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2008 Ignore the sub-par showing; Saltalamacchia is still a future star. He was pressed into an extremely difficult situation last year, as he was first blocked at his primary position in Atlanta, then had to replace the best hitter on a team mired in a disappointing season after being traded to Texas. He'll get a chance to settle in behind the plate this year, so we should get a better idea as to his true performance level. Salty is no great shakes defensively, but he's good enough, and his bat will more than make up for it, as he'll be one of the few catchers from whom you can expect a .280-plus batting average and 25 home runs annually. 2007 Salty suffered a setback at the plate in 2006 as a hand injury deepened an early slump, but he managed to pick it up as the season wore on, hitting .338/.474/.649 over the last two months. His BABIP was well below average, and should rebound this season, improving all of his numbers the way a rising tide raises all boats. Saltalamacchia also destroyed the ball in a short AFL stint, suggesting he`s back to being one of the best catching prospects in the game. The other good news is that he improved behind the plate, throwing out 36 percent of opposing runners, so talk of moving him to first should be quieted. He`s unlikely to displace McCann, but he gives the Braves options; it`ll be interesting to see which way Schuerholz jumps. 2006 In a system deep in young catching talent, `Salty` has the Braves licking their chops. With Francouer`s graduation to the majors and Marte`s trade, he now rates as the Braves` top prospect, as well as one of the top catching prospects anywhere. Tall for a catcher--leading some to speculate he`ll eventually be moved--he has drawn comparisons to Joe Mauer, but switch-hitting Jason Varitek might be a more accurate comp. He`s got a sweet swing, good plate discipline, and plenty of power. He has also improved defensively, despite nabbing only 26 percent of baserunners. With McCann and Pena, the Braves can afford to take their time with him.
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