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Chicago Cubs: Victor Caratini’s potential high value in 2020
The potential value of the young Chicago Cubs catcher can be built on further even in a brief season
While last season was mostly disappointing for the Chicago Cubs, one of the few bright spots was the growth of catcher Victor Caratini. The 26-year-old from Ponce, Puerto Rico, had a very up and down first few seasons in the majors before playing in a career-high 95 games last year. It was hard to get him sufficient playing time with Willson Contreras being the star starter at catcher.
What makes Caratini a compelling case is the fact that he is relatively versatile on the infield, having already played a handful of games at first base and has also made some appearances at third. Caratini is also a switch hitter and has had plenty of experience coming off the bench to pinch-hit in several different matchups.
If the 60-game 2020 season (It will) does indeed happen, there will be plenty of things to watch in just a short amount of time. Caratini will come in as the backup catcher behind Contreras, but this short season can still be a great year for him. He has an opportunity to build off what he did last season. Here is why.
Chicago Cubs: The offensive ability of Caratini is a much-needed part of the supporting cast around the main core
What Caratini did in 2019 vs. 2018 is night and day. The switch-hitting Caratini in 2019 put together a .266/.348/.447 with 11 home runs, a .794 OPS, 104 OPS+, 108 wRC+ and 34 RBI in 279 plate appearances. He slashed .421/.552/.789 and 235 wRC+ as a pinch hitter in 23 plate appearances. Solid average, good on-base and even some pop.
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This was after slashing just .232/.293/.304, two home runs and 65 wRC+ in 2018. His batted ball hard contact went from 28.2% in 2018 to 33.5% in 2019, with his GB/FB ratio going from 2.18 to 1.86. Not to mention his walk rate went up 4.4% between the years.
Caratini was a top catching prospect just a few years ago and showed his potential to be a good hitter throughout his minor league career. This tells you his offensive production last year was likely no fluke, and he is forming into the MLB he was hoped to be. His value goes beyond just being a backup catcher, but a big part of the offense.
In a brief 60-game season, it is crucial to get Caratini sufficient playing time to get that bat in the game regularly. This will, in time, help allow him to play in more roles sufficiently down the road so his hitting abilities can be utilized as much as possible.
Chicago Cubs: Behind the dish, Caratini was noticeably effective as a catcher and meshed well with some of the pitchers
The value of Caratini behind the plate has helped the team in several ways. Contreras indeed does have the better arm, but Caratini is the better catcher in terms of defense and framing. Last year Caratini had a 1.6 FRM (Catcher Framing on FanGraphs) while Contreras put up a -8.9. In terms of DRS (Defensive Runs Saved), Caratini sported a 1 and Contreras sported a -1. DRS does not show much of a difference, and it’s not necessarily the most important defensive stat, but worth noting.
One of the biggest storylines of 2019 was the resurgence of Yu Darvish, who saw Caratini become his personal catcher. In the 19 games Darvish threw to Caratini, he pitched to a 3.29 ERA, 155 strikeouts against 16 walks and a .210 average against. His ERA in the 12 games not caught by Caratini, Darvish pitched to a 5.42 ERA. Darvish is going to be the potential ace of the staff, and the chemistry between the two could prove massive in the starts he makes.
The Cubs organization as a whole has depth at the catcher position with Miguel Amaya down on the farm. If Contreras evolves into other primary roles like more outfield or DH (if it ends up being permanently utilized in the National League), then Caratini has shown the potential to be a reliable starter. This goes beyond his value in 2020 but an outlook on his career’s future long term.
Chicago Cubs: Caratini’s versatility can allow him to contribute in many ways, especially if there is a DH
As previously mentioned, Caratini can play multiple spots on the infield. He has started 23 career games at first base and played a total of 258 2/3 innings at that position. In his career at first, he has a 9.1 UZR/150, 1 DRS and .992 fielding percentage. Not a huge sample size, but Caratini has played 7 2/3 innings in his career at third base as well. His experience at first can be advantageous.
With the DH being part of the potential 60-game season, then this can open the door for Caratini. Both Anthony Rizzo and Contreras have had some injury concerns and could spend some time at DH even if the season is shorter. It is most likely there will not be just one DH on the team. Caratini can be the backup catcher, but if Rizzo is spending a day as DH, then Caratini is your first baseman.
Will Caratini play any DH? He is not going to be as high on the list like Kyle Schwarber or Steven Souza Jr, but if the main starters are in and you want his bat in there, then maybe Ross can slide him in there. Again, the season will be short and not much time to experiment much, but being a DH is a role Caratini could play because he can hit and is not just a defensive backup catcher.
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Caratini could potentially grow into one of the essential position players outside the central core. He has a nice balance of talents both behind the dish and at the dish while also being somewhat versatile. 2020 he can serve as a very valuable player in a short time.