Brian Navarreto
DOB: 12-29-94 in Jacksonville, FL
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 220
Position: C, 1B
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Acquired: Selected by Twins in sixth round in 2013 draft out of Arlington County Day School

2014 Statistics:

 

ELZ: 116 PA, .194/.241/.370 (.612) with eight doubles, one triple, three homers, seven walks, 33 strikeouts, zero steals, and zero times caught stealing

 

Navarreto is a very athletic catcher with solid defensive skills and a great arm. The Twins think that he can blossom into an real offensive threat, so they have pushed him to Cedar Rapids this year, where is splitting time with Jorge Fernandez behind the plate, while also playing 1B as well. His bat should come around this year, and his defense should continue to improve. 

 

2015 prediction: Navarreto finds his swing in A ball. He spends the full year there and posts a .245/.310/.410 (.720) line with 21 doubles and 11 homers.

Things have not started out well for Navarreto at the plate:

30 PA, .167/.167/.167, no steals, no walks, and nine strikeouts.

 

He has gunned down five of six attempted base stealers so far. That is positive and again speaks to my claim about his defense (ahem).

 

I am hoping the bat turns around soon so that there aren't any ideas about sending him back to EST and E-Town.

Well . . . Navarreto had a double in the past week. All three attempted base stealers successfully stole their base.

 

He has a .368 OPS. Needless to say, things are starting out slowly for Brian this year. 

Cedar Rapids Kernels C Brian Navarreto was credited with throwing out 2 runners attempting to steal in today's game vs Quad Cities.   According to the Kernels twitter feed,  they say that Navarreto  has successfully thrown out 11 of the 16 runners who attempted steals when he was behind the plate.  That's pretty impressive!   You have to give some credit to the Kernels pitching staff as well,  just as some pitchers give runners such a good jump that the catcher has no chance to throw the runner out.  But if the 11 out of 16 attempts stat is correct, that's something that should open some eyes.

I think it is 7 of 11, but maybe I am wrong. It's impressive though.

I think it is 7 of 11, but maybe I am wrong. It's impressive though.

He had a 59% CS rate in 2014 too, 16 out of 27 attempts. Such rates can not persist as he moves up, but the ability is looking like not a fluke either.

That CS rate is, I believe, now up over 70%! I have never seen a catcher who so consistently throws the ball on a straight line right at the MI's glove. It has been impressive.

 

Unfortunately, Brian just landed on the 7-day DL with a sprained wrist (good news: it's the non-throwing wrist).

 

That CS rate is, I believe, now up over 70%! I have never seen a catcher who so consistently throws the ball on a straight line right at the MI's glove. It has been impressive.

 

Unfortunately, Brian just landed on the 7-day DL with a sprained wrist (good news: it's the non-throwing wrist).

 

Thanks for the eye test confirmation. Now just to get that bat going after he returns.

Navarreto is still out with an injury. 7 days has become 12 (I think?). Hopefully he is back soon and can get it together.

He's back! 0-fer in his first game back, but it is just important that he is playing again. I still expect a good rest of the season for him.

The bat hasn't come back at all. It is undoubtedly the case that Navarreto will be playing for E-Town when that season starts after the draft. The defense is there, the offense is nowhere close.

.916 OPS in the past week. Maybe, just maybe, he is coming around. He has a .706 OPS for June. Top-ish prospect Nick Gordon also was slow out of the gates (not this bad, but bad) at the plate, but he is getting it together too.

 

What is clear is that 2016 will mean a return to Cedar Rapids to start the season.

The bat has officially come back and his OPS over the past 28 days is .728. In his last 18 plate appearances it is .833.

 

All of this has pushed his season OPS to a whopping .457. Still, this in my view is way better than a demotion. Demotions are weird things to do to highly talented players.

In past 28 days:

 

75 PA, .329/.338/.411 (.749), three doubles, one homer, one walk, and 13 strikeouts.

 

He is going to keep on hitting and get that OPS above .600 this year.

 

53% caught stealing rate this year.

Finally, a catching prospect that is coming around!

Yeah, I picked a different guy on the same team and it hasn't worked out quite as well.

 

Yeah, I picked a different guy on the same team and it hasn't worked out quite as well.

 

Did you pick both JJ Fernandez and Tyler Kuresa?

 

In fairness to you, I thought both were going to have very strong seasons. I guess 2015 could still be a "win" for Kuresa, yet.

I love this guys defense!  Saw him a few weeks back, and he is very solid behind the dish.  Season average up to .247.  Only 20-years old.  Great size, too.  Maybe, just maybe our long term answer at backstop in a few years.

 

I've linked a video from his milb page;

 

  http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=271463683&sid=milb

 

 

 

I love this guys defense!  Saw him a few weeks back, and he is very solid behind the dish.  Season average up to .247.  Only 20-years old.  Great size, too.  Maybe, just maybe our long term answer at backstop in a few years.

 

I've linked a video from his milb page;

 

  http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=271463683&sid=milb

 

Thanks for the video! I made the claim that his defense was closer and closer to MLB-ready before the season began. There was some ridicule. I was right.

And now he is hitting and it is going to be exciting to see Brian progress to Fort Myers next year. I do think 2018 and not 2019 is possible for him.

269 PA, .235/.263/.306 (.569), 10 doubles, one triple, two homers, nine walks, 50 strikeouts.