2057 BL Positional Rankings – Catchers
With the 2057 season just a week away it is time to start ranking the projected starters for each Bronze League team. Let’s kick things off with the Catchers!
- Jorge Ulloa (Houston)
Acquired recently from Philapelhpia in exchange for draft capital, Houston’s front office was looking for an upgrade over C.J. Hans in order to solidify their promotion push. Last season in 82 games Ulloa posted .283/.361/.438 with an OPS+ of 131. The biggest hole in his offensive game is hitting LHP, who he posted .185/.252/.246 last season, good for -0.2 WAR. Behind the plate he played 586.0 innings and posted a ZR of 1.6 with a CS% of 33.9.
- Ramon Sardon (Seattle)
Sardon must be happy with his new contract, $22.6M over the next three seasons. In a slew of acquisitions made through free agency Sardon is seen as the favorite to lead the team behind the plate as he has experienced every level of play in the CBA. In the words of Seattle’s front office “Another BL regular, Shitty personality, but at a premium position I like the deal.” They can only hope he returns to his 2055 form with Atalanta where he slashed .302/.358/.409 with an OPS+ of 111. As long as his defensive capabilities hold par this should be seen as a solid addition to a resurging ballclub.
- Gabriel Gomez (Charlotte)
Gomez is no new name to Charlotte fans, he has been with the team since August of 2051 racking up 207 starts for the team in that time. Last season was a bit of a breakout season for Gomez where he put up .254/.293/.453 and an OPS+ of 108. This was his first big league season where he posted an OPS+ north of 100. Thankfully regression will be allowed to an extent if he can keep up his pace of a 3.82 CERA and a CS% of 28.3.
- Sib Boesveld (Tampa Bay)
Boesveld has actually never played a game for a big league team, Tampa Bay currently has no catcher on their 40-Man Roster and he appears to be the most qualified. In 67 games last season for the Long Beach Waves (Reserves) he was able to slash .268/.357/.391 and an OPS+ of 107. Even with regression due to better competition Boesveld still slates to be a better offensive piece than most of his Bronze League peers. His CERA of 3.89 and CS% of 27.3 will both go a long ways in being a mentor for that young pitching core down in Tampa Bay.
- Hydajet Ahmetaj (Vancouver)
Ahmetaj has been a long awaited arrival among Vancouver fans. The first round draft pick from 2051 has played over 400 games in the Vancouver system. Despite his tenure in the minors he will still only be 23 years old on Opening Day. From the left-side of the plate Ahmetaj slashed .329/.360/.478 with an OPS+ of 128 for the Lake Oswego Lumberjack (Reserves). With his CERA of 4.43 and CS% of 24.6 he will need to be a solid hitter in order to have an impact at the big league level.
- Ramon Otero (Philadelphia)
Ortero highlights the “best of the rest” when it comes to catchers in the Bronze League. The 28 year old second year player doesn’t have anything exceptional to bring to the table. His bat leaves much to be desired, especially against LHP. His value will be carried by his CS% of 31.8.
- Juan Gonzalez (Atlanta)
While not much Gonzalez does is impressive, he somehow managed to get better after his team’s promotion in 2055. Unfortunately for him he is back in the Bronze League where he has posted a career WAR of -.2 in 111 starts behind the plate. However; if he can back to his 2055 defensive stats of a 2.85 CERA and 35.9 CS% he should be able to provide some sort of value.
- Jake Cooper (Minnesota)
We aren’t convinced Mr. Cooper has ever stepped foot outside of Minnesota. The 31 year old was born in St. Paul and drafted by the Freeze in the 117th round of the 2050 inaugural draft. Cooper has the chance to break 600 total games for the Minnesota franchise this season. Sadly, other than his 2055 Silver League Gold Glove that is where his list of significant accomplishments ends. But hey, at least he’s durable.
- Dan Kohls (Boston)
The former top-10 pick has failed to live up to the label despite playing at both the Premier League and Silver League levels. Last season in the Silver League he slashed .230/.268/.324 with an OPS+ of 61. Both of these marks are well below league-average. Somehow his hitting isn’t even the worst part of his game. Last season he was on the mound for 72 innings and posted an ERA of 6.88 and a WAR of -0.4.
- Erik Pizzo (Miami)
Pizzo must have blackmailed Miami’s front office because after posting an OPS+ of 38, yes you read that correctly, he is still slated to be behind the plate come Opening Day. According to his peers he is a terrible leader and his work ethic has been compared to that of Dwayne Haskins. It seems like Pizzo’s main goal this season should be to strikeout less than 100 times, which he has done in 4/6 big league seasons.