Baseball Prospectus

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Statistics For All Levels

Plate Discipline

Preseason Long-Term Forecast (Beyond the 2019 Projections)

Comparable Players (Similarity Index 81)

Rank	Score	Name	Year	DRC+	Trend
1	88	Dioner Navarro	2011	81
2	87	Mickey Owen	1943	82
3	87	Tom Padden	1936	69
4	86	Rick Dempsey	1977	87
5	86	Bruce Benedict	1983	109
6	86	Bill Atwood	1939	82
7	86	Red Wilson	1956	115
8	84	Jim Sundberg	1978	108
9	84	Paul Richards	1936	0	DNP
10	84	Jim French	1969	98
11	84	Steve Nicosia	1983	70
12	84	Muddy Ruel	1923	107
13	84	Mike Lavalliere	1988	99
14	84	Mike Tresh	1941	74
15	83	Ellie Rodriguez	1973	95
16	83	Herman Franks	1941	61
17	83	Tucker Barnhart	2018	86
18	83	Buck Martinez	1976	80
19	83	Smoky Burgess	1954	126
20	82	Mike Brumley	1966	82
21	82	Benny Bengough	1926	111
22	82	Bob Boone	1975	88
23	82	Charlie Moore	1980	93
24	82	Mark Johnson	2003	76
25	82	Roy Partee	1945	0	DNP
26	82	Billy Sullivan	1938	91
27	82	Ramon Hernandez	2003	107
28	82	Fred Kendall	1976	85
29	82	Joe Ginsberg	1954	94
30	82	Glenn Borgmann	1977	126
31	82	Dave Rader	1976	91
32	82	Frankie Pytlak	1936	106
33	82	Johnny Gooch	1925	81
34	81	Jim Price	1969	103
35	81	Mike Fitzgerald	1988	110
36	81	Chris Bando	1983	103
37	81	Kevin Higgins	1994	0	DNP
38	80	Einar Diaz	2000	73
39	80	Gregg Zaun	1998	63
40	80	Clint Courtney	1954	92
41	80	Hal Naragon	1956	94
42	80	Alex Trevino	1985	103
43	80	Ron Brand	1967	79
44	80	Al Lopez	1936	95
45	80	Jimmie Wilson	1928	95
46	80	Cam Carreon	1965	84
47	80	Walker Cooper	1942	94
48	80	Wiki Gonzalez	2001	105
49	80	Alan Ashby	1979	51
50	80	Sherm Lollar	1952	109
51	79	Marc Hill	1979	88
52	79	Kirt Manwaring	1993	87
53	79	Joe Garagiola	1953	90
54	79	Luke Sewell	1928	76
55	79	Milt May	1978	90
56	79	B.J. Surhoff	1992	89
57	79	Geno Petralli	1987	116
58	79	Alan Bannister	1979	97
59	79	Michael Barrett	2004	100
60	79	Mike Squires	1979	87
61	79	Whitey Lockman	1954	78
62	79	Tim Blackwell	1980	95
63	79	Darrin Fletcher	1994	96
64	79	Chris Cannizzaro	1965	67
65	79	Rick Cerone	1981	81
66	78	Gerald Perry	1988	102
67	78	Clay Dalrymple	1964	83
68	78	Hobie Landrith	1957	77
69	78	Eleutero Encarnacion	1996	67
70	78	John Stefero	1987	64
71	78	Ron Hassey	1980	117
72	78	Hal Smith	1958	67
73	78	Jeff Reed	1990	89
74	78	Kurt Suzuki	2011	96
75	78	Ron Pruitt	1979	104
76	78	Yadier Molina	2010	92
77	77	Tony Lupien	1944	101
78	77	Scott Bradley	1987	89
79	77	Buddy Rosar	1942	79
80	77	Rick Ferrell	1933	111
81	77	David Segui	1994	87
82	77	Jim Essian	1978	88
83	77	Brent Mayne	1995	69
84	77	Rick Leach	1984	80
85	77	Ron Stone	1970	84
86	77	Gene Robertson	1927	0	DNP
87	77	Dave Chalk	1978	81
88	77	Brian Downing	1978	99
89	77	Tom O'Malley	1988	82
90	77	Jeff Torborg	1969	61
91	77	Junior Moore	1980	74
92	77	John Wockenfuss	1976	103
93	77	Rocky Nelson	1952	94
94	76	Jerry Zimmerman	1962	70
95	76	Mike Heath	1982	80
96	76	Johnny Oates	1973	69
97	76	Scott Servais	1994	68
98	76	Vic Roznovsky	1966	81
99	76	Butch Wynegar	1983	121
100	76	Red Nonnenkamp	1939	85

BP Annual Player Comments

Year		Comment
2019		Due to publishing agreements, the 2019 player comments and team essays are only available in the Baseball Prospectus 2019 book (available in hardcopy, and soon e-book and Kindle).
2018		If we take the macro view, Wolters is still a success story. But if we zoom in a bit we’ll see that he was a disappointment in 2017. His steps backward at the plate aren’t terribly concerning—Wolters still showed a good eye, and it’s possible that some of his offensive drop-off resulted from a concussion he suffered in May. The bigger cause for concern is Wolters’ regression behind the plate. Our advanced metrics say he was a below-average framer and blocker last season, which is a stark change from his 2016 numbers. Wolters remained strong against the run and has earned a reputation as a guy pitchers like throwing to, so this could just be a blip on the radar. He goes from “good story” to “eminently replaceable” if his glove isn’t a plus, though, so Wolters needs to rediscover his magic quickly if he wants to stick.
2017		You might know what you want, but not find it in the expected places. Maybe you, like so many, are searching for that perfect partner with the perfect disposition. You might go searching at all those wells of familiarity: the bar, the internet, friends and family networks or the dog park. And perhaps in one of those places, that person will be found. Perhaps not. Maybe it will happen somewhere unforeseen: the dentist’s office, the DMV, the ear and eye isle at the local pharmacy, Radio Shack (assuming yours didn't close down last year). It’s unanticipated and possibly all the more delightful for it. The Rockies claimed Wolters—an infielder-cum-catcher with plus defense who calls a great game on account of his rapport with pitchers and also hits just enough—off of waivers in February 2016.
2016		Poor Tony Wolters moved to catcher, injured his right knee twice and stopped hitting entirely. The most likely scenario in which he reaches his potential involves a flux capacitor.
2015		Tony Wolters converted from the middle infield in 2013 and is now donning the tools of ignorance; as you'd expect, he has a long way to go on the nuances of defense behind the plate.
2014		A middle infielder for the first two-plus seasons of his professional career, Wolters moved to catcher in 2013. By the time he went down to the desert for the Arizona Fall League, he looked the part. Wolters is a reliable receiver and compensates for middling arm strength by making accurate throws out of the squat. At the plate, he shows a line-drive stroke and good discipline, a combination that should result in adequate production for a regular, even without much pop. The 2010 third-rounder may not be taking the most direct route to The Show, but his plus personal drive should get him there by 2015.
2013		This will blow your mind, but here is yet another Indians prospect who can�t drink legally, making him both promising and difficult to accurately project. Wolters doesn�t have near the upside of the others so it's a matter of determining whether he becomes a solid 22nd-25th guy or the 26th guy who pinballs between Columbus and Cleveland. Let�s get him to Columbus first. He is a utility infielder with your classic �sum is greater than the whole of the parts� profile because he "plays the game the right way." What he lacks in skill, he makes up for intangibles. Clich�s are born out of truths, so while we�ve heard these tags placed on countless guys before, we�ve also seen what those guys can become in the big leagues.
2012		A good fundamental player, Tony Wolters may eventually be pushed to second base by Lindor, but his good approach, line drive stroke, and plus defense profile as a potential everyday player.
2011		Cleveland's 2010 third-round pick, Tony Wolters, is one of those players who won't impress with his size or athleticism, but scouts love his bat and defensive fundamentals.

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