- Full name Ben Petrick
- Born 04/07/1977 in Salem, OR
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- Debut 09/01/1999
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Background: Petrick was the Oregon high school football player of the year in 1995, but baseball is his sport of choice. His maturity has allowed the Rockies to push him in his first three seasons, and he has been the youngest American player in his league each year. Strengths: Petrick has above-average speed, particularly for a catcher, and shows the ability to drive the ball. Though he hasn't hit for average, he has been in double figures in home runs in each of his three seasons. Behind the plate he has excellent lateral mobility and plus arm strength. Weaknesses: Petrick needs to be more consistent at the plate. While he has a solid arm and release throwing the ball to second, there was a bit of a scare last year when he developed a problem throwing the ball back to the pitcher. He apparently worked that out in instructional league. The Future: After being pushed the last three seasons, it's time to slow Petrick's pace. He will open the season back in Double-A, but could move quickly if he starts to take charge.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Petrick is the opposite of Castro. He’s more athletic than raw-boned and his offense is well ahead of his defense. No one doubts he’ll hit, especially in Coors Field, because he has a disciplined approach at the plate. He’s more of a gap hitter than a guy who’ll drive the ball over the fence, though Coors also will assist him in that regard. Petrick has had little trouble adjusting to major league pitchers. He has the tools to be a successful catcher. He’s agile enough that he should be a good receiver, and he has the arm strength to combat basestealers. However, he’s still learning how to move behind the plate and has had problems with his throwing mechanics. Petrick is improving, though in his first 59 major league games he gave up 46 stolen bases (catching just seven runners) and 10 passed balls. One PCL manager who didn’t like Petrick’s defense said he had heard a rumor that Colorado would move Petrick to left field to get his bat into the lineup. Trembley, who compared Petrick to Pirates all-star Jason Kendall, thinks that would be unnecessary. "(Rockies coach) P.J. Carey has done a tremendous job refining his skills," Trembley said. "He had problems throwing, but he doesn’t have any more problems. He has a chance to be better than average as a catcher." -
The Rockies envision Petrick becoming a Jason Kendall-type performer one day, and the 22-year-old did nothing to hurt those comparisons in his fourth season of pro ball. Petrick flashed 20-20 type ability in the low minors, despite never hitting better than .248. He put it all together in 1999, hitting more than .300 in Double-A and Triple-A, with 23 home runs. He continues to improve defensively, and his arm is already top-notch. "He showed he can catch and throw a little," Roof said. "But he can hit. He'll hit in the big leagues, too."
Top 100 Rankings
Scouting Reports
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Petrick is the opposite of Castro. He’s more athletic than raw-boned and his offense is well ahead of his defense. No one doubts he’ll hit, especially in Coors Field, because he has a disciplined approach at the plate. He’s more of a gap hitter than a guy who’ll drive the ball over the fence, though Coors also will assist him in that regard. Petrick has had little trouble adjusting to major league pitchers. He has the tools to be a successful catcher. He’s agile enough that he should be a good receiver, and he has the arm strength to combat basestealers. However, he’s still learning how to move behind the plate and has had problems with his throwing mechanics. Petrick is improving, though in his first 59 major league games he gave up 46 stolen bases (catching just seven runners) and 10 passed balls. One PCL manager who didn’t like Petrick’s defense said he had heard a rumor that Colorado would move Petrick to left field to get his bat into the lineup. Trembley, who compared Petrick to Pirates all-star Jason Kendall, thinks that would be unnecessary. "(Rockies coach) P.J. Carey has done a tremendous job refining his skills," Trembley said. "He had problems throwing, but he doesn’t have any more problems. He has a chance to be better than average as a catcher."