Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | MIN | C | 4 | 50 |
Grades Update: Apr 2021
| OFP | Role | Hit | Power | Field | Arm | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 50 | 55 | 55 | 50 | 40 |
Apr 2021 Report
Evaluator: Jake Martin
Age: 24 yr
Height: 6-4
Weight: 235 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2018 Round 2
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster
Physical Description: 6-foot-4, 230-pound frame. Just really large and physical for a catcher. Comparable to Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Kevan Smith.
Hit: Starts in a moderately open stance with hands near back shoulder. Fairly narrow base, standing almost up and down, but keeps weight in toes causing slight lean over the plate. Small leg lift before striding towards pitcher. Level bat path for the most part with a little bit of upward movement. Hits the ball fairly hard. Jeffers adjusts really well to pitches in different locations. For example, he will drive his back knee down and under-rotate his back foot on low and outside pitches to hit them to the opposite field. Generally, he hits pull side grounders and sprays line drives and fly balls, but is still generally more of a pull side hitter. Adjusts well to pitches so he will aim for power on certain pitches while trying to make solid contact on others. Rare ability. Average strikeout and walk rates. What really works well for Jeffers is his ability to adjust to pitches in different locations and with different speeds. He can draw a walk and will not strike out a ton, but neither of those abilities necessarily stand out. The biggest problem for Jeffers is his lean over the plate while swinging, it limits the barrel time through the zone. He has reverse splits, hitting right handed pitchers better than southpaws. Grade: 50
Power: Due to his physical size, he has a ton of raw power. It does not directly correlate into game power but he still utilizes it well. Above-average power potential for the Major Leagues. Super valuable coming from the catcher position. He swings with a level bat path, if he locked out his front leg, he could probably hit for more power but his contact ability would be pillaged. Mostly power to the pull side but he can hit some the opposite way as well. Grade: 55
Field: Being a massive catcher, Jeffers struggles a little bit with blocking, hand-transfers, and pop times. Luckily, in his lone month in the Major Leagues, he had extremely positive reviews on his framing and receiving metrics. Smooth hands, catches and sticks the ball firmly on the corners. He is definitely athletic for his size but he is below-average in the blocking department. Would be an athletic first baseman if catching does not work. Grade: 55
Arm: Has decent arm strength and throws that carry with accuracy. Was sort of slow making hand transfers and moving feet towards second base which limited pop time. Grade: 50
Run: He runs like a catcher. Slightly below-average speed for his position. Ranked in the 23rd percentile in 2020 for sprint speed. Grade: 40
Overall: Ryan Jeffers possesses a valuable skill set for the modern day Major Leagues. A framing-heavy catcher with a lot of raw power and an average contact ability. After having a strong showing in 2020 over 26 games, Jeffers figures to have some playing time cut if Mitch Garver can stay healthy. However, he is certainly Major League ready and the Twins really liked him, as evidenced by his use in the postseason. Has the ceiling to be an all-star catcher (not like that's saying a ton, the catchers are pretty bunched up talent wise) and his lowest conceivable floor is a Major League backup. There is a lot to like about Jeffers.
OFP: 50
Role: 50 - Average Everyday Regular
Risk: Low
