The Dodgers have been baseball’s model franchise for the last decade-plus in no small part due to their sterling player development program, exemplified by their consistent production of quality MLB catchers. After drafting, signing, or acquiring and developing catchers such as Will Smith, Yasmani Grandal, Austin Barnes, and Keibert Ruiz in the past decade, the Dodgers have yet another strong catching prospect in the pipeline.

Diego Cartaya is ranked by MLB Pipeline as MLB’s 14th-best prospect and the top prospect in the Dodgers system. Cartaya is also bested only by the Mets’ Francisco Álvarez among all MLB catching prospects. Here’s more on the young Venezuelan catcher who is poised to make an impact with the Dodgers in the next few years.

FAST FACTS
MLB organization: Dodgers
Birthdate: September 7, 2001 (Age 21 in 2023)
Primary position: C
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 219 lbs
Bats/throws: Right/right
Hometown: Maracay, Venezuela
Signed: July 2, 2018 (LAD)
ETA: 2024

Teenage sensation

Cartaya has been one of the most highly-touted MLB prospects since he signed with the Dodgers in 2018. The 16-year-old Cartaya was listed as MLB’s top international prospect during the 2018 International Signing Period before he ultimately signed with the Dodgers for $2.5 million.

Cartaya received glowing comparisons despite his young age and the fact that he would not make his pro debut until 2019. The MLB prospect report made repeated comparisons to Salvador Perez, citing the similarities with Cartaya’s “large frame, defensive ability, and strong makeup." Cartaya was given an overall grade of a 50 on the 20-80 scouting scale, meaning he was already projected as a potential above-average MLB player.

When Cartaya debuted in the Dodgers system as a 17-year-old in 2019, he quickly showed what the buzz was all about. Across two levels in Rookie ball and the Dominican Summer League, Cartaya hit a combined .281/.343/.432 across 49 games. To produce that quickly as a young player in a foreign country for the first time only furthered the optimism about Cartaya’s prospect status.

Cartaya's pandemic transformation

Much like the rest of the world, Cartaya’s plans were upended prior to the start of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like other Minor League players, Cartaya was unable to participate in organized games when their season was canceled. With travel restrictions preventing his return home to Venezuela and no games being played in Arizona, Cartaya was given the opportunity to move in with two members of the Dodgers organization. 

Chase Barbary, a former catcher in the Dodgers system, and his dad, Travis Barbary, the Oklahoma City Dodgers Triple-A manager since 2020, invited Cartaya to stay with them in their South Carolina home. This turned out to be a transformational move for Cartaya, both from a baseball and a human perspective. Cartaya didn’t just get the chance to stay in baseball shape in 2020; he also had a place called home and a tight-knit family in what otherwise could have been a difficult situation for a foreign-born player.

Cartaya and the Barbarys worked out together and participated in baseball activities. While this didn’t adequately substitute for live games, Cartaya was able to stay in shape and work with professionals in the baseball world. Perhaps more important was the connection Cartaya developed with the Barbary family during a challenging time. Cartaya started to learn English and was able to enjoy life as a teenager. Much like Ruiz, another talented Dodgers catching prospect who also stayed with the Barbary family years prior, Cartaya emerged from this experience both a better baseball player and more acclimated to American culture.

Emerging power

Cartaya’s 2021 season was ultimately derailed by back and hamstring injuries, but there was one positive caveat: His power improved immensely. Whether it was due to physical maturation and/or his work during the 2020 pandemic season, Cartaya flashed elite power for a catcher. In just 31 games with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, Cartaya crushed 10 home runs and slugged .614. Even in a hitter-friendly league, these were eye-popping numbers for a hitter who was described in MLB Pipeline’s 2018 scouting report as a hitter whose “hitting stands out more than his power” and “could turn into a 15-homer threat as he gets stronger."

With a clean slate of health in the 2022 season, Cartaya exploded with a .254/.389/.503 line and 22 home runs across 95 games in two levels of Single-A. This power outbreak surprised even Cartaya himself. “I never thought I was going to be a power hitter. I just try and put a good swing on the ball, and good things are happening.” As Cartaya’s power surged, so did his standing as a prospect.

While always viewed as a good prospect, Cartaya didn’t crack Pipeline’s Top 100 prospect list until prior to the 2022 season, when he ranked eighth overall. Due to the nature of prospect volatility, especially for younger international players, and the 2020 COVID season, it took Cartaya roughly four years to blossom into a premier top prospect. With his new power, graded as a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, Cartaya took a meteoric rise to the top of many prospect lists.

Room to grow

Cartaya’s defense behind the plate is still a work in progress. While he possesses enviable size and arm strength for a catcher, he has thrown out base stealers at roughly an average clip and has had mixed results with his pitch framing and blocking. However, as we’ve seen in the past decade, the Dodgers player development system has gotten the most out of their catchers, both on the offensive and defensive side.

Cartaya’s strong intangible skills provide even further optimism for his future. Scouting reports have cited Cartaya’s rave reviews for his “game planning, communication and leadership skills, and his overall makeup." With a good foundation of skills, rave reviews about his character, and a good player development program around him, Cartaya looks like yet another exciting and talented Dodgers youngster.