Chance Sisco

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #3 prospect in 2018
  The Orioles saw in Sisco a natural hitter who had taken well to catching duties once he picked up the position as a senior in high school. They signed him to a $785,000 bonus, and they may now have their catcher of the future. A career .311 minor league hitter, he represented the Orioles in the last two Futures Games and made his big league debut in September 2017. Sisco has a calm lefthanded swing with fluid hands, and he projects to be an above-average hitter with the potential for average power as he continues to add strength to his slight frame and improve on his gap power. While the Orioles tout improvement in all facets of his defensive game, including receiving, blocking and game-management, the running game has always challenged Sisco's average arm. He threw out 41 percent of basestealers in the second half of 2017 at Triple-A Norfolk, but that only raised his season rate to 23 percent. He'll need to have perfect footwork and transfers to consistently lower his pop times to better than 2.0 seconds. The Orioles believe that Sisco is ready to contribute in the majors, though his defense will dictate how comfortable manager Buck Showalter is in using the 23-year-old catcher. Average defense will make Sisco an everyday catcher due to his offensive abilities, especially against righthanded pitching, and he'll enter spring training with the chance to make the Opening Day roster.
• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #1 prospect in 2017
  Sisco didn't become a catcher until his senior year in high school, and the Orioles liked his combination of athletic ability, hitting tools and defensive potential to select him 61st overall in 2013. Since signing for $785,000, Sisco just keeps trending up. The 21-year-old always has shown a solid bat, with a career .402 on-base percentage as a pro, but his defense made strides last year. Sisco led the Double-A Eastern League in on-base percentage (.406), ranked fourth in batting (.320) and homered in the Futures Game during a breakout 2016 season. In September, he earned his first promotion to Triple-A Norfolk, where he hit a grand slam in his first game. Sisco's hit tool is strong, and he has a long track record of success. That success has afforded him the confidence--if not arrogance--required of big league hitters. It starts with excellent hand-eye coordination and a natural feel for hitting that allows him to make consistent hard contact. He has a controlled, line-drive, all-fields approach and solid plate discipline. Showing a solid eye at the plate, he drew a career-best 61 walks. Sisco lets the ball travel deep and improved his ability to pull the ball this year. Pitchers used to try to pound him inside with fastballs, but he has started to adjust, getting his hands to the hitting zone quicker than in the past. He added some strength and showed an increased ability to backspin the ball. His opposite-field home run at the Futures Game in San Diego's cavernous Petco Park hints at his power potential, and he has average raw power. Sisco has shown smarts on the bases but is a well below-average runner. That makes his career .323 average even better because he doesn't get many infield hits. Sisco's defense took steps forward in 2016. It started in big league spring training--he received his first invitation--where he worked with big leaguers Matt Wieters and Caleb Joseph. Pitchers who threw to him at Double-A Bowie said his pitch calling and game management took nice strides. His pop times on throws to second base remain around 2.0 seconds, which is average, but he was over that more often than under it. His arm strength grades a tick below-average, and he needs to continue to improve his footwork and transfer to help him throw out runners. He caught 24 percent of base stealers in 136 attempts this year. Sisco's blocking and receiving skills also improved as did his ability to frame pitches. He had just four passed balls in 87 games. When Sisco first got to Double-A in 2015 and began working with older pitchers, he learned from them and grew because of it. It even helped him at the plate because he could understand better how pitchers approach getting hitters out. Sisco could reach the majors in 2017, but given his youth and lack of Triple-A experience, he probably will not make the Opening Day roster. That holds true even if Wieters leaves via free agency. Sisco should be Wieters' eventual successor, however, and at least a partial season at Norfolk would benefit him.
• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #3 prospect in 2016
  The Orioles made Sisco a second-round selection in 2013 and signed him for a below-slot $785,000. While he must answer questions about his defense, Sisco hit .340 at low Class A Delmarva in 2014 to win the South Atlantic League batting title, and he hit a combined .297/.376/.415 in 2015, which he finished as a 20-yearold at Double-A Bowie. Scouts like Sisco's controlled, line-drive, lefthanded swing and the fact that he uses the whole field and seldom over-swings. He lets the ball travel deep into the hitting zone and uses the off field often. His hit tool is well ahead of his power, which is below-average. He has an advanced eye at the plate and recognizes pitches well. Sisco's career .402 on-base percentage is more impressive, scouts say, because he has below-average speed and doesn't get infield hits. Sisco's defense grades as below-average, but the Orioles believe he has a chance to be a capable defender. While he threw out just 20 percent of basestealers at high Class A Frederick in 2015, he handled a staff that won the Eastern League title. Some scouts feel Sisco will never be good enough to catch in the majors, while others see tools, including hands and arm strength, that can be developed to average quality. Sisco will begin 2016 back at Bowie with a chance to reach Triple-A Norfolk.
• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #4 prospect in 2015
  The 61st overall selection in the 2013 draft, Sisco signed for a $785,000 bonus, which was under slot for that draft position. The Orioles drafted Sisco for his bat, with his catching skills a real bonus. He didn't begin catching full-time until his senior season of high school, after primarily playing shortstop previously. Sisco can hit. He batted .371/.475/.465 in the Rookielevel Gulf Coast League and won the low Class A South Atlantic League batting title in his first full season in 2014. Scouts like Sisco's controlled, line-drive swing, and he uses the whole field and seldom overswings. He lets the ball travel and uses left-center often. Some scouts want to see him pull the ball more with authority, which the Orioles expect to develop with time. Defensively, Sisco is raw with enough arm strength but plenty of work to do to improve his receiving and footwork. His 16 passed balls led the Sally League, and he threw out just 20 percent of opposing basestealers. Sisco got stronger last year, which should help him handle the rigors of catching. The Orioles will keep Sisco behind the plate for the foreseeable future, as he's much more valuable as a potential offensive catcher. He'll get his third year at the position at high Class A Frederick in 2015.
• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #10 prospect in 2014
  Sisco's older brother Leland played Division II college ball, and Chance thrived in high school as a pitcher, third baseman and shortstop. But his pro stock took off when he started catching, and he shined last February at a Major League Scouting Bureau workout. The Orioles took Sisco 61st overall in 2013 and signed him for $785,000. The first of three high school catchers the Orioles took in the first six rounds, they drafted him for his bat, so if he can catch that will be a bonus. He showed an impressive, smooth lefthanded swing after the draft with a mature approach and good natural timing. He works the count well, uses the whole field and already has a decent two-strike approach. He has modest home run power for now and will have to get stronger to help offensively and to handle the grind defensively. Sisco showed a solid-average arm and good athleticism behind the plate, as well as solid receiving and blocking skills, which was impressive because he did not regularly catch until his senior year. He needs more experience catching at higher levels. Sisco ought to begin the 2014 season as the regular catcher at low Class A Delmarva, where he'll get reps and likely catch 70-90 games. The Orioles are optimistic about his offensive upside at a premium defensive position.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #151 prospect in 2013 draft
  A physical, athletic two-way player, Sisco is new to catching but has progressed quickly, and scouts think he has a chance to stick there. He flashed good arm strength at the MLB Scouting Bureau's SoCal Invitational workout in February, showing sub-2.0-second pop times, though his accuracy was a bit erratic. Catching comes naturally to him. He sits easy behind the plate and shows soft hands and decent blocking skills, giving him a chance to become an above-average catcher with an average arm. A former shortstop, Sisco is also athletic enough to handle third base if necessary. An Oregon commit, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Sisco has strength in his lefthanded swing, suggesting he has a chance to grow into fringe-average power down the road. He has a tendency to drift at the plate, but he still has a knack for squaring up line drives from gap to gap.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked International League #20 prospect in 2017
  Sisco hit a career-high seven home runs but a career-low .267 in the IL while continuing to progress as a catcher, where he caught 94 games, good for another career high. The Orioles called up their top-rated prospect in September. Some evaluators say Sisco's blocking and receiving have improved behind the plate, but his throwing is still below-average. He threw out just 23 percent of basestealers this season, the worst rate among qualified IL catchers, and will need to improve his footwork and release on throws. Orioles officials noted improved throwing in the second half prior to his big league promotion. Sisco has a chance to be a solid offensive catcher--he's a career .311 hitter in the minors--in a league where most catchers don't hit. When he's locked in, he can hit good velocity where it's pitched, but he'll need to avoid slipping into a grip-it-and-rip-it pull approach that surfaced at times this season. Sisco shows good power to all fields and scouts are convinced home runs will come later.
• 
  Ranked Eastern League #16 prospect in 2016
  Sisco is unquestionably on of the purest hitters in the EL, even if his offense came without much over-the-fence power. He does have some sock in his bat, as shown by a home run to center field at Petco Park during the Futures Game, but his approach shows he's more content to patiently spray line drives around the park. Sisco paced the EL with a .406 on-base percentage. He keeps his barrel flat through the zone and knows how to go with a pitch. He is, however, vulnerable to lefthanders and hit just .207 against them this year. Sisco still has work to do behind the plate, particularly as far as controlling the running game is concerned. He has improved his blocking ability but still has work to go there and needs to improve his transfer on throws to second base. With some refinement, Sisco is in line to eventually replace Matt Wieters in Baltimore.
• 
  Ranked Carolina League #10 prospect in 2015
  Nearly everybody agrees that Sisco's future is an offensive player. He uses plus hands to fuel great bat-to-ball skills from a short, compact, lefthanded stroke with a slight uppercut. Sisco shows plenty of power to his pull side, but some evaluators also see a bit of pop the other way. He also has a keen knowledge of the strike zone, as shown by his low strikeout rate (14 percent) and high walk rate (11 percent) for a player just two years removed from high school. Defensively, Sisco needs to improve. He does a better job keeping the ball in the strike zone when he receives it, but still has a tendency to box up a ball now and again. He's got a strong arm as well, but his mechanics lead to throws that tail high and to his arm side. After finishing the season at Double-A Bowie at age 20, he's got plenty of time to polish the rough edges. His ceiling is as an everyday backstop, but more realistically he will be a bat-first backup.
• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #18 prospect in 2014
  Sisco turned in an incredible full-season debut at the plate. As a 19-year-old, he led the SAL with a .338 batting average and a .406 on-base percentage while showing an ability to hit to all fields. Sisco generally stays inside the ball and is adept at lining the ball to the opposite field. Eventually, he'll need to prove he's comfortable pulling the inside pitch. In just his second full behind the plate, Sisco looks like a catcher with very little experience. He shows plenty of arm strength but has plenty of work to do to improve his receiving and footwork. Some evaluators saw him as a player who could catch occasionally at best, but others saw the makings of a potential everyday catcher, albeit one who is a long way from reaching that goal.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #68 prospect in 2018
• Ranked Baseball America's #57 prospect in 2017

• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The Orioles saw in Sisco a natural hitter who had taken well to catching duties once he picked up the position as a senior in high school, signed him to a $785,000 bonus, and may now have their catcher of the future. A career .311 minor league hitter, Sisco represented the Orioles in the last two MLB All-Star Futures Games, and made his major league debut in September. Scouting Report: Sisco has a calm lefthanded swing with fluid hands, and projects to be an above-average hitter with the potential for average power as he continues to add strength to his slight frame and improve on his gap power. While the team touts improvement in all facets of his defensive game, including receiving, blocking and game-management, the running game has always challenged Sisco's average arm strength. Sisco threw out 41 percent of would-be base stealers in the second half at Triple-A Norfolk, but that only raised his season rate to 22.6 percent. He'll need to have perfect footwork and transfers to consistently lower his pop times below 2.0 seconds. The Future: The Orioles believe that Sisco is ready to contribute in the majors, though his defense will dictate how comfortable manager Buck Showalter is in using him. Average defense will make him an every-day catcher due to his offensive abilities, especially against righthanded pitching, and he'll enter spring training with the chance to make the Opening Day roster.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Sisco didn't become a catcher until his senior year in high school, and the Orioles liked his combination of athletic ability, hitting tools and defensive potential to select him 61st overall in 2013. Since signing for $785,000, Sisco just keeps trending up. He has risen from the system's No. 10 prospect after his pro debut to No. 4, then No. 3 and now No. 1. The 21-year-old always has shown a solid bat, with a career .402 on-base percentage as a pro, but his defense made strides this year. Sisco led the Double-A Eastern League in OBP (.406), ranked fourth in the league in batting (.320) and homered in the Futures Game during a breakout 2016 season. In September he earned his first promotion to Triple-A Norfolk, where he hit a grand slam in his first game, and earned minor league player of the year honors in the organization. Scouting Report: Sisco's hit tool is strong, and he has a long track record of success. That success has afforded him the confidence--if not arrogance--required of big league hitters. It starts with excellent hand-eye coordination and a natural feel for hitting that allows him to make consistent hard contact. He has a controlled, line-drive, all-fields approach and solid plate discipline. Showing a solid eye at the plate, he drew a career-best 61 walks. Sisco lets the ball travel deep and improved his ability to pull the ball this year. Pitchers used to try to pound him inside with fastballs, but he has started to adjust, getting his hands to the hitting zone quicker than in the past. He added some strength and showed an increased ability to backspin the ball. His opposite-field home run at the Futures Game in Petco Park hints at his power potential, and he has average raw power. Sisco has shown smarts on the bases but is a well below-average runner. That makes his career .323 average look even better because he doesn't get many infield hits. Sisco's defense took steps forward in 2016. It started in big league spring training--he received his first invitation--where he worked with big leaguers Matt Wieters and Caleb Joseph. Pitchers who threw to him at Double-A Bowie said his game-calling and game management took nice strides. His pop times on throws to second base remain around 2.0 seconds, which is average, but he was over that more often than under it. His arm strength grades a tick below-average, and he needs to continue to improve his footwork and transfer to help him throw out runners. He caught 24 percent of basestealers in 136 attempts this year. Sisco's blocking and receiving skills also improved as did his ability to frame pitches. He had just four passed balls in 87 games. When Sisco first got to Double-A in 2015 and began working with older pitchers, he learned from them and grew because of it. It even helped him at the plate because he could understand better how pitchers approach getting hitters out. The Future: Sisco could reach the majors in 2017, but given his youth and lack of Triple-A experience, he probably will not make the Opening Day roster. That holds true even if Wieters leaves via free agency. Sisco should be Wieters' eventual successor, however, and at least a partial season at Norfolk would benefit him.