Jonathan
Ottenwalder

6/10/2018: Ottenwalder’s frame has a good balance of strength, size and flexibility for the catching position. He’s proportionally built, similar to Russell Martin or Yadier Molina, but has to be sure he doesn’t add any bad weight to his 5’11/190 pound build. He has good slope to his shoulders and although his upper body is thick and developed, it doesn’t impede his arm action. His throwing ability behind the plate, as well as his overall receiving skills, are what set him apart right now. The arm action is quick and loose with the type of short-arm takeaway you hope to see from a catcher. He does a great job getting full extension through his release point which gives the ball exceptional carry while staying on line with his target. He flashed pop times in the 1.95 – 2.15 range between innings and in-game threw out a baserunner with a 2.01 to 2nd base. The throwing actions with his lower half are solid but not overly explosive or athletic so it’ll be important for Ottenwalder to be efficient with his footwork. As a receiver, he presents a good target early and doesn’t allow the ball to drive the mitt away from him. He never dropped anything that was in the strike zone and did an adequate job blocking balls in the dirt. He gets the ball back to the pitcher quickly, which allows them to stay in rhythm and he maintains a positive demeanor. Over the course of the game he was very vocal and exuded the type of confidence teammates want to see. As a hitter, Ottenwalder has a very relaxed and loose set up in the batter’s box. His stance starts slightly open to the pitcher and his feet are set a little wider than shoulder width apart. Keeps his hands tight to his body and creates good separation with a well-balanced leg lift. Generates easy bat speed while maintaining good balance and direction towards the pitcher. Showed a tendency to pull his barrel through the zone a little quickly and didn’t always get full extension with his bottom hand. He produced hard contact pull-side but had some issues finding the barrel on pitches that were soft and away or fastballs on the outer third. His overall hit tool will probably end up being below average but he should make up for it with power production and his defensive ability. (Dan Jurik)