Jump to content

State of the System: Catcher - Grade A-

ScGO's

By ScGO's
in Orioles Talk

 Share

Recommended Posts

ScGO's All-Star

ScGO's

Posted
Posted

Catcher

 

Current Roster: The duo of Pedro Severino and Chance Sisco continue to be serviceable and their improved defense made 2020 easier to handle. Both could continue improving next season, but we are probably very close to their ceiling which is a combined OPS that’s been around .730 the last two seasons with too many K’s and a little bit of pop. Bryan Holladay and Austin Wynns provide solid defensive back up options and could still be in the mix in 2021, especially if Elias tries to trade Severino or Sisco.  

 

Future Outlook:  This is all about Adley Rutchman, and the current options on the MLB roster can allow us to wait until he is truly ready to take over the position for hopefully the next 6 plus seasons.  However, there will always be the battle to be his back up.  Does Severino or Sisco stay on the roster as a back up and DH option when we return to playing playoff baseball? If they become expendable does an option arise out of Brett Cumberland, Maverick Handley, or Martin Cervenka?  It does thin out a bit after Rutchman in the system.

 

Players of Note: Cody Roberts, Jordan Cannon, Harris Yett, Taylor Davis

 

Grade: A-

 

Rutchman alone pushes this grade up, but the overall depth on the MLB staff and AAA help as well.  There is a need for depth in the lower parts of the system, but if Rutchman comes as advertised, the need for depth isn’t crippling, as it essentially comes down to finding a quality back up.  Moving on, Elias probably tries to find a cost effective way to improve this depth with international development and mid round picks in the upcoming draft.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 55
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

Can_of_corn
Can_of_corn

Pedro Severino's defense improved?

Can_of_corn
Can_of_corn

In his defense Sisco gets hit better than the typical catcher (6 HBP in 121 PA).  Actually collecting HBP is one of Sisco's tools, he's averaging 26 per 162 games, for reference Biggio (#2 all time) o

DrungoHazewood
DrungoHazewood

I wish the league would tell batters who hang out with their bodies essentially in the strike zone that they're going to enforce the rules that say if you don't make an attempt to avoid the HBP you do

ScGO's All-Star

ScGO's

Posted
  • Author
Posted
32 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

I don’t get how starting pitching gets an A and catching gets an A-.

We have arguably the best catching situation in the sport.

Depth drove that one.  We have the best catching prospect, but not much depth.  Knock on wood, Adley gets hurt/doesn't perform, our grade would drop tremendously.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Moose Milligan Hangout Grand Counsel

Moose Milligan

Posted
Posted

B.

IMO, these rankings have been revolving around potential, mostly.  And if people want to weigh the grades towards potential, that's fine but it usually doesn't take into account that the potential might not pan out.  Adley is a great prospect and if you're going to bet on someone, you should bet on him but there's still a chance he could not be the all-world catcher that we're hoping for.  And the B is because of Adley, not because I'm enthralled with what we currently have.

Severino and Sisco are decent (not great) hitting catchers.  After his red hot start to 2020, Severino came back down to earth pretty quickly, his OPS+ didn't crack 100.  I love Sisco's plate discipline, his separation between his batting average and on base percentage is pretty absurd but I'm not sure if hell ever hit above .250.  If he did, his on base percentage could end up over .400.  His OPS+ this year was 105.

Both of these guys have average defense, at best.  

I'm not sure if SG's claim of having the best catching situation in the sport is accurate as I'm not up to date on what other franchise situations look like.  But when you have a top 5 prospect at catcher, you can probably be in the conversation, so I'll go along and agree with him.  But again, if you're going to give out grades for untapped potential, you also need to take into account that these guys might not work out.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
DrungoHazewood Hangout Grand Counsel

DrungoHazewood

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

B.

IMO, these rankings have been revolving around potential, mostly.  And if people want to weigh the grades towards potential, that's fine but it usually doesn't take into account that the potential might not pan out.  Adley is a great prospect and if you're going to bet on someone, you should bet on him but there's still a chance he could not be the all-world catcher that we're hoping for.  And the B is because of Adley, not because I'm enthralled with what we currently have.

Severino and Sisco are decent (not great) hitting catchers.  After his red hot start to 2020, Severino came back down to earth pretty quickly, his OPS+ didn't crack 100.  I love Sisco's plate discipline, his separation between his batting average and on base percentage is pretty absurd but I'm not sure if hell ever hit above .250.  If he did, his on base percentage could end up over .400.  His OPS+ this year was 105.

Both of these guys have average defense, at best.  

I'm not sure if SG's claim of having the best catching situation in the sport is accurate as I'm not up to date on what other franchise situations look like.  But when you have a top 5 prospect at catcher, you can probably be in the conversation, so I'll go along and agree with him.  But again, if you're going to give out grades for untapped potential, you also need to take into account that these guys might not work out.

The rankings appear to be based on ceiling without much consideration for the likelihood of getting there.  Meaning that the average grade across all MLB would be something like a B+.  Most teams have someone at each position who could, potentially, be a good MLB player if everything worked out in their favor.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Can_of_corn Hangout Grand Counsel

Can_of_corn

Posted
Posted
Just now, Moose Milligan said:

Where have YOU been, Phillpe?

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2020-positional-power-rankings-catcher/

2020-Catcher-Positional-WAR-by-Team-1.pn

 

In his defense Sisco gets hit better than the typical catcher (6 HBP in 121 PA).  Actually collecting HBP is one of Sisco's tools, he's averaging 26 per 162 games, for reference Biggio (#2 all time) only averaged 16.

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
DrungoHazewood Hangout Grand Counsel

DrungoHazewood

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

In his defense Sisco gets hit better than the typical catcher (6 HBP in 121 PA).  Actually collecting HBP is one of Sisco's tools, he's averaging 26 per 162 games, for reference Biggio (#2 all time) only averaged 16.

Ron Hunt averaged 26 per 162 games, but NL Oriole Hughie Jennings was at 36.  Jennings once had a season where he hit .401 with 36 HBP and 19 walks.  And another where he was hit by 51 pitches in 130 games.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Can_of_corn Hangout Grand Counsel

Can_of_corn

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Ron Hunt averaged 26 per 162 games, but NL Oriole Hughie Jennings was at 36.  Jennings once had a season where he hit .401 with 36 HBP and 19 walks.  And another where he was hit by 51 pitches in 130 games.

Jennings is #1 on the list all time.  I reckon getting hit didn't hurt near as much back then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DrungoHazewood Hangout Grand Counsel

DrungoHazewood

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Jennings is #1 on the list all time.  I reckon getting hit didn't hurt near as much back then.

Getting hit by a 75 mph fastball is absorbing most of 79 Joules of energy.  A 92 mph pitch is 118 Joules.  What's the equation to translate kinetic energy to pain?  Google isn't particularly helpful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Posts

    • Spakman
      Trevor Rogers 2024

      By Spakman · Posted

      You mean a AAAA starter.  Sometimes I think he thinks he’s smarter than everybody else, so he does things that no one else would do just to prove a point. I don’t actually think he wants to spend money on free agents. I think he likes the idea of trying to be the smartest man in the room. I think his attitude is going to change somewhat next off-season, After his many blunders at the trade deadline. 
    • banks703
      Jackson Holliday 2024

      By banks703 · Posted

      I don’t think this is true. He’s had a lot of games as you described and there haven’t been these ten post reactions to said games. He’s going to hit. Would it be nice if he was producing this year like the other rookie Jacksons? Of course but no one (that I’ve seen) on this board is rooting against him or suggesting that he won’t be a high caliber major league hitter. His defense is another thing but he’s going to figure it out at the plate at the MLB level. You’re right though - his nice game should have garnered more attention, especially with the way the year has largely gone for him. I’m not sure what role he has in the postseason other than maybe as a pinch runner. Right now I don’t think I’m putting him ahead of any of the lefty bats on the roster. I guess he’s the only other ‘SS’ they have on the big club so he’s surely going to fill a spot but I can’t think that he plays ahead of anyone, including Rivera right now. It will be interesting to see how Hyde and Co. deploy Holliday come Tuesday. 
    • Warehouse
      Starters vs Minnesota?

      By Warehouse · Posted

      Per Roch, Selby is the call up today, with Davidson presumably DFA.   Guessing today’s pitching looks like:  - Suarez (2-3 IP)  - Webb (1 IP)  - Soto (1 IP)  - Dominguez (1 IP)  - Coulombe (1 IP)  - Selby (2 IP) Bowman fills in gaps as needed.
    • Sports Guy
      Jackson Holliday 2024

      By Sports Guy · Posted

      Holliday and Henderson is going to be an elite top 2 in the lineup.
    • joelala
      Jackson Holliday 2024

      By joelala · Posted

      He’s also replaced the leg kick with a toe tap. At least with two strikes I noticed. 
    • Warehouse
      Burnes named Game 1 ALWC starter

      By Warehouse · Posted

      Last year, of 8 WC teams: - 5 went with 12 pitchers - 2 went with 11 pitchers - 1 went with 13 pitchers I expect the Orioles to go with 12 pitchers. Given how Detroit mixes and matches pitching, we need to have enough platoon options.   I do think there is value in having more pitchers, even if it’s just an extra guy for mop up duty that saves pen in blowout game 2 so we aren’t running on fumes in game 3. However, I think 14 position players and 12 pitchers is the right balance for the wild card series.
    • Moose Milligan
      Jackson Holliday 2024

      By Moose Milligan · Posted

      I don't think this is true.  He's struck out 3 times a few times and gone 0-4 several times and 10 posts haven't been made. I hope he has a nice view from the bench during the playoff series and gets an at bat here or there if we're up big or getting blown out.  I'd like to see him put in a lot of work this offseason and start 2025 on fire.

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...