Catcher Sebastian Rivero’s strides not flying under the radar of Royals’ Mike Matheny
The Kansas City Royals have been intrigued and encouraged by the wave of young catching talent working its way through the farm system for several years.
While Meibrys Viloria has already logged games in the majors and M.J. Melendez has shown flashes of immense potential as a two-way standout and ranks among the organization’s top prospects, Sebastian Rivero’s aptitude for the position defensively has put him on the radar of Royals manager Mike Matheny.
“I’ll make a bold statement,” Matheny said on Tuesday. “Behind the plate, he’s ready to catch. He does everything you’d want to see as far as game management, as far a communication, as far as taking charge, as far as receiving, blocking, throwing. He checks all those boxes.”
Matheny spent 13 seasons in the majors as a catcher, and he won four Gold Gloves for his work behind the plate and with the pitching staff as a defense-first backstop.
A 22-year-old native of Venezuela, Rivero signed as an international free agent in July 2015. He still hasn’t played above Single-A, but the Royals added him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft this winter.
Despite a slash line of .258/.301/.391 in 2018 at Low-A, he garnered South Atlantic League All-Star honors in recognition of his all-around play. His teammate Melendez also garnered All-Star honors that year.
Baseball America dubbed Rivero the “Best Defensive Catcher” in the Royals system in 2019, a distinction the publication has since bestowed upon Melendez the past two years.
That combination of Rivero and Melendez helped guide the 2018 Lexington Legends to the league championship and the 2019 Wilmington Blue Rocks to the Carolina League championship.
“We talk so much about the pitching, but part of that is the other half of that battery,” Matheny said. “Both of those young catchers have really improved. I would say some of the things Sebastian has been able to do has really stood out.”
The left-handed hitting Melendez has shown great power potential from a young age. He hit 19 home runs at Low-A in 2018. After struggles at the plate in 2019 (.163 batting average) at High-A, he made adjustments last offseason leading into 2020.
Rivero slashed .212/.270/.278 in 2019 for High-A, but hadn’t shown the same sort of power potential Melendez had in the minors.
That lack of power undoubtedly contributed to Melendez ranking among the Royals Top 20 prospects in the latest Baseball America (No. 16) and MLBPipeline.com (No. 12 in 2020) rankings. Rivero does not appear on those lists.
However, Rivero’s progress has not been overlooked within the organization.
“He’s just gotten more physical,” Royals assistant GM J.J. Picollo said during the team’s fall camp for minor-league players. “He has become a man in his body and his strength. He’s hitting the ball hard. He’s driving the ball. He’s always been a very good defender. With his bat, he’s been very consistent.”
During the first week of full-squad workouts in Arizona during camp last month, the right-handed hitting Rivero showed increased power, particularly to the pull side, in his batting practice sessions.
Of course, he hasn’t yet had the chance to translate that into minor-league games.
“He’s another guy that you can probably throw into that secondary site benefit,” Matheny said of Rivero’s progress. “He was able to really work on his swing. He developed his swing completely, almost from the ground up. We’re seeing him a little more upright where he’s able to now generate a little bit more bat speed, power.
“Just the kind of guy that has so many of the intangibles behind the plate. Just how he handles himself back there. Even for a young guy, he has a presence back there. A leadership kind of mentality.”
Rivero and Melendez have acknowledged in the past that their daily competition as teammate has brought the best out of one another. The Royals created a similar dynamic with Salvador Perez and Wil Myers early in their professional careers in the minors.
Both Rivero and Melendez were non-roster invitees to big-league camp in 2019 and 2020. They were also part of spring training 2.0/summer camp last year as well as participants in the alternate training site prior to fall camp.
Matheny also considers catcher Freddy Fermin, who reached as high as Double-A in 2019, part of the young crop of catchers who’ve displayed a mixture of “want to” and talent as they push each other on their way through the farm system.
Salvy’s subjects
Perez remains entrenched as the club’s starting catcher and one of the faces of the franchise.
A six-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner and three-time Silver Slugger honoree, Perez has expressed his desire to remain with the club though he can be a free agent this winter.
The other current catching options on the Royals 40-man roster:
Cam Gallagher
Gallagher, 28, has served as the primary backup since the Royals traded Drew Butera away during the 2018 season. He has appeared in 105 MLB games and slashed .241/.308/.368. His strikeout rate of 19.5 percent is below the MLB average.
Meibrys Viloria
Viloria, who made his MLB debut in 2018, had an extended stint in the majors at the end of 2019. A 24-year-old left-handed hitter with a plus throwing arm, his slash line in the minors is .280/.354/.398. However, he has batted .215 in the majors and struck out 62 times in 181 MLB at-bats.
Sebastian Rivero
Rivero, 22, still hasn’t played in an MLB game. He appeared in three games at Triple-A Omaha with just eight at-bats in 2019, but he spent the majority of season at High-A. Considered a plus defender, he sports a career minor-league slash line of .250/.291/.345.
Not on the 40-man
Nick Dini: Made MLB debut in 2019 and played in 20 games. He was sent outright to Triple-A after that season.
Freddy Fermin: Highest level reached in minors was Double-A for 32 games in 2019.
M.J. Melendez: Top-rated catching prospect by Baseball America and MLBPipeline.com. Spent 2019 at High-A. Hit 19 homers at Low-A in 2018.
This story was originally published March 10, 2021 at 7:26 AM.
