J.R. Murphy, C: Prospect Profile #10

Written by Sean P | 19 February 2010

J.R. Murphy

6'0", 190 lbs

Bats: R

Throws: R

JR Murphy was the Yankees 2nd round draft pick out of IMG Academy which is basically a professional sports factory. After a monster year senior year Murphy landed on a lot of radars mainly for his standout hitting ability, but also because he was a developing catcher. Formerly an outfielder, Murphy improved his draft stock and started catching his senior year of high school. He certainly cashed in, getting a 1.25 million dollar signing bonus from the Yankees on the signing deadline.

Murphy is primarily an offensive talent. He led his team in just about every statistical category his senior year of high school and has extremely advanced tools for an 18 year old. His advanced approach is predicated on excellent pitch selection and strike zone judgement. He struck out just 5 times in over 100 AB's his senior year of high school. He's an extremely patient hitter as well, working deep into counts and selectively picking pitches he can drive. He can use the whole field, taking pitches either way depending on where they're thrown and his compact and short swing lets the ball travel deep in the zone leading to good contact. In terms of power right now Murphy is more of a gap hitter than a true home run threat but many predict that will change. He has room to add some weight to his frame and as everyone knows, power usually takes a while to develop, especially in high school products.

The biggest question mark with the precocious Murphy is his defense. Every part of his defensive game is just raw. This was his first full year playing catcher and when he joined the Tampa Yankees, he spent a majority of the time at DH. His movement behind the plate betrays the lack of experience for Murphy as he frequently struggles to block balls. His receiving skills are also questionable- he hasn't quite mastered the art of setting up to frame each pitch. His one talent that stands out however is his arm, which is a solid tool for him.

Murphy's development will depend on what the Yankees ultimately decide to do with his position. He's played outfield for his entire life so a switch back wouldn't be out of the question (he's actually a good athlete with decent speed). The Yankees would be wise to let him develop as a catcher though to maximize his value. Much like Jesus Montero, the Yankees will probably try him at catcher until it absolutely will not work. It will be interesting to see what happens if Murphy's advanced hitting ability really forces the Yankees hand- with some many other catching talents in the system, if he really takes off offensively, they might try and move him to the outfield earlier than expected. I'm not sure of Murphy's ultimate power ceiling, but if its at 20 HRs as has been speculated, he definitely would have be a better asset as a catcher.

It sounds like Murphy will wind up in Charleston this year. With so much catching talent ahead of him and given that he'll only be 19 in 2010, it would be a good bet that he stays up in Charleston all year. The offensive ceiling is there for him and if he can mature and progress defensively behind the plate, Murphy will be a star to watch closely going forward.

For a more in depth profile of Murphy's past, I highly recommend Mike Axisa's profile at River Ave Blues.

Photo Credit: IMG Academies