Written by Greg Fertel
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10 February 2008
- Age: 21
- Height: 6?1?
- Weight: 170 lbs
- Position: Catcher
- Bats: Right
Scouting Report: The first thing to know about Cervelli is that he is an outstanding defensive catcher, in all aspects of playing the position. Cervelli was best in the FSL at stopping the running game (41% kill rate), and fielding percentage (.997, for what its worth)He's more nimble than your average catcher, and an overall good athlete. With the stick, Cervelli has two of the big three: the ability to hit for average and take walks. He lacks significant power.
History: Cervelli spent two summers in the DSL, showing great predictive statistics despite not performing well. He finished with a 43:43 K/BB ratio in 92 games despite batting .239/.379/.277 and .216/.392/.373 in 2003 and 2004. The Yankees brought him up to the Gulf Coast League, where he hit just .190/.300/.276. He broke out at the age of 20 in the New York Penn-League last year, hitting .309/.397/.426. The change came as he abandoned switch hitting.
This Season: The final batting line was .279/.387/.398, but Cervelli's season really had two distinct halves. He hit .328/.433/.440 in the first two months of the season, before tailing off to .238/.350/.364 in final three months. He struck out 59 times and walked 36. Overall, his did all of this in the punishing Florida State League while skipping a level - an impressive accomplishment for a catcher.
Outlook and Movement: The Yankees added the Rule V-eligible Cervelli to the 40-man roster. He'll start the season in Trenton. I'd wager that he doesn't see major league time until September, but an injury to Jorge Posada or Jose Molina could change that. If Molina goes down with a 60-day injury, I'd expect the Yankees to add P.J. Pilittere to the 40-man to work as a back up catcher, to let Cervelli gain some more playing time. But if Posada goes down, Cervelli is the best bet for a long-term option.
Ranking: Eric and I both ranked Cervelli at #8. Ashish has him at #16. I love this guy. He's already got the biggie down - outstanding defense. In an age where a guy like Yadier Molina is a well-paid catcher, that alone can make him a valuable asset at the major league level. There just isn't a large supply of decent catchers out there. Cervelli has at every stop maintained an isolated patience of about .100 or more. He's never going to hit for a lot of power, but if he can maintain an above-average batting average, he'll be an automatic asset at the position. I see Cervelli as a .290/.380/.400 type of player - basically Jason Kendall but with better defense. That would make him a top-10 catcher in the majors. The high floor and decent ceiling at a key position put him that high. He's the opposite of Montero - who's ceiling is unlimited but carries a lot of questions.
