The Overly Supernatural Backstop
Last week, our own Tyler Lakin did a piece on the outstanding offensive prowess of Yankees catching prospect Jesus Montero. While no one doubts the 20 year old Venezuelan’s ability to absolutely mash, I remain skeptical that he will remain the Yankees long term catching prospect. No matter how many balls he deposits over the scoreboard at Steinbrenner field in Tampa, he is just too big to continue as a catcher. Montero stands at 6’4 and weighs in at 225 lbs. Montero, already large for a catcher, is predicted to keep growing into his 20’s.
When I attended the Futures Game during the 2008 MLB All-Star weekend, I was fortunate enough to watch Montero play. As he casually walked out to right field to greet fans, I remember thinking to myself “This kid is an absolute specimen.” He made other prospects look like scrawny high school players. I consulted my program and saw the “C” next to his name. “No way” I thought.
Although scouts have said his arm is strong and his ability to block balls in the dirt is above average, his timed release to second base is lacking. The Yankees are spending the spring trying to work with Montero, but quickness is not easy to teach. It may sound like I am shooting Montero’s career down before it has taken off. Don’t misunderstand me. Montero is a tremendous player with an unlimited potential in pinstripes. In the future, I believe that the Yankees will transition Montero from catcher to either 1B/DH platoon. It is here that I think Jesus will have the best chance to take the Bronx by storm either at the end of this year or the beginning of next.
You must be wondering now: Who exactly is the long term Yankees catching prospect? I would argue that the next big Yankees catcher is still a few years away, but it may be worth it to keep an eye on Austin Romine. At 21, Austin spent last season in Class A Tampa but will see time at Class AA Trenton this season. During his first year at Charleston, Romine hit .300 in 407 ABs with a .344 OBP. Although his average dipped to .276 with Class A Tampa in 2009, Romine still kept a steady OBP of .322 and a slugging percentage of .441. Romine also posted a caught stealing percentage of 30 % (a strong percentage considering early A ball teams do not put major focus on holding runners). Romine may not be the offensive force that Montero is, but based on the numbers he seems like a solid all-around prospect with the potential to shoot through AA and AAA to a major league level.
By no means is anything a lock in the game of baseball. Fans are all too familiar with how the game can change at the drop of a hat. Maybe Montero finds a way to become a 6’4 225 lb cat behind the plate and emerge as the new Yankee backstop (literally). If there is anyone that can turn Montero into a catcher, it’s Tony Pena. The only thing I am trying to point out is that the Yankees are fortunate enough to have great options behind the plate. It will be intriguing to keep an eye on Montero and Romine to see how the situation plays out.
Photo courtesy of Zimbio.com
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