2013 Mets Draft Scouting Report: C Colton Plaia

In the 15th round, the Mets selected Loyola Marymount backstop Colton Plaia. Plaia is a solidly built catcher on the larger side (6-foot-3, 205 pounds), who eventually could serve as a major league backup if his bat holds up.

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Right now, Plaia’s bat is very questionable. At the plate, his swing mechanics are problematic, because I’m not sure I can see him hitting for enough contact to put the average raw power he has to any use. Armed with just average bat speed, Plaia takes a huge cut with a significant uppercut. Watching him, it’s easy to imagine a lot of swing-and-miss in his game. As for the power I mentioned, he could muscle a few balls down the line here and there, but without an ability to wait on the pitch and use his bat speed to drive the ball to center or the opposite field, the power’s going to be pretty sporadic, as it has been at the collegiate level. He also doesn’t have a lot of patience at the plate, which further hampers any on-base ability he might have.

Defensively, the news is better. While clearly strong and durable, Plaia is also smart and energetic, and he should be at least average behind the plate. His arm strength is solid-average for the position, and he’s pretty accurate with it. I do question his footwork a little. He’s a little stiff down there, and larger catchers can often struggle with their agility around the plate. Hopefully, that will come with time.

As I said, if he can refine his bat a little and tap into that power with a little more frequency, he’s got a chance to become a backup catcher. If not, the glove won't carry him and he's organizational filler.