Triple-A Gwinnett manager Brian Snitker didn’t recite party lines on Thursday when asked how Christian Bethancourt could get himself back to the big leagues. The kid has problems.
“Mechanically, he’s out of whack. Set-up, his glove, he’s rushing when he throws, he’s leading with his head, things like that,” Snitker said. “Just kind of had to get back to basics a little bit. … He’s got some work to do. … The mechanical issues and dropped balls and blocking balls and stuff like that, he’s got to clean up if he’s going to go back there and be an effective major-league catcher.”
The Braves sent Bethancourt down to Gwinnett on June 15 after a series of mistakes behind the plate, surprising in that his work behind the plate was widely considered his strength.
Baseball Prospectus rated Bethancourt with the best catcher’s arm and as one of the top five defensive catchers in the minors entering 2014. Baseball America named him the best defensive catcher in Atlanta’s farm system after the 2009, 2011 and 2012 seasons. MLB.com ranked him 93rd among all prospects entering this season.
Through 22 games in April and May, Bethancourt matched the hype: one passed ball, one error and a 45 percent caught-stealing rate.
Through five games in June, not so much: four passed balls, two errors, a 20 percent caught-stealing percentage and a costly catcher’s interference call in Atlanta’s 6-4 loss to the Padres on June 11.
And he wasn’t masking defensive lapses with quality numbers at the plate either, hitting just .198 with 18 strikeouts and five double-plays through 104 plate appearances.
“We made a group decision and I think it’s best for the kid to go down there right now and get some playing time,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said at the time. “We think the world of him. I think he’s still in our plans in the future.”
The plan in Gwinnett has been to play him regularly and re-hone his old defensive habits.
“You need a conscious effort at getting back to where he wants to be. He came here with a great attitude (and) wasn’t down,” Snitker said. “He looked determined to play his way back and he’s done a good job. He’s made our club better. …
“He’s a young kid, he doesn’t know how to not play every day. Guys that are backups in the big leagues are usually guys that have spent a long time being regulars in the big leagues, so it’s a tough situation for a young guy. So probably down here is going to further his career and definitely be better than sitting up there.”
Entering the week, Bethancourt had played 11 games with Gwinnett and was hitting .357 with a homer, three doubles and six RBIs. The team was 6-5 in those games. He had no errors, one passed ball and a 20-percent caught-stealing percentage.
“It doesn’t matter how I performed (with Atlanta),” Bethancourt said on Thursday. “I’ve just got to come here every day and play and just be positive. … You always work on some things and I’ve been working on a few things and, like I say, I just come here every day to play and whatever happens during the game happens.”
Snitker said there’s no timetable or way to predict when Bethancourt might return to form and jump back to Atlanta.
“Who knows? He could wake up tomorrow and (get his mechanics right) and have a great two weeks and be back there,” Snitker said. “It’s up to the player pretty much and everybody’s different.”
Since June 15, Atlanta catchers A.J. Pierzynski and Ryan Lavarnway have hit .271 with no homers and four RBIs while recording no errors or passed balls and throwing out 25 percent of steal attempts.
