In the first edition of State of the Org, we focused on the first baseman in the Royals organization and how they factor in as we head into the 2024 season. This time we focus on the catchers in the organization. What does the position look like in the Majors? Does the team have any depth on the way in the minor leagues?
Similarly to first base, the catchers room won’t be changing a ton heading into the season. However, the catchers are more balanced than the first basemen in the Major Leagues with two capable starters. With that, we will start with the starters at the Major League level, then focus on the farm system guys.
The Major League Options
Starter: Salvador Perez
The long-time face of the Royals will retain his role as the starting catcher and Captain for at least one more season. Perez is entering his 13th season in the Majors and still projects to be a solid bat. As always with Perez, he won’t walk much but he should post a high slugging percentage. His projected slash line is .260/.301/.457 for an OPS of .758. His wRC+ is league average as well at 99.
The concern with Perez coming into the season is if his bat has started regressing. According to Baseball Savant, Perez’s underlying numbers, like Barrel%, Hard Hit%, and average exit velocity have regressed. There are also concerns with his defense as he gets older. He will always whiff at bad pitches, but Perez still brings the power in this Royals lineup.
Backup: Freddy Fermin
Freddy Fermin is the do-it-all catcher for the Royals as he has a solid bat and good defense. He came out of nowhere last season and landed in the backup role. Fermin is projected to have a slash line of .249/.319/.413 with an OPS of .732.
Fermin isn’t projected to play many games this upcoming season, but he will find a way into the lineup more than many think. With Fermin on the roster, the Royals won’t have to carry three catchers on the Major League roster.
That does it for the Major League catchers, so let’s highlight some minor league guys.
Potential Call-ups for 2024
Logan Porter
Porter was a late call-up last season and showed some potential, albeit in a small sample size. Porter is one of the better on-base guys in the Royals system having a walk-rate of around 15% in his minor league career. He might not be a great defensive catcher, but he is good enough to play there. Overall, he is an average bat with good on-base ability. If either Perez or Fermin gets hurt, Porter probably gets the call to play in the Majors.
Tyler Cropley
Cropley was a very surprising call-up last season for the Royals and only got 7 plate appearances. His game is more on the defensive side as his main offensive trait is his on-base ability. Cropley is similar to Cam Gallagher because he is a backup at best, but he can hold his own in the lineup if the need arises.
Rodolfo Duran
Signed as a minor league free agent this offseason, Duran brings some intriguing things to the plate. According to FanGraphs, Duran is a slightly above-average fielder with a power bat at the plate. He had a solid year on the Yankees AAA team in 2023, putting up a slash line of .252/.329/.444 with an OPS of .773. He is a long shot to get called up and — like Cropley and Porter — isn’t on the 40-man roster, but keep an eye on him in Omaha to start the season.
A look into the future
Blake Mitchell
He may be a long way away from being a Major League catcher, but Blake Mitchell is one of the top prospects in the system. He is projected to be a do-it-all catcher with great defense and good power. Mitchell is a prep catcher, drafted in the first round of last year’s draft by the Royals. If prep catchers are known for anything, it’s the stigma they bring when taken in the first round. In the Complex League last season, Mitchell showed his on-base ability (32.7 BB% and .423 OBP), but not much else. He has a long way to go, but keep an eye on him this season.
Ramon Ramirez
Similarly to Mitchell, Ramirez is coming off his first pro season. Ramirez was an international free agent signed by the Royals in the 2023 signing class. He has quickly risen through the prospect ranks. Ramirez provides a complete bat with a good feel for the strikezone and could become a heart-of-the-order bat. He also projects to be a solid defender, but if his bat develops it might not matter as long as he is in the lineup.
That wraps up the catcher position for the Royals. Overall, it has a lot of balance and potential in the future. The main concerns are a bounceback season for Perez and whether Fermin can build off last season. The immediate depth in the Minor Leagues is older but could contribute. The meat of the depth at catcher lies in the younger prospects for the Royals who carry plenty of upside but with risk.
Position Grade: B