July 4, 2013 at 10:33 AM
Catcher Swihart has tools to be great
On the evening of June 6, 2011, the first night of the MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox selected a slight New Mexico prep star named Blake Swihart with the 26th overall pick and called him a catcher. Midway through his second full season behind the dish, Swihart is showing a skill set that, if maximized, could help change what all of baseball calls a catcher.
The 21-year-old, switch-hitting Swihart has shown strides both at and behind the plate this year with High A Salem. His steady offensive production earned him a starting spot on the Carolina League all-star team last month, but what the slash lines don't show is that his defense is developing on par with his bat -- which is Swihart's main concern.
Check out the full column by Jon Meoli on ESPN Boston.