Prep Baseball Report

Then & Now: Daniel Susac, Arizona


David Seifert
Director of College Scouting

THEN MARCH 26, 2018Oregon State commit with an athletic, long limbed, lean frame at 6-foot-3, 190-pounds that projects to add strength and mass, especially in the lower half. Really projects at catcher where he shows an athletic setup, soft hands, the ability to block and pop, and a very strong, accurate arm. Also shows agility and flexibility when in his crouch and when moving to shifting into blocking position. There were no steal attempts; all his throwdowns were during warmups and were clocked in the 2.02 - 2.11 range with all throws on the bag with his feet in line to the target. Susac called his own game and didn't miss a beat after starting the game at third base. He frames very well and receives with soft hands. Offensively, Susac is toying with switch hitting, but is far more comfortable from the right side at this point in his development. His hands and wrists are loose and his hands are fast allowing him to get the barrel through the hitting zone. Power should develop as his lower half continues to strengthen. An aggressive hitter from the right side who produces consistent, hard contact, Susac is looking to drive the ball through the gaps which is where his present power is.

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NOW MAY 26, 2022 ARIZONA WILDCATS: Now 6-foot-4, 215 pounds the right handed hitting catcher looks like a big leaguer, moves like a big leaguer and is the younger brother of a big leaguer. The draft-eligible sophomore will very likely become a big leaguer himself. He is not on the same level as former Pac-12 star Adley Rutschman, but Susac has all the tools, skills and intangibles to have a long Major League career. He has shortened his right-handed swing and given up switch-hitting since his time with the USA CNT last summer, but he has not sacrificed power which he generates from his strong hands and wrists. He finished the 2022 season with a .366/.429/.582 slash with 12 home runs and 61 RBI. His exit velocities were also some of the best in college baseball this season and his BB/SO ratio has improved to 23:52 after beginning the season at 2:15. His season strikeout rate is solid at 16.7% with an ISO of .216. He also shows the ability to make in-game pitch-to-pitch adjustments. Susac moves well for his size and runs average 1st to 3rd. Earlier this season scouts saw fringe average arm strength, down from the plus gun he showed last summer. However at the Pac-12 tourney his arm was back; loose and better than average with plus accuracy. He ended the season throwing out nine of 34 attempted base stealers (26%) with 11 passed balls. These skillets speak to an area for improvement, and as a tall catcher, is going to be something that will likely always show up. More often than not, he's able to beat the ball to the spot and get below it, while subtly bringing it back up into the zone. He can steal strikes while also staying quiet through swings and misses and folds up well, getting his body in a smaller position to give the umpire a clean look. The blocking ability also shows well, softly blocking a ball in the dirt, then quick picking and throwing to nail the runner trying to advance to second base. With the ability to also play on the dirt with some experience at 1st base, this just adds to his value. Overall, Susac projects to be an average hitter with above average power production and at least an average defender with above average catch/throw skills.

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