Blake Swihart

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #1 prospect in 2015
  As a sophomore in high school, Swihart identified an opportunity to improve his prospect status by broadening his baseball horizons. A righthanded-hitting and righthanded-throwing player who moved all over the field, Swihart commenced an education in both switch-hitting and catching. Good move. Though he remained a work in progress in both areas, by the time Swihart was drafteligible in 2011, the Sox saw him as one of the best high school bats in the draft with a chance to bring rarely seen athleticism to catching. Given the limited exposure to both catching and switch-hitting as an amateur, the Sox anticipated that it might take Swihart time to excel. But after a modest pro debut in low Class A in 2012, he's emerged as perhaps the top catching prospect in the game . How many catchers are there like Swihart in the minors' "There are none," said one evaluator, a testament to his offensive and defensive potential as well as his head-turning athleticism. He has made huge strides behind the plate, where he now profiles as an above-average defender who led the Eastern League by a wide margin while gunning down 47 percent of attempted base thieves, with pop times averaging about 1.9 seconds and getting below 1.8 on occasion. Evaluators marvel that he has the athleticism and speed to play virtually anywhere on the field'some even suggested he could play center or second'though behind the plate, he has a chance to be a two-way force. Offensively, though he shows an aggressive approach that limits his walks, he displays good pitch recognition, typically swings at strikes and sends line drives screaming to the gaps . Though still stronger from the right side, he shows above-average bat speed and bat control from both sides of the plate, and he won't be beaten by velocity, while switch-hitting will limit his vulnerability to breaking balls. His swing is geared for line drives, but after hitting nine combined homers in his first two full pro seasons, Swihart cleared that total with 13 homers in 2014. There's a chance that his aggressive tendencies will be exploited by advanced pitching, which could result in a challenging transition to the big leagues after a lengthy apprenticeship in Pawtucket in 2015. Yet even evaluators who recognize the potential that his floor could be that of a backup concede the likelihood that he has the skill set to be at least a solid defense-first primary catcher. And even with limited power totals, Swihart's ability to hit for average and amass extra-base hits while leading a pitching staff could allow him to emerge as a perennial all-star.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #5 prospect in 2014
  In what proved to be a wise decision, Swihart took up both catching and switch-hitting in high school to improve his draft stock. Though somewhat raw when he turned pro, he made considerable strides offensively and defensively in 2013 for a high Class A Salem team that won the Carolina League championship. He showed steady offensive improvement throughout the year. Though his swing from both sides is geared for line drives, Swihart makes consistently loud, hard contact, and could go from hitting for average with solid on-base skills to a catcher with the potential for 15-20 homers in his prime. His swing is fluid from both sides of the plate. He's an unusually-athletic catcher who moves well and can control the running game with above-average arm strength, while possessing tremendous intangibles that suggest an ability to lead a pitching staff. He moves well for a catcher, showing average baserunning ability. Swihart ought to open 2014 at Double-A Portland, and with a system that has a number of solid catching options in the upper levels, the Red Sox need not rush his development. Still, the team believes development of his present tools would make him an above-average catcher. If, as team officials believe, he develops more power as he matures, he has the ceiling of an all-star.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #6 prospect in 2013
  The 26th overall pick in 2011, Swihart was the highest-drafted player out of New Mexico since Shane Andrews in 1990, and it was the earliest Boston has taken a catcher since John Marzano in 1984. Adjusting to tougher competition while becoming a full-time backstop, Swihart hit just .198 through mid-May but rallied to bat .289/.329/.439 afterward. As an athletic catcher who projects as an above-average hitter, Swihart's overall tool package is similar to a young Buster Posey. Swihart has a good swing from both sides of the plate, with bat speed and the ability to keep the bat in the hitting zone for a long time. He's still learning to recognize pitches and tone down his aggressiveness. He makes a lot of hard, line-drive contact that should produce average power once he adds strength and loft to his stroke. Swihart is still learning behind the plate but has made progress with shortening his release and cleaning up his footwork. He threw out 31 percent of basestealers in 2012 while showing average arm strength. He has quick feet and soft hands but needs to quiet down his receiving. He's an average runner. Swihart is a long way from becoming the next Posey, and the Red Sox will develop him patiently. He'll likely spend all of 2013 in high Class A.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #3 prospect in 2012
  Swihart starred with the U.S. national 18-and-under team in 2010, batting .448/.492/.845. The Red Sox drafted him 26th overall last June, making him their highestdrafted catcher since No. 14 pick John Marzano in 1984. Swihart signed at the Aug. 15 deadline for $2.5 million, a franchise record for a position player. Swihart has uncommon offensive potential and athleticism for a catcher. A switch-hitter, he handles the bat better from his natural right side and has more pull power as a lefty. In instructional league, he doubled off the wall batting lefthanded against a rehabbing Clay Buchholz. Swihart projects as at least a plus hitter with a chance for average or better power. He has quick feet and moves well behind the plate, showing promising blocking and receiving skills despite catching for little more than a year. He also has plus arm strength and has made strides streamlining his release. He has average speed but will lose a step as he matures. He has a long way to go to reach his ceiling, but Swihart has the Buster Posey starter kit. There's no reason to think Swihart can't catch, but if Boston wants to expedite his bat, he's athletic enough to play on the infield and outfield corners, something he did up until his sophomore year of high school. After seeing time in the Florida and Dominican instructional leagues, he could jump to low Class A in his first full pro season.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Eastern League #8 prospect in 2014
  The defining characteristic for Swihart is his supreme athleticism behind the plate. His flexibility allows him to block better and pop more quickly when gunning for basestealers. Case in point: Swihart popped consistently at about 1.8 seconds on throws to second base this season, and he dipped as low as 1.74, according to one evaluator. Before he left the Sea Dogs, he had gunned out 47 percent of basestealers. That athleticism also means Swihart is swifter than the average catcher. He stole seven bases in eight tries with Portland and even legged out three triples. He added weight in the offseason and saw his offensive game tick up during his first try at the upper levels. He easily eclipsed his career high for longballs, with 13 between Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket, and has plenty of power from both sides of the plate. Most scouts noted that Swihart was at times overaggressive at the plate and tended to expand his strike zone and get himself out.
• 
  Ranked Carolina League #5 prospect in 2013
  Swihart signed for $2.5 million as the 26th pick in the 2011 draft because scouts thought his potential to hit from both sides of the plate could put him on a fast track. He hit .313 in 51 second-half games, but in an encouraging twist, his defense has been better than advertised. Swihart threw out a league-high 42 percent of basestealers, using above-average athleticism and strong legs to get out of his crouch quickly before firing the ball to second with an above-average arm. He overthrows at times, which slows down his delivery to second. He embraced a daily pre-game drill routine aimed at improving his ability to block pitches, which improved along his pitch framing and game management. ?He blocked the hell out of the ball,? Winston-Salem manager Ryan Newman said. ?He worked his tail off back there . . . He controlled the game tempo, ran a defense and?by far?blocked the ball better than anyone in that league.? Swihart is an aggressive swinger from both sides of the plate, which can lead him to chase pitches early in the count before taking a more conservative two-strike approach. A line-drive hitter to all fields, he shows more power in batting practice than games and should become more of a home-run threat as he improves his pitch recognition. He tied for seventh in CL with seven triples, with one scout deeming him a solid-average runner.
• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #17 prospect in 2012
  Signed late last summer for $2.5 million, Swihart had a rude introduction to pro ball when he hit just .198 in the first six weeks of this season at Greenville. The switch-hitter adjusted well and batted .275/.312/.419 in the second half, showing a package of tools that draws comparisons to a young Buster Posey. If Swihart continues to develop and adds discipline at the plate, he could be a plus hitter with average home run power. More athletic than most catchers, he displayed smooth catch-and-throw skills and did an excellent job of blocking balls in the dirt in his first full season behind the plate. He threw out 31 percent of basestealers. "He's a little inconsistent with his swing because he's very aggressive and he'll chase some pitches out of the zone, especially early in the count," Febles said. "He needs to work on being more patient and more selective at the plate. He started off the season horrible but he kept playing and learned from his mistakes."

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #17 prospect in 2015
• Ranked Baseball America's #73 prospect in 2014
• Ranked Baseball America's #72 prospect in 2012

• December, 2014 Scouting Report
  As a sophomore in high school, Swihart identified an opportunity to improve his prospect status by broadening his baseball horizons. A righthanded-hitting and righthanded-throwing player who moved all over the field, Swihart commenced an education in both switch-hitting and catching. Good move. Though he remained a work in progress in both areas, by the time Swihart was drafteligible in 2011, the Sox saw him as one of the best high school bats in the draft with a chance to bring rarely seen athleticism to catching. Given the limited exposure to both catching and switch-hitting as an amateur, the Sox anticipated that it might take Swihart time to excel. But after a modest pro debut in low Class A in 2012, he's emerged as perhaps the top catching prospect in the game . How many catchers are there like Swihart in the minors' "There are none," said one evaluator, a testament to his offensive and defensive potential as well as his head-turning athleticism. He has made huge strides behind the plate, where he now profiles as an above-average defender who led the Eastern League by a wide margin while gunning down 47 percent of attempted base thieves, with pop times averaging about 1.9 seconds and getting below 1.8 on occasion. Evaluators marvel that he has the athleticism and speed to play virtually anywhere on the field'some even suggested he could play center or second'though behind the plate, he has a chance to be a two-way force. Offensively, though he shows an aggressive approach that limits his walks, he displays good pitch recognition, typically swings at strikes and sends line drives screaming to the gaps . Though still stronger from the right side, he shows above-average bat speed and bat control from both sides of the plate, and he won't be beaten by velocity, while switch-hitting will limit his vulnerability to breaking balls. His swing is geared for line drives, but after hitting nine combined homers in his first two full pro seasons, Swihart cleared that total with 13 homers in 2014. There's a chance that his aggressive tendencies will be exploited by advanced pitching, which could result in a challenging transition to the big leagues after a lengthy apprenticeship in Pawtucket in 2015. Yet even evaluators who recognize the potential that his floor could be that of a backup concede the likelihood that he has the skill set to be at least a solid defense-first primary catcher. And even with limited power totals, Swihart's ability to hit for average and amass extra-base hits while leading a pitching staff could allow him to emerge as a perennial all-star.
• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: The 26th overall pick in 2011, Swihart was the highest-drafted player out of New Mexico since Shane Andrews in 1990, and it was the earliest Boston has taken a catcher since John Marzano in 1984. Adjusting to tougher competition while becoming a full-time backstop, Swihart hit just .198 through mid-May but rallied to bat .289/.329/.439 afterward. Scouting Report: As an athletic catcher who projects as an above-average hitter, in his overall tools package at least Swihart is similar to a young Buster Posey. Swihart has a good swing from both sides of the plate, with bat speed and the ability to keep the bat in the hitting zone for a long time. He's still learning to recognize pitches and tone down his aggressiveness. He makes a lot of hard, line-drive contact that should produce average power once he adds strength and loft to his stroke. Swihart is still learning behind the plate but has made progress with shortening his release and cleaning up his footwork. He threw out 31 percent of basestealers in 2012 while showing average arm strength. He has quick feet and soft hands but needs to quiet down his receiving. He's an average runner.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Swihart starred with the U.S. national 18-and-under team in 2010, batting .448/.492/.845. The Red Sox drafted him 26th overall last June, making him their highest-drafted catcher since No. 14 pick John Marzano in 1984. Swihart signed at the Aug. 15 deadline for $2.5 million, a franchise record for a position player. Scouting Report: Swihart has uncommon offensive potential and athleticism for a catcher. A switch-hitter, he handles the bat better from his natural right side and has more pull power as a lefty. In instructional league, he doubled off the wall batting lefthanded against a rehabbing Clay Buchholz. Swihart projects as at least a plus hitter with a chance for average or better power. He has quick feet and moves well behind the plate, showing promising blocking and receiving skills despite catching for little more than a year. He also has plus arm strength and has made strides streamlining his release. He has average speed but will lose a step as he matures. The Future: He has a long way to go, but Swihart has the Buster Posey starter kit. There's no reason to think Swihart can't catch, but if Boston wants to expedite his bat, he's athletic enough to play on the infield and outfield corners. After seeing time in the Florida and Dominican instructional leagues, he could jump to low Class A in his first full pro season.