ProfileHt.: 5'11" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School
Randleman
Drafted in the 9th round (279th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2022 (signed for $712,500).
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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.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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.
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.
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.