Atomic RoadRunners

Catcher Buster Posey has been ranked as the 4th best prospect in both Keith Law’s ESPN Top 100, as well as the MLB.com Top 50. Some excerpts:

From Keith Law:

Posey reached the majors less than 14 months after signing his first pro contract on the strength of his bat and his advanced feel for catching, amazing for someone who only became a full-time catcher in 2007. Posey has a short, compact stroke with excellent bat control and sprays the field with line drives. He doesn’t have much raw power on account of his size and the presence of just a little loft in his swing, but he makes up for it with good plate discipline, and he should post good on-base percentages in the majors. As a catcher, he has soft hands and good athleticism behind the dish with a plus arm, unsurprising for someone who was a part-time reliever in college. There’s some concern about Posey’s trouble catching better fastballs — and Giants pitchers do bring the heat — when he reached the majors, but it’s possible that was merely exhaustion from Posey’s first full pro season and rust from the fact that San Francisco brought him up only to have Bruce Bochy let him rot on the bench for three weeks. He could catch every day for the Giants right now if they weren’t too busy throwing money at the likes of Bengie Molina.

From the MLB.com Top 50:

Statistically speaking: While most people talk about Posey’s bat, and for good reason, it should be noted he threw out 46 percent of would-be basestealers in 2009. And he didn’t really take a step back when he jumped from Class A Advanced up to Triple-A. With San Jose, he threw out 49.2 percent; in Fresno, it fell only to 38.1.

Scouting report: Equipped with perhaps the best, and most advanced, hitting approach of anyone on this list, Posey can hit to all fields. While not a huge power guy, he’s got plenty of extra-base pop, and could hit 15-20 HR a year in the bigs. A very good athlete who used to play shortstop, he runs very well for a catcher and has a plus throwing arm. He’s still learning the nuances of playing behind the plate full-time.

Upside potential: An every-day catcher with star potential at the big-league level. The bat is ready to contribute right now if given the chance.

They said it: “He wants to learn, get better and be a key aspect in winning a championship. The best thing you can say about a kid is that he’s a ‘gamer,’ and that’s Buster Posey.” — Andy Skeels, Posey’s manager in San Jose in 2009

He said it: “I’m even more happy to be on a team fighting for a playoff spot. I’m looking forward to the atmosphere.” — After getting called up to the big leagues last September