As the old saying goes, you can never have enough pitching, and the same holds true for those that don the tools of ignorance. Such talent seems to be plentiful these days, with several young stars shining at the big-league level, several poised to do so in the minors, and many more at the college and high school level anxious to make their own mark.

For years Mike Piazza and Ivan Rodriguez were regulars at the mid-summer classic, appearing in 26 games between the two of them.

Piazza was nearly a lock to start every year from 1993 through 2005, representing the Dodgers and the Mets in the National League. In that span he only missed one All-Star Game, in 2003, and established himself as arguably the most feared hitting catcher of all-time.

Many speculated for years that Rodriguez would be moved to an infield position, such as second base, to elongate his career. While he isn’t nearly as productive as he once was, he has amassed some amazing numbers and attained some impressive records for catchers.

Piazza has since moved on from the game, while Rodriguez has been participating in the World Baseball Classic for his native Puerto Rico, and also recently signed a contract with the Houston Astros for the 2009 season. Both have been dubbed at times to be the best catcher since Johnny Bench, and both are locks for the Hall of Fame.

A handful of young catchers have stepped up to take the torch from both Piazza and Rodriguez.

The career of Braves backstop Brian McCann is off to an impressive start. He just turned 25 years old, and already has three all-star appearances under his belt. He appeared with Piazza in the 2005 all-star game, and may very well post 12 appearances of his own by the time his career is done.

Joe Mauer is doing the same in the American League. He will turn 26 years old next month, has two all-star appearances, and led the league in hitting two of the last three years.

The Dodgers Russell Martin is doing his best early in his career to prevent McCann from being handed the label as the best young catcher in the National League, and the Cubs’ Geovany Soto put up big numbers and was rock solid behind the plate during his rookie of the year campaign.

Dioner Navarro of the Rays enjoyed a breakout season, the Cardinals Yadier Molina and the Pirates Ryan Doumit have been quietly solid up to this point in their young careers, and Chris Iannetta is making some noise for more regular playing time with the Rockies. Lou Marson (Phillies), Pablo Sandoval (Giants) and Taylor Teagarden (Rangers) are among the better prospects in the game, and all three got a taste for big-league ball last year.

Among those yet to get a taste for the Major Leagues, Matt Wieters has continued his rapid ascent to Baltimore with yet another impressive season between two levels last summer and a trip to the Arizona Fall League. He is one of the game’s top prospects along with David Price, and could be one of baseball’s next best young stars. The Orioles moved Ramon Hernandez much earlier this offseason, reportedly to make way for their promising young phenom.

Carlos Santana is the Indians top prospect, and within a year or two his arrival may allow the Tribe to permanently move Victor Maritnez to first base. Wilson Ramos of the Twins could give Joe Mauer some much needed rest if he continues his recent improvement. J.P. Arencibia is slugging his way to the big-leagues for the Blue Jays, while Max Ramirez (Rangers) has already enjoyed a taste. Ramirez and Jesus Montero (Yankees) are likely to move to another position since their offensive prowess is much greater than their defensive skills. The Brewers have a pair of catching prospects approaching Milwaukee in Angel Salome and Jonathan Lucroy, and should either one pan out, the Brew Crew might have their first homegrown, everyday catcher since they developed Mike Matheny in the early 90s.

Buster Posey, Kyle Skipworth and Jason Castro were all taken among the top 10 picks in the draft last June, and all three are already among the top prospects in all of baseball.

I bring up all of these names because there is a wave of catching talent available for this June’s draft that is anxious to join the conversation.

However, I will point out that there is no one, can’t miss catching prospect available in this year’s draft like last year, when Kyle Skipworth entered the spring as a legitimate top 10 pick and Buster Posey quickly established himself as one. Where the class lacks in star quality at the top, it makes up for in depth.

College Crop

If you followed last summer’s major showcase and all-star events you would have known all about that depth.

The first event I had the chance to see was the Cape Cod All-Star Game. The starters for that event were Tony Sanchez (Boston College) and Trevor Coleman (Missouri), and among the reserves were Mark Fleury (North Carolina) and Ryan Ortiz (Oregon State).

Sanchez and Fleury are off to very hot starts this spring. Sanchez has been improving slowly but surely since arriving at Boston College, armed with a cannon for an arm and cat-like quickness to go along with good bat speed and gap-to-gap power. He is starting to put himself into first-round consideration as he’s off to a very strong start to his junior campaign.

Fleury is also placing himself in early round consideration as well, having a good spring playing from outside of the shadow that was once represented by Tim Federowicz. His powerful left-handed swing definitely adds value to his rising stock.

Coleman and Ortiz unfortunately have not gotten off to good starts this spring, although both enjoyed very good seasons a year ago as sophomores. Coleman’s best year in college remains his freshman season, but the year is still young, and both have plenty of time to bounce back and show what they’re capable of. Ortiz is a very good overall athlete, built more slender than most of his peers at the position at the college level. He has played some corner outfield in his career, and may develop into a versatile utility player similar to Eli Marrero.

Tommy Medica of Santa Clara, like Ortiz, may be one of the more athletically versatile players eligible for this year’s draft. He shows lively actions behind the plate, and while he has been successful throwing out opposing baserunners in the past, teams are running wildly on him this spring.

Indiana’s Josh Phegley entered the spring as the highest rated college catcher among this group. Sanchez may have closed that gap, if he didn’t surpass Phegley on most draft boards. Coming off of a huge sophomore campaign, Phegley is once again hitting above .400 and approaching double-digits in home runs just over a month into the season. Some are a little worried that his body may be wound a little too tightly, and that he may lack the loose athleticism needed to sustain long innings over the course of a full season behind the plate.

Following the lead of Buster Posey, Diego Seastrunk and Rice decided to make the most of his athletic skills and converted him to a catcher over the past year. So far the reviews are favorable, and his professional approach tailored for contact has allowed him to not miss a beat at the plate.

Few players came to college with as fanfare as Robert Stock did, after surprising a few people by leaving high school early to attend USC. The starting pitcher for the West team in the 2006 Aflac All-American Classic, scouts at the time were split as to whether he fit best on the mound or as a powerful left-handed hitting catcher. While he has been solid behind the plate, and has hit well enough, he hasn’t been as dynamic offensively as most would like. He has enjoyed success serving as the Trojans closer however, and that option remains a possibility for his future development.

Preston Clark rounds out the college list, currently spending his fifth year at the University of Texas after red-shirting his first year in school. Always known for his defensive abilities behind the plate, he is a natural leader that was made to play the position. He likely will never be much of a threat on offense, although he does have some power, and he could make a long career with his defense alone.

Prep List

While the college crop started off with the impressive collection of catchers that were in attendance at the Cape Cod League all-star game, this list starts off with the bevy of star-quality catchers that participated in the Aflac All-American Classic last summer.

Two-way star Austin Maddox started for the East team, while baseball rat Max Stassi started for the West. Jonathan Walsh and Luke Bailey also started in the game; Walsh for the West squad as the team’s designated hitter and Bailey at first base for the East.

Maddox is a big-bodied athlete that some are concerned about him being able to stick behind the plate in the future. If he continues to fill out and add strength, he may lose any flexibility he currently has. Regardless, he is a power/power prospect, with a golden right arm with the ability to hit tape measure home runs. That golden right arm allows him to impress on the mound as a pitcher as well, which he got his chance to do in the Aflac game in addition to his starting catching duties. He has more value as a catcher given his offensive promise.

While Stassi didn’t look as good during the Aflac game, behind the scenes he was all over the place, and performed quite well at notable national events both before and after his Aflac appearance. A shorter, compactly strong backstop, Stassi is well put together, and is a good overall athlete. He shows very good technique, with a good transfer, footwork and a strong throwing arm. He is quick and short to the ball, and can drive balls deep into the gaps seemingly by simply flicking his wrists.

Few players impressed me as much as Walsh did offensively last summer. He also started as the DH for the Under Armour Classic, and swung the bat well everywhere he played. He’s a switch hitter with a simple, no-nonsense approach and a great swing. His best attribute is his selectivity, with great plate coverage and good bat speed. Overall Walsh is a very good athlete that runs well and has good arm strength. While he is primarily a catcher, he’s a good enough athlete to play almost anywhere on the field. In my estimation, he could really flourish if moved to right field, where he would be allowed to have his bat carry him to the big-leagues at the professional level, similar to Jayson Werth of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Luke Bailey may be the most dynamic, or at least have the highest upside offensively among the prep catching crop. He looks like a natural when standing in the batter’s box, with naturally sloped shoulders and strong hands, wrists and forearms that gives him very good bat speed. He has exciting home run power potential with the ability to hit for a high average as well. Bailey is no slouch behind the plate either, with a strong arm and good quickness. If there is such thing as a five-tool catcher, Bailey is probably it.

The two catchers that didn’t start in the game, Michael Zunino and Andrew Susac, impressed me the most with their active skills behind the plate, and they profile very similar to one another.

Susac is probably the better of the two defensively, with one of the best arms in the country that can completely shut down opposing team’s running attacks. Zunino is the better hitter of the two, with very good bat speed and growing power potential.

In addition to Stassi and Susac, Southern California is loaded with prep backstops. Geno Escalante, Cameron Garfield and Richard Stock (the younger brother of Robert) also hail from the area. Stock profiles in a very similar fashion to his older brother in that he has a rocket arm and exciting power potential as a left-handed hitter. Like Robert, Richard is also not the most fleet of foot. The same can be said for both Escalante and Garfield, who also have exciting power arm/power bat combinations.

Tucker Barnhart gives the state of Indiana one of the best catching prospects from the high school class as well. He is an excellent defensive catcher with a strong arm and good footwork, and he also has a developing bat as a switch-hitter. He’s a good overall athlete and he runs well, especially for a catcher, which is somewhat of a recurring trend on this list.

Dane Phillips has a big left-handed swing and is built country strong. He has a good, not great arm and solid skills behind the plate. While he’s a good overall athlete, he may profile better at a corner infield position, and his bat may be good enough for him to make the permanent switch to first base.

Joining Maddox as an exciting two-way threat on the opposite corner of the country is Chase Anselment. He, like Phillips, has a big left-handed swing, and like Phillips may be better off playing another position full-time, with right field being a potential natural fit for his power/power profile. If he moves onto college, where he has decided to commit in-state to the University of Washington, he may continue to be used as both a hitter and as a pitcher.

Among the catchers that have/could play behind the plate are a pair of South Carolina recruits, Wil Myers and Christian Walker. Both are more well known for their bats than their skills defensively, at least as catchers, and both may profile best at other positions. Myers is a good all-around athlete similar to Brett Lawrie, who was drafted in the first round a year ago, in that he could play almost anywhere on the diamond and could be drafted in the first round for his bat alone. Walker is built a little more sturdy, and profiles best on one of the infield or outfield corners, but offers similar promise at the plate.

The best has yet to come

The best amateur catcher in the country is a 16-year old high school sophomore, and won’t be eligible for the draft for two more years. Bryce Harper is his name, and his story has already been told on this site and many others. He is a one-of-a-kind phenom that will be followed with great interest for years leading up to his draft eligible season. The last to be followed as closely with as much excitement was Justin Upton, who did not disappoint leading up to being selected first overall in the 2005 draft.

Like Upton, Harper is the type of athlete that makes everything look easy, with a rocket arm and unmatched power potential as a left-handed hitter. Similar to Stephen Strasburg this spring, the legend of this young man should continue to grow to Paul Bunyan-sized proportions, and so far, for good reason.

The thoughts and opinions listed here do not necessarily reflect those of Perfect Game USA. Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and Brewerfan.net, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.