Ryan
Stafford

Cape Cod: Stafford had a split season of sorts with Y-D. After six games, he left to join the Collegiate National Team, and once his time there was done, he returned to the Cape for the final 21 games. He struggled in the postseason, going 2-for-16, but he batted an excellent .312 in the regular season. Offensively, Stafford has an average-over-power bat, no huge surprise given his 5-foot-10, 170-pound frame, but he does have the strength to drive the gaps and a knack for finding the barrel, as shown by his 21 doubles last season for Cal Poly. He’s also an average runner down the line and an above-average runner underway. Behind the plate, Stafford has the tools of a plus defender. He’s a plus athlete who sets up low in his crouch and has excellent footwork and agility. He’s a sure-handed receiver, an able blocker and has above-average arm strength. 

USA CNT: Despite strong freshman and sophomore seasons in San Luis Obispo, it was likely that only Cal Poly Head Coach and CNT Skipper Larry Lee knew what he had in Stafford coming into the CNT trials. At 5-foot-9, 170 pounds Stafford’s body type does not scream Day One prospect, but leaving the CNT season he sure made a strong impression on scouts. Still a bit of a reach for Day One, Stafford reminds me of Adam Kerner, former catcher at U San Diego and minor leaguer for the Padres. Both are athletic with good feet and high energy leaders. Stafford looks natural behind the plate, sitting low with very good ankle flexion. He is light on his feet, showing very good agility and shiftability with high-level blocking skills to go along with sure-handed receiving. His arm strength graded as above average and tossed accurate 2.0 POPs to second base. A plus athlete, he’s an average runner down the line (4.25) from the right side and above average underway. In the batter’s box he is hit over power (.150 career ISO at Cal Poly), but can drive the ball to the gaps and he does control the barrel, showing this ability by flipping a two-strike breaking ball into right field for an RBI single during the trials. The jury is still out on where Stafford ends up in next summer’s draft, but for the time being he will be in our Top 100 prospects and projects to early on Day Two at this point.

Norcal ProCase

vs McClatchy HS - Cal Poly commit; One of the better defensive catchers in the region. Not a big body on him, but he does play bigger and appears bigger than his listed 5-foot-7 140-pounds on the roster (maybe a listing from 2019 season?). He's functionally strong and put together proportionally. Stafford's receiving is a plus attribute and he has what will develop into average C/T skills at the college level. Pop times were 2.01-2.07 in warm-ups, the lower time from his knees. The arm strength is fair at this time, though perhaps I wasn't seeing the best he's got, with 72 mph being his best bolt on a warm-up throw. In any case, he is extremely quiet and subtle in his receiving movements and he stuck pitches deftly. He's also quite good getting below the low pitch. All the other intangible attributes are there, hustling to back-up 1st base, leadership presence and good verbal skills. Offensively he's got a quiet set-up, hitting out of the 2-spot he sprayed a single to the right side and later slammed a single to the LCF gap. Don't let the size fool you, he's got a little pop in that frame but would be best served to stay gap to gap (which he did in each AB) and spray the ball around the yard. Good takes in plus hitting counts and willing to let it fly when he got what he wanted in those same positive counts.

Area Code Tryouts - Under Class Notebook