4
2012
Mets Select Purdue Catcher Kevin Plawecki With 35th Overall Pick
An article by Craig Lerner
The Mets have selected catcher Kevin Plawecki from Purdue with the 35th overall pick in the 2012 first year player draft.
Jonathan Mayo says:
“Plawecki is an offensive catcher with a lot of ability with the bat. He makes consistent contact with a short swing that allows him to stay in the center of the field. With a contact first approach, Plawecki’s power is fringy right now, but there’s a lot of strength to potentially tap into in the future. While his arm is fringe average, at best, the other parts of his defensive game are more than fine to stay behind the plate. He works with pitchers well, calling his own game. He has good hands, frames pitches and blocks them well. He has the size and body frame you want from a catcher.”
MLB Draft Countdown says:
Aside from Mike Zunino, there isn’t much to get excited about when looking at the crop of college catchers. The second tier (Zunino is the sole member of the first) is comprised of a group that is spearheaded by Purdue backstop Kevin Plawecki, arguably the top performer this season after the Gators highly regarded catcher.
Whereas Plawecki doesn’t have any one trait that paints him as a future superstar, few have doubts that he has the polish to go along with the offensive ability and defensive chops to be an everyday catcher in the big-leagues. For starters, he guided the Boilermakers to their first-ever Big Ten Championship, and along with it, their first No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Plawecki was the team’s top offensive playmaker, hitting .365/.454/.567, racking up a team-leading 20 doubles and six homers along the way.
Once again, he showed his incredible ability to make contact. With a mere eight strikeouts this season (compared to 24 walks), Plawecki now has just 29 career punchouts. That alone would be enough to get him drafted, but Plawecki also offers impressive defensive ability. Unlike most college catchers, he calls his own games, and despite having less than impressive arm strength, he has been consistently posted some of the best caught stealing ratios in the Big Ten during his career.
Plawecki, 21, is batting .359 with 20 doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 47 RBI in 223 at-bats in 2012 for Purdue.
About the Author: Craig Lerner
I'm a data analyst and researcher for a leading news agency who loves life and is hooked on the Mets. I love following the Amateur Draft and have a particular fondness for the Mets Minor Leagues who I follow each day. Give me a cold beer, a summer day, and a Mets game, and I'm good to go.
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I’m actually ok with this pick, in comparison to the G. Cecchi pick.
Hawkins, Gio, Trahan…but I’m not too crazy about missing Trahan because we got a catcher here. I guess they had a plan.
I figure this kid compares to Paul Lo Duca with the strikeout rates and enough offensive potential to get by as a catcher. Gap power is all good for a catcher.
Good things were said about him defensively, so, I will happily take this pick.
Ram – That’s a really good analogy. LoDuca was a presence on the field and at the plate. But does he get really, really mad like LoDuca?
Best play LoDuca ever made was tagging two guys out at home.
As for his arm – there’s a lot to be said for a good arm, but there’s also a lot to be said for a quick release, blocking balls, handling bunts, throws to the plate, calling a good game, putting pitchers in their comfort zone, etc…
I really like this pick.
hey Satish,
Does this guy actually have gap power?
I was under the impression that he was pretty much like Thole with the Bat but since he was still young just had more upside and potential to develop gap power as he grows.
I can’t quibble with any pick for a catcher at this point. Considering the light hitting Nickeas is our backup right now.
He’s a college kid so I look at this pick as a pick made for quick return not a long term project.
Thole is 25 now and in 3-4 years will be FA so this seems like a hedge pick just in case they decide to replace Thole.
Well it’s college but he did have 20 doubles and 6 HR so there is some gap power there I would think.
Yeah but thats on a HS field…6 HRs become 6 warning track outs and half those doubles go for singles…Like I said he may grow and get stronger which will give him some more power but if not he’s not much different than Thole with the bat then.
My real concern is this is one of the picks we got for losing Reyes to FA…
Was kind of hoping for something a little more soothing to that loss.
We have two 2nd rounders (one from the Marlins) so lets hope we get something with enough upside to make us forget about reyes or applaud the move in 4-6 years!
Maybe the catcher surprises us too…
It’s certainly too soon to tell what these kids will do…
He played at Purdue University, and D-1A school. Here are the dimensions for their home field
340 ft. (LF), 375 ft. (LCF), 408 ft. (CF), 375 ft. (RCF), 340 ft. (RF)
Warning track power ain’t helping you there.
heck, they could probably call him up next week, and he could hit better than Nickeas!
HIs swing doesn’t look good to me. But waht do I know, my “loop” I see in the swing is a major leagues scouts gap=power maker.
This guy sounds like a Paul Lo Duca type catcher. I’ll take that anyday.
sounds a little like Kirk, tools wise: good at a lot of things, not outstanding at any, not bad at any.
It sounds like it’s pretty rare to call your own game as a catcher in college, so to me that shows leadership and ability. I am liking this pick way more than the first and it looks like he has the ability to move up quick in the system.