Ben Petrick: The Rockies second round selection in the 1995 draft saw
his most time in the majors this season after receiving a September
call-up in 1999. In all, he batted .322 with 3 home runs, 20 runs batted
in, 10 doubles, one triple, 32 runs scored, 20 walks, and 33 strikeouts
146 at-bats. Before his call-up to Colorado, Petrick hit .315 in 248
at-bats at Colorado Springs. He only had one steal in the majors, but has
the speed to steal 20+ per season.
At 6-foot and 205 pounds,
Petrick is one of the most athletic catchers in baseball. His defense
needs continued improvement, but his offense is ready to take over the
daily grind in the majors. He has a strong arm and was even a high school
quarterback, but needs work on using it to handle potential baserunners.
With his athletic ability, eventually Petrick could be moved to another
position if a big catching prospect comes along (a la Craig Biggio moving
to second).
At the plate, Petrick won't be a 40 homer type, but he
could be a solid .300+, 20/20 type of hitter. Current teammate Jeff
Cirrillo's numbers could be in line with what Petrick could do
offensively.
Along with Juan Pierre, the Rockies seem to have two more
promising youngsters to add to Helton and Perez. The number one catch spot
could be his to lose in Spring Training, barring any roster
moves.