Brooks Brannon

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #29 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/Extreme
  
  Track Record: As a high school senior, Brannon hit 20 homers, tying a North Carolina state record that had been set by his father Paul, who played in the Mariners system in the early 1990s. When Brooks remained on the board in the ninth round in 2022, the Red Sox pounced, signing him for a $712,500 bonus in line with a third-rounder. Brannon’s first pro season featured an impressive power display at Low-A Salem, but a back strain limited him to 17 games.
  
  Scouting Report: Brannon arrived in pro ball with the broad-shouldered, thick-legged physique of a big league catcher. He opens his hips early, using his powerful torso to generate some of the highest exit velocities in the system. He has plenty of pull power when he connects, but his 5% walk rate points to the need to control his aggressiveness and refine his swing decisions. Defensively, Brannon faces questions about whether he has the athleticism to stay behind the plate, but he has strong hands, plus arm strength and works relentlessly.
  
  The Future: Brannon, who is expected to be healthy for spring training, has a chance to be an everyday catcher but requires significant development to get there. He’ll open 2024 at Low-A Salem.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Field: 45 | Arm: 60
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #25 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Brannon mashed 20 homers as a high school senior, tying a North Carolina record that had previously been set by his father, Paul, a Mariners draftee in 1990. The Red Sox signed him to an over-slot bonus of $712,500 as a ninth-round pick in 2022, then Brannon made his pro debut in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League.
  
  Scouting Report: Brannon is a formidable physical presence, a broad-shouldered teenager with made-for-catching, tree-trunk legs. He funnels all of his strength into his swing, resulting in some tape-measure shots. It's an all-or-nothing approach that has allowed him to pulverize fastballs but has made him vulnerable to chasing secondaries out of the zone. Behind the plate, Brannon has good hands, a plus arm and excellent flexibility with a hunger to develop his defensive game.
  
  The Future: Though mindful of the considerable risk attached to the high school catching demographic, the Red Sox viewed Brannon as having the tools and intangibles to be a worthwhile bet. He has a chance to emerge as an everyday big league catcher with offensive impact.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 60. Speed: 30. Fielding: 50. Arm: 60.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #155 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Randleman (N.C.) HS Committed/Drafted: North Carolina
  Age At Draft: 18.2
  BA Grade: 45/Extreme
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 30 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55
  Brannon was a standout at Perfect Game’s WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., during the fall of 2021. At the event, he hit .429 (6-for-14) with a double and three walks. He continued that sort of standout performance this spring, where he homered 20 times and drove in 91 runs to help push Randleman (N.C.) High to a 2A North Carolina state championship over N.C. powerhouse Whiteville. A physical, 6-foot-1, 210-pound backstop who is close to physically maxed out, Brannon has plus raw power in the tank and swings like someone who knows he does—constantly looking to do damage. He wasn’t on the summer showcase circuit and so scouts don’t have much track record with him facing high-end velocity, and he has also expanded the zone and swung and missed at times with noncompetitive swings against below-average secondaries. Behind the plate, he shows above-average arm strength and clocked pop times around 1.95 seconds last fall, but he needs to improve his actions behind the plate as both a receiver and pitch blocker. There are tools here for Brannon to be an impactful player, but he needs to iron out some of the details of his game to fully capitalize on them. He’s committed to North Carolina but could fit in the third-to-fifth round range.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Brannon mashed 20 homers as a high school senior, tying a North Carolina record that had previously been set by his father, Paul, a Mariners draftee in 1990. The Red Sox signed him to an over-slot bonus of $712,500 as a ninth-round pick in 2022, then Brannon made his pro debut in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League.
  
  Scouting Report: Brannon is a formidable physical presence, a broad-shouldered teenager with made-for-catching, tree-trunk legs. He funnels all of his strength into his swing, resulting in some tape-measure shots. It's an all-or-nothing approach that has allowed him to pulverize fastballs but has made him vulnerable to chasing secondaries out of the zone. Behind the plate, Brannon has good hands, a plus arm and excellent flexibility with a hunger to develop his defensive game.
  
  The Future: Though mindful of the considerable risk attached to the high school catching demographic, the Red Sox viewed Brannon as having the tools and intangibles to be a worthwhile bet. He has a chance to emerge as an everyday big league catcher with offensive impact.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 60. Speed: 30. Fielding: 50. Arm: 60.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Brannon mashed 20 homers as a high school senior, tying a North Carolina record that had previously been set by his father, Paul, a Mariners draftee in 1990. The Red Sox signed him to an over-slot bonus of $712,500 as a ninth-round pick in 2022, then Brannon made his pro debut in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League.
  
  Scouting Report: Brannon is a formidable physical presence, a broad-shouldered teenager with made-for-catching, tree-trunk legs. He funnels all of his strength into his swing, resulting in some tape-measure shots. It's an all-or-nothing approach that has allowed him to pulverize fastballs but has made him vulnerable to chasing secondaries out of the zone. Behind the plate, Brannon has good hands, a plus arm and excellent flexibility with a hunger to develop his defensive game.
  
  The Future: Though mindful of the considerable risk attached to the high school catching demographic, the Red Sox viewed Brannon as having the tools and intangibles to be a worthwhile bet. He has a chance to emerge as an everyday big league catcher with offensive impact.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 60. Speed: 30. Fielding: 50. Arm: 60.