This will be the first in a series of pieces taking a look at some of the players that will be available in the MLB phase of the rule 5 draft.
Today, prompted by an email exchange with Ted Berg, we start with C James Skelton of the Detroit Tigers. Skelton, who turned 23 in October was a 14th round pick in the draft.
Bat: L Throw: R Ht: 5’11″ WT: 165 lbs.
James Skelton 2008
| Team |
Level |
G |
AB |
AVG |
OBP |
SLG |
2B |
HR |
BB |
SO |
BB% |
SO% |
TPA |
| Lakeland |
A+ |
63 |
212 |
.307 |
.468 |
.406 |
8 |
3 |
64 |
50 |
22.70 |
17.73 |
282 |
| Erie |
AA |
24 |
85 |
.294 |
.425 |
.388 |
2 |
2 |
19 |
23 |
17.92 |
21.70 |
106 |
| West Oahu |
HWB |
21 |
64 |
.281 |
.405 |
.391 |
5 |
0 |
11 |
18 |
13.75 |
22.50 |
80 |
| 2008 |
|
108 |
361 |
.303 |
.456 |
.401 |
15 |
5 |
94 |
91 |
20.09 |
19.44 |
468 |
Mets catchers in 2008 hit .249/.324/.328 with a .703 OPS. That’s slightly worse than the MLB average of .257/.325/.390/.715.
And Skelton can throw: he through out 35% percent of baserunners, which would have been 3rd in the FSL if he had enough games to qualify among the league leaders.
But Is He Big Enough?
Skelton is listed at 5’11″, 165lbs. Catchers and major league baseball players just aren’t built that way.
In August at Baseball Prospectus, Kevin Goldstein wrote about Skelton this way:
James Skelton, …baffles scouts because there’s just been no precedent for a player like him. ….few players elicit more wide-ranging opinions. He has very little power, and at 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, he’s bone-thin and just doesn’t look right when he gears up and crouches behind the plate. A scout who has been following Skelton for years remains unsure what to make of him, and finds it nearly impossible (as do many who have seen him), to get past the slender body. “He has me scratching my head twenty times and flipping coins,” joked the scout. “He has a feel for hitting, there’s no question about it, and he has catch-and-throw, receiving, and on-base skills. When you see him, there has to be durability questions—I don’t even think he’s as big as listed.” Asked what could be done, the scout remained baffled, and admitted that he had some hopes of a position change in Skelton’s future. “Hell, if he was a second baseman, I’d love him,” he joked.
The argument goes not that Skelton’s too short to catch, it’s that he’s too light. I examined the height and weight of all the top 20 catchers by VORP in baseball in 2008. The average top 20 catcher in MLB outweighs Skelton by 50 pounds. These catchers averaged 6′ 1/2″ 216 lbs.
Ivan Rodriguez at 5’9″ 190 lbs was the shortest and lightest of the group. Skelton is listed 25 lbs shy of Rodriguez’s weight while standing two inches taller.
All of the catchers at Skelton’s height or greater weighed at least 195 lbs including Brian Schneider and Kurt Suzuki both of whom are listed at exactly 195. (When he was in A-ball, I heard more than one scout express concern that Suzuki was too slight to catch everyday.)
Does Skelton really belong at 2B? On weight along, he would find himself with some more lightweights, but he’s still lighter than every 2B in the VORP top 20.
Height and Weight By Position
| |
2B |
SS |
C |
| AVG HT |
5'11" |
6'0" |
6'1/2" |
| AVG WT |
192.75 (lbs) |
193.75 (lbs) |
215.75 (lbs) |
| MAX WT |
210 |
215 |
245 |
| MIN WT |
170 |
175 |
190 |
| STD WT |
12.08 |
12.70 |
14.71 |
I love the idea that Skelton might be undervalued because he’s too skinny and does not look like a single above average MLB backstop today. Of course, maybe this winter, Skelton will discover the virtues of Buffalo Wings, bacon cheese-burgers and protein shakes and will put on enough weight to look like a catcher.
However, despite his obvious ability to make contact and draw walks, the bat doesn’t exactly scream MLB ready. In some ways Skelton’s offensive profile (contact and discipline) is similar to the Mets own Josh Thole, but to a more extreme degree. The scouting reports suggest that Skelton is a MLB caliber defender while Thole is still refining his technique behind the dish. Perhaps most importantly, could the Mets committ to carrying a rookie catcher on the major league roster all year?
You be the judge: Will I ever write the name James Skelton again on this blog after the rule 5 draft?