Roberto Pena Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Roberto A. Peña
Born 06/08/1992 in Caguas, Puerto Rico
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 250 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Eloisa Pascual
Drafted in the 7th round (213th overall) by the Houston Astros in 2010 (signed for $150,000).

View Draft Report

Puerto Rico is known for its long lineage of catching talent, and Pena is the best catcher this year. A converted shortstop, he has been behind the dish for two years now and is already an advanced defender. He can really catch and throw with quick feet, a smooth transfer and above-average pop times down to second base. Pena's father Bert spent six seasons in the big leagues with the Astros as a teammate of Dickie Thon (whose son is the island's top prospect this year). Another switch-hitter, Pena is better from the right side, but some scouts say he won't hit enough to be a regular. His defensive skills mean he could at least be a backup. He plays hard, shows good leadership and enjoys playing. Pena profiles as a seventh-to-10th-rounder on talent, but he could go higher because of his defensive skills, signability and position scarcity.

Top Rankings

A converted shortstop and son of former major league catcher Bert Pena, Pena is the best defensive catcher in the system, with an above-average to plus throwing arm that plays up due to exceptional accuracy. Pena has thrown out about 55 percent of basestealers in his career. Pena also gets high marks for his framing and receiving and his leadership on the field. His .996 fielding percentage led the high Class A California League, as did throwing out 57 percent of basestealers. Because of catching depth, the Astros did not add him to the 40-man roster, exposing him to the Rule 5 draft. Pena is a below-average runner and hitter with improving power, though nine of his 13 homers were struck at favorable hitting conditions at high Class A Lancaster. Pena's premium defense could make him a big leaguer if his bat continues to improve. He'll head to Double-A iafter being passed over in the Rule 5 draft.