Josh Caron Stats & Scouting Report

Top Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High.

Track Record: Caron had a middling college career at Nebraska until a big junior season that attracted the Mariners enough to take him in the fourth round in 2024. Caron was a young junior, and the Mariners sent him to the Low-A California League in his pro debut, where he held his own in a small 13-game sample.

Scouting Report: Caron has the ingredients to be a nice offensive catcher. He doesn’t possess any pluses, but he has the chance to be average in the hit, power and zone-control departments, which would make him a strong overall bat for the position. He showed strong zone-contact rates in a small pro sample and flashed solid exit velocity numbers. Caron is a below-average runner but not a clogger, especially for a catcher. Defensively, he shows solid framing instincts and an ability to stick his glove at the bottom of the zone. He still needs some work on blocking. He has a quick transfer on throws but fringe-average arm strength and below-average arm accuracy, making him easy to run on right now.

The Future: Caron projects as a backup catcher, but has the bat to be a regular if his defense tightens up. He will likely head back to the Cal League to open 2025.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 45.

School: Nebraska Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21
Caron is a 6-foot-, 215-pound catcher who has made strides as a hitter in each of his three seasons with Nebraska, culminating in a career-year in 2024 where he slashed .314/.391/.551 with 11 home runs, 14 doubles, an 18.7% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate. He’s filled out with lots of strength and broad shoulders and utilizes a leg kick and soft hand press in his load. Caron is a low-ball hitter who did a nice job hitting for impact to the opposite field right-center gap in 2024, though he can struggle to handle velocity at the top of the zone. Defensively, Caron receives the ball well and folds up nicely behind the plate with actions that suggest average or better defensive ability and a quick release on his throws that result in plenty of sub 2.0-second pop times.