Salty: Stud or Suspect?

As a switch-hitting backstop with an actual chance of inflicting some damage at the plate, Jarrod Saltalamacchia would enjoy a rather uninhibited path to playing time on the vast majority of major league clubs. However, “Salty” has happened to be property of two catching-rich organizations during the course of his professional career.

A sandwich pick (36th overall) by the Atlanta Braves in the 2003 amateur draft, Saltalamacchia (mostly dubbed “Salty” from here on, for the sake of my sanity and spell checkers everywhere) began his big league ascent with the GCL Braves. In 164 PA, the 6-4 catcher displayed sound strike-zone judgment, batting .239/.382/.396.

Baseball America ranked Salty as Atlanta’s 19th best prospect entering the 2004 season, trailing a second round pick in the ’02 draft named Brian McCann. “For the second straight year”, BA wrote, “the Braves believe they emerged with the draft’s best catcher.”

Making his full-season debut at Low-A Rome, Saltalamacchia impressed with a .272/.342/.437 line, popping 10 home runs in 357 PA. The 19 year-old again displayed a keen eye at the plate (10.5 BB%), though his near 26% K rate brought back some concerns about a longish swing. Salty also dealt with a sore wrist and hamstring.

Still, the campaign was a big positive overall, as Salty climbed to 9th on Atlanta’s prospect list (McCann also moved up, from 7th in ’04 to 3rd in ’05). While noting that his “receiving and footwork need further improvement”, BA believed that Saltalamacchia had “quieted skeptics who wondered if he’d be able to stay behind the plate.”

While Salty’s work in ’04 earned him some praise, it was his robust work in 2005 that really put him with the big boys on the prospect map. Playing at Myrtle Beach in the High-A Carolina League, Salty pulverized pitchers as a Pelican, showing secondary skills galore (.314/.394/.519 in 529 PA). He was downright Posada-like at the plate, drawing a walk 12.4% of the time while blasting 19 big flys. Even Salty’s whiff rate (21.6%) trended in the right direction.

Prior to the 2006 season, Saltalamacchia was honored as the best and brightest in the Braves system, and ranked as the 18th best prospect in the minors. As BA noted, “while Brian McCann was establishing himself as a quality young backstop in the majors, Saltalamacchia made a case for being the best catching prospect in the minors.”

Salty made his highly anticipated AA debut in 2006, but the results ended up falling short of what most were expecting. By no means was he bad, but a .230/.353/.380 showing on the heels of his studly work in ’05 left some feeling a bit let down.

On the positive side, his walk rate remained stellar (14.9 BB%) and a .150 ISO from a 21 year-old catcher is nothing to sneeze at. Salty’s .270 BABIP also pointed to some misfortune upon contact. There were other extenuating circumstances as well- a lingering wrist injury sapped his pop. In all, Salty’s work in ’06 was not near as disappointing as it looks upon first glance.

BA again rated Salty as Atlanta’s best farm talent in its 2007 Prospect Handbook, while also recognizing that an opportunity to showcase his skills with the team that drafted him might not come. Said BA, “Brian McCann is one of the best young catchers in baseball [he posted a .402 wOBA in ’06], and while Saltalamacchia is similarly gifted, there’s room for only one of them behind the plate in Atlanta.”

Salty smoked AA to begin the 2007 season (.452 wOBA in 94 PA), earning a big league call up in early May. He split his time between catcher and first base with the Braves, batting .284/.333/.411 in 153 PA.

BA’s comment about Salty not being long for Atlanta looked prescient, as Atlanta shipped their other highly-touted backstop to the Rangers during the summer as part of a stunning prospect haul for Mark Teixeira (that trade also netted Texas Neftali Feliz, Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison and Beau Jones). Salty again oscillated between opposite ends of the defensive spectrum with the Rangers, hitting .253/.352/.364 in 176 PA.

In 2008, Saltalamacchia dealt with a plethora of bumps and bruises, from a forearm injury to groin, hand and foot issues as well. Through all the cold tubs and Icy Hot, he batted .253/.352/.364 with a .319 wOBA. Salty worked the count well (13.5 BB%), but his Custian whiff rate (37.4 K%) and .388 BABIP were concerning.

Freed from McCann’s shadow, Salty is free to don the tools of ignorance without looking over his shoulder, right? Well, not necessarily. Former University of Texas star Taylor Teagarden is reputed to be one of the best defensive catchers in the game while lacking the thump to play another position, and Maximiliano Ramirez (himself a former Braves farm hand) shredded the Texas League in 2008 (his reputation behind the dish is much less acclaimed, however).

For now, it seems as though the Rangers are content to platoon Salty and Teagarden, with Teagarden taking on the southpaws who have thus far given Saltalamacchia nightmares (.554 OPS in 208 PA).

Saltalamacchia might not have any sort of buzz surrounding him right now, but he still possesses secondary skills that most catchers just cannot match and he won’t turn 24 until May. Our five projection systems here at Fan Graphs all peg Salty as a .250-ish hitter with an OBP around .330 and a SLG% between .420-.430. If he gets the lion’s share of playing time behind the dish, it would be wise to give Salty a spin.