November 14, 2008

 

Position: Catcher
Hits/Throws: Right/Right
Height/Weight: 6'1''/200
Birthday: 12/21/1983 (Age 24)
Roster Status: On 40-man Roster; 2 Options Remaining

Background: Taylor Teagarden came to the Rangers as their 3rd round draft pick in 2005 out of the University of Texas. The Carrolton native only slipped that far due to his agent being Scott Boras. Before entering UT, Teagarden was an outstanding catcher for Creekview High School, where he was all-district and all-state in both his junior and senior years. He won his team's Gold Glove award all 3 years he lettered. In those 3 years, he hit .398, .400, and .407, and he was named the Metroplex Defensive Player of the Year for his junior year in 2001. As a result, Teagarden's been on the minds of Metroplex baseball fans for years. Following his senior season at Creekview, Teagarden was chosen in the 22nd round of the 2002 draft by the Chicago Cubs, but declined to sign so that he could become a Longhorn. At UT, Teagarden became the starting catcher immediately. He was immediately a hit in Austin. He batted .315/.380/.485 in 200 at-bats his freshman year while earning Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors. He improved steadily all season and hit better in Big 12 play than non-conference play. Therefore, the expectations were high for his sophomore season. However, he endured the inevitable "sophomore slump," and finished at .273/.393/.462 in 260 at-bats. His patience did improve dramatically, and his power seemed to come on a little more. He was All-Big 12 Honorable Mention, but fell below what most expected of him after a spectacular freshman season. After spending the summer with the USA National team, Teagarden was poised for a much better junior campaign in anticipation of the upcoming draft. As it turned out, Teagarden had one of the best seasons of any collegiate player in 2005. His final line was .333/.441/.536, and he was First Team All-Big 12. He was outstanding in postseason play, and most publications rated him very highly for the draft. He fell to the Rangers in the 3rd round due to his connection to Scott Boras, but his Texas ties and a $725,000 signing bonus offered by Randy Taylor persuaded him to sign.

Tools: Teagarden has some very strong tools to go along with some rather weak ones. His hit tool tends to be rated on the weaker side, a tick below-average. As shown at UT, Teagarden's averages could fluctuate depending on how streaky he was at any one time. Most scouts peg Teagarden to be a .250-.260 range hitter, and I'd say that's about right. He'll hit .270 to .280 in his peak years, but I wouldn't expect much more. His power is an entirely different situation. His main threat with the bat is his ability to hit the ball over the fence in any count. He has a natural wood-bat power stroke, and I'd say he'll average around 20-25 home runs in a normal season. He could reach around 30 in his peak years. There's no doubt he'll at least be a double-digit slugger. When it comes to speed, Teagarden has to be labeled as a true catcher. He will never be a threat to run, and I can't see him ever even getting 5 stolen bases in a year. His career high in the pros is 2, so don't expect any more. He is a good baserunner, as he is a heady player, but he won't be taking extra bases too often against decent arms. On the glove side of things, you'll find Teagarden is rated as highly as almost any catcher in all of baseball. His glove itself is considered plus. He blocks balls very well, and he's always in a good position to do so. His arm, despite Tommy John surgery, is also a plus. He throws out tons of runners, and it's getting to the point where it's the cause of runners not even trying to steal bases against him. If you just watch the Futures Game of 2008, you'll see what I mean. He is just a great catcher, and he calls games well, so I expect him to stay there for the bulk of his career. As for his other tools, including his batting eye, he is considered above-average. He takes a ton of walks, though he strikes out a bunch, as well. Overall, Teagarden's plus tools will be enough to make him a great Major League player.

Professional Experience: Teagarden was assigned to Spokane after his August 1 signing. In just a month of play, Teagarden hit .281/.426/.635 with 7 home runs in 96 at-bats, an incredible show of power for the first month of a pro debut. He walked 23 times, but struck out another 32. He threw out 6 of 16 runners trying to steal, and was pivotal in the Indians winning the Northwest League title. Baseball America tabbed him the league's 3rd-best prospect and 9th-best Ranger prospect. However, his bright debut was quickly overshadowed when Teagarden had to have Tommy John surgery in December of 2005. His catching career was put highly in doubt, and he was expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2006 season. The first full season out of college is considered one of the most important development seasons, so there was a lot of concern that Teagarden's injury would permanently damage his prospect status. After months of rehab, Teagarden landed back on the field in late-2006 with the AZL Rangers. In designated hitting duties, he went only 1 for 20 with 9 walks and 7 strikeouts, and he pointed to the fact that while hitting, his elbow still wasn't comfortable. He entered the 2007 season unsure if he could regain his hitting form, much less play catcher in the way he did before. He was assigned to Bakersfield out of Spring Training, and he was slated to catch only part-time. However, he quickly showed that he had regained his hitting form, as he hit .315/.448/.606 in 292 at-bats with Bakersfield. He caught only 30 of the 81 games he appeared in, and struggled with his throwing, committing 6 errors. However, the Rangers had enough confidence in him to promote him to Frisco for the final month. At Frisco, he caught every-other day, and he continued his strong year at the plate. In 102 at-bats, he finished with a .294/.357/.529 line. Behind the plate, he started to gain more consistency with his throwing, and his year was considered a success. He did everything that the Rangers required of him, and he was once again considered a good prospect for the Rangers.

2008 Season: The plan for 2008 was for Teagarden to catch a greater percentage of games beginning in Frisco. However, at the beginning of the year, Teagarden found himself paired with fellow catching prospect Max Ramirez behind the plate. After struggling out of the gate with a wrist injury, Teagarden was promoted to Oklahoma to create more room and a fresh start. He finished at Frisco with only a .169/.279/.305 line in 59 at-bats, but the move helped Teagarden refocus. He hit well near the beginning, but he ended up missing some time for injuries and then the Olympics, so his good start fell a bit. His contract was purchased right after the Major League all-star break for a series in Minnesota, but that was a blip on the radar that only worked to slow down his progress. In Beijing, Teagarden helped the team win a Bronze Medal in the final games to carry baseball as a sport, and he burned an option in the process. Upon his return he played a handful of games before being recalled to Texas for September. His final line at Oklahoma was a paltry .225/.332/.396, but with all the mixed time, I'm not surprised he struggled. In Texas, Teagarden proceeded to have a blistering September, hitting .341/.426/.829 in 41 at-bats, a month which virtually locked him in as the Rangers' best catching prospect. Despite all the ups and downs of 2008, Teagarden's year ended on a positive note, an occurrence that has helped the advancement of his career.

Future Outlook: Teagarden is viewed as the Rangers' catcher of the present and future. His name is being floated in numerous deals this offseason, but I'd be surprised to see him go after his strong September against big-league pitching. His patience and power at the plate, combined with his great game-calling and shut-down ability at catcher, makes him a rare find for a backstop. It's my hope that he gets a chance to be the full-time catcher out of Spring Training, with someone else catching a game or two a week to ensure his elbow doesn't get injured again. I believe that Teagarden is capable of staying healthy, but it's not worth a huge risk at this point to overdo him. Taylor Teagarden is the Rangers' best catcher, and he shouldn't see an option again.

Written by Andy Seiler

Photo by Jim Mone, AP Photo