OAKLAND — A’s first-round draft decide Daniel Susac received to soak all of it in on Tuesday night on the Coliseum.
The 21-year-old Sacramento native received paid handsomely, chatted up with gamers he grew up watching and was launching house runs in entrance of his household throughout batting follow.
Susac soaked within the pleasure subsequent to the batting cage on Tuesday earlier than the A’s performed the Astros all by himself, however in the case of being a heralded catching prospect within the A’s farm system, he’s hardly alone.
The A’s have amassed fairly a little bit of proficient catching depth of their minor league system. It begins on the high on the most important league roster with homegrown expertise and Gold Glove Award winner Sean Murphy, who's below management by means of 2026.
Even when Murphy is added to the checklist of well-liked A’s gamers to be traded, there are many different catchers able to seize a possibility.
First in line is the A’s No. 1 prospect, Shea Langeliers, who was acquired within the commerce that despatched Matt Olson to Atlanta. His time within the main leagues might come knocking earlier than the tip of the 2022 season, as flashed his potential throughout the Futures Recreation this month at Dodger Stadium the place he was named the MVP.
Proper behind Langeliers within the A’s prospect rankings is 2020 first-round draft decide Tyler Soderstrom, who has hit .275 with 27 house runs by means of his first two seasons within the minor leagues.
So with such a crowded catcher’s depth chart, why did the A’s really feel the necessity to make investments $3,531,200 – slot worth for the nineteenth general decide on this 12 months’s MLB draft – on Susac?
Having a glut of expertise at one of the crucial essential place on the diamond is an efficient factor in keeping with A’s director of scouting Eric Kubota and A’s supervisor Mark Kotsay.
“We predict he’s an excellent catcher, I don’t assume you might ever have sufficient gamers it doesn't matter what positions they play,” stated Eric Kubota, director of A’s scouting. “We really feel actually good about our catching depth … we really feel like we added a premium catcher to the combo.”
“Anytime you possibly can stockpile catchers, shortstops and centerfielders I feel that’s a bonus,” Kotsay stated. “, clearly these are fairly demanding positions. Not simply bodily on the sector, however from a standpoint of groups and the need to have them.”
For Susac, having an inventory of proficient opponents at his place is an efficient downside to have too.
“I feel it’s superior, it’s extra brains to choose,” Susac stated. “It’s all the time nice to be round nice competitors as a result of the perfect gamers get the perfect out of each else.”
Susac already noticed the aggressive nature of MLB life by means of his brother Andrew, who was a second-round draft decide by the San Francisco Giants in 2011. Andrew performed solely 87 video games with the Giants as he served because the backup to legendary Giants catcher Buster Posey in 2014 and 2015.
“He’s been large for me going by means of this course of,” Daniel stated. “I feel it’s an awesome supply that I feel lots of people don’t have however having that I’m going to get essentially the most out of asking questions each day about baseball, minor league life, main league life.”
Susac seems to have the mandatory expertise to make it as a MLB catcher.
Throughout his junior season at Arizona, he hit .366 with 12 house runs and 62 RBI in 64 video games and was a semifinalist for the Buster Posey Nationwide Collegiate Catcher of the Yr Award. He nonetheless has a few years earlier than he’s anticipated to reach within the majors, however one high quality that would make Susac stand out from the remainder of the pack is his management, which he stated he discovered whereas beginning as Jesuit Excessive Faculty’s quarterback in Sacramento.
“I feel taking part in a number of sports activities as a child helped me loads,” Susac stated. “Being a quarterback I feel actually helped me and in addition being a catcher. It’s two massive management roles that you simply form of must do or else you’re going to get eaten alive.”