Derek Norris

[houston-nat]

Past ball:  "A pitch thrown previously out of the strike zone but now is considered a strike."

Past ball: "A pitch that enters a wormhole in time, disappears momentarily, and enters the strike zone ten minutes after it is thrown."

[cmdterps44]

what's a "past ball"?

I guess its the past tense of a ball?


Damn Norris, thats ugly numbers.

[blue911]

Past ball:  "A pitch thrown previously out of the strike zone but now is considered a strike."

 

[GMUTrkstar]

Adam Foster ranks D. Norris as the 5th best catching prospect in the minors.

http://projectprospect.com/article/2009/12/01/top-15-catching-prospects

[Lintyfresh85]

What would he rank him on the corner OF prospect list?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Santana, Montero, Posey, and . . . Romine?

(now check link)

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Flowers.

Surprised romine isn't listed since he was a league all star for BA and is likelier than Montero to stick at catcher.

[GMUTrkstar]

Greg75 (Washington): True or False, Derek Norris will be at the top, or near the very top, of the list for catching prospects by the end of next season?

Kevin Goldstein: That's true now, no? I think he's one of the top catching prospects in the game.

http://baseballprospectus.com/chat/chat.php?chatId=685

K.G. Had good words for Norris today in his chat...

[Lintyfresh85]

Nice!

I'd love if the kids defense developed enough that he is able to stick behind the plate.

[PatsNats28]

i remember this one

[hammondsnats]

stud

can we just fast forward time to the point when all these kids are in DC wearing Nats unis.

[daggerrrrrr]

Derek Norris nabs the MILBY award for best hitter in the SAL. Other winners are John Bowker in AAA, Chris Carter in AA, Koby Clemens in H-A, Derek Norris in L-A, and Cody Decker in SS.

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/articles.jsp?ymd=20091224&content_id=7853352&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was

This kid is going places.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

does Norris figure to start the year in Potomac or jump to Harrisburg?  Is his defense so rough he needs another year in the minors at A+ and AA, or can he get by in AA and be accelerated?  How soon until a healthy catcher of the future is the catcher of the near-term future?

[NatsDad14]

I think he starts in Potomac. No way do they jump him to Harrisburg. They didn't even promote him to Potomac midseason when he obviously deserved to be called up so I'm guessing they don't want to rush him.

[HalfSmokes]

My guess is they rush him. Last year, they had a promising young catcher, this year they have an over the hill hall of famer who is possible playing in his last year

[Nick the Pig]

My guess is they rush him. Last year, they had a promising young catcher, this year they have an over the hill hall of famer who is possible playing in his last year

Agreed.

They'll rush him if only to send a message to Flores - crap or get off the pot.

[natsfan4evr]

Norris has potential to be the NL version of Joe Mauer

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Norris has potential to be the NL version of Joe Mauer

Without the defense.  Jorge Posada is his upside.

[tomterp]

Norris has potential to be the NL version of Joe Mauer

Except for the offense and defense, perhaps.   

[Lintyfresh85]

And the speed. But other than that... spot on!

[natsfan4evr]

Except for the offense and defense, perhaps.   

I thought his offense was excellent and defense is improving. Doesn't he have much more power?
Why can't he pick up a new position? Is he set on catching?

[tomterp]

I thought his offense was excellent and defense is improving. Doesn't he have much more power?
Why can't he pick up a new position? Is he set on catching?

His offense IS excellent, but Mauer is in a different stratosphere.

[natsfan4evr]

His offense IS excellent, but Mauer is in a different stratosphere.

Do we really know that yet?

Judging by Mauer's first year in A ball, Norris tops him on every offensive category except for batting average

Total ABs: Mauer 411,, Norris 437

Batting average: Mauer .302 > Norris .286
OBP: Mauer .393 < Norris .413
OPS: Mauer .785 < Norris .926
Doubles: Mauer 23 < Norris 30
HRs: Mauer 4 < Norris 23
RBIs: Mauer 62 < Norris 84
SBs: Mauer 0 < Norris 6
BBs: Mauer 61 < Norris 90

[HalfSmokes]

Do we really know that yet?

Judging by Mauer's first year in A ball, Norris tops him on every offensive category except for batting average

Total ABs: Mauer 411,, Norris 437

Batting average: Mauer .302 > Norris .286
OBP: Mauer .393 < Norris .413
OPS: Mauer .785 < Norris .926
Doubles: Mauer 23 < Norris 30
HRs: Mauer 4 < Norris 23
RBIs: Mauer 62 < Norris 84
SBs: Mauer 0 < Norris 6
BBs: Mauer 61 < Norris 90

Mauer is a first ballot hall of famer- I'm fairly comfortable saying we know he's better than Norris.

[tomterp]

Do we really know that yet?

Judging by Mauer's first year in A ball, Norris tops him on every offensive category except for batting average

Total ABs: Mauer 411,, Norris 437

Batting average: Mauer .302 > Norris .286
OBP: Mauer .393 < Norris .413
OPS: Mauer .785 < Norris .926
Doubles: Mauer 23 < Norris 30
HRs: Mauer 4 < Norris 23
RBIs: Mauer 62 < Norris 84
SBs: Mauer 0 < Norris 6
BBs: Mauer 61 < Norris 90

A few weeks back a poster on Baseball Prospectus pretty much asked the same question of a different catcher - giving a side by side comparison that seemed to indicate developmental parity with Mauer.  The reply  was to the effect that there have probably been 20 - 30 catchers with similar stats over the last decade or so, and NONE of them even has approached Mauer as a fully developed major league player.

I'll try to find the exchange when I can, but I've captured the gist of it - that the vast majority of players fall off along the way, leaving only a very very few to achieve at the top levels of the game.