Minor League Prospect Watch - Matt Wieters

The next prospect I chose to highlight in my Minor League Prospect Watch is Catcher Matt Wieters who is in the Baltimore Orioles minor league system.

Wieters is someone that you definitely need to keep an eye on because he has been absolutely raking the ball the whole season and I would be surprised if he wasn't called up to the big leagues at some point this year.

Here are Wieters stats on the season, split between Double-A Bowie (Eastern) / High Class A Frederick (Carolina):

As you can see, Wieters has been mashing the ball with a line of .342 AVG/16 HR/43 RBI/.446 OBP/.569 SLG/1.015 OBP. Pretty damn impressive, especially coming from a catcher.

Here is all the information you need to know about Matt Wieters:

I've seen Wieters play on several occasions so far this season, and I can assure you that if he wasn't big league ready the moment he signed with the Orioles last summer, he certainly is now. The switch-hitting catcher, chosen fifth overall in the 2007 MLB draft, finally got his long-overdue promotion to the double-A Bowie Baysox last week after terrorizing Carolina League pitching to the tune of a .345 average, 15 home runs and 40 RBI with the Frederick Keys. Wieters has adjusted well to double-A so far, hitting .292 with three doubles and a home run in his first 24 at bats. For the year, he's struck out 50 times but has offset that figure with 49 walks - impressive plate discipline for a player in his first professional season. Wieters is no slouch behind the dish either, using the rocket arm that allowed him to double as Georgia Tech's closer at times during his collegiate career to gun down a good percentage of would-be base stealers. The Orioles have to know they're not going to catch the Rays or the Red Sox in the A.L. East, and with backstop Ramon Hernandez having a second straight subpar year, they may choose to have Wieters get his feet wet in the second half. (Washington Times)

"Mr. Wieters is what we'd probably call a complete player," said Keys hitting coach J.J. Cannon. "When he came here, he was already advanced. You don't change anything with a guy like him." The words, "complete player" aren't ones that are thrown around lightly in Class A, which is considered the teaching level. But all things considered, Wieters has yet to disappoint in any aspect of his game. When he made his debut with the Keys in April, Orioles manager Dave Trembley lauded Wieters two-homer game with words of caution. "I hope he thinks it's not going to be like this all the time," Trembley said. And yet two full months later, Wieters hasn't made it look any harder. After a rehab appearance in Frederick on June 10, Orioles hurler Adam Loewen was so impressed with Wieters that, while answering questions about himself, Loewen was sure to mention Wieters in his opening comments to the media. "I thought Matt was good behind the plate," Loewen said. "Big target, you can tell he knows how to call a game." A ringing endorsement of the Class A catcher from the Major League pitcher. "I can't say coming weeks, coming days, I'm not sure, but I'm pretty much sure he's not going to be here all year," Cannon said. "He's going to be in the All-Star Game and after that we don't know what he's going to do. I'm sure he's not expecting to be here all year and we certainly do not expect him to be here all year he's such a good hitter, such a good player." The only criticism of the young catcher Cannon could muster didn't even apply to his play at the Class A level. "The higher he goes, he's going to have to learn how to be more selective as a hitter," Cannon said. "Because he's got power, they're going to pitch to him like he's a power hitter, so he needs to be more patient to get his pitches. He's that way right now, but at times he'll get a little bit anxious and swing at a pitch that he cant handle very well -- but then he'll come right back with two strikes and he knows how to handle that two strike pitch. For the most part, there's nothing I can teach him, he's just that advanced for this level." Keys manager Richie Hebner has only been in Frederick since Memorial Day after taking over for former manager Tommy Thompson, who was granted a leave of absence. In that small amount of time, though, he has been nothing short of wowed by Wieters performance. "I think he's out of here pretty soon," Hebner said. "I don't know if it's [Double-A] Bowie or [Triple-A] Norfolk or where, but the way I see it, in the last three weeks his progression ... He's on the right path, that's what I can say. He's on the right road and it's going up." Wieters himself will not put any type of a timetable on a promotion, taking his time to appreciate what every level of his expected rise to the Major Leagues has to offer. "Right now I'm just enjoying playing," Wieters said. "There's always something to learn, no matter what level you're at. I'm just trying to get to the park and learn something new every day. When I get called up, I'll just have to keep that attitude going on and the people above will make the decision when ultimately is the right time." "I think the biggest adjustment maturity-wise and being ready to play every day is that you actually do play every day," Wieters said. "It's catching five, six games a week and DHing the other day. You come from college where you play four, maybe five games a week and now you're playing seven, every week. As the summer goes on, it's going to take that much more to keep your body in shape and stay ready to play. "It's tough, but at the same time, I think school does a great job of preparing you for that because it keeps you where you have to stay busy -- whether you're playing baseball or in school. It's the same thing when you're not playing baseball. There are some things you can get into trouble doing if you get too much down time. School and baseball always go together with you from little league all the way up through college, so I think that the biggest adjustment -- especially for guys coming from high school -- is having a way to occupy their free time." But Wieters, so far, has maintained focused on his game. And with the compliments pouring down on him from coaches and players alike, it seems almost everyone is simply waiting for the day when they can say, "I knew him when ..." "He's a rare specimen," Cannon said, comparing Wieters' prowess at the plate to former Orioles great Eddie Murray. "As far as switch hitters, big tall guys, somebody like [Murray]. Big guys, from both sides of the plate, that can hit for power. "He's going to be a very good player in the Major Leagues. You're not going to be able to say enough about him. He's a guy on his way, so now we just have to wait and see how good he's going to be." (MLB.com)

Matt Wieters, last year’s first-round pick, has been tearing through the Carolina League to the tune of .342/.445/.560, and one scout who recently bore down on the Keys was as impressed as the catcher’s numbers might suggest, although with some minor reservations. "He might be susceptible a bit to upper-level velocity, and that prevents me from seeing him as a true No. 3 hitter," said the scout. But, don’t get me wrong–he’s a friggin’ stud who conducts himself like a big leaguer." At six-foot-five and 230 pounds, some are concerned about his position long term, but the scout had positive things to say about his defense. "I know some will think he’s too big, but for me, he stays back there," commented the scout. "He receives pretty well and while the feel doesn’t always get in line right, the arm strength more than makes up for it." (Baseball Prospectus)

Wieters came on strong in his professional debut, slugging two home runs in his first game. After destroying lefthanders to the tune of .391/.452/.828 and also damaging some righthanders, Wieters was promoted to Double-A, where he's started off cold. No matter. Wieters led all high Class A batter in on-base percentage (.448) and ranked third in slugging (.576). (Baseball America)

One of the top questions heading into the 2007 draft was where exactly Wieters would be picked, with varying opinions of his skills and high bonus demands wreaking havoc for those trying to make draft predictions. In the end, the Orioles took a shot and signed him in the 11th hour. He didn't play at all in the O's system at the end of the summer, instead making his debut -- and performing very well -- in Hawaii Winter Baseball. The switch-hitter has power from both sides of the plate and can hit to all fields. He's big behind the plate, but most feel he should be able stay there defensively, with fair agility despite his size and good arm strength. That being said, it will be his bat that will determine how quickly he can get to the big leagues. If he continues to perform like he did in Hawaii, Orioles fans shouldn't have to wait long.(MiLB.com)

Though he didn't specify a timetable, Baltimore Orioles Manager Dave Trembley said 2007 first-round draft pick Matt Wieters will be sent to the team's minor league camp to get acclimated with the pitching prospects he will likely work with this season. Still, that didn't stop the catcher from trying to add a few days to his first major league camp. Wieters added an RBI single on Tuesday during the Orioles' first intrasquad game of the spring, once again drawing praise from Trembley, who called the prospect polished for his age and experience. "Wieters has looked that way since the day he walked in this camp, looks like he's been here before," Trembley said. Wieters, a non-roster invitee, was used as a designated hitter in the first of two scheduled five-inning scrimmages. But Trembley said Wieters will play catcher on Wednesday in Baltimore's final intrasquad game. Grapefruit League play begins against the Florida Marlins on Thursday. "Got a hit, didn't strike out, put the ball in play," Wieters said. "Good day." And the day got only brighter for the former Georgia Tech all-American. Wieters led a group of five Orioles named as among the top 100 prospects in the minors by industry publication Baseball America. The magazine ranked Wieters the No. 12 overall prospect in the minors and No. 1 among catching prospects though his only professional experience has been a stint in winter ball in Hawaii. (Washington Post)

At 6'5 and 230 pounds, Wieters is big for a catcher but he has great agility behind the plate and his size will not limit him defensively. A switch hitter, Wieters shows good discipline from both sides of the plate, but he has more power from the left. Having been a closer in college, he has a cannon from behind the plate and he knows how to use it. Baseball America cites one scout that compared his defensive abilities to those of former Oriole backstop Charles Johnson. He shows exceptional footwork to go along with soft, receptive hands that pitchers will appreciate. In addition to his on-field talents, he has another great asset in his intangible value to his team. The Orioles believe they have a future team leader in Wieters, who has shown an impressive maturity both on the field and in the clubhouse. (BaySox.com)

Wieters is probably the best catching prospect since Joe Mauer and the best college catching prospect since Jason Varitek. He possesses soft hands, good footwork, a plus-plus arm(having thrown in the mid 90’s consistently as a closer)which means that he will have no problem staying at catcher in the Majors unlike some other prospects that have been drafted high recently(yes we are talking to you Jeff Clement). Wieters has shown plus bat speed with good power and plate discipline. He has more power from the left side of the plate however his stroke is shorter from the right side and more conducive to hitting for average with gap to gap power. There are only a few negatives with Wieters. The first one is that in college he would step towards the plate instead of towards the pitcher. This is a bad habit he developed because opposing teams attempted to pitch him away. This had an effect on his power however coaching should be able to fix this flaw which should increase his power as he improves in this area. The other negative is that Wieters is 6’5” which is very tall for a catcher and concerns have always existed for taller catchers (see Joe Mauer). Wieters is also has below average speed which is very normal for most catchers. Wieters offers a rare opportunity to snag an all star catcher for those in keeper and dynasty leagues. I believe he will be playing in Baltimore in September and worst case scenario the starting catcher for Baltimore by the beginning of the 2009 season. He should automatically be one of the top 3 catchers in the American League and a top 6 catcher in all of baseball once he reaches the majors. He has the chance to be a star and should be a multiple all star for many years to come. Expect a .300 average, 20-30 homeruns, 100 rbi’s, 75 plus runs, and a great OPS in his prime. If you get an opportunity to acquire him in deeper leagues and dynasties I would recommend doing so. Difference makers at catcher do not come along very often and Wieters is definitely that type of player. If you have missed out on Kershaw and Bruce and are waiting with a high waiver priority he is one of several players I would be hoping gets called up this September. (FantasyLounge)

Orioles top prospect Matt Wieters will play his last game with Class A Frederick on Thursday night. Wieters earned his first promotion on Thursday, moving up to Double-A Bowie on Friday morning after just three months with Frederick. “We feel like he’s gone a little over half the season now and he has made a tremendous stride with the bat and his catching,” said Orioles director of player development David Stockstill. “Teams are no longer pitching to him and because he’s not being pitched to, we feel like it’s better for his development to move him up to a level with people who are going to challenge him.” During his time in Frederick, the Orioles’ top 2007 Draft pick was the team-leader in batting average (.342), hits (77), home runs (14), RBIs (38) and walks (43). In 225 at-bats, Wieters also boasted a team-high .560 slugging percentage. Although the Orioles have been keeping Wieters on a conservative time line, unwilling to rush his development in the Minor Leagues, Wieters’ promotion has been expected for some time. Earlier this month, Keys hitting coach J.J. Cannon said he didn’t expect to see Wieters in a Keys uniform much past the June 23-25 All-Star break. The promotion comes on the heels of Wieters’ appearance in the Carolina League All-Star game earlier this week, June 24, in Myrtle Beach. Wieters went 1-for-2 in the game with an RBI single in the first inning. The Carolina League defeated the California League All-Stars, 3-1. “It’s a much tougher level,” Stockstill said. “But I think he’s capable of handling it, he’ll be fine.” (Baseball Blog)

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