Nick Trzesniak
| AB | 2362 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .252 |
| OBP | .328 |
| SLG | .373 |
| HR | 51 |
- Full name Nicholas Daniel Trzesniak
- Born 11/19/1980 in Olympia Fields, IL
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Victor J. Andrew
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Drafted in the C round (51st overall) by the San Diego Padres in 1999 (signed for $650,000).
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No player made more of a move in the Illinois high school class this spring than C Nick Trzesniak, a strong, intelligent receiver with a blue-collar work ethic. He has an excellent arm and sure hands behind the plate. Though scouts say his bat is the weakest part of his arsenal, he smashed 11 home runs this spring.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The weakest position in the organization is catcher, hands down. The Padres hope Trzesniak can help change that if he can continue to stay healthy. Back problems and a hand injury limited him to 122 games in his first three seasons after signing as a 1999 supplemental first-round pick, but he nearly matched that total in 2002. An all-Illinois linebacker in high school, Trzesniak and Josh Barfield were the best athletes on the Fort Wayne club last year. Trzesniak resembles a young Javy Lopez with his arm strength, power and speed, which is very good for a catcher and only slightly below-average. He still has work to do, as he muscles his swing and is too aggressive at the plate. While he has solid receiving skills, he needs to improve his footwork and release after throwing out just 22 percent of basestealers last year. Chosen by Fort Wayne fans as their favorite player in 2002, he'll move up to high Class A this year. -
Young catchers Ben Davis and Wiki Gonzalez combined to bat just .229-8-44 in 138 games with San Diego last year. If they don't hit, the Padres are going to have to wait a while for reinforcements. Their only legitimate catching prospects were three teenagers who spent 2000 in Rookie ball. Trzesniak, the last of the club's six first-round picks in 1999, is the best of the catching crop. He offers both offense and defense. He hit for average and power in 2000 while also drawing more than his share of walks. He's not a speedster by any means, but he has stolen 11 bases in 14 pro attempts. Trzesniak is a solid receiver with a strong arm. While his 28 percent success rate at gunning down basestealers last year wasn't outstanding, it was significantly better than teammate Andres Pagan's 18 percent. While Trzesniak will need to make more contact in the future, his biggest problem has been staying healthy. He had a sore arm in 1999, broke his hamate bone and required surgery in the offseason, then had back problems last year. He'll probably play at Fort Wayne this year, likely splitting time with Pagan again.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Mark Phillips' batterymate offers the best balance of offense and defense among the catchers. Trzesniak was a supplemental first-round pick in 1999. His offensive toolbox includes power that began to emerge this year. He hit seven home runs after hitting none last year in the Rookie-level Arizona League. The number is even more impressive considering he split time behind the plate with Andres Pagan, the No. 18 prospect, though Werner managed to carve out a lot of at-bats for both.
Scouting Reports
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Mark Phillips' batterymate offers the best balance of offense and defense among the catchers. Trzesniak was a supplemental first-round pick in 1999. His offensive toolbox includes power that began to emerge this year. He hit seven home runs after hitting none last year in the Rookie-level Arizona League. The number is even more impressive considering he split time behind the plate with Andres Pagan, the No. 18 prospect, though Werner managed to carve out a lot of at-bats for both.
