2012 Draft: Stryker Trahan
Posted on May 28th, 2012 by azruavatar in Uncategorized, tags: 2012 MLB Draft, Stryker TrahanThe Cardinals will have a lot of picks in the 2012 draft this year. If they want to claim Stryker Trahan, a high school catcher out of Louisiana, they’ll probably have to grab him at No. 19 overall or No. 23 overall. For me, Stryker remains the ideal draft selection for the June Draft in terms of skills and realistically being available during the Cardinals #1 pick.
Trahan is no small catcher standing at 6′ 1″ and a solid 220. Neither is he what you would describe as fat but rather, Trahan is simply built. His swing is about as perfect as one could ask for; there’s no handsy flailing, the trunk rotation is great and he starts from just a slightly open stance at the plate. All the reports on his defense indicate that he can be a major league catcher. You aren’t drafting a bat with Trahan. You’re drafting a catcher that can hit.
Given that the Cardinals just signed Yadier Molina to a 5 year deal, there’s an element of serendipity to the drafting of Trahan who would have plenty of time to work his way through the minors. Should the Cardinals pass on Trahan in the 2012 draft, it had better be for someone convincingly better. Trahan has the potential to be a real star, imo.
Trahan’s Bat Heats Up At Area Code Games – August 7, 2011 – Conor Glassey
Trahan has been a catcher his whole life. At a rock-solid 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds with muscular thighs and huge, strong hands, he’s certainly put together well for the position. Trahan has a quiet demeanor, but also exudes no-nonsense toughness and enjoys taking on a leadership role on the field.
2012 Draft Breakdown: Position-by-Position – February 1, 2012 – Conor Glassey
For high schoolers, Stryker Trahan (12) has a unique profile. At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, Trahan is built like a fullback, but runs like a tailback. Deceptively fast for his size, the Mississippi commit offers solid-average speed. He has enormous hands and was born to catch. At the plate, he’s a selective hitter and offers good loft and power potential from the left side.
Scouting Report: Stryker Trahan (C) – April 20, 2012 – Mark Anderson
Really intriguing catching prospect with projectable defensive tools and legit left-handed power. Good feel for the game and a hard worker. Continues to improve behind the plate. Arm is weakest defensive tool and even that will play at the position. Power offensive profile could land him fifth or sixth in the order on a good club. Some questions about his long term hitting ability, but he shows good aptitude AND solid hands that should let his power play.
Perfect Game USA – June 19th, 2011
Stryker Trahan is a 2012 C/1B/OF with a 6-1 215 lb. frame from Scott, LA who attends Acadiana HS. Extra strong athletic build. Quick feet and very good agility defensively, very accurate on line throws, can throw harder but sacrificing pure arm strength for quickness/accuracy, tends to snap at the ball with his glove at times. Left handed hitter, tall open stance, selective hitter, looking for a pitch to turn on and drive, very good raw bat speed, hits with confidence, gets out to his front side and tends to top spin balls. Runs exceptionally well for a catcher, 6.54, can also play the outfield and first base. Has top level physical tools in all areas, waiting for the skills to further develop. Good student, verbal commitment to Mississippi.
Stryker Trahan Turning Heads – October 14, 2011 – Christopher Crawford
“(Trahan) is a heck of a talent,” said an SEC coach. “You see the plus bat-speed, you see the ball just jump of his bat –be it aluminum or wood – and then you watch the kid run and throw? He’s a star in college at third base or the outfield. If he can stay at catcher he’s the type of kid who could take you to Omaha.”
Stryker Trahan Is Nation’s Best Backstop – February 17, 2012 – Jason A. Churchill
Trahan possesses good arm strength, quick feet and a consistent swing that produces above-average power from the left side of the plate. He’s strong and sturdy, suggesting he can physically handle catching long term, but he also runs well, posting times from home to first in the low four-second range. He’s committed to Ole Miss, but the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder has a chance to be taken off the board among the top 20 picks and is among the better high school catching prospects over the past five years.
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He is probably my top choice. If we can’t get Trahan I would be happy with Clint Coulter and Wyatt Mathisen at 36. Both similar catchers HS catchers with real physical gifts. On a side note Coulters is working out with the Cardinals this week.
Omitted from all this is the fact that Baseball America reports that “the consensus is that he’ll have to shift to an outfield corner” because his “receiving ability” is “below average.” Indeed, BA lists him as a potential first-rounder but as a corner outfielder.
Is that something that 5 years of the minor leagues can’t fix?
Hasn’t fixed Bryan Anderson.
Yup, your right.
Which gets to my point earlier about player development. Suppose they could bring in a coach-at-large to replace Matheny, in his peregrinations of the last couple of years, who specializes in catchers?
So what Grunt and CC are saying is that Yadier Molina and Tom Pagnozzi developing quality defensive skills in our system were basically flukes. Bryan Anderson can hit but can’t seem to grasp the concept of calling a game therefore let’s not waste any draft picks on catchers because they’ll just have to change positions anyway just like Jason Motte. That strategy will work too. Just pick all pitchers and trade some of them for the position players you need.
So far BA is the only publication that has said Stryker Trahan can’t stick at catcher. Obviously they’re smarter then all the others. All the others pick him to be a first round talent with many quality abilities to potentially be an exceptional catcher. His one weakness, not bad for a teenager, is that he needs work on his defense. Some people think he can’t or we can’t teach him the necessary skills to succeed. Here’s a thought; draft him a give him a freaking chance!
Don’t put words in my mouth. Molina and Pagnozzi hardly matter, since their defensive “development” had as much to do with nature as nurture, family connections being what they are. My concern is more that the high minors have not been a fully satisfactory finishing ground for position prospects in general, not just catchers. (I goofed in putting Barton in this class; he was traded before he ever saw AAA. The concern remains valid for the others I named.)
If Trahan is really as advertised, I’d definitely favor drafting him; the upside is just too much to ignore. If they do, however, they should follow that move with a long, careful look at just what it will take to develop him as a major-league catcher, and make moves among their minor-league coaching staffs accordingly, because that’s an area where improvement would be valuable.
That’s hardly “consensus” however BA want’s to describe it. The last link, by Churchill who works with Keith Law at ESPN, believes he can stay there.
Agreed. From what I have read over the last number of months it appears his receiving skills were not where many thought they would be by the start of the season. So there is less confidence in the industry that he will stay at C than before the season started but because we wouldn’t have to rush him through the minors we would have the luxury of giving him all the time in the world to improve. Only concern would be (and not a bad problem to have) is if his bat started to be far too advanced for his level and his D just wasn’t catching up. Then I think we would look at alternative position options to move him along in the minors. I personally think his bat has the chance to be very good to special. If that is the case his position won’t be a big concern though C is still an ideal option.
I believe it is Goldstein who says he’ll be a RF’er in the end.
BA is wrong…a lot
I am very high on Trahan as well. For me it will depend a lot on who is still available with our 2 first round picks but Trahan is high on my list for sure. I think his bat will play anywhere on the field and if he can stay behind the plate and become an avg defender or better he would be a perennial all-star. For a corner OF he would be at least above avg if not better depending on how well his bat progresses. I would be in support of taking him with one of our picks in the 1st but there are plenty of other guys I would snag before him if they were available.
In that case, you could probably pretty safely pick the better player since the Cardinals pick again just 4 picks later.
If he truly profiled as a solid bet to stick at catcher wouldn’t he be long gone by the time the Cardinal’s pick?
There’s a lot of risk with high school players. Trahan may not stick at catcher (though I think he can) and his bat is less potent at another position though it may still play at 3rd.
A couple of my friends that work with Tulane and LSU say his bat should play anywhere. This is one of the few guys that will be around when the Cards pick that I have heard a lot about. I will see if one of the guys will share an actual college scouts report on him.
Trahan is high ceiling, high risk. A lot more power potential than Bryan Anderson. The Cards should give Trahan real consideration.
What’s the high risk part of it? He seems like he’s pretty developed with the bat and in comparision to other HS bats there he stacks up well.
The problem is I see Bryan Anderson all over again. Unless you’re absolutely convinced that his senior season is an aberration there is no reason to use a first round pick on him when guys like Clint Coulter or Wyatt Mathisen can be had in the supplemental first round. His defense wasn’t as good as advertised when people got a glimpse of him, and he’s definitely a project at catcher. Do we really want to invest a first round pick into a guy whose bat is that far ahead of his defense? Do we want to let it waste away in the lower minors as he learns how to catch?
Right now, my list of guys I’m open to drafting is relatively short. Barring someone falling that shouldn’t, I want the Cardinals to draft from LHP Hunter Virant, LHP Andrew Heaney, RHP Chris Stratton, 3B Addison Russell, OF Courtney Hawkins, OF D.J. Davis, and OF David Dahl with Stratton being the worst case scenario pick at 23.
Yes…this is exactly the type of kid you draft as catchers. You want the bat to be advanced and come naturally because it takes a lot of work to develop the catching skills no matter what the starting point is. Catching prospects get to spend less time learning to hit.
How signable is he?
Signable. He isn’t going to come cheap though. He’s committed to Ole Miss for what it’s worth, so most don’t think he’ll be a hard sign.
Whatever BA thinks of trahan’s skills as a catcher, they still think he’s a first round talent as an OF. He certainly doesn’t seem like a bad bet.
The problem is the bat was a major plus at the catcher position, not so much at the corner outfield spots. If that power never does fully develop like some project him to have, he might not be more than a fourth outfielder with the lack of pop in his bat. So you went from a plus hitting catcher to a light swinging corner outfielder. That goes down tremendously in value, not to mention that there are several other outfielders who are better value.
Honestly I don’t see many bats in the same “area” of draft that are better than Trahans’s even if he’s an OF.
Well, if BA is the only authority saying he’s not a catcher long term and they still think he’s a first round talent as an OF, you have a lot of convincing to do to say he’s just going to be a fourth OF. Nobody seems to be that pessimistic.
BA isn’t the only authority questioning his ability to remain behind the plate. There are some genuine questions about it. That doesn’t mean he’s not worth a shot but his value does drop some if he ends up having to move to LF or RF.
FWIW, the latest BA mock has the Cards taking Richie Shaffer at #19 and Lucas Sims (HS RHP) at #23.
They have Arizona taking Trahan at #26.
The closer we get to the draft, the more accurate BA’s predictions tend to be. Pretty sure they had the Cards taking Wong last year in their final mock.
I don’t know if anyone has actual sources within the Cards’ system. So they may get their info from other teams’ scouts, who at best know which players the Cards show the most interest in.
The best sources can be outside the organization, namely the “advisors” for the draftees. Even moreso under the new draft rules, teams will want to work with advisors to have a firm idea of what players would sign for at certain pick levels, especially HS guys.
Good point.
Nah it’s Callis and he usually just goes with what the Cardinals usually do and it does get easier closer to the draft because he has sources in other places to it eliminates certain guys. Process of elimination.
From what I’ve heard, they’re zeroing in on high school bats with their early picks. Have heard Hunter Virant thrown out once or twice, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they took him with the 23rd pick if the high school bats dry up fast.
Out of the guys you listed earlier
Virant…yes. Videos of him are a little inconsistent, but there are some pitches in there look good. Curve looks deceiving.
Mr. Heaney meet Dr. Jame Andrews…so that is a run away screaming no.
Chris Stratton good athletic pitcher…even with my bias against college arms I think he would be a fine pick.
Addison Russel is growing on me.
Hawkins…way no. I am not drafting a kid that doesnt at least play center in high school. He swing doesnt cut it either.
David Dahl…I like the bat, I think he has a shot to make it.
I definitely take Virant or Stratton.
KLaw’s latest mock has them taking Trahan at 19 and Virant at 23. Here’s the key excerpts:
I think they take Stratton if he gets here. Have heard them on every premium high school bat — including Dahl, Davis, Cecchini and Addison Russell — as well as Piscotty and Hensley. Trahan, who had a poor spring, could be a bargain here since he has a real chance to hit, and with power.
and at 23:
“At 6-3 and 172, Virant is very projectable, and looks like the kind of guy who could really add some velocity in pro ball. Rahier is also a possibility here, as well as the names I listed at No. 19. “
the name i hear the most is GAVIN CECCHINI SS LA HS any opinions
No doubt he stays at SS and IMO would be above avg to GG caliber projections on D. His bat gets mixed reviews on current and future grades but it appears anywhere from avg offensively with a little pop to highly above avg with solid pop. He is attractive though I have never seen a scout or analyst refer to him as high ceiling.