Dillon
Tatum

Boras Classic 2018 (March 26-29) - Uncommitted. Physical bodied 6-foot-1 210-pound catcher/3rd baseman. Seeing him come to the plate you'd hope he's physical with the bat and that turned out to be what he is. Aggressive nature, certainly 'hitterish' with easy plus batspeed that isn't forced in the least. One note that stands out is that he looks like he could be better with wood than metal, which speaks to his ability to control the barrel and his overall strength, sort of like a high school Evan Gattis in that regard. Also possesses a strong arm that plays across the diamond. Did not see him catch, but saw enough of the bat that it's the kind of bat speed and power that gets on the field and plays beyond high school, possibly well beyond.

2/11/2020 @ San Mateo: After seeing him stand out in last week’s game, Tatum was again very good behind the plate showing the defensive skills and quality AB’s needed to see him help a D1 team next year. At 6-1, 210 the frame is strong and solid with shoulder strength showing.  His knowledge for the position is clearly very evident and he was regularly working with Morones and the other pitchers to fix mechanical actions for more success. Not only was he being vocal, he was also busting his tail behind the dish; there were at least three blocks that saved runs on very wide pitches allowing him to be athletic and get lateral to beat the ball. The catch and throw skills continue to be on display and in two games I’ve yet to see a runner even look to make an attempt; his last throw between innings was a rope to 2nd base off of very good footwork (1.85 Pop, regularly 1.94-2.09 between innings). Offensively he didn’t have the same success as last week, but the quality AB’s are a positive sign including his understanding of the zone. During his second AB he fouled off 4 pitches while the count was full before taking a ball below the knees on a called 3rd strike; he was also right on an inner half FB during his last AB just getting under it for a well struck F7 to end the game. Coaches needing a catcher should get looks on Tatum.

2/4/2020 @ Cabrillo: Tatum showcased lots of strong tools in this one and coaches looking for a catcher that can bounce to a 4-year college next year should circle Tatum’s name. During BP the slight crouched stance kept good posture showing a quick and compact barrel allowing the hands to stay inside the baseball and that translated over to the game where he picked up three hard hits in four quality at-bats. During the game the balance in his swing and pitch recognition were on display battling off tough pitches and extending ABs until he was able to turn on a mistake including the 1st inning 2B over the LF head to start the scoring. He also turned around a good FB twice for two hard singles to LF and CF. Defensively the catch and throw skills were on display between innings with pops consistently on the bag between 1.89-2.09; it’s a strong arm with advanced footwork and transfers. The blocking and receiving skills were also very solid utilizing his flexibility and strong wrist to steal pitches for strikes. On a day with multiple standouts, Tatum showed advanced tools in multiple areas on the field.