Monday, June 2, 2008

Flustered over Buster...

Buster Posey, 21, was born in Leesburg, GA, and went to Lee County HS. He comes from an athletic family, as his dad played college hoops and his bro also plays ball for the FSU Seminoles.

He's a 6'2", 200 pound junior catcher at Florida State. Posey's hitting .466 with 20HRs, 20 2Bs, 79 runs scored and 75 RBIs. Against Savannah State this year, he played all nine positions on the field, and hit a grand salami for good measure.

And he's keeping the stroke going in the NCAAs. Posey mashed in the regionals, homering twice in each of the Seminoles' latest victories. His batting line: 5-8 with 4 HRs, a walk and 10 RBIs. That ought to keep his name front and center.

Last year, he was picked as a first team All-American by Collegiate Baseball and was a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award, the first sophomore ever considered for the honor. Posey hit .382 with 21 doubles, 65 RBIs, and 66 runs scored during the season.

He made the unusual transition from shortstop to catcher, and started behind the plate in all 62 games for FSU that year. Posey did pretty well behind the dish, too, with a throw-out rate of 41% and a half dozen picked-off runners.

He started all 65 games for the Seminoles at SS in 2006 and was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. Posey hit .346 with 58 runs scored, 48 RBIs and drew 38 walks.

He played in Taiwan as a member of the 2004 USA Junior Olympic team - as a pitcher! He pitched more innings than any other hurler on the national team and posted a 1.23 ERA with 7 strikeouts in a pair of starts. He was an AFLAC All-America as a high school player.

Posey's come on strong at the end of the year and through the playoffs, catapulting his way into a early selection in the draft.

MLB.com reports: College catchers who can stay at the position and hit are always a hot commodity and Posey will be no exception. He's got a great approach with the bat and has a little power. As a converted shortstop, he's still a little raw behind the plate, but all the tools are there for him.

Posey has advanced hitting skills, and uses the big part of the field. He's got a good approach and knowledge of the strike zone. He's mostly gap-to-gap, but he shows occasional power to the pull side. He could develop into a 10-15 homer kind of guy. His only drawback is he's below average as a runner.

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