San Francisco Giants Strike a Pose(y)

How good is the 2008 MLB draft shaping up to be? In just a little over a year we've already seen Gordon Beckham, Brian Matusz, Ryan Perry, and Daniel Schlereth make contributions at the major league level.

In 2010, we could see Brett Wallace (Oakland A’s), Pedro Alvarez (Pittsburgh Pirates), Jason Castro (Houston Astros), and Justin Smoak (Texas Rangers) all get the call up from their respective clubs. With this influx of talent, the 2008 draft is shaping up to be one of the better drafts in quite some time.

Well, yesterday, the 2008 draft class added another member to a major league roster. The San Francisco Giants called up C Gerald “Buster” Posey from Triple-A Fresno.

Doesn’t “Buster Posey” sound like a classic Florida State linebacker? Gerald Posey? Not so much. Posey wasn’t a linebacker at Florida State, he was a catcher—and a very, very good one.

By the way, one note on Florida State University: my sister went to school there, and I went to go visit her a couple of times. For you guys out there, if you want to go a college football game with a great atmosphere and see smoking hot girls—FSU is the place to be.

Back to Posey.

I think Posey has the potential to be one of the best catchers in the game. In three to four years, we'll be talking about Posey as the right-handed version of Brian McCann.

Yes, he's that good.

If and when Posey impresses for the Giants, he could be in line to be the Giants’ starting catcher in 2010. Bengie Molina is a free agent after the 2009 season.

Here are some other facts about Buster Posey...

Age: 22

College: Florida State University

Drafted: Fifth pick of the first round of the 2008 draft

 

Minor League Stats

2008 Rookie & Single A: .351 avg. with 1 HR, 6 RBI, and a .467 OBP in 10 games

2009 Single A+ & Triple-A: .325 avg. with 18 HR’s, 80 RBI, and a .416 OBP in 115 games

 

Keith Law Ranking and Analysis

Ranking: No. 8 out of 100 best prospects in baseball

Analysis: “Posey presents a very balanced set of tools that, given his position, make him among the most valuable properties in the minor leagues. A recent convert from shortstop who also pitched a little in college, Posey is a plus defensive catcher with a plus arm (he pitched in the low 90s), soft hands, and a lot of energy at a position that demands it.

“At the plate, he has a compact stroke, excellent bat control, and a good eye. While he doesn’t project to hit for more than average power, he should make plenty of hard contact and end up a doubles hitter with 15-20 home runs per year.

“The combination of a projected plus hit tool and currently plus defense make him a very high-probability prospect—he plays in the big leagues no matter what, be it as a quality backup if he never improves at all or as a star everyday catcher if he reaches his offensive ceiling.”