Chun-Hsiu Chen

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #26 prospect in 2012
  The Indians are aggressive in Taiwan, where they signed Chen as an 18-year-old in September 2007. After he struggled at Mahoning Valley in 2009, he ditched a leg kick in his swing and had a breakout season at two Class A stops in 2010. His production dipped upon a jump to Double-A in 2011. Chen is an offense-first catcher and has been since his amateur days, though scouts have questions about just how much he'll hit. He has a short swing but is a pull-oriented hitter who doesn't have great bat speed and is often late getting the bat head out front. He has a tendency to leak open and pull off the ball, which hurts him against breaking pitches. The biggest concern right now is with Chen's defense. He ranked second in the Eastern League with 18 passed balls in 82 games and needs to improve his blocking and receiving. He has an average arm and threw out 35 percent of basestealers last year. The thick-bodied Chen has well below-average speed. He'll have to get better defensively even to become a backup catcher, as his bat likely won't play at another position and he doesn't really have the athleticism to fit elsewhere on the diamond. He may return to Double-A in 2012 in an effort to heat his bat up.
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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #22 prospect in 2011
  Cleveland signed Chen out of Taiwan as an 18-year-old in September 2007. Known in his amateur days as an offensive-oriented catcher, he hit just .215/.328/.308 at Mahoning Valley in 2009. When he arrived at spring training last year, he worked with Indians coaches to remove the big leg kick in his swing, an adjustment that allowed him to see the ball earlier and maintain better balance. The change helped Chen take off as one of Cleveland biggest breakthrough prospects in 2010, and he even earned a Futures Game berth. He has a natural feel for hitting, gap power and good control of the strike zone. Though he posted a .315/.404/.521 season at two Class A stops, some scouts have concerns about his bat speed playing at higher levels. He also can become too pull-conscious at times. Chen's biggest need, however, is to improve his receiving. He had 18 passed balls in just 60 games last year, splitting his time between catcher and DH. He struggles with balls in the dirt and looks stiff behind the plate at times. He does have a solid arm and threw out 37 percent of basestealers in 2010. He's a well below-average runner. The Indians could push Chen to Double-A in 2011, though they also could send him to Kinston to focus on his defense.