The Dodgers have long been lauded for their ability to identify and develop pitching, but the perennial N.L. West contenders continue to cultivate a plethora of catchers – both at the big league and minor league levels.
Will Smith, a 2016 first round pick out of the University of Louisville, has been one of the best backstops in baseball over the past several seasons – despite not earning a trip to the midsummer classic. Austin Barnes has been incredibly valuable to the club throughout his nine-year career, playing the role of Robin to the likes of Yasmani Grandal and – of course – Smith.
The front office signed top international prospect Diego Cartaya during the summer of 2018. For the past couples of years the Venezuela power-hitter has been a consensus Top 100 prospect. I ranked Cartaya as the 81st best prospect in the game immediately after his debut season in The Prospect Digest Handbook and he’s been a constant mainstay since.
Then last summer, the organization quietly added one of college baseball’s most underrated, underappreciated backstops in Dalton Rushing in the second round. And, of course, he immediately shot up prospect charts. Baseball Prospectus ranked him as the 56th best prospect heading into the year. And I had him a few spots higher, coming in at #52.
And, just like clockwork, there’s another young, power-hitting catcher buried deep within their farm system that’s starting to make a lot of noise – Thayron Liranzo.
An unheralded – at least by most media publications – out of the Dominican Republic in early January two years ago, the front office sent the then-17-year-old to their foreign rookie league affiliate that summer. But the results were mostly underwhelming as he batted a mediocre .250/.393/.353 in the offensive-friendly environment.
Liranzo spent the following summer, 2022, working in the Complex League – with improved results, largely in the power department. The massive 6-foot-3, 195-pound switch-hitter slugged .237/.339/.487 with 11 doubles, one triple, and eight homeruns, tied for the third highest total in either of the stateside rookie leagues.
This season Liranzo has been feasting off of the California League pitching as he moved into full-season action for the first time. Through his first 30 contests, the young Dominican is mashing .287/.406/.617 with three doubles, one triple, and 11 dingers – which ranks second among all qualified bats at the level (he’s trailing teammate Chris Newell, who happens to be three years his senior). Liranzo’s overall production, as measured by Weighted Runs Created Plus, has topped the league production mark by a whopping 66%. Only one other teenage prospect surpassed that performance level, by the way, Houston’s Ryan Clifford (173 wRC+), who’s already been bumped up to High-A.
According to Baseball America’s 2022 Park Factors, Rancho Cucamonga’s home ballpark, LoanMart Field, is one of the most homer-inducing environments in all of minor league baseball. Pretty damning context – except that Liranzo’s performance is basically the same on the road. He’s hitting .233/.365/.605 with five long balls at home and .319/.430/.625 with six dingers on the road. Interestingly enough, from a mechanical standpoint Liranzo (A) shows two, very distinct approaches at the plate and (B) has already drastically changed his stance from the left-side. See below:
Both screenshots are from a mid-April series against the Visalia Rawhide. Not only does Liranzo hold his hands significantly higher from the right side, but he moves into a crouch as well (as opposed to a more up-and-down hitting position from the left-side).
Again, notice the hand placement. It’s significantly lower – though it’s on the right side. He also uses a leg kick vs. stride as well.
However, in a recent game (coincidentally against Visalia again), Liranzo’s mechanics and setup from the right-side remain unchanged: high hands that drop quite a bit (as expected). Except look at how he’s changed the start of his approach from the left side. Regardless, though, he still gets into the same hitting position.
Liranzo has premium, plus power that’s already showing up in games against older competition. He’s also shown a penchant for swinging-and-missing from both sides of the plate as well. And he seems – at least in the few games I scouted – to be vulnerable against soft stuff low-and-away as a lefty. I do prefer the swing from the left-side, as well.
The young Dominican thumper has as large of an offensive ceiling as any hitter in the Dodgers’ system, which is saying something. But he’s raw and has some ways to go. It’ll be interesting to see if the stances from both sides slowly merge into a more mirrored approach or whether he can essentially succeed as to very distinct hitters.
