• Full name Casey James Opitz
  • Born 07/30/1998 in Littleton, CO
  • Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: S / Throws: R
  • School Arkansas
  • Drafted in the 8th round (244th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2021 (signed for $90,000).
    View Draft Report
    A 27th-round pick of the Indians in 2017 coming out of high school, Opitz has played nearly 150 games for Arkansas, although thanks to the coronavirus eligibility rules, he could return for another year in 2022. Opitz does everything scouts want to see behind the plate. He’s an excellent catch-and-throw catcher with arguably the best arm in the draft class. Opitz regularly records plus-plus pop times. He has thrown out 43% of basestealers for his career, and his presence has largely led some teams to shut down their basestealing when he’s at work. He works well with pitchers and shows excellent ability to block balls in the dirt. So why has a catcher with above-average defense and a plus-plus arm struggled to gain traction with scouts? It’s the bat. Opitz projects as a well below-average hitter with bottom-of-the-scale power. He has hit five home runs in over 500 career plate appearances. His 2021 season (.259/.370/.351) tracks right in line with his .253/.365/.344 career line at Arkansas. Opitz understands the strike zone and draws walks, but he struggles to catch up to velocity. A team picking Opitz knows it will be getting a backstop who can improve a pitching staff, but to even be an MLB backup he’ll need to significantly improve as a hitter.

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Draft Prospects

Career Transactions

  • C Casey Opitz assigned to Chicago Cubs.
  • Tennessee Smokies activated C Casey Opitz.
  • C Casey Opitz assigned to Tennessee Smokies from South Bend Cubs.
  • C Casey Opitz assigned to Tennessee Smokies from South Bend Cubs.
  • C Casey Opitz roster status changed by Chicago Cubs.
  • C Casey Opitz assigned to Chicago Cubs.

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