Josh Crouch Scouting Report

Physical Description: Probably an inch or two shorter than his listed height of 6 feet, but strong and well put together, with a barrel chest and powerful forearms. He’s more torso than legs, which helps him stay low behind the plate, but slightly hampers his mobility.

Hit: 40

Quiet setup that sees him hit from a moderate crouch and employ a small stride. Solid pitch identification means he doesn’t chase very often, although he may check swing once or twice per AB. Has a plan at the plate and shows good patience, with a willingness and ability to use the whole field.

Power: 40
Solid-average raw power driven by his above-average strength. Can go deep to any part of the park and will frequently drive the ball to the gaps.

Speed: 30
His shorter legs result in choppy steps that make him slow out of the box. Not bad under way, but running and speed are not parts of this game.

Defense: 50
Average overall defender behind the plate. Field general type who works well with pitchers. Has some issues with lateral mobility and blocking balls to his side. Runners learned not to test his strong, accurate arm, though a late-season hand injury hampered his throwing accuracy a bit.

Arm: 60
Shows off plus arm strength and accuracy, with pop times to second base consistently in the 1.9-2.0 range. Good at backpacking to help control the running game.

Overall: Crouch may not have anyone carrying tool strong enough to project him as an MLB regular, but there are more than enough ingredients here to project an MLB future. He may be an up-and-down type, but he could also carve out a career as a solid backup