Dusty Ryan

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #26 prospect in 2010
  Not many 48th-round picks make it to the major leagues. Then again, not many 48th-round picks have power like Ryan does. Signed as a draft-and-follow out of Merced (Calif.) JC in 2004, Ryan staked a claim to Detroit's starting catching job when he hit .315/.370/.548 during a September callup in 2008. But the Tigers traded for Gerald Laird that offseason, and Ryan since has been leapfrogged by Alex Avila. Ryan projects more as a backup than a regular, but his power off the bench could be useful. He went just 4-for-26 (.154) with Detroit last season, but one scout who saw him in the majors said he hit balls as far as Miguel Cabrera did during batting practice. Ryan's swing can get long and has some loop to it, which leads to difficulty making consistent contact, as does his pull-oriented approach. Big and lumbering, he doesn't move well laterally and is slow getting out of his crouch to make throws from behind the plate. He threw out just 25 percent of basestealers in 2009 and is just adequate defensively. Laird and Avila will handle the Tigers' catching duties in 2010, so Ryan faces more time in Triple-A.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #9 prospect in 2009
  A torn meniscus in his right knee cost Ryan three months in 2007, and he batted .182 in Hawaii Winter Baseball. His big arm and questionable bat prompted a meeting with team officials last spring, when they discussed the possibility of moving him to the mound. He decided to stick with catching, had his best season as a pro and impressed during a September callup. Incorporating a toe tap as a timing mechanism and repositioning his hands resulted in a smoother, more direct swing that unleashed Ryan's prodigious raw power. He's still known for his plus-plus arm and threw out 46 percent of big league basestealers. As a tall catcher, Ryan has trouble blocking some balls in the dirt. In his 15 games in the majors, Detroit pitchers threw 14 wild pitches. His transfer on throws is also a little slower than it could be. Offensively, he looked vulnerable to the sharper breaking balls he saw in the big leagues. With improved receiving skills, Ryan could become the Tigers' everyday catcher fairly quickly. It's still possible that he could return to Triple-A for more development.