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With each week being dedicated to our consensus rankings at a particular position, the prospect staff at Fake Teams will also be providing position-specific coverage during these weeks. This will include a pair of prospect profiles, as well as a comparison post between two similar prospects at the position. And of course, we will be releasing our top 20 prospects at the position. This differs slightly from what we did last year, as these rankings are for the long term, rather than providing a separate list for the upcoming season only.
Bret Sayre, Craig Goldstein, and I have discussed the ranking of each player on these lists, and have come to a determination on each them of where they belong on the list. There are a number of groupings where, if you believe a prospect should move up or down a slot, we would probably not disagree. Prospect rankings remain a picture of what we see based on the information available at that moment in time, and are likely to change as the offseason progresses.
The top 10 prospects will be released on Tuesday of each week, and prospects 11-20 will be released on Thursday. Please note that at this point in the catcher rankings, you really can kind of slot them in just about any order, as right now there is not a lot separating this group from each other. With that, you can view our top 10 catching prospects here, and here are the rest of top 20 catching prospects:
11. Will Swanner (COL) (Profile in MLKT Series)
Estimated ETA: 2015-2016
12. Jake Realmuto (MIA)
Realmuto moved up to High-A for the 2012 season, and showed decent power and decent speed with 8 home runs and 13 stolen bases. He could be the long term answer in Miami at catcher, but will not likely be there for at least another 2 seasons. J.J. Cooper of Baseball America mentioned in his chat on the top 20 FSL prospects that Realmuto wore down as the season progressed, so he may need time in part to get used to catching 125-130 games a season.
Estimated ETA: 2015
13. Kevin Plawecki (NYM)
Drafted by the Mets in the supplemental first round, Plawecki hit 7 home runs in the NY-Penn League this year, and also drew more walks (25) than strikeouts (24). Plawecki is known for his ability to make contact, and it sounds like there is some upside for him in terms of power as well.
Estimated ETA: 2015
14. Max Stassi (OAK)
Stassi returned to the Cal League in 2012 after appearing in just 31 games in 2011 there, and hit 15 home runs for Stockton. I would imagine that the A's will move Stassi up to their AA affiliate for 2013, and we can find out if there is true offensive potential there, or if his numbers just appear to be inflated by the Cal League.
Estimated ETA: 2015
15. Tommy Joseph (PHI)
Acquired by the Phillies in the Hunter Pence deal, Joseph had become an expendable piece for the Giants. Joseph hit 11 home runs this year with two different AA teams, down from his Cal League inflated 22 the previous season. It remains to be seen whether he or Sebastian Valle could be the next catcher for the Phillies long-term, but Joseph could be blocked in 2013 if Valle returns to AAA to start the year.
Estimated ETA: Late 2013/2014
16. James McCann (DET)
The reports on McCann indicate that he will definitely be a catcher long-term, and that his defense will likely be good enough to carry him to the Majors. His offense remains to be seen at this point, as he has not hit for hardly any power, and has shown moments where he might hit for a decent batting average.
Estimated ETA: 2015
17. Gabriel Lino (PHI)
Acquired by the Phillies in the Jim Thome trade, Lino received rave reviews from top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy for his receiving skills. After hitting well in a small sample in the GCL in 2011, Lino hit 7 home runs between the two Sally League affiliates, but with just a .222/.293/.352 slash line.
Estimated ETA: 2016
18. Marcus Littlewood (SEA)
The Mariners are converting Littlewood to the position, as he was an infielder in previous seasons. It will be interesting to see what happens with Littlewood next year, as he seems likely to get his first full season assignment. If he can show solid defense and even a decent amount of offense there, he could vault up these rankings next year.
Estimated ETA: 2016-2017
19. Carlos Perez (HOU)
Acquired from the Blue Jays, Perez hit a solid .285/.360/.438 between Low-A and High-A this year. For me, it will be interesting to see what he can do if he is moved up beyond High-A, and whether he will have much value for fantasy owners in the long term.
Estimated ETA: 2015
20. Christian Bethancourt (ATL)
The defensive reports on Bethancourt would lead you to believe he is an elite level prospect, and he may be for the decision makers in the Majors. However, his offense (or lack thereof) has essentially crushed his value to fantasy owners, as he may not hit enough to be owned in even the deepest formats. He'll look to rebound in 2013, and could either jump way up this list or end up off it entirely.
Estimated ETA: 2015?