2016 Mets draft profile: C Dan Rizzie

Name: Dan Rizzie
Born: Orland Park, Illinois
Age: 22 ( 11/26/93)
Height/Weight: 6'2"/195 lbs
Position: C
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Dan Rizzie entered college as a walk-on to the Xavier baseball team, not having been scouted or recruited as a high school player, and graduated as one of the best catchers in the history of the Muskateers, a .305/.380/.430 hitter known for his defense. A finance major, Rizzie made a financial risk during the draft that paid dividends. Before the draft, Rizzie was offered an underslot deal in the 10th round worth about $100,000 by an undisclosed MLB team, but the catcher declined, gambling that a team would be willing to draft him and offer him a fair deal. The Mets selected Rizzie three rounds later, specifically citing his ability behind the plate as the reason they wanted him. The Mets paid him recommended slot value—more than he would have received if he had been drafted higher, but under slot—and the gamble paid off.

At the plate, Rizzie stands open, wrapping his bat. He doesn't transfer his weight or balance much in his swing, utilizing a toe tap, but his swing is smooth and level, relying mostly on upper-body strength instead of power generated from his lower half. He has solid line drive power with it, but will likely never be able to really hit for much power without utilizing his lower half more.

Behind the plate, Rizzie is a plus defensive catcher. Though he has merely an average arm for a catcher, he possesses an extremely quick pop and release time. He suffered a broken hand in 2015 that limited him to just 14 games, but it had no impact on his release time or accuracy, as the right-hander threw out 57% of the runners that attempted to run on him during his senior season.