Follow the Prospects: Drew Millas, C

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Unfortunately Davy does.

Millas walks and has a low K rate.  He's a better DH candidate than Keibert. 

but he can field the position and is athletic. if he moves off catcher, he'll move to a position, not dh

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Yikes.  Since 6/20, he's .327 / .433 / .477, with more BBs than Ks, over 127 PAs.  just 2 HRs, with 3 SBs.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/andrew-millas/sa3014475/game-log?type=-1&gds=2023-06-19&gde=2023-08-09&season=&position=C

Sample size keeps getting bigger at AAA.

[imref]

Dude has skills:

https://twitter.com/natsfarm/status/1690508557433589761?s=46&t=VxK4vP11aMUU5dFhz5Ltrg

[JCA-CrystalCity]

fwiw, his caught stealing % is around 30% on the year between both Harrisburg and Rochester.

[Slateman]

Whats that compare to for the rest of the league?

For the record, his scouting reports consistently had him as a sub 2 pop time

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Whats that compare to for the rest of the league?

For the record, his scouting reports consistently had him as a sub 2 pop time

I don't know but figured I'd post it to get a bit of discussion about his D started, especially after the catch imref linked to. His bat is looking very good now in Rochester (see link in reply #51). Caveat for BABIP, which is high, but anyone on a sustained good stretch is going to have a high BABIP.

What I wonder about is whether there's a genuine contest for the guy who gets the bulk of the time behind the plate for the Nats. Even if it is Ruiz, then I think there's a contest with Adams for backup.

[aspenbubba]

I don't know but figured I'd post it to get a bit of discussion about his D started, especially after the catch imref linked to. His bat is looking very good now in Rochester (see link in reply #51). Caveat for BABIP, which is high, but anyone on a sustained good stretch is going to have a high BABIP.

What I wonder about is whether there's a genuine contest for the guy who gets the bulk of the time behind the plate for the Nats. Even if it is Ruiz, then I think there's a contest with Adams for backup.

Next year I would rather see Adams catching 2 games a week and Ruiz DHing several games a week with Smith not being re-signed and Joey getting the bulk of time at 1B.  I'm not sure who would back up Joey as I have not read anything about Adams or Ruiz working out at 1B since ST. Maybe Millas as third catcher and back up 1B as his defense is purported to be better than Adams and Ruiz. 

[Slateman]

They should give Millas an extended look, just to increase his trade value

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Dude has skills:

https://twitter.com/natsfarm/status/1690508557433589761?s=46&t=VxK4vP11aMUU5dFhz5Ltrg

“If you look at this game, the Millas play was a really, really big play, one of the best catches I’ve ever seen by a catcher,” said LeCroy, who played 124 games behind the plate in the big leagues. “It was part of that inning where it was going that other direction, and we stopped it right there.”

https://pickinsplinters.com/2023/08/12/blankenhorn-hits-longest-rochester-hr-of-year-as-wings-beat-ironpigs-4-1/

[imref]

Dougherty says millas is with the team as a precaution

[imref]

locking as he's called up.

[imref]

Went deep to RF in his return to Rochester.

[nobleisthyname]

Age: 26
Team rank: 19
Current level: AAA

March/April recap
Games played at position
C: 9

PA

|

AVG

|

OBP

|

SLG

|

HR

|

SB

|

K%

|

BB%

|

ISO

|

OPS

|

wRC+

28

|

.192

|

.250

|

.346

|

1

|

1

|

14.3%

|

7.1%

|

.154

|

.596

|

49

[imref]

3-4 with a double and HR tonight. Really would be nice to see him get some ABs the next time he’s up.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

3-4 with a double and HR tonight. Really would be nice to see him get some ABs the next time he’s up.

I think an easy move to strengthen the team would be to call him up as a 3rd catcher so Davey would be comfortable DHing Adams and Ruiz occasionally. Maybe they want him to get more batting reps in AAA than he would as a backup in the majors. He's the best of the 3 defensively. I wonder what their long term plan is for him.

[Smithian]

I think an easy move to strengthen the team would be to call him up as a 3rd catcher so Davey would be comfortable DHing Adams and Ruiz occasionally. Maybe they want him to get more batting reps in AAA than he would as a backup in the majors. He's the best of the 3 defensively. I wonder what their long term plan is for him.

Someday, my great hope will come true and Riley Adams will play every day for a couple weeks at 1B/DH and we'll see if there is anything extra on the bat when he isn't focused primarily on his catching duties.

[imref]

in six May starts:
.385 (10-for-26)
3 2B
2 HR
5 RBI
1 BB
1 SB

[Natsinpwc]

Is he at Rochester? 

[imref]

Is he at Rochester? 

yes, should be in the majors. I think you can make a case at this point that he would be an upgrade over either Ruiz or Adams.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Could just as easily be a typical AAAA player, given his age, but it wouldn't hurt to give him a shot.

[IanRubbish]

yes, should be in the majors. I think you can make a case at this point that he would be an upgrade over either Ruiz or Adams.

He could be the best catcher in the org.  Offensive and defensively.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

LA Rice at District on Deck makes the case that Millas may be the long term catcher and not Ruiz.
https://districtondeck.com/posts/the-nationals-answer-at-catcher-is-in-triple-a-01hyeqpjmdn6

Jose Abreu, Andrew Benintendi, Keibert Ruiz, Joey Meneses, and Tim Anderson. What do these 5 players have in common? Since the start of 2023 among qualified players, they are the worst 5 players in baseball according to fWAR. What has gone wrong with Ruiz you ask? Well, pretty much everything. His hitting discipline is horrendous, his pop time is laughable, he ranks as one of the worst blockers in the league, and a below-average framer. Keibert, as of May 21st, is batting .165, with a 26 wRC+. He has a -1.0 fWAR. He has only played in 28 games. The Keibert discourse has been nauseating, and in my mind, it is time to pivot.
...
Millas is currently slashing .299/.341/.558, with 5 home runs and 3 stolen bases in 22 games. Millas’s analytics fare even better, with an inflated wOBA showing he has been slightly unlucky at the plate. Millas is a strong defender, a switch hitter who has power from both sides of the plate and can even provide value running the bases. Millas has Ruiz beat in every single category.
...
If there is any benefit to the Ruiz contract, it is that with a $6.25 million average annual value, Ruiz’s contract still allows him to be a reasonable backup catcher. He will continue to get the bulk of the chances, but if he and Millas continue to have opposite correlations with their statistics, Millas needs to get a shot. Let's hope for a Ruiz turnaround before it gets even uglier.

article is a few days old, so his // line is .313 / .356 / .566, Since 2023, his K% has stayed 17% or lower at every level. Good speed too. doesn't swing and miss much (10% swinging strike in AAA). Taking a lot of called strikes (22%). throwing out 5 of 19 steal attempts.

Love to see him get a call up and defensive reps. I'd let Adams platoon DH and play a couple of time a week and cut Ruiz back to no more than 3 games at C for a while.

[Mattionals]

LA Rice at District on Deck makes the case that Millas may be the long term catcher and not Ruiz.
https://districtondeck.com/posts/the-nationals-answer-at-catcher-is-in-triple-a-01hyeqpjmdn6

article is a few days old, so his // line is .313 / .356 / .566, Since 2023, his K% has stayed 17% or lower at every level. Good speed too. doesn't swing and miss much (10% swinging strike in AAA). Taking a lot of called strikes (22%). throwing out 5 of 19 steal attempts.

Love to see him get a call up and defensive reps. I'd let Adams platoon DH and play a couple of time a week and cut Ruiz back to no more than 3 games at C for a while.

I'd be for this. Gotta do something at some point.

[Smithian]

Send Nunez back to Miami, call this kid up, go three catchers with both Adams and Ruiz hitting everyday. See what happens. It's still a developmental seaosn.

[Slateman]

Send Nunez back to Miami, call this kid up, go three catchers with both Adams and Ruiz hitting everyday. See what happens. It's still a developmental seaosn.

Where is Adams hitting?