Adrian Sugastey, C
DOB: 10/23/2002
BATS: R / THROWS: R
ACQUIRED: International Signing, July 2019
LAST LEVEL: Low-A
VOLATILITY: High
GiantFutures 2023 Ranks: #32 Overall, #2 Catcher
2022 Performance: Adrian Sugastey’s first full season was a fairly successful run at Low-A for the 19-year old, as he hit .239/.329/.334 over 84 games, mostly at San Jose, with 34 walks to 58 strikeouts. Sugastey’s season got interrupted in early June with an undisclosed injury, which cost him nearly four weeks before he returned to the Arizona Complex League for a couple of weeks. Sugastey returned to San Jose in mid-July, and otherwise finished the season relatively steady.
Defensively, Sugastey has only been a catcher in the field, and he’s been strong there. He had just 8 passed balls in 555.1 innings behind the plate in 2022, and caught 31 of 108 baserunners (28.7%).
At the plate, Sugastey didn’t have much of a platoon split. The right handed hitter was slightly better against left-handed pitchers as expected, with a .672 OPS, with a .661 OPS against right-handed pitchers.
Strengths and Weaknesses: Sugastey has good all-around skills as a catcher. He has a reputation as a good contact hitter and even when he struggled in 2022, he did not strike out much. While his power is not there yet, he is still very young and it’s hoped he will grow into it a little, though he’ll do far more damage with doubles than home runs.
Defensively, he’s still developing, but he’s mature behind the plate when it comes to pitchers. His arm is above average and he’s got a quick release that helps him until he improves his footwork, too.
2023 Outlook: Sugastey needs to hit more, but of course, he’s got the low catcher-hitting bar to clear. The hope is that his strength will get better this season in the Northwest League, but the team would like to see him get better with his contact skills as well.
Future Profile: Sugastey has a high floor, with his mix of catching skills. The question is how high he can go. The tools are all there for Sugastey to make it as a starter, though his ceiling would be as an average everyday catcher. It’s easy to see him making it at some level, even if it’s as a backup somewhere.
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