Lucas May

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #17 prospect in 2010
  The Dodgers have an affinity for converting players to catchers, with Russell Martin and since-traded Carlos Santana among their recent success stories. Another of their projects is May, who moved from shortstop to outfielder in mid-2005 before shifting to catcher during instructional league in 2006. May's development was slowed last season when he broke a wrist in mid-May and missed six weeks, though he showed few ill effects of the injury when he returned. He starred for gold-medal champion Team USA at the World Cup in September, hitting .355 in eight starts and driving in four runs in the clincher against Cuba. May has some power and can turn on the best of fastballs, but he struggles with breaking and offspeed pitches, particularly on the outer half of the plate. He did a better job of controlling the strike zone last year than he had in the past. He's a tick above-average as a runner, a tool that sets him apart from most catchers. May has improved in his three seasons behind the plate and has the tools to possibly become a plus defender, but he's still a work in progress. He has an above-average arm and threw out a career-best 35 percent of basestealers in 2009. He's still inconsistent with his receiving, with 75 passed balls in 239 games behind the plate, and doesn't frame pitches well. He's learning the nuances of calling a game and guiding his pitchers through jams. Ticketed for Triple-A in 2010, he could make his major league debut later in the year.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #28 prospect in 2009
  After moving from shortstop to outfield in 2005, May converted to catcher in 2007 and was added to the 40-man roster in 2008. After a big season in the California League he spent time in big league camp but surprised the organization when he struggled with Double-A pitching, offensively and defensively in 2008. May's inexperience shows behind the plate; he is still learning how to handle a pitching staff and how to call a game. Like a smaller version of Michael Barrett, he has the athleticism, arm strength and agility but his catching and throwing, while improving, still need sharpening. He committed 24 passed balls last year after 31 in 2007, and threw out just 29 percent of basestealers last season. His athletic ability has helped him make some adjustments, and while the Dodgers love May's makeup, he has lost weight and needs to work on maintaining his strength at his new position. May, who played against Blake DeWitt in their high-school days, has good bat speed and very good power potential but doesn't make adjustments at the plate and gets power-happy, chasing breaking balls away. He'll return to Double-A searching for more consistency in all phases of the game this season.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #17 prospect in 2008
  No prospect elicits the type of satisfaction in Dodgers officials that May does. An athletic grinder who was drafted as a shortstop out of high school in 2002, May moved to third base before converting to catcher during instructional league in 2006. He was added to the 40-man roster after he showed steady improvement in his first full season behind the dish last season. May always had intriguing juice in his bat, and it came alive as he slugged a career-high 25 home runs in 2007, albeit as a 22-year-old in the hitter's haven that is the California League. He generates plus bat speed and can backspin balls with loft and carry, especially to the pull side. He feasts on fastballs, but has a habit of swinging and missing too often against offspeed stuff. His swing plane often causes him to work around the ball. He's a solid-average runner who takes nothing for granted on the basepaths and could steal 8-15 bases a year. May is agile and nimble with good hip flexibility behind the plate. Though he led Cal League catchers with a .994 fielding percentage and threw out 29 percent of basestealers, his 31 passed balls were the most in the minors. His throws have carry and accuracy, with solid-average arm strength that plays up because of a quick release. His receiving is his greatest defensive deficiency presently, but his hands are adequate. May's pull-happy approach might not elicit high batting averages, so his ability to hit for power and improve defensively are the keys to his value. May's status within the organization is at an all-time high, and he'll try to replicate his success in Double-A this year.