Ryan Doumit

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #14 prospect in 2005
  Injuries have dogged Doumit throughout his professional career, as he has played 100 games in a season only once in six years. A sore elbow limited him to DH after June 2 last season, and he did not play at all after July 24. Doumit has outstanding gap power and is beginning to hit balls over the fence. He has improved defensively over the years, both with his throwing and footwork behind the plate. Staying healthy has been a major problem, but the Pirates were encouraged that he did not need elbow surgery last season. While Doumit has a good bat, almost all of his power comes from the left side. He has hit 28 of his 30 professional home runs off righthanders, suggesting that he might want to abandon switch-hitting. He will begin this season in Triple-A despite having his season cut short last year. More than anything, Doumit needs to play a full season. If he makes strides this year, he would be in line to win at least a backup job in the major leagues in 2006.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #10 prospect in 2004
  Injuries to his back, knee and hand have dogged Doumit since he turned pro. He finally had the first healthy season of his career in 2003, and his 458 at-bats nearly doubled his career high. He led the high Class A Carolina League in doubles. Doumit has a lot of offensive upside for a catcher. He's a switch-hitter who can hit for average and has emerging power, especially from the left side. He improved his plate discipline when he got regular at-bats, though he still needs work in that area. He also moves well behind the plate and has a strong arm. Doumit is a streaky hitter and needs to be more consistent. Despite his good defensive tools, CL teams ran on him. He needs to become more accurate with his throws, and some question his game-calling and receiving ability. Doumit will catch in Double-A in 2004 and is on track to reach Pittsburgh in 2006. He has the stuff be a No. 1 catcher in the majors.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #12 prospect in 2003
  Doumit has performed well when healthy, but his bugaboo has been injuries. He was slowed by a strained lower back in 2001, then missed the second half of 2002 with a broken pinky on his throwing hand. Doumit can hit for average, and he has the ability to blossom into a 20-homer man as his body fills out. He has started to take greater pride in his defense and handling of pitchers. Doumit has a plus arm and runs well for a catcher. He has had a hard time staying on the field, though it seems more a case of bad luck than poor conditioning. He needs to improve his plate discipline, though he did a better job of laying off bad pitches last season. Considering he has played just 211 games in four pro seasons, Doumit likely will start this season in low Class A. Switch-hitting catchers with power potential are hard to find, but he needs to get on the field more. Because of the time he has missed, it's hard to project Doumit reaching the majors before 2006.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #16 prospect in 2002
  Doumit was one of three players taken out of Moses Lake (Wash.) High in the top two rounds of the 1999 draft, a first for any high school in any draft. His career has progressed better than those of outfielders B.J. Garbe, who went fifth overall to the Twins, and Jason Cooper, who turned down the Phillies to attend Stanford. However, Doumit hit a bit of a wall last season. He had a strained back that kept him out nearly two full months and limited his effectiveness. He's a good receiver with soft hands, handles pitchers well and has a strong and accurate arm. Doumit also has shown the ability to hit for average in the lower levels of the minors. Back injuries are nothing to mess with, especially for a catcher, and Doumit's time on the disabled list raises a red flag. He isn't the biggest catcher around, which leads to more doubts about his durability. He also needs to learn how to turn on more balls and show more power. His attitude tends to flag when he's struggling. The Pirates are loaded with catchers, so there's no need to rush Doumit. They will likely send him back to low Class A to start the season and watch him closely to ensure he has no further back trouble.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #10 prospect in 2001
  Doumit was the catcher on the powerful Moses Lake team in 1999 that produced a first-round draft pick (B.J. Garbe, Twins) and two second-rounders (Doumit and Jason Cooper, who went to Stanford rather than signing with the Phillies). The Pirates selected Doumit, along with J.R. House, in the first five rounds of that draft, and both catchers look like they will pan out. A rare switch-hitting catcher, Doumit swings the bat well from both sides of the plate. He has shown the ability to hit for average during his first two pro years in short-season leagues and flashed better gap power last season, and some of his doubles should turn into home runs as he physically matures. On defense, he singlehandedly can stop a running game with his strong arm, and he's extremely agile behind the plate. Like Pirates all-star Jason Kendall, Doumit is small for a catcher but has a strong body. He still is learning how to a call a game, something that should come with experience because he's bright. Like every other catcher in the organization, he faces the specter of Kendall, who's signed through 2007 with a no-trade clause. Considering Doumit is still three or four years away from the major leagues, he has no need to concern himself with that at this point.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked International League #13 prospect in 2005
  Injuries limited Doumit's development behind the plate before 2005, to the point where he was referred to as "Ryan No-Mitt" in a Pittsburgh newspaper. Though he might not ever be anything more than an average defender, he quieted his critics by making the leap to the majors in June after establishing himself as one of the minors' best catching prospects. Doumit's strength is his bat. He's a switch-hitter with gap power, more from the left side of the plate. He also showed improvement defensively and threw out 44 percent of basestealers in the IL. "He's a catcher. I don't care what anybody says about him," Indianapolis manager Trent Jewett said. "He can call a game, has a solid-average arm and blocks balls well. The bottom line is we win with him in the lineup."
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  Ranked Carolina League #12 prospect in 2003
  The biggest thing for Doumit was staying in the lineup. He played in 116 games combined the previous two seasons because of a strained lower back and a broken pinky. He dodged injuries in 2003 and appeared in 127 games, 86 behind the plate. Doumit has a lot of offensive potential for a catcher. He's a switch-hitter who makes consistent contact and has line-drive power. He's also athletic for his position, though he needs more time at catcher to improve defensively. "I like his bat a lot, but you give something up with him behind the plate," one manager said. "I have no problem with his arm strength. It's his ability to receive, call games and handle a staff that I question."
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  Ranked New York-Penn League #14 prospect in 2000
  Late this season, Green joked that the only reason he ever sent runners on Doumit was to see the kid throw. A switch-hitter who may wind up being the best prospect from a talented 1999 Moses Lake, Wash., crop, Doumit was better received than Yankees first-round pick David Parrish this year. "I like the way he goes about his business," said Saul, a former big league catcher. "He runs the game well for a young kid. He's a take-charge person and he has pop in his bat."

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Late this season, Green joked that the only reason he ever sent runners on Doumit was to see the kid throw. A switch-hitter who may wind up being the best prospect from a talented 1999 Moses Lake, Wash., crop, Doumit was better received than Yankees first-round pick David Parrish this year. "I like the way he goes about his business," said Saul, a former big league catcher. "He runs the game well for a young kid. He's a take-charge person and he has pop in his bat."