Los Angeles Dodgers top prospect and No. 14 overall MLB prospect Diego Cartaya revealed his motivation to become a catcher in a recent interview with Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation, via the Dodgers Nation YouTube channel.
“When I started playing baseball, I always played third,” Cartaya said. “About two years before I signed, I started catching because I'm not fast enough to play infield. And I always wanted to catch because, you know, as a kid when you wear the gear and all that it just looks cool. I wanted that. And I always liked Salvador Perez so that's why I wanted to catch too.”
The old saying in sports is “look good, play good,” so perhaps Diego Cartaya's catching has helped him to emerge as a future star. Looking “cool” is a brutally honest admission we can all appreciate. But he added that Kansas City Royals' star catcher Salvador Perez also inspired him to play the position.
Perez has been one of the best catchers in baseball over the past 10-years. He's a 7-time All-Star, 5-time Gold Glove Award winner, and 4-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
Diego Cartaya has the potential to have a similar career. His glove is still coming along but the Dodgers believe in his defensive prowess. And it wouldn't be surprising to see Cartaya become one of the better hitting catchers in baseball at some point down the road.
For now, Los Angeles is simply looking for a way to put hm on the big league roster. Will Smith and Austin Barnes currently hold down the catching position for the ball club.
Nevertheless, Cartaya's MLB ETA is 2023 and we will likely see him play for the Dodgers at some point this year.