Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 29: Zach Britton
11 months ago
We’re going to take a look at our first catcher on this list today!
Just a quick recap of the mid-season list: We’ll look at the player’s stats, my observations, and finally other publications (Prospects Live, MLB Pipeline, Baseball America)’ scouting reports.
Today, we’ll look at Zach Britton.
Getting to know Zach Britton…
Position: Outfielder/Catcher
Bats: Left
Born: September 9, 1998
Acquired: 5th round, 2020 draft (Blue Jays)
Current Team: Double-A New Hampshire (injured list)
Previous Ranking: 23
The 24-year-old has missed the majority of the 2023 season due to injury. This season, he’s only played in 17 games with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, where he’s slashing .218/.427/.309 with a homer in 75 plate appearances. Moreover, he had a higher BB% (26.7%) than K% (21.3%).
Britton broke out in 2022, starting the season with the High-A Vancouver Canadians. There he slashed .239/.390/.441 with a 17.4 BB% and a 29.7 BB% in 236 plate appearances, along with seven homers. He continued his hot 2022 with the Fisher Cats, where he slashed .234/.355/.453 with three homers in 76 plate appearances, along with a 15.8 BB% and a 21.3 K%.
The fifth round pick of the 2020 draft missed parts of the 2022 season, so the Jays sent him to the Arizona Fall League where he was one of the best hitters in the league. He slashed .404/.482/.575 with a homer in 56 plate appearances, and had as many walks as strikeouts.
Although there is some swing and miss in his game, Britton has a great eye at the plate which is reflected in his high walk rate (it’s never been below 14.4% at any level). The 24-year-old also has solid power, posting high exit velocities when he was with Dunedin and in the Arizona Fall League in 2022.
Defensively, he’s more than likely going to end up playing a corner outfield position, as he has a strong arm. Britton played 270 innings behind the plate with Vancouver, before primarily playing left field with New Hampshire once promoted. He played exclusively in the outfield in Arizona, and has played 40 innings in left field with New Hampshire in 2023, compared to just 16 innings behind the plate.
If Britton can tap into his power while taking walks and playing average defence in left field, he could easily carve out a role on a big league team. He’ll be Rule 5 eligible at the end of the season, but he’s spent the majority of the season injured, so it’s unlikely the Jays add him to the 40-man roster.
Next up:
So far, we’ve only covered players that the Blue Jays have either signed in the international free agency, or drafted. That will change with the next prospect article!
In case you missed it…
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 50: Garrett Spain
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 49: Connor Cooke
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 48: Michael Dominguez
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 47: Alejandro Melean
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 46: Trenton Wallace
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 45: Brennan Orf
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 44: Robert Robertis
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 43: Sam Shaw
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 42: Rafael Lantigua
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 41: Yhoangel Aponte
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 40: Nick Goodwin
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 39: Irv Carter
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 38: Jimmy Robbins
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 37: Otto López
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 36: Peyton Williams
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 35: Trent Palmer
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 34: C.J. Van Eyk
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 33: Dasan Brown
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 32: Tanner Morris
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 31: Connor O’Halloran
- Blue Jays Nation’s Mid-Season Prospect Countdown – No. 30: Kendry Rojas
As always, you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads @Brennan_L_D.
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