- Full name Bradley Taylor Riopelle
- Born 07/17/1999 in Boca Raton, FL
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School Florida
Top Rankings
Draft Prospects
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School: Florida Source: 4YR
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 24
Riopelle is a fifth-year senior and is old for the class. He’ll turn 24 just a few days after the draft, but he’s also a lefthanded-hitting catcher who has shown some power and has proven himself behind the dish while handling two of the best pitchers in the class—righthanders Hurston Waldrep and Brandon Sproat, who could both be day one selections. The 6-foot, 215-pound backstop hit a career-best 19 home runs this spring, though his average dropped nearly 60 points from his standout 2022 season a year prior. Despite that, Riopelle still managed a .245/.373/.544 slash line, with a strong on-base percentage that was buoyed by a 13.2% walk rate and came with a 28.7% strikeout rate. He’s a below-average pure hitter, but still has a backup catching profile thanks to his receiving ability and an arm that plays better than the pure arm strength he has. Riopelle has just average arm strength and carry on his throws, but he’s extremely quick getting rid of the ball and managed to catch 25.8% of basestealers this spring. He could be the beneficiary of a down college catching class in 2023. -
School: Florida Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 23
Riopelle transferred to Florida for the 2022 season after three years at Coastal Carolina. He immediately became the Gators starting catcher and proved to be one of the more productive backstops in the SEC. He hit .304/.371/.551 this year with 15 home runs. As a lefthanded hitting catcher with playable defense and big power, he fits the profile of a potential backup catcher. Riopelle can turn on most any fastball, and when he does connect, he hits the ball extremely hard. It’s a below-average hit tool, but plus power. He happily trades strikeouts (30% this year) for the chance to do damage. Defensively he’s average as a receiver with a below-average arm. He gets extremely wide in his setup and gives pitchers confidence that he can smother balls if they bury a two-strike pitch.
