Your Top Prospects by Position - Catchers

[NorthSideSox72]

Here is our next chapter in the Top Prospects by Position discussion. We've already done Starting Pitchers, Outfielders and Skill Infielders. Now we're on catchers (we'll do 1B/DH, and relief pitchers, later). Tell us your top 5+ catchers in the system (can't really get to 10, so 5 is a good target)!

 

Here's my list...

 

1. Josh Phegley

2. Kevan Smith

3. Sammy Ayala

4. Jose Barraza

5. Michael Blanke

 

Other guys considered: Zach Fisher, Miguel Gonzalez

 

Not the deepest crop of catchers, though really it is rare for any system to have multiple C's who seem likely future starting catchers in the majors. I'm higher on Phegley than others, his defense is said to have improved a lot and he's had very little actual development time reaching AAA. If he's in AAA next year, which seems likely, he'll need to up his hitting game. Kevan Smith is old for level, but has performed at all his stops and was drafted as a defensive catcher, but he's still probably multiple years away if he makes it at all. Ayala and Barraza both show big potential, but are young and raw. Blanke fell off the radar this year, and seems to have been leapfrogged on the big board by Smith.

 

 

How about yours?