Victor Caratini

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #4 prospect in 2018
  A Puerto Rico native who attended Southern and then Miami Dade JC, Caratini progressed from converted catcher to big leaguer by 2017, replacing Miguel Montero in late June when the Cubs designated the veteran for assignment. Caratini got sporadic playing time after Chicago traded for veteran Alex Avila in July. A bat-first catcher, Caratini was hitting .343, ranking fourth in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, when promoted. He repeats his short, strong swing from both sides of the plate and gained the confidence to hunt his pitch and get out front a bit more to produce improved power. He has modest bat speed but average raw power and a feel for hitting that allows the power to play. Caratini's arm plays average at third base but fringe-average behind the plate, where he has solid footwork to go with his soft hands. He's worked at refining his average receiving and blocking skills and at calling games, but the Cubs didn't think he was ready to carry the load when Willson Contreras was hurt. Caratini's overall profile resembles that of Avila, an impending free agent whom Caratini could replace as the backup in Chicago in 2018.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #17 prospect in 2017
  It feels like ancient history when the Cubs were sellers and the Braves buyers, but that's how the Cubs got Caratini. He had only been with the Braves for a year when they traded him for Emilio Bonifacio and James Russell in July 2014. Caratini played catcher and third base as an amateur and mixes in time at first base for the Cubs, but he's taken to the grind of being an everyday catcher. He is a decent athlete with good hands, playable footwork and a fringe-average arm. He threw out 26 percent of basestealers at Double-A Tennessee while consistently turning in 2.05-2.1 second pop times on throws to second base, with 2.0 being average. A poor runner, Caratini nonetheless hits for average and in 2016 ranked second in the Southern League in on-base percentage (.375) and sixth in batting (.291) thanks to a short, repeatable stroke from both sides of the plate. He controls the strike zone well, but the Cubs would like to see more aggressiveness. Club officials worked with him in the Arizona Fall League to try to get to his above-average raw power more often, encouraging him to turn his swing loose and hunt for pitches he can drive. Caratini is headed for Triple-A Iowa in 2017 and currently profiles as a future backup catcher.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #24 prospect in 2016
  Caratini, like Dodgers prospect Jose De Leon, is a Puerto Rican native who attended Southern. However, Caratini could not get eligible and left the Baton Rouge campus to go to Miami-Dade JC, where he emerged as a prospect. The Cubs acquired him from the Braves in a July 2014 trade that sent big leaguers Emilio Bonifacio and James Russell to Atlanta. While Caratini was a second-round pick, his tools don't stand out as much as his profile. A switch-hitting catcher with average athleticism and a feel for the barrel could have tremendous value, and that's Caratini's promise. He makes consistent contact with low-maintenance swings from both sides of the plate. He has power but a flat swing path that limits his pop to the gaps, and he ranked fifth in the Carolina League by hitting 31 doubles at high Class A Myrtle Beach. He continues to improve his receiving and blocking, with just two passed balls in 2015, and he's an average thrower, nailing 27 percent of basestealers. His worst tool is his speed, as he's headed toward baseclogger status. Caratini heads to Double-A Tennessee in 2016 and could become a potential starter if he can learn to turn some of those doubles into home runs.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #13 prospect in 2015
  A Puerto Rico Baseball Academy alumnus, Caratini attended Southern for a year with Dodgers farmhand Jose De Leon but was academically ineligible and transferred to Miami Dade JC. He played third base and catcher there and hit his way into the second round of the 2013 draft, signing for $800,000. The Braves drafted him as a catcher and put him there full-time in his first full pro season, then traded him to the Cubs for two big leaguers--Emilio Bonifacio and James Russell. Caratini is a surer bet to catch than 2014 Cubs draftees Kyle Schwarber and Mark Zagunis, though he's still learning the position, too, and wore down at the end of his first full season at the position. He's learning nuances of blocking and receiving, using his solid-average arm to throw out 32 percent of basestealers at low Class A in 2014. He's a switch-hitter whose lefthanded swing is far ahead of his right-side stroke, with a chance for average power from that side. He's balanced at the plate, uses the whole field and is learning which pitches he can drive without selling out for power--and when to sell out. The Cubs like Caratini's plate discipline, ability to spot and lay off breaking balls and physicality, which should lend durability. For now, he's slotted for high Class A Myrtle Beach in 2015, a level behind Schwarber and ahead of Zagunis.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #8 prospect in 2014
  Caratini attended the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy before going to Southern, where he was ineligible as a freshman. He transferred to Miami Dade JC, played third base with some catcher mixed in, and helped guide the team to the Florida state junior-college tournament before becoming the 65th overall pick in the 2013 draft. After signing for $800,000, he continued to impress in pro ball and was ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. Caratini is an advanced hitter with a line-drive swing, a gap-to-gap approach from both sides of the plate and an excellent feel for the strike zone. He stroked 25 extra-base hits at Rookie-level Danville and can drive the ball to the opposite field, but scouts are mixed regarding his power potential at higher levels. He's a below-average runner who lacks quickness and agility at third base, which could lead to a full-time shift to catcher, a position he played at times at Miami Dade. Caratini has plus arm strength and enough quickness to handle the job behind the plate. Realizing his plus arm strength as well as his limitations as an infielder, the Braves worked Caratini at catcher during instructional league and would love to see him develop there. Should he make the transition, he could open 2014 in extended spring training with a return trip to Danville.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #124 prospect in 2013 draft
  Caratini attended the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and spent his freshman year at Southern, though he was ineligible. He transferred to Miami Dade and helped the Sharks to the Florida state juco tournament. He was recruited as a third baseman and brings a sound lefthanded bat, hitting .377/.467/.549 this season and showing consistent gap power. Caratini has good hands that work at the plate and in the field, and he has improved his stock by playing more at catcher. If he goes out in the first five rounds, it will be as a backstop. At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, he has a strong enough build for the spot and his good hands have helped him make the transition. He has above-average arm strength and has proved a quick learner on the fundamentals of catching. He could be drafted as high as the third round.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Pacific Coast League #18 prospect in 2017
  The Cubs acquired Caratini in 2014 when they shipped Emilio Bonifacio and James Russell to the Braves. The switch-hitter found his power stroke in 2017 with a career-high 10 home runs at Iowa, resulting in multiple big league callups to the Cubs. A natural righthanded hitter, Caratini improved his production from the left side by learning to meet the ball out front more frequently. With solid command of the strike zone, he should hit for average. Caratini is an average receiver with a fringe-average arm who threw out 27 percent of basestealers. Drafted as a third baseman before committing to catcher, he also plays first base regularly but lacks profile power to play there every day.
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  Ranked National League #3 prospect in 2013
  Many evaluators considered Caratini, a Puerto Rico native, the best and most advanced hitter in the league. He has a gap-to-gap approach from both sides of the plate and advanced strike zone judgment. Opinions on his power differ, as some evaluators project below-average pop because of his line-drive swing and mature, compact build. Others note his ability to drive the ball to the opposite field and league-leading 23 doubles and foresee average or better power. A below-average runner, Caratini played exclusively at third base this summer, where he was an adequate defender with below-average quickness and stiffness to his actions. With an above-average arm, he will try catching in instructional league after playing there on occasion in junior college. If he can stick as a catcher and show more power, Caratini could be an above-average regular. If not, he could be a tweener because of his limited defense for third and limited power for first.

• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: A Puerto Rico native who attended Southern and then Miami Dade JC, Caratini progressed from converted catcher to big leaguer by 2017, replacing Miguel Montero in late June when the Cubs designated the veteran for assignment. Caratini got sporadic playing time after Chicago traded for veteran Alex Avila in July. Scouting Report: A bat-first catcher, Caratini was hitting .343, ranking fourth in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, when promoted. He repeats his short, strong swing from both sides of the plate and gained the confidence to hunt his pitch and get out front a bit more to produce improved power. He has modest bat speed but average raw power and a feel for hitting that allows the power to play. Caratini's arm plays average at third base but fringe-average behind the plate, where he has solid footwork to go with his soft hands. He's worked at refining his average receiving and blocking skills and at calling games. The Future: Caratini's overall profile resembles that of Avila, an impending free agent whom Caratini could replace as the backup in Chicago in 2018.