TOP 5 REMAINING 2020 CATCHERS

The 2020 class in Nevada is stacked with prospects, with seven of our top ten ranked players heading to play in the Pac-12 next year.  Yet, there is still a wealth of talent that has yet to be locked down in the class. Here are the top five prospects at the catcher position that are still on the board.

1. Ethan Stephens (Coronado) is the #2 ranked catcher, #13 overall, with a lean 6’4 frame that has room to develop size and strength. The left-hand hitting catcher showed well at the All State Games in August with a pop time hovering right around the 2.00 mark complimented by a gap to gap, line drive fill round of batting practice. Stephens looks to capitalize on a great junior season (BA .419, RBI 23, HR 2) and summer with Southern Nevada, and carry it into his senior year at Coronado.

2. Dominyck Bullard (Bishop Gorman) is the #3 ranked catcher, #18 overall, with a developed 5’10 frame that shows balance and quick hands behind the plate with a 2.01 pop time that could drop below the 2.00 with some improvements in his footwork and quickness. Offensively, he has a compact swing with a smooth hand rhythm and a short stride that allows him to be a consistent middle of the order bat. Bullard is looking to have a breakout year at the plate to go with his tools behind the plate. 

3. Michael Cianci (Mojave) is the #4 ranked catcher, #21 overall, with a tapered 5’10 frame that has room to add strength. The left-handed bat (BA .437, RBI 19, 3B 8) has a consistent rhythm at the plate with a gap to gap approach that allows him to drive the ball to all parts of the field. He shows a consistent pop time between 2.05 and 2.15 that should eventually be below 2.00 as he improves his footwork to go along with his above average arm.  Also showing his abilities on the mound, Cianci threw a perfect game during his junior season sitting mid-80’s earning him Player of the Week for his performance.

4. Fabian Torres (Legacy) is the #5 ranked catcher, #24 overall, with an athletic 6’ frame that has room to fill out. Torres is an above average receiver behind the plate with a quick release that halts opposing teams running games with a 1.87 pop time. At the plate, Torres has a slow rhythm in his legs with a high leg kick that gets down in time to get his barrel to the ball. He has shown signs of sneaky and an ability to use all field. An increase in consistency with the bat along with his 4.4 GPA could make Torres an exciting player to follow heading into his senior season at Legacy. 

5. Benjamin “Jax” Holzem (Shadow Ridge) is the #6 ranked catcher, #28 overall, with a lean 5’10 frame that has plenty of room to add size and strength. Behind the plate, Holzem receives the ball well and relies on his above average arm strength to shut down the run game for opposing teams. At the plate, he keeps his hands inside the ball allowing him to stay in the big part of the yard supplemented with some flashes of power that should continue to show as he develops physically.

Notable 2020 Catchers: Anthony Martinez (Centennial), Lane Oliphant (Reno), Cesar Perez (Spring Valley), Donovan Ratfield (Earl Wooster), Matthew Galdi (Green Valley)