Player: Michael Trautwein
Position: C
School: Northwestern

A true freshman in 2019, Trautwein handled the bulk of the catching duties for Northwestern, showcasing athletic actions behind the dish and a strong catch-and-throw game resulting in regular sub-2.0 pop times and a 70% caught stealing rate. He continued to look the part of an above-average defender over that summer, boasting soft hands and strong wrists to go with smooth actions, side-to-side. At the plate, Trautwein shows flashes of hard contact and projects as a future gap-to-gap power threat with a chance for some over-the-fence pop to emerge by his draft-eligible junior year. He displays the strike zone command you would expect of a strong defensive backstop, though his aggressiveness at the plate this summer has limited some of his free pass opportunities. Trautwein has the tools to grow into an impact backstop, both behind the plate and in the box. He’s already showing a solid draft profile and with even minimal offensive growth he could emerge as a strong Day Two candidate by 2021.

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