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Diego Cartaya, a 19-year-old catcher, is the Dodgers number 1 prospect and number 29 on the top 100 prospect list. Diego stands 6’3 and weighs 219 pounds, and is playing for the Low A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Cartaya signed with the Dodgers in 2018 as an international free agent from Venezuela. He is currently on the injured list with a hamstring strain and hasn’t played a game since August 1st. It is doubtful that he will play again this season. If that’s the case, he hit a .298 average with ten homeruns and 31 runs batted in. Diego Cartaya had a 1.023 OPS (On-base Percentage + Slugging Percentage) with 37 strikeouts and 18 walks.
Diego Cartaya has a very nice and simple swing that is easy to repeat time and time again. Diego has prioritized more contact in his at-bats instead of trying to find his potential power. The swing doesn’t usually produce high homerun ability, but he can change that narrative if he puts on some good weight. I love to see that from a 19-year-old, as teenagers usually want to see how far they can hit the ball or try to hit homeruns. It shows how mature Cartaya is and wants to hone in on his contact ability and wait for the power to develop as he gets older. Unfortunately, he does swing and miss too much, so that is a concern for the Dodgers, who need to help him fix this shortcoming.
Catchers are not known for their crazy athleticism but that isn’t the case with Diego Cartaya. Cartaya is one of the rare catchers that are extremely athletic, which helps him be a successful defensive player. He also has a strong and accurate arm to go along with his athleticism, rare for a teenager. Running isn’t a factor in his game.
Diego Cartaya will be called up by 2023 because he is a rising star in baseball. He needs to put on some good weight and try to implement some power into his game. Cartaya has a floor of being a league-average catcher. The ceiling for Diego Cartaya is the top catcher in baseball.