Remember how Jaff Decker got off to a horrendous start this season after missing extensive time due to a hamstring injury? Nathaniel at Chicken Friars advised us not to worry and he was right. Decker has shaken off the rust in a big way:

Month(s) PA   BA  OBP  SLG  BB%   K%
May      62 .140 .210 .263  4.8 40.3
Jun-Jul 166 .295 .392 .468 12.7 18.1

The usual small sample caveats apply, but if that second line looks familiar, remember what Decker did last year at Fort Wayne:

 PA   BA  OBP  SLG  BB%   K%
455 .299 .422 .514 18.7 20.2

Not quite, but almost… Regardless, whatever was bothering him before ain’t bothering him anymore.

Speaking of prospects, one guy who has caught my eye is TinCaps catcher Jason Hagerty. Taken in the fifth round of the 2009 draft out of the University of Miami, Hagerty is putting up some numbers in the Midwest League. He’s a little on the old side (it might not be the worst thing in the world to be aggressive in promoting him), but check out how Hagerty’s age 22 campaign at Fort Wayne compares with that of another catcher we know and love:

Player        Year Age Lvl  PA   BA  OBP  SLG  BB%   K%
Jason Hagerty 2010  22   A 342 .286 .404 .461 15.2 19.0
Nick Hundley  2006  22   A 248 .274 .355 .474 10.1 18.1

No two snowflakes, etc., but I like that the Padres at least appear to have someone on the horizon. I’m a huge fan of Hundley, but I’m also a huge fan of contingency plans. It’s pretty clear that Mitch Canham isn’t a viable part of any such plans… Hagerty just might be.

Tagged as: catching prospects, fort wayne tincaps, jaff decker, jason hagerty, mitch canham, nick hundley