70 in 70: Number 16
Tracking Travis…Today, just 16 days away from Opening Day, 70 in 70 takes a look at 2008 BlueClaws catcher Travis D’Arnaud, who after being drafted in 2007, was ranked 16th by Baseball America in their Phillies prospect rankings. This year, D’Arnaud has moved up to seventh on the list.
He’s from Lakewood (Lakewood, California) and hit .309 with four home runs with Williamsport last year, playing for 2009 BlueClaws manager Dusty Wathan. After Joel Naughton broke his toe in August, D’Arnaud was promoted to Lakewood, where he hit .297 over 16 games.
From the 2009 Prospect Handbook: He’s athletic with premium catch-and-throw tools, such as soft hands, quick feet, and plenty of arm strength…Some club officials now believe his offense will be as good or better than his defense. He has a line drive swing with a willingness to use the opposite field.
D’Arnaud is an interesting case for several reasons…
1) Where will he go this year? He might be ready for Clearwater, but if he goes there, he would likely split time with Joel Naughton. That said, the Phillies have several young catchers, such as Sebastian Valle, who could also be in Lakewood. For what it’s worth, D’Arnaud has been playing spring games with the Hi-A team.
2) Long-term. Lou Marson is the catcher of the future. Will D’Arnaud hit with enough power to be able to move from behind the plate? That remains to be seen, though power is not considered one of his top tools. He’s still a few years away from the big leagues, and so much can happen so quickly, but he’ll be interesting to keep an eye on.
Other Baseball America movers, from 2008-2009: Michael Taylor (not ranked to 6), Drew Naylor (29 to 13), Jason Donald (from 15 to 4), Dominic Brown (6 to 1)
[Photos: www.crosscutterboosters.org & www.crosscutters.com]
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