2015 San Jose Giants Season Preview: Catcher
By Joe Ritzo
Our season preview series concludes this week with a look at the catching position. Multiple catchers from last year’s Giants team are candidates to return to the club next month. Meanwhile, Augusta’s top catcher last season, a non-roster invitee to major league camp this spring, is likely to make the jump to the California League.
Ty Ross, San Francisco’s 12th round pick in the 2013 draft out of SEC powerhouse LSU, served as Augusta’s (Class-A) primary catcher last season and is expected to receive a promotion to San Jose. Ross caught 96 of Augusta’s 140 games last year finishing the campaign with a .246 batting average, six home runs and 48 RBI’s. His 24 doubles led the team while he was third on the club in RBI’s and fourth in home runs. Ross, who was going through his first full professional season in 2014, hit only .220 with one home run during the first half before batting at a .264 clip with five home runs after the All-Star break. His best month came in July when he collected 23 RBI’s in 28 games to go with a .278 batting average.
Ross’ strongest attribute is his defense. With outstanding instincts behind the plate and a terrific throwing arm, Ross was rated as the top defensive catcher in the San Francisco farm system by Baseball America entering this season. He caught Augusta’s top-flight starting rotation last year and given that most, if not all, of those arms are headed to San Jose this spring, Ross’ familiarity with the group should pay dividends this season. His improved production at the plate during the second half of last year is also an encouraging sign that Ross can provide a lift offensively with the Giants.
There also appears to be a strong likelihood that one or two catchers from last year’s San Jose team will return to the club. Ben Turner was the main backstop for the Giants in 2014 and hit a solid .298 in 106 games, but without much power (2 HR, .371 SLG). Turner was also the toughest hitter to strikeout in the entire league last season (one K every 10.4 at-bats). Depending on how the catching depth chart shakes-out in the upper levels of the system, Turner could easily move up to Double-A Richmond for the start of the season. If not, he’d come back to San Jose and probably share time with Ross. Turner also played 20 games at first base for the Giants last year.
Trevor Brown was the Giants’ back-up catcher most of last season and is a candidate to return, especially if Turner ends up in Richmond. Brown was elevated to San Jose late in 2013 and was the Giants’ leading hitter during the playoffs that September as the club advanced to the Championship Series. Unfortunately, last season was a struggle at the plate for the UCLA product as Brown managed just a .215 batting average in 54 Cal League games to go with five doubles, two home runs and 22 RBI’s. Brown actually had more success in Triple-A Fresno last season when the Grizzlies catching corps was shorthanded. In the PCL, Brown hit .319 in 23 games with no homers and 13 RBI’s. Brown is now an experienced player in the Giants system and is also versatile having seen time at first and second base throughout his career.
Other potential back-up catchers for the 2015 San Jose Giants include familiar faces Jared Deacon and Matt Pare. Deacon, a 33rd round pick last June out of Cal State Fullerton, caught for both Salem-Keizer (Short-Season) and San Jose last summer. He ended the year as the Giants’ back-up and hit .217 (5-for-23) in eight games. Pare was a non-drafted signee out of Boston College two years ago. In 13 games with San Jose last season — all as a DH — he hit .238 with four doubles, no homers and nine RBI’s.
Catcher Aramis Garcia, a second round pick last June and one of the top hitting prospects in the system, will probably start the year in Augusta. Garcia was a standout performer at Florida International University where he earned Conference USA Player of the Year and All-American honors as a junior last spring. Garcia hit .229 with two home runs and 12 RBI’s in 20 games with Salem-Keizer last summer after signing his professional contract. He’s rated the #16 overall prospect in the system by Baseball America (#2 catcher behind Andrew Susac). Garcia, who is considered an offense-first catcher, may end up in San Jose at some point this season, but it’s unlikely that he’ll begin the year in the California League.
2015 San Jose Giants Catcher Candidates
(2014 regular season statistics listed)
Trevor Brown, C/INF
- San Jose: .215 AVG, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 0 SB
- Fresno: .319 AVG, 0 HR, 13 RBI, 0 SB
Jared Deacon, C
- San Jose: .217 AVG, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB
- Salem-Keizer: .219 AVG, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 0 SB
Matt Pare, C
- San Jose: .238 AVG, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB
Ty Ross, C
- Augusta: .246 AVG, 6 HR, 48 RBI, 1 SB
Ben Turner, C/1B
- San Jose: .298 AVG, 2 HR, 40 RBI, 0 SB
2015 SJ Giants Starting Pitching Preview
2015 SJ Giants Bullpen Preview
2015 SJ Giants Infield Preview
