Diego Cartaya - Prospects to Know for 2022

When the Dodgers traded Keibert Ruiz to the Nationals as part of the deal to acquire Max Scherzer, it seemed like the organization potentially traded away it’s catcher of the future.

However, what if the Dodgers’ catcher of the future is still in their system? Diego Cartaya’s 31 game performance as a 19-year-old in full-season ball this summer maybe showed us just that.

In this article, I will look at Diego Cartaya's tools and performance to summarize what I expect his future MLB role will become.

Summary

Hit

The Dodgers appear to have changed Cartaya’s hand load since signing him as an IFA back in 2018. He’s now setting his hands lower, reducing some of the noise in his initial load. Think of Justin Turner’s hand position.

However, unlike Turner, Cartaya doesn’t need the big leg kick to produce above average power. And the team has quieted down Cartaya’s leg kick as well, giving him a more polished, controlled look at the plate.

He showed the ability this year to turn around premium velocity. He’s not going to get cheated on fastballs. He also showed a good ability to adjust his swing and attack fastballs up near the letters.

Cartaya also showed minimal handedness splits in Low-A this year. He posted a 1.077 OPS against LHP and a 1.002 OPS against RHP.

Despite his work on quieting his swing, Cartaya still ran a 27% strikeout rate last year, which was backed by his swinging strike rate as well. He doesn’t have exceptional feel for the barrel or barrel control, and can get out in front of breaking stuff pretty easily. His .298 batting average last year was driven more by a high BABIP than his contact ability.

Discipline

Cartaya’s plate approach has improved since his early career, and he saw 3.8 pitches per plate appearance in his full-season debut last year. His BABIP and BB% allowed him to run an OBP north of .400 last year, but I think both of those measures will deteriorate as he climbs the ladder. That being said, he could still be an average to above-average OBP performer in the Show.

Power

Cartaya displayed elite in-game power as a teenager in full-season ball. This makes him a very good bet to both make the big leagues and be an impact performer upon reaching the Show.

Cartaya’s power comes naturally from his swing. He shows a good propensity for creating lift without an exaggerated uppercut. This allows him to drive even premium velocity to the deepest reaches of the park.

You can see that his power has jumped due to his physical maturation since his stateside debut in 2019. Given his young age, Cartaya should maintain this in-game power as he continues to climb the minor league ranks.

Defense

Listed at 6‘3“, 219 lbs., Cartaya is going to be a big catcher. There’s no reason it can’t work for him in the Bigs, as there are several MLB catchers his size or bigger each season. That being said, the wear and tear of daily catching could take a toll on him. The addition of the DH spot to NL ball should give the Dodgers more opportunity to get his bat into the lineup on a regular basis.

Teams had no fear of running on Cartaya last season. Opponents attempted 35 steals against Cartaya in just 31 games, and his stolen base allowed percentage against was too high at 80%. He also allowed 11 passed balls in those 31 games.

The team has been high on his defense and receiving, so he should definitely be a future backstop for the org. And he gained some valuable experience catching the organization’s arms of the future last year. It just might take some time for his defense to mature to the point that he’s above-average at the highest level.

Run

Not really a threat on the basepaths, Cartaya will likely slow down with age if he adds any more weight to his frame. That being said, he’s not a liability either.

Athleticism

He looks like a very strong well proportioned athlete. he’s matured physically a good deal in the last two years. There’s not much room left for him to add good weight, so I anticipate he slows down some as he climbs the professional ranks.

Cartaya was shelved from August 1 onward with what the team called a hamstring strain. I think it’s likely that the Dodgers were just super cautious with his recovery, given his place on the organization’s depth chart. That being said, he’s going to get beat up catching, so maintaining something like his current physique will be important to his career.

Cartaya’s balance is pretty good, and his forearm and wrist strength is probably off the charts. He seems flexible and loose at his present size, but again that could change if he adds weight (especially to his lower half).

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