Hayden Duer, C/1B, Cal State Monterey Bay

Big with plenty of natural strength; decent athleticism but little foot speed/quickness; plodding runner who profiles best at first base moving forward … Power bat is for real; above-average raw power with real lift through swing and ability to hit the ball in the air. Swing can get long, though, and that combined with average bat speed leave him susceptible to arriving late on good fastballs. When he does get there on time, Duer has a shot to hit the ball a long ways, but he needs to quicken, especially against better pitchers … More likely a first baseman moving forward than a catcher, but he showed out surprisingly well behind the plate in my May looks, especially considering his size. Reminds me of Padres farmhand Austin Allen back there — too big/tall for the position, but has done a decent job figuring out how to set low targets, frame, block, and throw despite size. Very good pop times at 1.93 (out) and 1.96 (safe) on two throws from his knees in my looks; arm is strong with an encouragingly quick release and good accuracy from his knees. All that said, tough to imagine him physically holding up behind the plate in an everyday role in the pro environment; feels like he’ll move part-time or full-time to first base as he ages. Decent defensive first baseman who holds his own there; unspectacular, but fundamentally sound with good hands, good spatial awareness on foul pop-ups, etc … Hayden Duer has intriguing MLB Draft potential as a power-hitting catcher, and maybe there’s some chance to platoon him a little bit behind the plate there after his Cal State Monterey Bay career ends later this month, but I struggle to imagine him sticking behind the plate long-term in any significant role. If he reaches pro ball and sticks, it’ll eventually be as a first baseman, or perhaps a corner outfielder, with power as his carrying tool and perhaps a little bit of time spent behind the dish.

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