J.R. Towles Stats & Scouting Report

AB	428
AVG	.187
OBP	.267
SLG	.315
HR	11

Full name Justin Richard Towles
Born 02/11/1984 in Crosby, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School North Central Texas College
Debut 09/05/2007
Drafted in the 20th round (604th overall) by the Houston Astros in 2004.

View Draft Report

The Athletics have selected C J.R. Towles in the last two drafts, in the 32nd round out of high school in 2002 and in the 23rd round out of Collin County (Texas) CC in 2003. Towles ranked fourth among national juco hitters with a .484 average last year, then transferred to North Central Texas after Collin County disbanded its program. Though he slipped to .340 this spring, his bat still has appeal, as do his catch-and-throw skills. He'll head to Oklahoma State if he doesn't turn pro this summer.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Athletics were the first team on Towles, drafting him in the 32nd round out of Crosby (Texas) High in 2002 and in the 23rd round out of Collin County (Texas) Community College a year later. Towles ranked fourth among national juco hitters with a .484 batting average as a freshman, then transferred to North Central Texas Junior College after Collin County disbanded its program. Towles turned down an Oklahoma State scholarship to sign for $100,000. In his first three pro seasons, he had problems staying healthy and played just 165 games. He needed surgery after catching a foul tip off his right index finger in instructional league in 2004 and had tendinitis in his right knee in 2006. The Astros hoped he could catch 110-120 games at high Class A Salem in 2007, and he reached that playing-time goal--while unexpectedly climbing to the major leagues. He took off after moving up to Double-A Corpus Christi out of necessity when Lou Santangelo drew a 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs in May. Towles performed well enough to keep the job when Santangelo returned, then moved up to Triple-A Round Rock in August and Houston in September. In his fourth big league start, he set a club record with eight RBIs in an 18-1 rout of the Cardinals. Towles has a chance to have average or better skills across the board. He has good pitch recognition, handles the bat well and controls the strike zone, so he should hit for average. He's adding strength and starting to pull the ball more often, so he could develop into a 15-20 home run threat. He's more agile and runs better than most catchers, with average speed and double-digit steal totals in each of his three full seasons. Behind the plate, Towles moves and receives well and calls a good game. He has a strong arm and his athleticism gives him a quick release. Because he has played the equivalent of just two full minor league seasons, Towles still needs polish. His primary goal is to get stronger, so he can tap into more of his power potential and be more durable. He can get pull-happy at times and should drive more balls to the opposite field. Despite his quickness, he must be more judicious about stealing bases after getting caught 14 times in 28 tries in 2007. He can improve the accuracy of his throws after throwing out 28 percent of basestealers last season. Houston re-signed Brad Ausmus yet again, but only as a mentor and backup to Towles. The Astros have sent only one catcher to the All-Star Game in franchise history (Craig Biggio, 1991) and believe Towles can become their second.
Towles' five-tool ability at catcher excites the Astros, but they wish they could see more of it. After finger surgery in 2004, he came back slowly the following year, and he was bothered by tendinitis in his right knee during the second half of 2006. He has played in just 165 games in 2 1/2 pro seasons. Towles handles the bat well and has good pitch recognition. He has added 20 pounds of muscle and developed pull power since turning pro. More athletic than most catchers, he runs well and can steal a base when the opportunity presents itself. Managers rated him the best defensive catcher in the low Class A South Atlantic League last year, when he showed consistent 1.95-second pop times and solid receiving skills. He also calls a good game. None of his injuries has been serious or chronic, but Towles has lost valuable development time. He struggles against quality breaking balls, and he just needs experience to polish his overall game. Add it all up, and Towles could be Jason Kendall with more power and better receiving skills. Houston would love to see him stay healthy enough to catch 110-120 games this year in high Class A.
Towles turned down the Athletics twice, as a 32nd-rounder in 2002 and a 23rd-rounder in 2003, before signing with the Astros as a 20th-rounder in 2004. After he had a lackluster pro debut at Rookie-level Greenville and needed surgery on the tip of his right index finger after getting hit by a foul ball in instructional league, Houston started him in extended spring training last season. The plan was to have him repeat Rookie ball or maybe go to Tri-City. But when Lou Santangelo went down with a torn labrum in June, Towles was needed in low Class A, and he responded by emerging as the system's best catching prospect since John Buck. Towles put on 15 pounds of muscle and moved closer to the plate, and he looked like a different hitter than he had in 2004. He started driving the ball and handled the bat much better. Athletic for a catcher, Towles has average speed and showed bunting and basestealing abililty. He's also the best all-around defensive catcher in the system. His receiving and blocking skills are strong, and he has arm strength. Towles' pop times from his mitt to second base generally sit at an average 2.0 seconds because he has a long release, though he did throw out 33 percent of basestealers last year. Besides his obvious tools, he also has good instincts and a strong work ethic. Towles could open this year back in Lexington if the Astros want to give him regular action behind the plate, or could move up to high Class A if they don't mind a timeshare arrangement with Santangelo.

Minor League Top Prospects

The Astros always recognized Towles' all-around ability, but they never got enough of an opportunity to see it on the field. After injuries limited him to 165 games in his first 2 1/2 pro seasons, he stayed healthy all year in 2007 and jumped from high Class A all the way to the big leagues, earning a September callup. He came to Corpus Christi in May and immediately took command of the pitching staff, showing above-average ability both at the plate and behind it. Towles is athletic for a catcher, has a good idea of the strike zone and a little pop in his bat, earning comparisons to the young Jason Kendall. He has good catch-and-throw skills but he'll have to improve his control of the running game. He threw out just 21 percent of basestealers in the TL. Towles has lots of room for improvement, and the drive to suggest he'll fulfill his potential. He could add more weight and muscle, and he could hit 15-20 home runs a year in the big leagues.