Dates Scouted: 4 Times in 2015, 20+ Times Overall
7-Word Scouting Report: Potential “6” Defensive Catcher, Questionable Bat, Raw
Signed by the Nationals for $55,000 as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic in December 2010, Pedro Severino has quietly progressed through the Nationals’ farm system the past four years. The 22-year-old Severino spent the majority of 2015 as the starting catcher for Double-A Harrisburg, playing in 91 games and batting .246/.288/.331 with 5 home runs and 34 runs batted in. Recently he was promoted to Washington during the September roster expansion to serve as the Nationals 3rd catcher.
Offensively Severino possesses some bat speed but struggles with the length of his right-handed swing, which hinders his ability to make hard contact in game action. During batting practice Severino flashes some raw power to his pull side and an aptitude for putting the bat on the baseball. Severino showed signs of improvement with the bat in the 2nd half of 2014, but the jump to Double-A in 2015 proved difficult. His swing does not have any obvious flaws, except for the length, and he is still young, but the underwhelming production is concerning. Without some swing improvements and turning potential into results, Severino projects as a future “35/40” hitter with “25/30” raw power at the big league level.
Behind the plate Severino has earned the reputation as one of the better defensive catchers currently in the minors. He possesses a plus throwing arm and a quick release, which allows him to routinely post sub-1.95 second pop times to second base. Severino has soft hands and is proficient at framing pitches, but will occasionally stab lazily when receiving the baseball. He is a good athlete for a catcher and shows a knack for blocking errant pitches in the dirt. Listed at 6-2 200lbs Severino looks lean for a position and will need to add mass to withstand the rigors of catching in the major leagues. Severino needs to improve his consistency receiving the baseball but he projects as a “55/60” or above-average to plus defensive catcher in the majors.
Severino is truly enjoyable to watch defensively and his skills behind the plate should allow him to spend more than just this September in the major leagues. He currently profiles as a backup catcher due to his struggles at the plate, with a ceiling as a below-average starting catcher if he develops offensively. I expect Severino to return to Harrisburg to begin 2016 and next season will be vital to his long-term development as a hitter.
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In addition, I reached out to Mick Reinhard, who covers the Harrisburg Senators for PennLive, The Patriot-News, and Mayflies & Big Flies for his thoughts on Severino. Kindly he shared this with me:
“I believe Seve wore down as the season went on. He came out of the chute catching 5 or 6 games per week when the season started and looked phenomenal behind the plate doing it (watch his throws from Opening Night)
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But by the second half of the season, he just looked worn down behind the plate both physically and mentally. His pop times were a lot closer to 2.00 and his focus seemed to wane. Not just more passed balls, but a lot more wild pitches that he could have prevented or should have controlled better. Whereas in April and May he was light on his feet with excellent lateral movement, by July and August it was like they were in cement.