San Francisco Giants Prospect Rankings: Top 5 Catchers

With the 2019 MLB draft now in the rearview and a fresh collection of talent set to join the farm system ranks, we’ll take a position-by-position look at the top prospects at each position for the San Francisco Giants. First up, the catchers.

As the San Francisco Giants get set to embark on a full-scale rebuild, more attention than ever will be paid to the current state of the farm system.

With the MLB draft now concluded and two months of the 2019 season in the books, now seems like as good a time as any for an updated look at the farm system.

Rather than simply providing a cumulative ranking of the team’s top prospects, we’re going to go position-by-position to see how the team is lined up for the future.

We’ll start with the catcher position:

1. Joey Bart, High-A (22 years old)

The San Francisco Giants found their catcher of the future when Bart was taken with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft.

After a huge junior season at Georgia Tech, he didn’t miss a beat after signing, posting a .294/.364/.588 line with 31 extra-base hits in 51 games.

A fractured left hand cost him significant time this season, but he has continued to rake when healthy, hitting .273/.347/.568 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 12 games.

With an advanced hit tool and 60-grade power, he has a chance to be a star offensively, and his defensive skills are not far behind with a rocket arm and strong receiving skills.

He could be in the majors by 2021.

2. Ricardo Genoves, Unassigned (20 years old)

The Giants gave Genoves a $550,000 bonus during the 2016 international free-agent signing period.

He has been brought along slowly, spending last season at short-season Salem-Keizer where he hit .243/.328/.311 with nine doubles and one home run in 202 plate appearances over 50 games.

With a strong 6’2″, 210-pound frame he has some serious power potential, though his current approach is geared more toward contact than power.

He has a strong arm behind the plate and the tools to be a solid defensive catcher, but he is still very much a work in progress. In terms of sheer upside, he is the clear No. 2 guy in the system.

3. Aramis Garcia, MLB (26 years old)

At 26 years old, Garcia is at the older end of the prospect scale.

He has developed into an average defensive catcher who employs a pull-heavy approach at the plate to make the most of his raw power.

While he has little left to prove in the minors and lacks starter upside, there is still a solid chance that he carves out an MLB role as a backup.

4. Andres Angulo, Single-A (21 years old)

In his fourth season of rookie ball and second season stateside, Angulo hit .346/.386/.474 with 10 doubles in 88 plate appearances in 2018. That breakout performance at the plate paved the way for his full-season debut and he has been splitting catching duties with Jeffry Parra at Single-A Augusta.

He’s hitting just .198/.248/.264 with five extra-base hits in 114 plate appearances, but he has thrown out 13-of-34 base stealers (38 percent) and done a nice job handling an exciting young pitching staff.

The progression of his bat will determine his ultimate role.

5. Fabian Pena, High-A (22 years old)

A 25th-round pick out of Manhattan College in 2018, Pena hit .309/.376/.588 with 16 extra-base hits in 110 plate appearances in rookie ball after signing last year.

He made the jump straight to High-A this season where he has been serving as the backup to Joey Bart.

Pena draws strong marks from his athleticism behind the plate and his strong receiving skills, giving him a strong backup catcher profile. The 22-year-old also has some pop, though, and it will be interesting to see how he develops offensively.

Others of Note: Jeffry Pena (Single-A), Brandon Martorano (2019 Draft Pick)

With Buster Posey still entrenched as the starting catcher for the time being and Joey Bart looking very much like the long-term answer at the position, the San Francisco Giants are set up nicely behind the plate.