw out just 23 percent of basestealers, yet he showed good mobility and footwork behind the plate.

OTHER NAMES TO KNOW: Koyie Hill (Dodgers); Kevin Cash (Blue Jays); John Buck (Astros); Gerald Laird (Rangers); Mike Jacobs (Mets); Jeremy Brown (Athletics); Craig Ansman (Diamondbacks); Chris Snyder (Diamondbacks); Ryan Doumit (Pirates); Luis Oliveros (Mariners); Josh Willingham (Marlins).