The Show Notes #12: How Many Gloves Will Harry Ford Need?
As there have been questions about Harry Ford's defensive future, why not utilize his top tier athleticism and let him play all over the diamond?
Jerry Dipoto and the Mariners front office face the difficult challenge of trying to compete in the AL West without spending a significant amount of money. By passing on above-average and elite position players, the Mariners have essentially given up on enhancing their 25-man roster through free agency. Again, It will fall on the front office to piece together trades and see which prospects can succeed. While he has already cashed in some of his chips by acquiring Luis Castillo, Randy Arozarena, Victor Robles, and Luke Raley, Dipoto still has a potent face card up his sleeve in the form of “King” Harry Ford. One of the top prospects in the Mariners farm system, the 21-year-old catcher from Cobb County, Georgia, is described as a unicorn because of his elite athleticism that can only be compared to catchers like Jason Kendall and J.T. Realmuto.
In the days leading up to and following the 2021 MLB Draft, many scouts considered the possibility of Ford transitioning to the outfield grass on a part-time or full-time basis if he displayed any weaknesses as a catcher early in his professional career. Leveraging his exceptional athleticism and the unique role he could fulfill would be a great strategic move. As Ford's fifth year of professional baseball approaches, many questions remain about his viability as a primary catcher. His pitch blocking, game calling, and baserunner management need improvement. Additionally, there are concerns about whether he has the physicality to handle over 100 appearances behind the plate each season, as he is only 5'10". A comparable case is Craig Biggio, an athletic yet undersized catcher who transitioned to second base and center field for similar reasons.
With the presence of clubhouse leader and fan favorite Cal “Big Dumper” Raleigh as the primary backstop on Seattle’s 25-man roster and his productivity as a framer on a pitcher-centric team, the idea of Ford in a backup catcher-super utility hybrid role becomes a lot more realistic and rational. Let’s include the fact that the Mariners are in line to give the lion’s share of plate/defensive appearances at DH, second base, and third base to Mitch Haniger, Jorge Polanco, and Dylan Moore for the 2025 season with Mitch Garver in position to be the backup catcher. I’d be pretty sure many more readers would cease calling me a madman if they reached this point.
What's wrong with seeing if Ford could handle 50 games each at 2B and 3B, with another 40 games behind the dish? Ford’s 55-grade speed should allow him to show acceptable range at second and third base. He has a powerful throwing arm that would be viable all over the diamond. The idea here is that as an uber-athletic catcher, he should not have any hiccups adapting to the infield or outfield, even if he winds up being below average to a tolerable degree. We’ve seen Max Muncy log appearances all over the diamond with a similar build and lower-grade tools. However, Muncy has had much more time taking reps across the infield dirt to develop his adeptness going back to his collegiate days at Baylor.
If I were calling the shots for Seattle’s farm system, I would’ve had Ford taking reps all over the infield dirt and running routes in the outfield grass when he was with Seattle’s High-A affiliate in 2023. While his lack of appearances at positions besides catcher could be viewed as a green flag for his defensive abilities behind the plate, it would be a waste of Ford’s athleticism and potential to have him DH the four or five times a week Raleigh is behind the plate. Having him bounce around the diamond could protect him from the rigors of catching on a full-time basis, potentially extending his career substantially.
Ford's combination of on-base skills, speed, and raw power in the batter’s box is another reason why exploring his potential as a super utility-catcher hybrid should be seen as feasible. Gathering as many skilled position players as possible is crucial for competing against the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros in the AL West. Seattle’s lack of above-average hitters during the 2020s has hamstrung the ball club from making deep playoff runs despite building formidable pitching staffs. While Ford has struggled to elevate the ball effectively despite having above-average raw power as a pro, he has displayed borderline elite on-base skills that complement his athleticism and ability to steal bases. He provides utility in a lineup's first or second spot as a Jason Kendall-esque offensive threat. If Seattle wants to see if they can unlock his raw power, Ford could slot in the fifth spot behind Randy Arozarena.
Conclusion
Harry Ford possesses a combination of tools and skills rarely seen among players in his position. As one of the most unique position player prospects in Double-A or Triple-A, why not carve out a role that takes advantage of everything he can do? If we combined Jason Kendall and Chone Figgins into one player, who wouldn't want a player like that on their team? That is the type of player Ford can be, except it may come with more power.