Stryker Trahan, selected out of Acadiana High School out of Louisiana, was regarded as the top high school catcher, and
among the top three backstops available in the draft. The D-backs have had an eye on Trahan
for some time, and saw enough in his development to make him their first-round pick.
“Stryker's offensive profile for behind the dish is certainly a commodity,” said
Diamondbacks Director of Scouting Ray Montgomery. “He is a kid we've watched for two years, and we feel he has a chance to be an impactful offensive player.
Trahan, a left-handed hitter who signed a NCAA National Letter of Intent to play baseball at Mississippi, has strong hands, a solid swing, and a 6-foot-1, 220-pound frame which fits a catcher. Some scouts believe, though, that Trahan is destined to become a corner outfielder. Even then,
his athleticism and bat may be good enough to make that move and still have him
be an everyday player.
The D-backs front office believes that Trahan will be a backstop in the future.
“He’s a good athlete,” continued Montgomery. “He can run, he can throw and he played football. With the bat profile where it is and the position he plays and the fact that he hits left-handed, it's a pretty good package. We're very, very happy to get it at 26.”
The D-backs recently signed catcher Miguel Montero to a five-year contract
extension, but the depth behind him in the system was minimal. No catchers
appeared in the FutureBacks.com Top 20 prospects as ranked in the offseason, and
only three appeared among the
Top 50. With
this in mind, it's important that Arizona's faith in Trahan's ability to stick
behind the plate is deserved.
“If you look at his body type, he's big, strong, physical, a lot to his swing like (Brian) McCann does and we'd be elated if he became what McCann is,” said D-backs Executive Vice President & General Manager, Kevin Towers. “We felt Trahan was one of the top two catchers on the entire board.”
Trahan was the second catcher drafted overall, behind Mike Zunino, whom Seattle
selected third overall. A third catcher, Clint Coulter, went to the
Brewers immediately after the D-backs selected Trahan.
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