Ryan Lavarnway

[Keeper]

Since this guy might one day be featured on my blog, I was wondering what you guys thought of him. Has anyone seen him in person? If so, what are your impressions?

[Dojji]

My impression based on what I've heard about Lavarnway is that his catching tools are good, but catching skills are very unfinished and that he needs to make a lot of improvements there if he wants a shot at the bigtime as a catcher. Sort of like George Kottaras when we first got him, only more so since Lavarnway is younger.

[Dojji]

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100518&content_id=10160490&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp

 

"He's narrowed his strike zone quite a bit. Last year, we were really impressed with his offensive approach, but he's taken it to a whole other level," Boles said. "With his defense starting to come along -- this guy is starting to catch and throw -- he's starting to light some people's eyes up. It's because of his work ethic."

 

That's where Lavarnway's smarts -- Descartes, Plato and Kant are as important to him as Boston-centric names like Pesky, Williams and Yastrzemski -- come in. He's used his mental acuity to improve pitch-calling and learn opposing hitters' tendencies, perfect his pitch recognition as a hitter and better anticipate what's to come.

"He views the game a little more as a chess match," said Boles, Lavarnway's skipper at Greenville in 2009. "Last year, the game got a little quick for him behind the plate. You can see the wheels starting to turn to where he's slowed the game down and he's able to [succeed]."

 

Very very encouraging. Lavarnway is smart and a good hitter, if he develops into a catcher defensively, we have ourselves a winner.

[Dojji]

Killing the ball in half a year in Salem. Strong numbers, especially for a catcher.

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=C&sid=t414&t=p_pbp&pid=543432

 

Offensively, I have no doubt in my mind the kid's ready to be promoted. The only thing that could hold him back is the D.

[Keeper]

Was just promoted to AA.

[soxfan74]

Great bat. Probably Ortiz's replacement at DH a couple years from now. Still needs a ton of work in the Catching department.

[jacksonianmarch]

So I hear. He's probably gonna be a 1b.