Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

Reviewing 2022 Performances by the Twins Catching Prospects


Cody Christie

Recommended Posts

Minnesota went all-in on Ryan Jeffers being the team’s top catcher for the 2022 season. Will any of these prospects join him at the big-league level in 2023?

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints

Last winter, the Twins traded from a position of strength (catcher) for a position of need (shortstop). Ryan Jeffers was handed the keys as the team’s top catcher while the team traded Mitch Garver to the Rangers. Jeffers posted an 86 OPS+, but he was limited to 67 games due to a broken thumb. Following the World Series, Gary Sanchez and Sandy Leon will become free agents, so the Twins need someone else to join Jeffers at the big-league level. Could there be an internal option? 

Triple-A: Andrew Bechtold (ETA: 2023), David Banuelos (ETA: 2023)
Bechtold is an intriguing prospect because of his defensive flexibility. During the 2022 season, he played over 390 innings at catcher and third base. Offensively, he hit .233/.329/.400 (.728) with 16 doubles and 19 home runs in 123 games between Double-A and Triple-A. He is Rule 5 eligible, so the Twins will need to add him to the 40-man roster to avoid the risk of losing him. 

Banuelos is in his fifth professional season and has played 85 games at Triple-A over the last two seasons. Minnesota acquired him in 2017 for $1 million in international bonus pool money. Defense is his calling card, as he has a .653 OPS in 85 Triple-A games. Like Bechtold, he is Rule 5 eligible, so the Twins need to add him to the 40-man roster before December’s draft. 

Double-A: Alex Isola (ETA: 2024), Kyle Schmidt (ETA: 2024)
Minnesota took Isola in the 29th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, and he has consistently risen through the Twins system since then. In 2022, he was limited to 61 games as he split time between first base and catcher. With Wichita, he hit .286/.377/.471 (.848) with nine doubles and ten home runs. Minnesota sent him to the AFL to recoup some of his missing time this season, but he has seen limited catching innings. 

Schmidt was a 33rd-round pick in 2019, but his college experience helped him move through three levels for the second consecutive season. He caught over 260 innings in 2022 and made 15 starts at first base. In 56 games, he hit .207/.270/.306 (.576) with four doubles and five home runs. He never played more than 30 games at any level, so it will be interesting to see if the Twins let him get comfortable at one level in 2023.   

High-A: Pat Winkel (ETA: 2025), Andrew Cossetti (ETA: 2025)
Even with college experience, Winkel was younger than the average age of the competition at his level for the second consecutive season. In his second professional season, he got on base over 33% of the time and combined for 15 extra-base hits in 54 games. All his defensive appearances came behind the plate, where he caught nearly 390 innings. He posted an .858 OPS in college, so the Twins hope to see more of that hitter in the future. 

Cossetti is an intriguing name from the 2022 draft class. Minnesota took Cossetti in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft from St. Joseph's University. After signing, he was limited to one appearance with the FCL Twins. It seems likely for him to get plenty of catching time in Cedar Rapids next season because of his college experience. 

Low-A: Noah Cardenas (ETA: 2025), Dillon Tatum (ETA: 2025), Nate Baez (ETA: 2026), Ricardo Olivar (ETA: 2026)
Cardenas made his full-season debut in 2022 after being drafted in 2021. He played in 99 games for Fort Myers, where he hit .261/.421/.413 (.834) with 18 doubles and nine home runs. He walked (73 BB) more than he struck out (70 K), and caught over 460 innings. Throughout his college and professional career, he has shown a keen eye at the plate, which helps him get into favorable counts where his power can be utilized. 

Tatum spent most of 2022 in Fort Myers but got a brief taste of Double-A due to a catching need late in the season. He hit .177/.321/.300 (.621) with 15 extra-base hits in 74 games. As he moves up, he needs to make regular contact and cut back on his strikeout totals (93 K in 74 games). He is strong defensively behind the plate and caught two no-hitters this season, but there is always room for players of his ilk in an organization. 

Baez was a 12th-round pick in 2022 and only appeared in 19 games after signing with the Twins. In his final collegiate season, he posted a .965 OPS, so it will be interesting to see if his bat develops in the Twins’ system. Olivar played most of last season with FCL Twins, where he hit .349/.442/.605 (1.046) with 12 doubles, three triples, and five home runs. He can play catcher, second base, and all three outfield positions. His bat is good enough that the team tries to fit him in the line-up as much as possible.     

Catching depth is something to watch in any organization. The Twins have drafted multiple college catchers in recent years to add to that depth, but only some of those catchers offer a lot of upside. There are some very intriguing bats in the names mentioned above, and many catchers have some defensive flexibility which could prove valuable. However, none of the catching options look ready to fill a full-time role at the big-league level. 

Will the Twins turn to any of these options in 2023? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.


View full article

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I may be the only one, but frankly, I am encouraged about the catching prospects after reading Cody's fine article. Especially Andrew Becktold, who has some power in his bat. But I really want to know about the throwing power and accuracy and footwork and blocking skills and framing and pitch selection and prior leg injuries and past concussions and intelligence and leadership skills of these prospects. I have asked several times in posts, who on the Twins calls the pitches, but so far, I have not received an answer from this august group of TD posters. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got ten bucks that says Bechtold and Banuelos will be gone if the Twins don't put them on the 40-man. It's not like there's a plethora of catching candidates in every other team's minor leagues either. Losing the two catchers would force the club to pull all other catchers in the system up one level, which, obviously, from the article, aren't ready for that sort of promotion. So, organizationally speaking, both "B's" will make the 40 and that means one of the two will start the season in the majors, platooning with Jeffers, and the other will hold down the fort in Triple A waiting for an injury to move up to the Bigs. Only prudent for the team to do so.

If the club resigns Sanchez, both the "B's" will still be put on the 40, though one might be dangled as trade bait. But even if one of them is traded from the 40 for the ubiquitous Player To Be Named Later at least the Twins will be getting something in return rather than no return if both catchers are left unprotected.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, I am okay if our catcher isn't the best hitter in the world. As long as they can hit around .240-.250ish I will be okay with that. What a catcher needs is to be a ball player behind the plate. Smart game calling, being able to field the ball in the dirt, being able to throw that runner out stealing 2nd/3rd (especially now that bases are slightly larger), and the ability to frame a pitch or 2 per game so our pitchers have a change to get out of a jam if need be. As Twins fans we have been pretty spoiled for the better part of the last 20 years between Mauer, Suzuki, Castro, Garver, and Jeffers (when he's hot) at our catcher position compared to some teams. 

Right now, I am all for Bechtold and Banuelos earning a shot to be the split or back up option. Bechtold has the ability to play multiple positions so right now he is seen as more valuable comparatively than Banuelos, even with his defensive prowess. We will have to see what happens when the FA opens up after the WS with options being exercised, players being DFA'd, and contracts expiring.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have the Twins released Charles Mack? He was converted from 3rd base to catcher (sort of like Bechtold). Mack was a high schooler when the Twins drafted and signed him. His younger brother is a catcher who was selected, out of high school, in the first round in the draft where the Twins selected Chase Petty. I was hoping Charles Mack would excel at catcher while also being able to fill in occasionally at 1st and at 3rd. He is supposed to have a very strong arm so that is parr of the reason for moving him to catcher. 
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why was Jair Camargo omitted? There were multiple times that he had pretty impactful games and his .262/.310/.483 (.793) beats the lines of many of those listed above. His play was good enough to get him a promotion Cedar Rapids to Wichita. 

All of that is to say, I have seen multiple favorable things written about him, but that is all I know. But given that positive attention it surprises me he wasn't listed above.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, mac098 said:

Honestly, I am okay if our catcher isn't the best hitter in the world. As long as they can hit around .240-.250ish

League average batting average is .243. So, you're fine with them as long as they're a league average hitter which is well above average for a catcher.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe Bechtold is a converted infielder. If he has average framing skills and a good arm he could be an option. He does have some power as the number indicate. He played in the AFL last year as a catcher so hopefully that jumped started his transition to that position. Otherwise how about a trade with the Yankees to bring back Rortvedt and the SS they got from Texas as a bridge to Lewis. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not crazy about any catcher that can play multiple positions, I want them to master the catching position. If they can really hit & catch then yeah have them DH or even play 1B.

Only catcher I like is Noah Cardenas and he's a ways away. And I'm not sure of his defense yet

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't Jair Camargo a top prospect? Sadly, like Roy Morales who hits well, Camargo could be a minor league free agent. If you look at all the guys listed, Jair has as much of a chance as being a backup in the majors in 2023.

No one is crying out to be palced on the 40-man.

Do we need to go after, say, a Sandy Leon again. At least Leon can do the situational bunt. But we may need someone who can better stop the abse running game.

Hopes are that Yankees drop Ben Rortvedt and maybe, maybe he can return to the Twins. The guy has a cannon for an arm, but all that muscle hasn't transformed into bat meeting the ball.

Wait, Willians Astudillo is available! Get him that minor league deal!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When doing a retrospective of 2022 it seems a little strange to have no mention at all of Caleb Hamilton, perhaps in the same breath with Sandy Leon, even if he is now with the Red Sox due to a waiver claim after season's end.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, Karbo said:

IMO pitch framing isn't as important as throwing, and blocking. I believe in the near to very near future there will be some sort of auto strike zone called. 

Pitch-framing is a pipe dream that writers created to sound more important.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, mac098 said:

Honestly, I am okay if our catcher isn't the best hitter in the world. As long as they can hit around .240-.250ish I will be okay with that. What a catcher needs is to be a ball player behind the plate. Smart game calling, being able to field the ball in the dirt, being able to throw that runner out stealing 2nd/3rd (especially now that bases are slightly larger), and the ability to frame a pitch or 2 per game so our pitchers have a change to get out of a jam if need be. As Twins fans we have been pretty spoiled for the better part of the last 20 years between Mauer, Suzuki, Castro, Garver, and Jeffers (when he's hot) at our catcher position compared to some teams. 

Right now, I am all for Bechtold and Banuelos earning a shot to be the split or back up option. Bechtold has the ability to play multiple positions so right now he is seen as more valuable comparatively than Banuelos, even with his defensive prowess. We will have to see what happens when the FA opens up after the WS with options being exercised, players being DFA'd, and contracts expiring.

I agree 100% .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Rosterman said:

Isn't Jair Camargo a top prospect?

Yes, Camargo is out best catcher in the minors. This article is odd. There is zero chance that Bechtold and Banuelos get added to the 40 man. Nobody is taking them in the Rule 5 draft. Bechtold really isn't a catcher at all, rarely catching more than a couple games a week. Banuelos can't hit at all. Isola is a good hitter but also plays other positions more than catching. Other than Camargo, we are looking at Winkel and Cardenas as our best catching prospects, but they are years away from the majors. Camargo is the one that could get added to the 40 man.

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.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

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.

Loading...
The Twins Daily Caretaker Fund
The Twins Daily Caretaker Fund

You all care about this site. The next step is caring for it. We’re asking you to caretake this site so it can remain the premier Twins community on the internet.

×
×
  • Create New...