DOB: 04/03/1981, Age: 24, Height: 6'0’’,
Weight: 180
Bats: S, Throws: R
Acquired: Pittsburgh Pirates - 2nd Round Draft Pick 1999
2004 Stats: (Double A - Altoona Curve)
67 GAMES: .262 AVG, 10 HR, 34 RBI, 58 H, 31 R,
.343 OBP, .487 SLG.
Ryan Doumit is this week's Top Prospect Alert.
Doumit a 24 year old catcher in the Pirates organization is currently having an April to remember.
Through the first 14 games of the season, Doumit is destroying International League pitching.
He is batting .410 with 6HR and 13RBI with 8 walks and only 7 strikeouts in 39 at bats.
These outstanding numbers come on the heels of an outstanding spring in which Doumit posted a .400 batting average with 5HR and 12RBI.
At Double-A Altoona in 2004, Doumit hit .262 with 10 Home Runs over 67 games. In 2003 he .275 with 11 Home Runs over 127 games at Single-A Lynchburg.
If Doumit can stay healthy and continue posting the outstanding numbers he has thus far this season, there would be a high likelyhood of seeing him in Pittsburgh sooner than later.
Currently the Pirates have a pretty poor stable of catchers.
Benito Santiago is currently on the disabled list, and is likely one of his last years prior to retirement.
David Ross is a career .213 hitter who has overachieved in 28 at-bats this season, hitting .276 with 3HR and 7RBI.
Humberto Cota has been the Pirates call-up catcher for the past five seasons, hitting a combined .235 in just 115 at-bats since 2001.
Given the lack of catching depth at the big leauge level, it is only a matter of time before Doumit is given his shot at the big league level.
I would recommend picking up Doumit as a reserve in all fantasy leagues, and consider starting him, when he is called up, if you need a boost from the catching position.