Prospect Stock Watch: Allen, Stephenson, Ward

We continue to count down to the 2016 amateur draft in early June by focusing on 2015 draft picks. Today, we’re looking at three of the top catchers selected last year. And it’s not really that pretty…

Austin Allen | Padres | C
ETA: 2018
Value: Rising

The other two catchers on this list were selected in the first round of the 2015 draft. Allen, though, lasted until the fourth round due to concerns over his ability to stick behind the plate. Those concerns are still there but there are fewer and fewer surrounding his bat. With that said, he’s come back down to earth a bit with the bat after an unreal start to the year in April. He’s hitting just .238 in May but his triple-slash line is still .349/.428/.460 in 36 games. Despite the recent downturn, the BB-K rate of 15-21 is solid and quality left-handed hitting catchers are always in demand. The Padres have some catching depth in the upper minors and at the big league level so Allen will have some time to polish his skills.

Tyler Stephenson | Reds | C
ETA: 2019
Value: Steady

Stephenson — 18 years old at the time — was the top catcher selected in the 2015 draft when the Reds nabbed him 11th overall. A huge catcher at 6-4 and 225 pounds, he possesses the potential for plus power but he has a lot of work to do before worrying about home runs. Despite his inexperience, the Reds pushed him to low-A ball to open 2016 and it’s been a struggle at the plate. Stephenson is currently hitting just .196 and has struck out 31 times — in more than a third of his at-bats. With the oft-injured Devin Mesoraco’s future behind the plate in Cincinnati murky at best, the Reds are no doubt hoping for a quick ascension by Stephenson. Beyond the boy wonder, the catching depth in the system is fairly barren.

Taylor Ward | Angels | C
ETA: 2018
Value: Down

Ward was selected 26th overall during the 2015 draft out of Fresno State University and his selection in the first round caught a lot of people by surprise. He quieted a lot of doubters with a strong pro debut when he hit .348/457/.438 and walked more than he struck out (39-23 BB-K) in 56 games. Pushed to high-A ball in 2016, Ward has struggled with the bat over the first two months of the season and has a .560 OPS despite playing in the California League — which is known as a hitter’s haven. He has enough defensive acumen to suggest he’ll make the Majors but it might be as a back-up, rather than as a starter. With Carlos Perez producing modestly at the big league level and not much else catching depth in the system, the Angels might have to go looking for another catcher early in the 2016 draft.