2024 MLB Draft Preview: Catcher

[Jamie Cameron]

2024 MLB draft coverage is kicking off with positional previews. We start with an intriguing crop of catchers.

Image courtesy of Brock Beauchamp

We’re excited to ratchet up 2024 MLB Draft content in the coming weeks. We’ll start with a series of articles detailing each positional demographic. These pieces aren’t meant to be an exhaustive list, but rather, an overview of the caliber of talent at the position. For each player, we'll run down some basic information, in addition to some strengths and weaknesses. You’ll also find their current position on the Consensus MLB Draft Board in parentheses next to their name.

The catching class in 2023 was extremely thin and top-heavy. Beyond Blake Mitchell (8th to the Royals) and Kyle Teel (14th to the Red Sox), Michael Carico (149th to the Cubs) was the only other true catcher who finished the cycle with a top 100 consensus ranking. This year's class is carried mostly by the college crop. Who are the names to know, and what are their strengths and (ahem) opportunities? Let’s dig in.

Caleb Lomavita R/R, Cal (21)
Caleb Lomavita is one of a handful of names from a collegiate catching crop that will likely be Day One selections in July. The native of Hawaii has improved his offensive game steadily over three seasons at Cal.

Lomavita has an unusual setup at the plate, crouched in an open stance before starting a leg drift to a more closed approach as the pitcher starts their motion. Nonetheless, it works. Lomavita has a launch-oriented swing that provides a nice balance between above-average hit and power tools, finding the barrel of the bat often enough to balance his good contact rate with plenty of hard-hit balls. While he doesn't walk much (10 in 49 games), there's a ton of impact here: Lomavita has launched 14 home runs and 12 doubles in 2024. He's an excellent athlete and has at least average speed, even acting as an opportunistic base stealer.

 

While there's refinement needed on the defensive side of his game (receiving, framing, etc.), he has the foundation to stick at the position with good lateral quickness and an above-average to plus arm. If he doesn't stick behind the plate, there's a first-base or corner-outfield profile there with his athleticism. Lomavita could be the first collegiate backstop off the board in July.

Malcolm Moore L/R, Stanford (24)
Moore was one of the better prep bats in the 2022 class and one of the highest-ranked players not to sign. Moore made it to campus at Stamford and will be extremely young for the class (20) as a draft-eligible sophomore in 2024.

Moore had an extremely unusual setup at the plate that he has simplified this season. However strange his operation was, it was effective in his freshman season in Palo Alto, to the tune of 15 home runs and 20 doubles. Moore’s approach and swing decisions have improved in 2024, as he has walked more this season. He has excellent bat-to-ball skills but seems to have suffered some bad batted-ball luck.

Moore is a question mark behind the plate. A solid arm is offset by the need to refine his blocking, receiving, and footwork. Moore has the offensive profile to stick in the first round regardless of defensive position, but if he can develop his catching skills, he has a chance to provide really good value.

Jacob Cozart L/R, NC State (33)
Cozart's floor is laid by the fact that he's one of the best defensive catching prospects in the class. Although tall for the position, good hands, lateral movement, defensive actions and pitch framing set an excellent foundation for (at the bare minimum) an average defensive catcher at the big-league level.

Cozart has plenty to offer on the offensive side of the ball, too, and took solid steps forward in his sophomore season. In 2023, he managed a .301/392/.536 line, with 10 home runs and 14 doubles. Most of his present power comes to the pull side, with more line-drive power to center field and the opposite field.

Cozart has typically struggled against spin, but there's plenty to like about his offensive profile. His plate discipline is very good, he doesn't strike out a ton, and he has good bat-to-ball skills. If (as has proven the case so far) Cozart can continue his steady improvement to his offensive game in 2024, he’ll be one of the first few backstops off the board.

Walker Janek R/R, Sam Houston St (34)
After back-to-back solid seasons for Sam Houston State, Walker Janek looks to have broken out in a major way in 2024. Simply put, Janek has a solid all-around profile in both his offensive and defensive game. At the plate, he has good bat speed and finds the barrel often. There's present pull-side power and good bat-to-ball skills. Although Janek does have a tendency to chase, especially against secondaries, there's a good shot that it's an above-average hit and average power tool when he's done developing, which would play well at catcher.

 

Defensively, he has one of the better arms in the catcher demographic, turning back a solid number of would-be base stealers with good pop and release times behind the plate. All the other prerequisites needed to be at least average defensively are present. Janek moves laterally and blocks well, has solid ability to frame, and while his intangible presence behind home needs some work, there's plenty to work with.

All in all, this is one of the most well-rounded catching profiles in the 2024 class. Janek is having an excellent 2024 season. An up-arrow prospect for me.

Kevin Bazzell R/R, Texas Tech (53)
Bazzell transferred to Texas Tech after spending his freshman season at DBU and immediately hit the ground running (after sitting out the 2022 season) to become one of the better bats in his conference.

At the plate, Bazzell has a quiet operation. It's a simple, smooth load, punctuated by a small leg kick to get the bat moving through the zone. His offensive profile is definitely hit over power, for now. It's a flatter bat path that's more geared toward gap power, although he did show some pop (10 HR) in his first season at TTU. As an overall offensive package, however, there's plenty to like. Bazzell doesn't chase much, walks plenty, and has strong bat-to-ball skills (92% zone contact rate in 2023).

 

While Bazzell has only fringy speed, he's an excellent athlete. An above-average arm, good defensive actions and lateral movement give him a chance to stick behind the plate. If that doesn't work out, he's played at third base for the Red Raiders and has enough athleticism to handle left field. The bat is the calling card for Bazzell, if orgs like his chances to stick behind the plate, it'll increase his stock significantly.

Cade Arrambide R/R, Tomball HS, TX (96)
The 2024 catching class is much more interesting than the 2023 class.  Though mostly buoyed by the college demographic, Arrambide is one of the best prep catchers in the class.

Arrambide has the potential to be an excellent defensive catcher. It's a plus (or better) arm that's recorded throws at over 100mph from the outfield, combined with good lateral movement and great pop times. There are other aspects of catching (such as blocking and framing) that will require refinement, but Arrambide has the potential to be an above-average to plus defender, with a right-field profile if it doesn't work behind the plate.

Offensively, there's plenty to be excited about, too. He has great bat speed and plenty of raw power, which has already shown itself in games. The big question marks with his offensive profile are bat-to-ball skills and chase rate, both of which could be exposed as a professional. If he can shore up at least one of those two areas, he has a good chance to accrue plenty of offensive and defensive value as a pro.

Honorable Mentions: Hunter Carns (101), Anderson French (124), Cole Messina (139)

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Who excites you from the catching class in 2024? Who are you higher on than other prospects? Jump into the draft conversation in the comments below.

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[tony&rodney]

Nice job; it's fun to read up on the guys who may be drafted and enter professional baseball.

Had the chance to watch a young high school catcher play a couple of games this year who might be worth a look. Burke Mabeus (from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman ) reminds me of A. J. Pierzsinski in a way. He is tall, athletic, talks, and has a full set of tools suited for baseball. While his A. J. antics may irritate some, there is real talent in the player. I have no idea whether he is willing to go pro yet.. Was told that he has committed to play for Oregon. He did well in all areas of the game against top competition.

Look forward to these articles .... thank you for putting them together.

[Cory Engelhardt]

Gotta say, I really like the idea of Malcolm Moore. He has a solid bat that SHOULD translate, and the Twins, if anything, can help a catcher refine their skills, similar to what they did working with Jeffers early on (at least in theory.)

Great write up as always!

[Dman]

Given how the board falls the Twins could possibly have their choice of any of the top catchers at 21 if that is the way they want to go.  Lomavita is only one that doesn't appear likely to be there when they pick though that could change. 

For me if the Twins are going to take a catcher in round one it should be a guy with potential for elite defense.  They have a ton of offensive minded catchers in the system as it is in Cossetti, Cardenas and Olivar.  I think Janek makes the most sense to me if they would decide to go catcher.  His arm is rated at 60 with good pop times so he has the ability to control the run game.

If they wanted to go catcher outside the first round then Bazzell makes some sense to me as well.  I don't know much about him and maybe he would be worth it as a comp pick as well.  As long as they go with strong defensive traits I would be OK with a catcher pick.

[Jamie Cameron]

45 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Nice job; it's fun to read up on the guys who may be drafted and enter professional baseball.

Had the chance to watch a young high school catcher play a couple of games this year who might be worth a look. Burke Mabeus (from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman ) reminds me of A. J. Pierzsinski in a way. He is tall, athletic, talks, and has a full set of tools suited for baseball. While his A. J. antics may irritate some, there is real talent in the player. I have no idea whether he is willing to go pro yet.. Was told that he has committed to play for Oregon. He did well in all areas of the game against top competition.

Look forward to these articles .... thank you for putting them together.

Thanks so much for reading. Mabeus is really interesting. Played really well at NHSI recently in NC from what I heard. Around 200th by consensus atm.

[Doctor Gast]

Thank you Jamie for putting this out there & starting with catching because I'm passionate about this position. I'm  passionate about it because I see a great need there in the system. To get a half-decent catcher would be expensive so drafting through player evaluation & development is the best route.

Because the need is so prevalent now I prefer focusing on college prospects. I was excited about so many high-ranking catching prospects this year. But I believe '23 Teel & Carrigg were better candidates than any in this group. Still it's a pretty good group. The candidates that I like to focus on are those that are college, have good defense (athletic & strong arm) & can hit. LH or switch-hitting is a premium. I like Lomovita but he'll probably go before we get a chance at him & he bats RH. I like LH batting prospects Moore & Covart the best.

[Jamie Cameron]

24 minutes ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

Gotta say, I really like the idea of Malcolm Moore. He has a solid bat that SHOULD translate, and the Twins, if anything, can help a catcher refine their skills, similar to what they did working with Jeffers early on (at least in theory.)

Great write up as always!

Thanks Cory! I think Moore might be the Twins first option. He has really good bat to ball skills and is controlling the strike zone more this season, despite the batted ball luck. Stanford is also known for emphasizing contact for hitters (Braden Montgomery has flourished more since leaving), so I think there's more in the tank for Moore (where the power is already good). Additionally, young for the class (as was Soto in 2023), not that important, but maybe a tiebreaker.

[Jamie Cameron]

6 minutes ago, Dman said:

Given how the board falls the Twins could possibly have their choice of any of the top catchers at 21 if that is the way they want to go.  Lomavita is only one that doesn't appear likely to be there when they pick though that could change. 

For me if the Twins are going to take a catcher in round one it should be a guy with potential for elite defense.  They have a ton of offensive minded catchers in the system as it is in Cossetti, Cardenas and Olivar.  I think Janek makes the most sense to me if they would decide to go catcher.  His arm is rated at 60 with good pop times so he has the ability to control the run game.

If they wanted to go catcher outside the first round then Bazzell makes some sense to me as well.  I don't know much about him and maybe he would be worth it as a comp pick as well.  As long as they go with strong defensive traits I would be OK with a catcher pick.

This is going to be an interesting year for the C position. I have this theory (probably wrong) that the Twins, similarly to college pitching in mid to late rounds, can find value in catching later, but there's a ton of profiles around the spot they pick. Camden Janik is a guy I'd look out for later. He plays for Illinois, really good hitter. Thanks for reading, and commenting, as always!

[2wins87]

9 minutes ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

Gotta say, I really like the idea of Malcolm Moore. He has a solid bat that SHOULD translate, and the Twins, if anything, can help a catcher refine their skills, similar to what they did working with Jeffers early on (at least in theory.)

Great write up as always!

Right now, I've got Moore and Janek as the 2 guys I'd be happy to see drafted with their first pick at 21.

Janek has just had a monster season at the plate.  The level of competition is a slight question, but hard not to be excited about what he's done on both sides of the ball.

I agree that it sounds like Moore's defense should be refinable to the point where he can play the position in the majors.  I would imagine that they would have a plus grade on his intelligence (attending Stanford) like they did for Jeffers (physics major).  The overall makeup grade will be pretty important for how they project him, but the potential seems to be there.

Lomavita's aggressive approach scares me off a bit, though he could be a good comp A pick.  The athleticism is great.

With the defensive reputation, I would think that Cozart's production this year would put him right up there with the other top catchers, though he tends to be rated a bit lower.  I guess scouts don't view his offensive tools quite as high.  Still a good potential comp A pick it would seem.

[farmerguychris]

Would love to see them find the next Jeffers soon to get them in the system and working.

[Dman]

43 minutes ago, Jamie Cameron said:

This is going to be an interesting year for the C position. I have this theory (probably wrong) that the Twins, similarly to college pitching in mid to late rounds, can find value in catching later, but there's a ton of profiles around the spot they pick. Camden Janik is a guy I'd look out for later. He plays for Illinois, really good hitter. Thanks for reading, and commenting, as always!

I agree with you.  They have been really good at finding offensive minded catchers outside the top 10 rounds. Cossetto, Cardenas and now Poncho Ruiz are all players with solid batting lines across the board (i.e. Fairly equal walk and K rates, Good BA and Slugging).  So it seems like a position they wouldn't "need" to grab a catcher early as they have been having success finding those guys later in the draft. Unless of coarse they offered elite defense with solid offense.  

Ideally I would like to see them spend their first round picks on up the middle players if possible or elite offensive performers if still available.  Tie breakers going to players with better speed or that can play multiple positions.  Also wouldn't mind arms that look like they could be elite and there should be some decent arms available at 21 as well.

[SaberNerd]

It will be interesting to see where the catching goes in this draft.  Historically, it has been the position that draft media really struggles to predict.  The Twins could easily pick Lomavita/Moore at 21 if they feel strongly they can stick at C, and the could just as easily pass on them at 33 if they don't.

 

While there really isn't a prospect in the system that looks like a big-leaguer, we could be looking at extending Jeffers, and the FO has gone to FA multiple times in the past to get a catcher.  Catcher might not be a priority high in the draft even with how nonexistent good catchers are in our farm.

[Cory Engelhardt]

2 hours ago, Jamie Cameron said:

Thanks Cory! I think Moore might be the Twins first option. He has really good bat to ball skills and is controlling the strike zone more this season, despite the batted ball luck. Stanford is also known for emphasizing contact for hitters (Braden Montgomery has flourished more since leaving), so I think there's more in the tank for Moore (where the power is already good). Additionally, young for the class (as was Soto in 2023), not that important, but maybe a tiebreaker.

Let's say, hypothetically, they do take Moore at 21 (as of today that would be the pick I would love based on who could be available) but then who would be good to pair him at 33? Prep is probably the way they go right, but would you lean an arm or a position player at that point?

Because, I gotta say, Moore at 21 and buying one of the many intriguing prep arms down to 33 sounds exciting to me.

[Jamie Cameron]

1 hour ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

Let's say, hypothetically, they do take Moore at 21 (as of today that would be the pick I would love based on who could be available) but then who would be good to pair him at 33? Prep is probably the way they go right, but would you lean an arm or a position player at that point?

Because, I gotta say, Moore at 21 and buying one of the many intriguing prep arms down to 33 sounds exciting to me.

I like that one-two punch idea in general, whether that college pick is a catcher or someone like Kaelen Culpepper.

For preps, I think the arms are interesting (more on those in a couple weeks). I'd also add that there's an emerging group of prep SS that I think are interesting. Wyatt Sanford, Theo Gillen, Kellon Lindsey, Carter Johnson. All those guys are in the 20-40 range and they all have very interesting profiles. The SS preview piece will be out Monday or Tuesday next week, so we'll have all the details coming y'all's way, A better demo (on the prep side) than was initially suggested, imo.

[DocBauer]

I'm a little more optimistic on the catching situation in the minors than some. I think Camargo has a chance to be a solid #2 with pretty good power, average or slightly below average bat, and solid but probably not great defense. I've soured somewhat on Winkel as his bat and pop was starting to play up in 2023 but he's pretty much cratered here in 2024 despite playing in a league that is generally considered to be offense heavy.

Wichita is sitting pretty right now with Cardenas...solid bat, good contact and OB%, a little pop, great defense...Cossetti....big bat and power potential but needs defensive refinement....and Morales, who looked solid his first couple of short seasons, began to break out in 2021, then virtually disappeared for about a year and a half, before coming on strong again. 

Oliver is super intriguing at A+, as long as he can refine his defense enough to stick behind the plate. While he's off to a slow start this season, Nate Baez is way more athletic than your typical backstop and has real potential, but is rough around the edges after becoming a full time catcher his last year of college. 

The Twins aren't going to want Jeffers to catch more than 100 games max, and Vazquez is gone after 2025, unless moved before then. So the Twins need someone to step up and be that #2 or co-catcher pretty soon. The draft this year isn't going to produce that guy that quickly. And I agree with you, Jamie, that the Twins seem to believe they can develop a catcher with a little time as long as the bat and some basic skills are there to work with. Jeffers was a bit of an outlier being drafted so high. But this draft offers a real opportunity to add a quality backstop in the first couple of rounds. And drafting in the 21st spot, in a weaker draft than last year, the best value might just be to grab a Moore, or Cozart with one of our first couple of picks. 

I'd be pretty happy to get one of the top guys listed here with one of the first 3 selections. But even though the Twins have taken just about every approach...HS, college, bat, arm...in the first round(s), I just have a hard time seeing them selecting a catcher at #21. Still, there's enough potential here that one of these names might be selected with the supplemental or 2nd round choice.