2020 Rising Stars of BC: Catchers - Do Not Run On The 2023s
August 12, 2020
We would like to thank all who participated in PBR British Columbia's 2020 Rising Stars Event. This was a great opportunity for the class of 2023-2024 prospects to get into the system, see where they match up from their peers and showcase their tools and talents. We have the complete statistical results from the event as well as the top performers across various different categories.
Interested in attending a PBR BC event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.
Complete Statistics
To view the Positional Stats, Click Here.
To view the Pitching Stats, Click Here.
2020 Rising Stars of BC: Catchers - Do Not Run On The 2023s
A sentence dripping with Canadian-ism was also the most uttered phrase at the BC Rising Stars Showcase at Whalley Stadium last week, “These Rising Star Catchers are good, eh?”.
We never know what we were going to get at the Rising Stars Open ID camp in late July, especially this season, with circumstances we all continue to battle and the nature of Open ID Showcases. However, it was not long before we saw some things that we often don’t observe. Like usual, there was an assortment of talents and up and coming tools being showcased that day, from developing young arms that showed potential, to impressive bats and quick wheels, the Rising Stars Showcase showed promise in the future of British Columbia baseball. However, the camp’s attention was quickly attracted to those wearing the tools of ignorance, the Catchers.
The four top catchers on the day all showed a proficiency in throwing the ball. All four catchers also have work to do before they become well-rounded college-ready backstops. However, it is clear to see that the avenue is available for them if they want it. Here are the top four 2023 catchers in the pool.
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Cole Crozier C / 3B / Burnaby mountain, BC / 2023Crozier had the strongest arm on the day from behind the plate at 76 MPH. This translated to a very crispy 1.99-2.10 POP time to second. His ball has a minor tail, but with some directional adjustments, his arm should develop into a rocket from behind the plate. From a receiving standpoint, Crozier looks very tense behind the plate, which makes him a bit loud with his body and tends to jab at the ball with his glove. With experience and patience, he should have no problem turning himself into a good catch and throw catcher, with a ton of enthusiasm. His arm will be more than serviceable in the future, and it will be interesting to see if he can learn to slow the game down a little bit as he matures. A must watch going forward for the arm strength and accuracy alone.
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Bailey D'Cruze C / RHP / Surrey Christian, BC / 2023D’Cruze demonstrated a keenness for the spot and great catcher instincts through his interactions with pitchers. Through subtlety and body language and very effective targeting, the buzz around pitchers was that he was the favourite to throw to on the day. His receiving needs work, especially his timing moving up with the low ball. He quietly shifts his weight behind the pitch, which gives strength in his reception; however, he tends to get to extension slightly too early, leading to negative glove movement out of the zone. Once he can clean that up and understand his reception’s timing, his subtle body movements will provide strength in his receiving. D’Cruze had the fastest POP on the day at 1.98 and ranged from 1.98-2.10. He showed quick and efficient moves and proper direction to second base, helping to make up for a developing arm to the bag at 69 MPH. D’Cruze is a smart catcher, and it will be exciting to see how much better he can get physically over the next few years.
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Asher Herbert SS / C / Ecole Alpha Secondary, BC / 2023Herbert classifies himself first as a SS, which makes it easy to see why he was the most athletic catcher on the day. Through his bullpens, he primarily opted to receive from the Left-Knee-Down one knee stance, which helped him stay under the pitches well. Asher showed a decent ability to match pitch’s shape and create counter movement back into the zone. He showed off his athleticism in his throwing with quick feet and a rapid release, and with focus on strength, he will turn his 2.00-2.10 into a repeated sub-2.0. All transfers appeared clean, and his footwork kept him consistent and up the middle of the field. We are not sure if he’ll continue to work behind the plate as we approach 2023. With his athleticism, it is not beyond imagination to see him converting himself into a very talented Utility player. |
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Cameron Macleod C / 3B / Argyle, BC / 2023MacLeod looks like a catcher. He’s a physical player at 5-foot-10, 175-pounds. His movements behind the plate are confident, and he presents himself as a large target. During bullpens, we saw him switch from traditional stances to Left-Knee-Down and Right-Knee-Down one knee stances. His receiving is good for his age, and with some improvements to his timing and rhythm of receiving pitches just off the zone will continue to advance his defensive capabilities. His throws to second base have an excellent ride and true spin topping out at 73MPH, with clean transfers. We had him with his best pop-time at 2.05. With experience and strength, receiving top-quality arms, and his raw athletic tools behind the plate create a high ceiling. He was the most impressive bat on the day as well. MacLeod is a must-watch for the age group going forward.
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