2023 #55 C/INF David Fry
2023 #55 C/INF David Fry
A catcher with versatility and ability to hit lefties gives Fry an interesting shot to make a major league bench
Build & Background
On the taller and lankier side than most catchers. Solid build. Fairly athletic. Had Tommy John in 2017 in college. Southland Conference Player of the Year in college (Northwest State).
What Fry does well
Fry is an interesting prospect for his unique versatility. He’s spent most of his minor league career squatting behind the dish, but he spent most of his 2022 season, his first in the Cleveland org, at third base as well as some first base. The stand out tools for Fry are his power, which is fringe average overall, but he’s got more power and hits lefties much better. He also has a good arm (1.84 pop time in the past) behind the plate, which plays at third as well. Fry is fairly patient
Where Fry needs to improve
As a catcher, Fry has a good arm and pop time, but framing, blocking and overall receiving lag behind. Overall, he’s a fringe defender. While he hits lefties fairly well, Fry does have a platoon split issue against righties (.812 OPS vs. LHP/.770 OPS vs RHP in ‘22, 1.037 OPS vs LHP/.708 OPS vs. RHP in ‘21). He’s a below average runner. Fry makes a fair amount of contact, but is prone to chasing, doesn’t produce a lot of hard contact, and looks like he can draw some walks, but doesn’t have the strongest plate discipline.
Intangibles
Fry is open to playing multiple positions to help out the team while increasing his own value, even if catching might prove to be the best avenue for him. Recovered from TJ to perform well in college.
Future
Thanks to the presence of Bryan Lavastida and other more experienced catchers in Triple-A, Fry was pushed to first and third more often. With Milwaukee, he caught most of the time. He also has previous work in the outfield, and even a little at second base. A good arm behind the plate, the ability to play the corners, and hitting lefties well, makes Fry an interesting candidate as a 26th man on the roster. If he was a stronger defender as a catcher, he’d probably grab a spot a little easier. He’s probably a third catcher who can play infield and pinch hit vs. LHP. It’s also hard to break in that type of player to the majors without any regular at bats, but there might be a major league role for him that way if they can find it. Otherwise, he ends up as good org depth. Cleveland could consider him for that bench spot this year at some point, making this ranking look low, even if his impact would be minimal. But it’s still a valuable role, if utilized properly.
Role: 35 - Call-up/org depth/extra player