[SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to the Toolshed, a podcast covering all levels of professional baseball to help give you the edge in your dynasty leagues.
[SPEAKER_01]: From the MLB draft, all the way to the show, the Toolshed podcast has you covered with rankings, player analysis, and in-depth discussion.
[SPEAKER_01]: And now, here's your host, Eric Cross.
[SPEAKER_00]: What's up, everyone?
[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome into another episode of the toolshed podcast brought to you by Rotabauer.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is episode 426.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for joining me.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm your host, Eric Cross.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can find me on Twitter at Eric Cross MLB.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the show is at toolshed pod.
[SPEAKER_00]: Starting my 2026 prospect and dynasty rankings episodes series today.
[SPEAKER_00]: Love doing these every single year.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's fun to break them all down.
[SPEAKER_00]: I got plenty of guests lined up over the next two months, be going prospects and dynasty for each position.
[SPEAKER_00]: Some of the bigger positions, like, you know, I'll feel a picture, etc.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll have even more episodes.
[SPEAKER_00]: That way I'm not trying to rush through all the rankings.
[SPEAKER_00]: Get a lot of player discussion, a lot of rankings break down, some debates, and plenty of great guests.
[SPEAKER_00]: along the way to break it all down with me, starting with catcher prospect today.
[SPEAKER_00]: Do not have a guess this episode.
[SPEAKER_00]: This one's just me rolling solo, but not many other episodes throughout the entire series that will be just me.
[SPEAKER_00]: But today you get me, but catcher prospects are really fun to talk about.
[SPEAKER_00]: Actually, you know, this position, both at the major league level and the minor league
[SPEAKER_00]: It's no longer a boring musician plenty of young talents and that's already debuted that I'll get to in the dynasty episode later this week and still plenty of more talent along the way before we get into all of that The usual housekeeping.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and review.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can find all the my content either on Rotobar or over on my patreon toolshedfanacete.com And make sure you check out all of the great content over on Rotobar.
[SPEAKER_00]: With Rourter Ballers premium pass, gain access to expert tools and advice from proven winners, including team sync, light up assistant tools, free agent finder, prox and the number one DFS light up optimizer, our premium pass goes to they with 100% money back guarantee, just go to rourterballard.com slash radio and use the discount code tool shed to get 10% off at checkout.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, let's start with, and I'm gonna do a little clumps here of the rankings.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's start with the top five.
[SPEAKER_00]: go in Samuel Bassayo, Joe Swapersignio, Reignio Rodriguez, Carter Jensen, and Moises by Esteros in that five spots.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll see what three of those guys have already debuted.
[SPEAKER_00]: Bassayo, Jensen by Esteros, all debuted last season.
[SPEAKER_00]: Bassignio probably does later in 2026, but Reignio is still another year or two after that, probably more 2027.
[SPEAKER_00]: or even 28 debut for Rodriguez, but plenty of talent there.
[SPEAKER_00]: All five of those guys are inside of my top 60 with three inside the top 30.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I start right at the top with Samuel Bassayo.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously got a little bit of a cup of coffee with the big club this past year and tore up Triple A before he got his,
[SPEAKER_00]: debut, 118 plate appearances with Baltimore, four home runs, only a 165, 229, 330 slash line, a hard to take much amount of 118 plate appearance sample size for a guy that just debuted in the major leagues.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, rookie first in the majors, I'm not going to be, you know, too mad about that or our hold that against him.
[SPEAKER_00]: But in the minor leagues, again, he did, you know, everything you'd want from a future star catcher, just absolutely raking 23 bombs, 17 doubles in 76 games for AAA Norfolk, 277, 377, 589, slash line, put up some of the best quality of contact metrics in the minor leagues.
[SPEAKER_00]: 94 mile an hour average exit velocity 57.5% hard hit rate and a 21% barrel rate.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, there's no doubt in my mind that the silo could be a 30 homer bat at the catcher spot.
[SPEAKER_00]: no doubt my mind do I think he stays behind the plate.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the question and you can have that question with you know at least half of these guys for some reason or another whether it be their defense of metrics or just who else is behind the plate in that organization.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, we know in Baltimore, they already have Adley Rochman there.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, do we see more of Besayo at de H this year?
[SPEAKER_00]: We're thinking maybe some first base, but then they just sign Pita Lanzo.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you can imagine that Messiah gets many reps at first base.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe so gets enough at catcher to, you know, as Adly's backup to maintain eligibility there.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I feel like in 2026, at least, you see the lion share of Messiah's reps coming at the DH spot.
[SPEAKER_00]: But for now, he'll retain catcher eligibility.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll see about 2027 and beyond.
[SPEAKER_00]: But,
[SPEAKER_00]: Regardless of, if it's first base, catcher, de-age, some variation or combination of those three positions, this is a potential 30-hummer bat, elite quality of contact.
[SPEAKER_00]: I do kind of wonder if the batting average is, you know, like more on the 250, the 260 range, than like 272, 80.
[SPEAKER_00]: Zone contact was just around 82% which is fine.
[SPEAKER_00]: Overall contact was a tip of low 70%.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, the average is not super high, but I don't, you know, I'm not concerned that it's going to be super low either.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think it's going to be too 20 to 30, anything like that, you know, even if it's too 50 to 60, if you're getting 25, 30 plus home runs from Bessayo, that's still a very valuable player, and especially from the catcher spot.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like that's a top five catcher, you know, with the upside for more, you know, maybe he does it 270 with 35 and he's, you know, on the top two with three
[SPEAKER_00]: for fantasy baseball purposes.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the upside we're talking about with the psio.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's why he's my number one guy right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's why he's in the one guy for I think basically everybody that does rankings whether it's individually or the the bigger outlets.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's in like baseball America, pipeline, et cetera.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's pretty universal that Bassayo is the number one catching prospect in the game, whether it's real life or fantasy focused rankings which obviously mine are.
[SPEAKER_00]: And right now I have him at number 11 overall in my top 500 for prospect rankings and definitely number one overall for me this position.
[SPEAKER_00]: But then after that, I think there's a good debate.
[SPEAKER_00]: for who could be number two, and I think that the two candidates and maybe even a third you can you can loop into this.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the two main candidates are Joe Swipe for saying, you know, and reneal Rodriguez.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I bet you you'd see some people throw Carter Jensen in that mix as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's been number four, but I did recently move him up in my rankings because I was I write him too well.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, 100% admit that, you know, he had a phenomenal, you know, 20, 25 from start to finish, I'll get to him in a second now.
[SPEAKER_00]: I did put a pull up, you know, from the tool shed Twitter account, which is still going on.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll still be going on until sometime in the early evening of Monday.
[SPEAKER_00]: But as of now, I just simply asked which catching possible it will be the best for fantasy baseball long term between radio Rodriguez and Joe Swapersenio right now, 50.6% for Bersenio 49.4% for Rodriguez.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's pretty split right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: You've got a lot of Rodriguez supporters out there after the year.
[SPEAKER_00]: He just had, you looking at 20 home runs in 368 plate appearances between the complex level, low A and then four games in high A.
[SPEAKER_00]: So all those home runs came in in complex or low A, but did get up to high A as an 18 year old.
[SPEAKER_00]: very impressive there, 276, 399, 555 slash line for Rodriguez, 162, WRC plus 14.7 percent walk rate, 17.7 percent strike out rate, you know, he's gotten this high for a reason.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, the power,
[SPEAKER_00]: The quality contact doesn't wow you right now, but you see the upside with the power metrics for him.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, right now, he's already above average to plus raw power, you know, for his age.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think you can see that tick up even further, you know, as he matures and, you know, kind of maybe even gains a little bit of bulk.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think there's a chance for him to add a little bit of bulk.
[SPEAKER_00]: Not a ton of projection, but I do think you get another five to 10 pounds of muscle there and like Pesayo, I think there's a chance he's a 30 homer bat in the majors as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the context skills,
[SPEAKER_00]: are pretty solid, you know, not great, but, you know, he was around 73, 74% overall contact this year.
[SPEAKER_00]: I did tick down a little bit as he got the high A, but again, that was only, you know, very small sample size.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was around 77% in low A with a swing and strike rate just below 10%.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if he's, you know, let's say 50 grade hit tool is, you know, for context skills with a good approach, you know, as I just said, you know, fairly good so you can strike rate in low A, you know, overall that walk rate nearly a 15% walk rate and carry under 20% all facing competition much older than him.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you could say above average to plus approach to go with, you know, decent context skills and potentially plus power.
[SPEAKER_00]: So there's plenty of upside here with raining what regas and reason why he's number three and so number two for me, you know, obviously I like I love my number two in Brasigno, I've been breaking big on him for a bit now, but you know, Rodriguez still a bit further away, senior a little more proven, that's why I go per se knew myself.
[SPEAKER_00]: but they're close to my rankings.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, rock emotes, there are six spots apart, currently in my rankings overall.
[SPEAKER_00]: Mercedes at 21, Rodriguez is at 27.
[SPEAKER_00]: So both and that 20, the 30 range, both in the same tier and you can't go wrong either way, but
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, this year, it kind of had the best year all the round of this professional career was limited in 2023 and 2024, you know, due to injuries, you know, only played in 40 games in 2024, but in 2025, between high A and AA nearly split between those two levels.
[SPEAKER_00]: Overall, it's launched 266, 383, 500, 20 home runs and a 16.8 percent, I think that was in 16 when 8 percent wasn't high.
[SPEAKER_00]: 14.9 percent overall walk rate, 19.7 percent strikeout rate.
[SPEAKER_00]: When you look at the combination of contact, approach, and power, I can make an argument.
[SPEAKER_00]: that no catching prospect, including semi-besalio has the overall blend of those three tools that Resignio has.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, he's always been above average contact.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was around 76% in 2023, 2024 was up over 80% in this past year, right around 76% again, and pretty similar contact rates between high A and double A.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's why, you know, you see the overall slash line did tick down in double A, only 232, 335, 381,
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, but he still had a 12.6% walk rate, 23.7% K rate is not bad, and so had a good contact skill.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm not, you know, digging him too much for that.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, he hits the ball in the air pretty consistently, you know, healthy fly ball rate, healthy line drive rate, you know, pull rate right around, you know, upper 30s around 40% hits the ball at pretty solid angles.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a plus power bat.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is an above average contact bat
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, obviously he's not going to give you any speed, you know, he might be more silver first base with a long term.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was pretty split there in terms of games played last year.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I still, you know, I'm not 100% sure where he ends up long term, but, you know, he could be a little bit of both, you know, because right now, Torklissons at first, you get Dylan Dingler catcher.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's not like there's a glaring opening, either of those
[SPEAKER_00]: It's similar to Pesayo or this, you know, more so some TH reps opening, you know, his career in the major leagues, which, again, should probably be later on in 2026, probably the summer, because he got up to AA for 45 games last year.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I imagine if he does start in AA again next year, it won't be for long, maybe even starts to trip away.
[SPEAKER_00]: So sometimes I'm on the summer around the all start break.
[SPEAKER_00]: I feel it's pretty realistic for a debut for Percenio.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he's a 25 homer bat long term.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think this is a guy's a hit for a decent average.
[SPEAKER_00]: and a good OBP as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am very high on Brasignio.
[SPEAKER_00]: Love to him ever since I saw him out in the AFL a couple years ago.
[SPEAKER_00]: Saw him in AA this past year as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: Very high on the batter per seignio and the metrics really back it up.
[SPEAKER_00]: And again, contact approach, power.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's all there for Brasignio.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's why I have him so high.
[SPEAKER_00]: Nearly top 20 in my ranking.
[SPEAKER_00]: So overall,
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think I'm probably one of the higher analysts on Perseignio at this point.
[SPEAKER_00]: But hey, he's deserve the high ranking.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, everything you've seen, I've seen from him, just as phenomenal from Joseph Perseignio.
[SPEAKER_00]: So he's my number two.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then the guy that you can give a chance to be in that number two overall,
[SPEAKER_00]: The discussion behind Bessayo is Carter Jensen.
[SPEAKER_00]: He just hit a crap out of the ball for the entire year.
[SPEAKER_00]: Had a fun little debut with the Royals this year, 20 games, 69 played appearances, 391, 550 slash line, three home runs in that span.
[SPEAKER_00]: walk to the 13% clip only struck out 17 and a half percent of the time this coming after you know an equally as impressive stand in AAA two 90 377 501 20 home runs 10 steals and 111 games with a 12.2 percent walk rate and a 24.8 percent strikeout rate contact skills you know zones a little bit above average he's around 84 percent
[SPEAKER_00]: in zone and overall was a tick below 70% and it's a little bit of concern there not major concern though it's not terrible by any means and when you look at the quality of contact he has I mean it is phenomenal I mean it wasn't quite Roman Anthony you know Nick Kirk's
[SPEAKER_00]: but really good, you know, overall, 94 mile an hour average EV, 59% hard hit rate and a 15% barrel rate.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, yeah, she was pretty much on par with those guys in an EV and hard hit barrel rate.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're more so like that 20, 21% range, at least the high teen.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, few percentage months below and barrel rate, but hey, those are nothing to scoff at.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those are elite metrics.
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, and context skills fine.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you know, again, I do wonder, you know, the overall contact little low, but doesn't strike out a ton.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's always kind of bend in that, you know, mid 20% range of your take.
[SPEAKER_00]: It did tick up to 28.3% in AAA and 43 games.
[SPEAKER_00]: We also walked at a 16.3% clip.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you got him based on a 40% clip in Triple A over all last year, 24.8% K rate in the miners, you know, but it's ever been like 30% or anything like that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm not terribly concerned.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, maybe he is more 260 than 280.
[SPEAKER_00]: But again, context skills are not terrible.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you can never really count on catches giving much speed, but sometimes, you know, even the like five to eight, just a little cherry on top of the Sunday, so to speak.
[SPEAKER_00]: He had 10 steals last year and 111 games, 17 and 24 and 125 games, 11 and 20, 23 and 116 games and 8 and 22 and 113 games.
[SPEAKER_00]: So he's always been, you know, he's between between what 8 and 17 and each of his four full minor league seasons.
[SPEAKER_00]: go with a good OPP, you know, I think salt average as well, you know, I was definitely too low on him and I've corrected that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I could even push him higher and I have him around 50 overall.
[SPEAKER_00]: I might even push them higher.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now that I'm kind of looking at, you know, his stats again, let me have been digging through catchers for a bit now, but I might even push him higher than that because again,
[SPEAKER_00]: There's no glaring red flag.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are some minor concerns here and there, but nothing, again, that's too concerning.
[SPEAKER_00]: And just the quality of contact, add a little bit of, you know, handful of steals in there, good OVP.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I think Heart Jensen's gonna be a really good catcher for a long time.
[SPEAKER_00]: And could be hitting, you know, summers in the middle of that, can't say the order.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe even in like that five spot or so, like behind, behind wit, and Vinnie P, in my Kelgar Sea and all them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Good spot to be, and that's actually a pretty decent lineup there as something there in Kansas City, especially if Jack Caglion, you know, kind of takes that next step and becomes a, you know, fearful slugger, they could have a really good, maybe even a top 10 offense in Kansas City, and I think Jen could be right in the middle of that, so he's done my number four guy right now, but you can make case for him as high as two at this position, I make you really can.
[SPEAKER_00]: Alright, and in that five spot, sprang up these top five, Moises by a steros with the Chicago Cubs.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's been one that has been pretty, I want to say top for me to rank, but I feel like my ranking on him has fluctuated a bit more than I say it was for most guys
[SPEAKER_00]: I just I don't know where he fits in to the cubs kind of like the long-term picture for the cubs.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, there are another team that doesn't have an opening at catcher, you know, they had a couple decent catchers last year, and Miguel Hamaia and why am I blanking on the cubs other catcher from last year.
[SPEAKER_00]: uh the old Carson Kelly cheese I was I was complete brain cramp on that but you know so there's no opening right now for biosteros and maybe he can get some time at dh but you know I don't know if the cubs are gonna bring in anybody else right now I guess he could be penciled into that dh but
[SPEAKER_00]: but they want to see as a zuki in the outfield full-time.
[SPEAKER_00]: That'd be kind of the move that would have to happen.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, and do they want to give, oh, in case he's in time at the age, there's a lot of moving parts here.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, I don't know if, you know, he's going to be a full-time guy to start the 2026 season, but it's a really solid bat.
[SPEAKER_00]: per biased arrows.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was in AAA for the entirety of his minor league tenure in 2025.
[SPEAKER_00]: 316-385-473 slash line 13 home runs a 9.6% walk rate and a 13.2% strikeout rate.
[SPEAKER_00]: We're in a contact rate just a hair under 80% overall.
[SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't have the power of the guys I've already
[SPEAKER_00]: You know above average power 90.2 mile an hour average exit velocity and a 43% hard hit rate Pearl rate was a little bit on the lower side and just over 6% because he did have a ground ball rate right around 50%
[SPEAKER_00]: in AAA, so love to see him get that ground ball right down a bit.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a long term I do think he might have a higher average floor, then probably all of these guys we've talked about.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you haven't been saying you're a close in that regard, but if you told me that one of these five would have a season where they hit two 90, I would probably bite about money on one guide, probably go buy a series.
[SPEAKER_00]: just before I'd go, per se, you know, but more, he's probably more of a 20 home or guy upper teens, low 20s, you know, but I could 270 to 20 type of guy.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's still, I mean, if that's a catcher tag, you know, with it, that's still very valuable.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I still saw it hit a regardless of the position, but.
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, we'd love to have catcher eligibility there with biased arrows, but this isn't quite have the upside and wondering which where he fits into the Cubs long term plans.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's why I don't have them higher, but still fit overall.
[SPEAKER_00]: Still inside my top 60 for my catcher overall prospect right in position say.
[SPEAKER_00]: So top five, Pesayo, Percenio Rodriguez, Jensen, and Baistero's going 6 through 10 now.
[SPEAKER_00]: We got Alfredo Duno with the Cincinnati Reds.
[SPEAKER_00]: He could do no wrong at near the end of the season last year.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, that's the last time I'm going to use that joke.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm sorry.
[SPEAKER_00]: I had to do it one more time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Ike Irish is in the seventh spot, distracted by the Baltimore Oreos this past summer.
[SPEAKER_00]: It watered tight in the eighth spot with the Minnesota twins.
[SPEAKER_00]: The recently traded Harry Ford in the nine spot now with the nationals.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then a massive colossal drop off of my ranking, still the 100 spots from Ford down to the next tier.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, which is really only as a two person tier.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'll kind of group those two guys together.
[SPEAKER_00]: because they both play in the same team or in the same organization, I should say Marco Dingis with the Brewers and Jefferson Carrot, also with the Brewers.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, we'll start with do know, like I said, he was really, really good down the stretch this past season and plenty of potential there.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then when he looked at the, you know, future home ballpark as well, you get really excited because this, this, this bat the upside with the bat here.
[SPEAKER_00]: at Great American ballpark is really exciting to kind of project.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, he's still a little bit away, you know, probably not going to be up this upcoming year.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would be highly, you know, I'd highly doubt that, but you know, maybe second half or 2027.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you could see him debut and, you know, he had a couple really big months, especially in the second half, like August especially,
[SPEAKER_00]: and then a few games in September.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, he at 338-490-700 in August with eight home runs, it should be eight doubles, seven home runs, and 25 games, and then three more home runs and four games in September.
[SPEAKER_00]: And look at the walk to strike out ratio.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, overall for the season, it was great.
[SPEAKER_00]: But 24 walks to 11 strikeouts.
[SPEAKER_00]: in August and four to three in September.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, combine those two months, 28 walks, the 14 strike out.
[SPEAKER_00]: So twice as many walks as strikeouts there.
[SPEAKER_00]: But overall, it was still like, I don't want to overshadow the rest of the season, which is the overall season was good.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a 287, 430, 518 slash line, 18 home runs in 113 games in low A and more walks than strikeouts overall, 19.2% walk rate to an 18.4% strikeout rate.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, yeah, a lot of good overall there, offensively on the surface.
[SPEAKER_00]: And there's plenty of the excited about under the hood as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I already mentioned the really good approach there, power, really impressive as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: 91 mile an hour average, exit velocity, 48 and a half percent hard hit rate, 14 and a half percent barrel rate.
[SPEAKER_00]: For a guy, you know, the 19 year old kid in low A, that is really, really impressive quality of contact right there context goes, you know, our little on the lower side again similar to some others I talked about where it's not in a concerning level, but that is the area.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, a possible concern moving forward.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, for do know, he had a contact rate around 68% this year.
[SPEAKER_00]: So you have to see him clean that up a little bit, but at the same time, I would be more concerned about that.
[SPEAKER_00]: It came with like a 27 plus percent key rate.
[SPEAKER_00]: It does not.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a 20% key rate more walks and strikeouts.
[SPEAKER_00]: So this is a plus or better approach overall.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's plus.
[SPEAKER_00]: It made even potentially double plus raw power in the profile as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so a lot of good here with Alfredo Duno.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then again, that home ball park love that, you know, moving forward.
[SPEAKER_00]: So do know as a chance to be, I mean, if you if you tell me what's fast forward a year and do know is the new number one catching prospect in baseball for fantasy purposes.
[SPEAKER_00]: I wouldn't scoff at that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, he'd have to get up in surpass right now where Regas, but Psyosha graduate, Samuel Mike graduate, Jensen, should graduate by a state or should graduate.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's already four of the five ahead of him graduating.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's just what Regas left in front of them.
[SPEAKER_00]: It may be a few of these guys behind him could get up there as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think there is a future where do know is the new number one catching project.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he could surpass for Regas.
[SPEAKER_00]: The upside is there.
[SPEAKER_00]: And obviously we'll see how the next, you know, 12 months unfolds for each of these guys, but plenty of potential with Alfredo do now.
[SPEAKER_00]: love that bat a lot.
[SPEAKER_00]: It could be a 25 or 30 homer bat in great American ballpark as he's my number six guy at this catcher position.
[SPEAKER_00]: I Irish is a guy in the seven spot where I absolutely love the bat more and more every time I got to dug into him.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is back during, you know, when I was doing
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I start it out, you know, thinking or if he's just a catcher, you know, I'm not sure if I want to rank him super pies, if you think people know in my rankings, that catchers for fantasy focused rankings like mine are maybe getting dinged a little bit not not a huge ding but it's a little ding kind of like a door ding and a parking lot not a huge den, but
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't believe he's going to be catcher long term.
[SPEAKER_00]: So the more I kind of thought about that, read some of the reports, and then especially with the organization he landed with, now I am pretty sure he's not gonna be catcher.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, even though they drafted him as so said catcher, he played some catcher this year after the draft.
[SPEAKER_00]: catcher first base corner out field.
[SPEAKER_00]: All those avenues are still pretty wide open right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: But regardless of where he ends up and right now I am still including him as catcher because you know, he's still kind of eligible there.
[SPEAKER_00]: So to speak.
[SPEAKER_00]: But long term, I don't care what the position is.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'd love to have catcher for Ike Irish, but even if he's first base outfield recommendation of those two.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to be very high on the bat as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's the bat, it's plus power, it's plus approach and it's solid contacts above average contact and he runs a bit far from a burner.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't take that as me saying, you know, above average speed or the nice fringe average speed, but it's still 11 bags and 55 games for Auburn last year and it's finally year there, three bags and 20 games in
[SPEAKER_00]: You know how to contact rate the under 80% after the draft, you know, almost as many walks as straightouts in his final year at Auburn.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think there's a potential to hit for a good average with a good OBP keeps that K rate in check and an above average to plus power bat that could give you maybe 5 to 10 steel as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think there'll be a better chance of that being 10 as opposed to 5 steel or so
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll see how that transpires.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to see kind of how they use him defensively in 2026.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think I could see him second half of the year or up in AA.
[SPEAKER_00]: I assume they'll start probably at high A and begin to 2026.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I might get some live looks later in the season.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, I am just.
[SPEAKER_00]: really enamored with the bat of like Irish.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think I had him hire the most in F like PD rankings.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I had him as a no doubt top 10 guy.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think many did.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he's probably more, you know, not like terribly far off, but more like probably 12 or 13 range at vibe to guess.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you look at like F like PD ADP, I think I was probably one of the higher on him, you know, him and Ethan Conrad from the Cubs to collegiate bats.
[SPEAKER_00]: I really liked in this past draft.
[SPEAKER_00]: and then landing a Baltimore just another, you know, positive for the profile.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I, Guy Rich, I think is a huge huge target for me, whether it be FIPD or just in general.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would look to get him now, I think that price tag is going to jump up a good bit.
[SPEAKER_00]: in 2026.
[SPEAKER_00]: He could be in the running for a number one catcher too if he's still catcher with that point in time.
[SPEAKER_00]: He could be the one that jumps up into the top 25 to up 30 overall in fantasy focus rankings.
[SPEAKER_00]: Very, very high on Eich Irish.
[SPEAKER_00]: Next name here was one of the bigger prospect names.
[SPEAKER_00]: available, you know, or available that works traded during the trade deadline period this year going from Filly to Minnesota that's Eduardo Tite, you know, overall 253, 311, 427 slash line.
[SPEAKER_00]: this year in 112 games between low-A and high-A, 486 play appearances that have 14 home runs and 32 doubles, you know, eight, you know, no steel is for tight.
[SPEAKER_00]: This year did that five and the previous season, but none.
[SPEAKER_00]: So he's not going to be a guy, you know, like Irish and I give you a handful of steals.
[SPEAKER_00]: He relies solely on the bats and power, especially.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a potential plus power bat.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's still kind of growing into his power, but he's already given us glimpses of the power potential that he has.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, X-rays hit machine already.
[SPEAKER_00]: 47 X-rays hits, you know, as a 20 year old, actually has a 19 year old this past year.
[SPEAKER_00]: Good chunk of the season as the 18 year old intern 19 to late August.
[SPEAKER_00]: So most of the season at age 18 and already showing pretty impressive power metrics, you know, context skills aren't bad either.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I think people look at the power first and foremost and look at the average I was at 253 that's not something that's in jobs at the page at you know, but overall contact
[SPEAKER_00]: And so you can strike rate, you know, about 12.5% that's not terrible by any means, so context sales are pretty good.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's just he is more aggressive than most of the, you know, either guys ahead of him, you know, walk rate was seven and a half percent.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's not terrible, not really that good either as below average.
[SPEAKER_00]: But, you know, not a lot of strikeouts, so K rate was right around 20% just
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, facing, you know, mostly older competitions, so you're still going to like that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So he's one that I think is a pretty solid value target right now, because I think, you know, looking at just the surface stats, again, that slash line.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: Nothing doesn't give you that warm and fuzzy feeling inside.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, I think you might have the perceived value remain in check entering 2026.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's a one that I think could dig another jump this year as well, not even not to that top tier one level.
[SPEAKER_00]: I had this capture position for prospects, but I think tier two, I think he could be a guy that's ranked like in that 40 to 50 range near the end of the season.
[SPEAKER_00]: There was a good get from Minnesota, love the potential here with tights.
[SPEAKER_00]: especially if he continues showing that good blend of contact and power just want to see him kind of clean up the approach you may be in a little more passive wait for pitches to drive that could also help the power long-term and get that walk away up a little bit but still plenty to like here in the young and 18-year-old profile of Edward of Tite.
[SPEAKER_00]: So he is was at number eight
[SPEAKER_00]: He's kind of the last of this like the real top catching prospects, as I mentioned, it falls off hard to the Milwaukee duo forward now is right around a hundred overall, and then the Milwaukee duo is in the 180 to a 90 range overall.
[SPEAKER_00]: My prospect rankings, and as we, you know, if you paying attention to the hot stove, Harry Ford in the news here, you know, for being traded,
[SPEAKER_00]: to the wash to the nationals in the Jose Ferrer trade, you know, what's it about?
[SPEAKER_00]: We could go at this point and my first, you know, my initial reaction to the trade was how she's excited that forward as a chance to
[SPEAKER_00]: really start much sooner now because he is no longer behind the shadow of big dumpper, you know, big dumpper cast a big shadow there in Seattle that forward, you know, was probably was not going to get out from behind outside of a position change or an injury to Cal Raleigh.
[SPEAKER_00]: But now that he's in Washington, it says Kibya Ruiz there and much easier to
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, you're well-minged in the major leagues outside of a, you know, thesis in here and there, but definitely no cow rolly, that's for sure.
[SPEAKER_00]: And Ford, you know, while the prospect shine has dimmed a little bit on him.
[SPEAKER_00]: You only get seven steals last year after stealing a bunch of bags in previous seasons, it was still a good season.
[SPEAKER_00]: In 450 player appearances in Triple A, 283, 408, 460 slash line had 16 home runs, 83% zone contact, 77% overall contact, you know, a great approach as he always has had 16.2% walk rate, 19.2% K rate and still has decent power, the power is not of a huge part of his game.
[SPEAKER_00]: but I do think there's power there to be like a 15 home or bat.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was a 42% hard hit rate in an 8.7% barrel rate in triple lay last season.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then you got a cup of coffee with the mariners late in the season.
[SPEAKER_00]: But even if it's only like a, you know,
[SPEAKER_00]: low to mid teens home run guy.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think there's a chance to hit like 26270 to 75 in the majors with a good OPP.
[SPEAKER_00]: So if you're in those leagues, think he has nice little uptake and value at OPP formats.
[SPEAKER_00]: Could be a high OPP guy.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's always been a high walk rate guy.
[SPEAKER_00]: And this is a above average runner too.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's a good athlete, very good athlete.
[SPEAKER_00]: One of the better athletes at this
[SPEAKER_00]: Didn't steal again, didn't steal a lot of bags this past year when he's seven steels, but he's had some 30, he had a 30 plus season here before that, so I think you could definitely see double the speed to him, maybe in 15 to 20.
[SPEAKER_00]: want to see how much he decides to run the upcoming year is we all know speed isn't everything when it goes to you know stealing bags obviously it's a good contributing factor but you know you have to have that willingness to run and we've seen plus speed guys not still a lot and we've seen below average speed guys still a ton so look a little one soda or Josh Dealer that just shows that there's there are many paths to writing value in the stolen base column
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, for being good athlete who has shown the willingness to run in the past, that's how much is last year, I want to see if that kind of bounces back.
[SPEAKER_00]: So very fantasy-friendly profile here from Harry Ford, and now he has a chance to really show that, you know, bigger capacity with the nationals this year.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, I'm not going to go like super deep on every prospect here, but I want to give my 11th to 20.
[SPEAKER_00]: I have a breakout pick.
[SPEAKER_00]: As you remember from previous years, you know, clicking.
[SPEAKER_00]: I always did a breakout pick for, you know, the prospect episodes during this ranking series.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so I got one of those close up the show and I'll talk head on a couple other names here, some of the more intriguing names.
[SPEAKER_00]: Uh, so again, 10 and 11, I was Marco Dingis and Jefferson Cairo, then 12 is Chris Swarrow from the Metz, who's another good athlete too.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's one, you know, potential breakout pick there too, not my breakout pick for this episode, but if I had to pick two, a second breakout, I'd go with Swarrow, you know, he's
[SPEAKER_00]: to do a little bit of everything, you know, this past year, and I saw him out in the air as in a fall league as well, and he had a good fall league showing, but really good minor league showing this year as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: The overall stats might not indicate that, you know, I think it was a solid year overall, you know,
[SPEAKER_00]: He only 233, that was kind of like the low point and then reason why, you know, I think they're a perceived value for him as a blown up yet, but he had 16 home runs, he had 35 steals and 150 games, this is between high A and AA at a 14.7% walk rates.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, but the concern right now is that he had a 30 and a half percent strike out right in double a 29.3% in, you know, in high A, he is very, very pull happy, almost to a point where it's too pull happy.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, 55% pull rate this year and 57% pull rate in double a, you know, that is actually, we talked about, you know, good, bad at ball angles.
[SPEAKER_00]: But sometimes I think it goes too far and I think that might be a little too far to the pole end of the spectrum.
[SPEAKER_00]: But we'll see if that can be kind of corrected moving forward though.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's been super high pole every year of his career.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the lowest pole rate at any level was high A in 2024 or 53.7%.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we'll see, he's always been very pull-happy, but that's hit the ball in the air, a good bet, as I mentioned, a really good athlete, but contact rates, you know, have been, not the greatest, it was around 67, 60%, this past year, with that higher K rate, but a lot of good in the profile as well, you know, some, it's kind of a mixed bag, but plenty of exciting tools as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think swear could be a decent riser in 2026.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's my number 12 catching prospect.
[SPEAKER_00]: We got Cooper Engel in the 13 spot Jimmy Crooks in the 14 spot 15 is Rafael Flores 16 Daniel Suzac 17 Joe Mac 18 Ramon Ramirez 19 Luke Stevenson and 20 Leonardo Bernal want to catch a lot of St. Louis guys here
[SPEAKER_00]: It Lewis always has, you know, a good catchers in their system, I think it's an area they've seem to really focus on over the last several years, especially obviously, you know, Ivan Herrera was another one, he was up in the major leagues and Bernal should be up.
[SPEAKER_00]: Soon, Crook debuted in 2025, he's a little bit older at 24, you know, but, you know, there's a couple of names I wanted to touch on kind of briefly here before I get my breakout pick.
[SPEAKER_00]: You probably wondering, hey, where is Ethan Salis?
[SPEAKER_00]: He is 21, and that's legit.
[SPEAKER_00]: You see my rankings as legit.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's seven spots in my overall, behind Bernal, you know, but 21 here,
[SPEAKER_00]: I've never been super high on Salus.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you actually even be a decent buy at this point.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm just not sure what the impact is gonna look like.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, how much is the impact the ball?
[SPEAKER_00]: How much powers their long term?
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I think it's decent contact, good advanced approach for his age.
[SPEAKER_00]: And obviously, he's a very good defensive catcher for his age, too.
[SPEAKER_00]: So,
[SPEAKER_00]: still a lot of good the profile missed nearly in the entire year this past year and again like the reason why I just didn't have a rank super high I mean even back then I think the value for him was as high as it was partially on you know just him getting pushed to double as as a 17-year-old so that we just had never seen before really so
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just don't think that highly of the all round upside.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's always showing that he can walk at at least in clip.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just don't know if the power is super impactful, but even if it's only 10 to 12 home runs, and I think there's going to be a good average there, decent LBP, and he's a good defensive catcher, so that'll keep him in the lineup.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, that perceived value in way too high.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, he was being ranked top 10, top 20 overall.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was just never there.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's still in the 19, crazy.
[SPEAKER_00]: He only would be 20.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so, you know, damn near mid-season, first of June, Salas turns 20.
[SPEAKER_00]: Still very young, even though he's been around forever.
[SPEAKER_00]: But at this point, he might even be a decent value by with how low the perceived value has gone.
[SPEAKER_00]: And again, I'm not saying, oh, run out and get Ethan Salis, as I don't think the, again, the long term upside, I'm not like super excited about it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I do think there's a potential decent ball player here, but one that is more valuable in real life than fantasy, but he's 21 and just missed this top 20.
[SPEAKER_00]: But to close out these show,
[SPEAKER_00]: my breakout pick, you know, one, all the breakout picks are outside of the top 10, so I'm not going to pick like my guy that's ranked like do know, if you'll go for them second to six to second in my rankings, I don't think that's, I don't think that truly encapsulates a breakout, you know, Fecky's already kind of broken out, but, you know, guy that's, I didn't ranks terribly high in the beginning part of my FIPD ranking process, this past spring,
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, Luke Stevenson, you know, of the Seattle Mariners, you know, maybe, you know, it's because, um, North Carolina guy, I mean, no more, more so for, you know, you know, college baseball, I do root for North Carolina, but it's not like as super passionate as I am, but North Carolina, Tara Hill is college basketball, primarily I call, you know, for actually rooting for a team, I do that for basketball, you know, baseball, I mean, I'll root for them, but I'm more for this watch for the game.
[SPEAKER_00]: and watch for, you know, the talent, watching players, I don't know, if they, if they, if they look at it, I don't really get to bend on a shape about it, but I do watch probably more North Carolina games than any other college asks why I've been hiding from their guys in the past.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, hasn't really worked out, you know, especially like horsvath and, um, and vans honey cut they didn't really pan out so far, but looks to you as a guy I really like he is a good defensive catcher potentially gold glove caliber defensive catcher down the road, good arm and good fielder high IQ like everything you want from your future catcher and maybe this is a guy that eventually kind of.
[SPEAKER_00]: forces cavalry to slide into a DH roll down the road or, you know, at least, you know, partially into a DH roll because Stevenson is a really good defensive catcher with pretty good power upside too.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, this is above average to plus power bats.
[SPEAKER_00]: Got that showed a pretty good approach in this collegiate career at North Carolina.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the contact skills
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, they were not, I mean, he'd not a contact guy, sort of speak.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, not terrible contact by any means, but I think many would consider him definitely power over hit, but
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think it's going to be terrible contact.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you look at the 251 average from last year at UNC, you know, that's not great, but he didn't walk a ton, 20 to 0.3 percent, you know, 24.1 percent strikeout rate, you know, in his brief cup of coffee after the draft, which is only 75 at bats, 100 plate appearances, it was a 78 percent contact rate.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can't always take two on trim that and he was 21 in low A.
[SPEAKER_00]: So,
[SPEAKER_00]: Now a lot you can take from that, but I just, I don't think it's going to be like a low average.
[SPEAKER_00]: Private won't be a high average, but I do think he can hit like 25260, which, you know, in this day and age, especially at catcher, it's still decent.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he's right around the middle of the road in terms of contact abilities and a guy that, again, if you're an OBP format, I think there's more value there, but he's always been a super high walk-rate guy.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was 17.8% in 2024 at UNC 20.3% last spring in UNC in that breathe cup of coffee after the draft 23% with only a 19% K rate, so I was 284.6400.
[SPEAKER_00]: So above average plus power.
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, and elite walk rate guy.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think the context sales will be fine.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think they're going to be a detriment to his value.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think they'll be, you know, below 70% or anything like that.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think you can see a nice uptick and value a big jump in rankings.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe even to.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, like back end, topwood 100 status.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think it'll be too good.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lead to catch your prospect rankings, you know, territory.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I can see him being, you know, like a top 10 catching prospect and back end, topwood 100 overall.
[SPEAKER_00]: So Luke Stevenson from the Mariners is my breakout pick for the catcher position and to recap my top 20.
[SPEAKER_00]: 1-5, Sammy Bessayo, Jose Perseignio, Rinyo Rodriguez, Hunter Jensen, Mojizbaya, Stairos, 6-10, Alfredo Duno, Eich Irish, Eduardo Tahit, Harry Ford, Marco Dingis, 11-15, Jefferson Cairo, Chris Swarrow, Cooper Engle, Jimmy Crooks, and Rafael Flores.
[SPEAKER_00]: And 16th through 20 Daniel Suzak, Joe Mack, Ramon Ramirez, Luke Stevenson, and Leonardo Bernal with Ethan Salas in that 21 spot that'll wrap up the catcher prospect episode.
[SPEAKER_00]: I have catcher dynasty coming up on Friday with a great guest, but until then everyone take care.