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12 Days of Prospects: Day 8, Diego Cartaya

Dominic Gutierrez / MLB / December 8, 2022

Diego Cartaya Prospect — (Photo by Cody Bashore / Dodgers Digest)

12 Days of Prospects: Day 8, Diego Cartaya

On Day 8 of 12 Days of Prospects, we head to the west coast to the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Their current No. 1 prospect is catcher Diego Cartaya, who is also the No. 8 prospect in all of baseball.

The Numbers

Scouting Grades on a 20-80 scale:

Hit: 55

Power: 60
Run: 35
Arm: 60

Field: 55
Overall: 60

35-graded speed doesn’t look good for anyone, but most catchers aren’t fast. What Cartaya has plenty of is pop in his bat and defense.

He’s only reached Advanced-A, which was the affiliate he ended his 2022 season in. In 62 games, Cartaya batted .251/.379/.476 with 13 homers and doubles, 41 RBIs, and 40 walks. Between Low-A and Advanced-A in 2022, Cartaya swatted 22 home runs and 72 RBIs. He also gave up only six errors in 2022.

The Potential

Cartaya has received comparisons to Salvador Perez because of his size and profile. Standing 6-foot-3, he provides a lot of pop from that strength. His plate recognition is top notch and loves to work counts. His bat speed and strength allow Cartaya to have legitimate power over all parts of the field.

Despite the below-average speed, he’s agile behind the plate and has quickness. His strong arm is a plus, but he only threw out 20% of base stealers in 2022. Cartaya also allowed 11 passed balls which will need to be polished as he moves up through the minors. However, his maturity and baseball IQ is extremely advanced for his age, and some believe he could reach the Dodgers before the age of 22-23.

The Verdict

With Will Smith being the current catcher for the Dodgers, Cartaya won’t get the spot right away. He may come up and serve as DH for a bit until they decide what to do with Smith. Cartaya’s bat will lead him through the minor leagues, giving him plenty of time to work on his defense. Quicker pop times and reaction time to prevent passed balls will be the main focus.

Either way, he’s only 21 years old and hasn’t reached Double-A yet. He has loads of potential that he has to grow into while in the minors. With how his bat has been, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Cartaya move up quickly. Even if the defense can’t significantly improve, his bat will keep him in the lineup.