Drafted in the 1st round (11th overall) by the Seattle Mariners in 1999.
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Ryan Christianson easily ranks as the best high school catcher in the draft and is one of the few Southern California players who exceeded his hype this spring. He has a complete package. He has above-average power and his catching and throwing skills are top-notch. His swing tends to be a little long at times but he takes a strong, aggressive hack and drives balls hard to all fields. He is strong as an ox, but his body worries scouts a bit. He'll need to work hard to maintain it to keep his quickness behind the plate.
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Yet another Mariners prospect felled by labrum surgery, Christianson hurt his shoulder in spring training and played in just four games last season. That was especially disappointing because it came on the heels of him missing two months in 2002 with a broken left foot. The 11th overall pick in 1999, Christianson has the potential to be an all-around catcher but has yet to deliver on it. Losing a year and a half of development time hasn't helped. He has natural power to all fields, but undermines himself by trying to pull and lift too many pitches. A more disciplined approach also would benefit him. Christianson has improved as a receiver and has a strong arm, but an inconsistent release affects his throws. He has below-average speed. Seattle expected Christianson to be ready for Opening Day and likely will send him to Double-A.
Catcher remains a soft spot at both the major and minor league levels in the Mariners organization. Christianson is their best chance to reverse that trend. However, he took a step backward in 2002. After hitting .215 in Double-A, he was demoted to high Class A San Bernardino and just starting to heat up at the plate when he broke a bone in his left foot. After missing two months, he went back to Double-A and finished strong. Seattle still believes Christianson can become an above-average offensive catcher. To do so, he'll have to stop trying to pull and lift too many pitches. He has the strength to drive the ball with power to the opposite field. Christianson also needs to tighten his plate discipline, which has slipped a little. His throwing was questioned earlier in his career, but his arm strength and release have improved. He threw out 38 percent of basestealers last year. Christianson still needs work on the mental aspects of catching, such as handling pitchers and calling games. The Mariners hope he'll fare better in Double-A this year.
Many high school catchers drafted in the first round turn out to be busts. Christianson is proving to be an exception. He made the best of a difficult situation last year at high Class A San Bernardino, which centered a marketing campaign on him because he grew up 10 miles away in Riverside, Calif. His brother Robby pitched in the Seattle system in 1996-97. Shoulder tendinitis robbed Christianson of arm strength in 2000, but he was healthy again and ranked third in the California League by nailing 38 percent of basestealers last year. Cal League pitcher of the year Matt Thornton credited Christianson with showing him how to break down hitters. Offensively, Christianson has burgeoning power. Some of his doubles will turn into homers as he gets stronger and more experienced, and seven of his 12 longballs came in August. Christianson tends to get pullconscious. He won't hit for average until he uses the whole field more often and tightens his strike zone. He runs like a catcher. Seattle's offseason trade for Ben Davis doesn't have to pose a roadblock for Christensen if he can make adjustments at the plate. He'll work on that in Double-A this year.
The 11th player taken in the '99 draft, Christianson made hitting look easy in his pro debut. He met reality last year in Class A Wisconsin, however, and learned what most high school catchers do: The road to the big leagues contains a few potholes. He finished the season with shoulder tendinitis, which may have bothered him more than he let on. Christianson has tremendous power to all fields but needs to learn what to do with it. When he does, he could become a solid run producer. He enjoys being in charge behind the plate and has the tools to become an above-average defender. Playing defense seems to help his offense as well. He hit .271 while catching compared to just .167 as a DH. The Mariners still haven't seen the tremendous arm strength Christianson showed off in high school, though he did regain zip in his second season. His arm now projects as average. Seattle won't let its void at catcher dictate Christianson's schedule. He'll likely move a level at a time and arrive in Seattle late in 2003.
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Christianson went home in 2001, playing near Riverside's Arlington High, from where the Mariners selected him with the 11th overall pick in the 1999 draft. His return came with big expectations as the Stampede marketed Christianson before the season even started. Elbow tendinitis limited his success behind the plate in 2000, but he was fully healthy this year and threw out 38 percent of basestealers, the third-best figure in the league. He was easily the top offensive prospect among Cal League catchers. His power still is developing, and many of his league-leading 42 doubles could turn into home runs as he gains experience.
Christianson hit just .227 in the first half of the season, which Thurman attributed to him putting too much pressure on himself. Once he learned to relax, he hit 48 points higher in the second half. The timing of when they saw Christianson colored managers’ perceptions of his skills.
Everyone agreed that Christianson has power and arm strength. He needs to work on his throwing mechanics, which are inconsistent and lead at times to inaccuracy. He also must tighten his strike zone.
"I liked his defense," Pedrique said. "He blocks well and he does a fine job receiving. He has an idea of how to call a game. He has a chance. But he’s overaggressive at the plate and swings too hard now. He does have some pop."
Said another manager: "I’m not a big fan. I expected more arm strength and consistency with his swing and better receiving skills. He’ll probably hit a lot of home runs, but he’s not much of an athlete. I wish he moved better behind the plate."
Although he didn't sign until early July, Christianson has already put his stamp on two leagues. He had eight doubles in the Rookie-level Arizona League. He added 15 more extra-base hits during his five-week stay in the Northwest League. Christianson has above-average power potential generated through a short swing and excellent upper body strength. He has an advanced ability to drive the ball to the opposite field on pitches away and enough strength to reach the fences from foul pole to foul pole. His catching was limited in August due to a tender arm, but Christianson is cat-quick behind the plate with excellent arm strength. He played in a top-notch environment as a high schooler in Southern California and has mature game management skills behind the plate.
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Christianson hit just .227 in the first half of the season, which Thurman attributed to him putting too much pressure on himself. Once he learned to relax, he hit 48 points higher in the second half. The timing of when they saw Christianson colored managers’ perceptions of his skills.
Everyone agreed that Christianson has power and arm strength. He needs to work on his throwing mechanics, which are inconsistent and lead at times to inaccuracy. He also must tighten his strike zone.
"I liked his defense," Pedrique said. "He blocks well and he does a fine job receiving. He has an idea of how to call a game. He has a chance. But he’s overaggressive at the plate and swings too hard now. He does have some pop."
Said another manager: "I’m not a big fan. I expected more arm strength and consistency with his swing and better receiving skills. He’ll probably hit a lot of home runs, but he’s not much of an athlete. I wish he moved better behind the plate."
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