MLB Draft Preview: Catchers

Video: Potential MLB first rounders face off
Watch Christ Presbyterian Academy catcher Philip Clarke face off against Spencer Strider.

MaxPreps continues its look at the 2017 Major League Baseball draft, scheduled for June 12, with a preview of the top five catchers.


MJ Melendez, Westminster Christian (Miami, Fla.)
This isn't a great year for catchers at any level, let alone the high school ranks. No college or prep catcher is designated as a possible first- or second-round selection in the latest mock drafts, but Melendez might have the best chance to crack the top two rounds. He's an athletic player at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. He also hit .391 with eight home runs for a team that went deep into the postseason. Signability might be an issue since he's signed to play at Florida International, where his father coaches.
Potential selection: Second round

Luis Campusano, Cross Creek (Augusta, Ga.)
If a team wants a defensive catcher, Campusano will be the pick. At 6-0, 195 pounds, Campusano is on the shorter side, but his prowess behind the plate makes up for the lack of size. His offense is seen as a liability, but you wouldn't know it from his senior season where he hit .622 with 13 doubles and six home runs.
Potential selection: Third round
Steven Williams, Deerfield-Windsor (Albany, Ga.)
Williams is the prototypical catching prospect with a strong frame at 6-3, 210 pounds. At one time Williams, an Auburn commit since his sophomore year, was considered the top catching prospect in the class of 2017. Others, such as Campusano and Melendez, have passed him, but Williams is still a potential first-day selection. He hit .493 with six home runs and 32 RBIs his senior year.
Potential selection: Fifth round

Philip Clarke, Christ Presbyterian Academy (Nashville, Tenn.)
Already committed to Vanderbilt, Clarke was a Mr. Baseball candidate in Tennessee this year after leading his team to the state championship game. Above average defensively, Clarke hit for average as a junior (over .400), but managed only a pair of home runs.
Potential selection: Sixth round



Calvin Greenfield, Jensen Beach (Fla.)
Originally from St. Rita (Chicago), Greenfield transferred to Jensen Beach and was one of the top catchers in the state. He has decent size at 6-1, 200 pounds, but did not show much power at the plate this year with no home runs and six doubles. He showed good patience and ability to hit for contact as he had a .421 average with 19 walks and seven strikeouts.
Potential selection: Sixth round