Detroit Tigers Positional Overview: Catcher

Current State of Catchers

The catcher position is easily the most thin position in baseball, whether it is the current state of the major leagues, the minor leagues, or if you are looking at a historical standpoint. Catchers have to possess more defensive skill sets than any other player on the diamond. Whether it’s throwing down to second base, calling a game, framing, blocking, or growing a great relationship with every pitcher on the staff. These skill sets are crucial to the position and aren’t just casually developed.

Many catchers come into Rookie Ball with these skills looking borderline lackluster. Any 18-year-old outfielder can run a simple route to catch a fly ball, but that outfielder doesn’t have to get along with his pitcher while getting low to block every one of his balls in the dirt. On top of that, these guys have to hit like any other position player.

A few years ago a good catcher threw out runners at 40% clip. That is throwing out two of every five runners over a full season. But strong-armed catchers are seemingly a thing of the past.

Sure, they are nice to have, but it’s not the most important attribute in today’s world. The skill set of a strong-armed catcher over the years has been replaced by a catcher who hits for power, frames pitches well, and calls games well for their pitchers.

Catchers who hit well overall but have poor defensive metrics, or those who don’t do well with pitchers, have typically been moved away from the position. It’s just not a position teams can waste. Catchers affect all 13 pitchers on a staff and help set the plan for each and every game.

However, a catcher can’t play himself to the Major Leagues with these skill sets if he can’t hit. A catcher still has to hit his way to the major leagues and help out his pitching staff to the best of his abilities.

NOTE 1: For many of these catchers there is very little video on offense, and little to no defensive (framing, blocking) footage.

NOTE 2: Stats are as of 8/19/23

Organizational State of Catchers

The Tigers have flashes of talent at the catcher position in the organization, all the way from Detroit to the boiling hot sun down in the Dominican Summer League. However, not too much stands out. The guys performing well at catcher will probably be relocated to another position due to poor defensive ability, or hey are quite old for their current affiliated ball club. Many of these guys will most likely be career minor leaguers with a possibility of being fringe major league players.

DSL & FCL Tigers

Enrique Jimenez

A bright spot nonetheless. Jimenez, 17, out of Venezuela, was the 32nd ranked international prospect out of the catcher-heavy 2023 class according to MLB Pipeline. Jimenez, a switch hitter, grades out at 50’s all round except being graded 55 at fielding. Jimenez has put up a slash line of .277/.392/.423 this season with a 117 and a 118 wRC+ split between the DSL Tigers 1 and DSL Tigers 2. However, there is a concern about power due to his one home run in 137 at bats, But this doesn’t take away from his defensive ability. His high IQ should allow him to call games at an above-average rate for his age.

Josue Briceno 

What an absolute unit of a man at 6-foot-4 and 200. The 18-year-old out of Venezuela signed with the Tigers in January 2022 for an $800,000 signing bonus. Briceno is currently slashing .327/.407/.558 with 7 home runs in 165 at bats this season in the Florida Complex League. He is said to have poor defense, though, so his future at catcher is a huge question mark. But he is listed as a catcher right now and has been playing the position for the majority of this season. His bat will certainly carry over to another position very well, so remaining at catcher for Briceno isn’t a dire need.

Brady Cerkownyk

Cerkownyk is a 2023 15th round draft selection by the Tigers. He signed for just under a 5th-round slot money at $397,500. The Canadian backstop went to Connors State in Oklahoma, a JUCO school. He slashed .470/.555/.985 with 27 home runs in 202 at bats in 2023. His defense is unknown due to only two games played in the FCL, but it’s hard to ignore a draft pick.

Lakeland Flying Tigers

Bennett Lee

Lee was taken in the 6th round of the 2023 draft out of Wake Forest. He doesn’t have the best bat in terms of power or solid contact, but he will get on base. Lee is most known for his ability to call games. Bennett Lee was the backbone behind the Wake Forest team that went to the Final Four of the College World Series in 2023. The team was heavily stacked in pitching and Lee did a great job at doing handling his pitchers. If he hits well, he should be in the major leagues at a faster pace than most catchers.

Mike Rothenberg

Rothenberg was at one time looking like a career minor leaguer, and that still may be the case, but he isn’t playing like one. The switch-hitting slugger has been a rock to Lakeland’s constantly changing pitching staff. He is hitting .242/.356/.463 in Lakeland this year, with 19 total home runs between Lakeland and the FCL. His downside is that he’s 24 years old, but his maturity should surely help young pitchers as he rises through the ranks.