Friday, January 28, 2011

Down on the Farm: DrB's 2011 Giants Top 50 Prospects- #13 Tommy Joseph

#13 Tommy Joseph, C. BD: 7/16/1991. 6'1", 210 lbs. B-R, T-R.

Low A: .236/.290/.401, 16 HR's.

Tommy Joseph has "light tower power." He reportedly has a pretty good arm too, but he may be a 1 tool player. That 1 tool, though, is the power. He will go as far as that power takes him. Over the last several seasons, power numbers in MLB have been in sharp decline. That makes Tommy's 1 tool relatively more valuable than it would have been 5 years ago and a lot more valuable than it would have been 10 years ago. So, he certainly has something going for him.

Joseph certainly had his ups and downs last season, but 16 HR's is a pretty impressive feat for Augusta and the Sally League, especially with it being his first professional experience.

There are several concerns: 1. Contact- he struck out more than 25% of his AB's. In one video, he appears to be taking the exact same swing on every pitch, no matter where the pitch is located. 2. Athleticism- Although he has a good arm, his other skills behind the plate are lacking. He has thick, heavy legs which probably limits his options on the field to catcher and 1B if that. In one video that shows him running down the line to 1B, he looks about as fast a Bengie Molina.

On the other hand, you don't need to be fast to trot around the bases, and Tommy should be doing a lot of that in the future.

The Giants seem to be set on keeping him at catcher for now. I think that is the right move. If he can become adequate behind the plate, that is where he will have the most value. Most likely destination in 2011 is San Jose. Looking forward to getting a chance to see him in person.

1 comment:

  1. I have him at #14, although I'm wondering if I shouldn't revise that downward. Your assessment is spot on: he's a slugger, or he's nothing.

    I can't help but think he's a DH in catcher's clothing, and as such I devoutly hope that he is part of a near-future trade package with an AL team that nets us something we need (SS?, 3B?).

    And yes, he has youth on his side. And he should be kept at catcher at least one more year, if not two. But I just don't see him on a future SF Giants roster.

    ReplyDelete