Grayson Greiner Stats & Scouting Report

AB	433
AVG	.201
OBP	.275
SLG	.307
HR	9

Full name Grayson James Greiner
Born 10/11/1992 in Columbia, SC
Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 238 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School South Carolina
Debut 05/06/2018
Drafted in the 3rd round (99th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2014 (signed for $529,400).

View Draft Report

A three-year starter at South Carolina, Greiner has come a long way from his freshman year, when he was seen as an easy out and batted just .222. His offensive game has progressed as he's learned to tap more consistently into his solid-average power. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, he's tall for a catcher and has a long swing, and most scouts grade him below-average as a hitter. He's a steady, quiet receiver, who has gotten over a freshman hitch when he struggled throwing the ball back to the pitcher's mound. He handled pitchers well for Team USA last summer and receives velocity well. While his arm strength grades as above-average, he's thrown out just six of 32 basestealers this spring, due in part to a long transfer. Greiner fits a backup catcher profile with a chance to be a regular if his bat continues to progress.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Greiner is the biggest catcher in baseball. He's officially listed at 6-foot-6, which has long been considered by many to be too tall for a catcher--no one that height has ever had significant big league career as a catcher. Greiner has a good chance be the first. Greiner is unlikely to ever be a big league regular, but he's also highly likely to have some sort of big league career as a catcher with some clear limitations. Despite his size, he's actually an average receiver thanks to excellent flexibility. His above-average arm plays as well, as he's long been able to slow down running games--he threw out 37 percent of base stealers in 2017. Greiner has a decent understanding of his strike zone, but it's a big zone that he struggles to fully cover. Also, he too often lets pitchers get ahead of him, and his approach isn't well suited for defensive two-strike swings. When Greiner connects, he has average power, but he's a below-average hitter who will struggle to square balls up consistently. As one might expect, he's a below-average runner who goes base to base.
Greiner has struggled to stay healthy since signing out of South Carolina for $529,400 as a third-round pick in 2014. He had his first pro season cut short by a broken hamate bone in his left wrist that required surgery and ended his season. He was invited to major league spring training in 2015 but missed a chunk of time after breaking a finger in the first bullpen session he caught. That was followed by a down season at high Class A Lakeland during which he was limited to just 89 games. He bounced back in 2016, hitting .293/.339/.424 with seven home runs mostly at Lakeland and Double-A Erie. Even with his massive frame at 6-foot-6, Greiner earns positive marks for his defensive abilities. He is flexible and able to get into a low crouch, and scouts who saw him this past season give him average marks for blocking and receiving. He's got an above-average, accurate arm and threw out 44 percent of runners trying to steal last season. He finished the year with stint in the Arizona Fall League and will likely return to Triple-A Toledo next season.
After the Tigers drafted him in the third round and signed him for $529,400, Greiner hit well at low Class A West Michigan for a month until a hit-by-pitch broke the hamate bone in his left wrist, necessitating season-ending surgery. There aren't many 6-foot-6 catchers, but Greiner's defense grades out surprisingly well. He's a quiet receiver who handles velocity well and doesn't let many balls get past him. He has a plus arm, but because of his slow release, he's not great at controlling the running game. He has solid-average raw power, though his long levers lead to a long swing. He didn't have any trouble making contact against lower-level pitchers in pro ball, but that will be tested once he faces more advanced pitchers at upper levels. Scouts mostly project Greiner as a backup catcher, but he has upside if he keeps hitting.

Draft Prospects

A three-year starter at South Carolina, Greiner has come a long way from his freshman year, when he was seen as an easy out and batted just .222. His offensive game has progressed as he's learned to tap more consistently into his solid-average power. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, he's tall for a catcher and has a long swing, and most scouts grade him below-average as a hitter. He's a steady, quiet receiver, who has gotten over a freshman hitch when he struggled throwing the ball back to the pitcher's mound. He handled pitchers well for Team USA last summer and receives velocity well. While his arm strength grades as above-average, he's thrown out just six of 32 basestealers this spring, due in part to a long transfer. Greiner fits a backup catcher profile with a chance to be a regular if his bat continues to progress.

Career Transactions

C Grayson Greiner retired.
C Grayson Greiner assigned to Albuquerque Isotopes.
Minnesota Twins released C Grayson Greiner.
Colorado Rockies signed free agent C Grayson Greiner to a minor league contract.
C Grayson Greiner roster status changed by Colorado Rockies.
St. Paul Saints released C Grayson Greiner.
C Grayson Greiner assigned to St. Paul Saints.
Minnesota Twins signed free agent C Grayson Greiner to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.