Nationals Prospect Derek Norris Hot Start to Season's Second Half

Drafted in the 4th Round of Goddard HS, Kansas in 2007, Washington Nationals top catching prospect, Derek Norris is having quite a week and a season for the National's Hagerstown affiliate in the South Atlantic League (SAL). In the last four games alone, Norris has gone 8-14 with 6 HR's and 11 RBI's. On the season he ranks 1st in five SAL categories: HR - 20, RBI's - 64, Total Bases - 170, SLG - .605, and OPS - 1.021. He also ranks in the top 5 in five other offensive categories: Hits - 90 (2nd), OBP - .416 (2nd), BB - 44(3rd), 2B - 20(4th), and AVG .320(5th). But this kid isn't all about the offensive categories. He has been consistently timed by the scouting community having pop times from 1.78 to 1.92 seconds while throwing out over 45% of runners trying to steal against him this season. Under the tutelage of former Big League catcher and first year manager Matt LeCroy, coach Bobby Henley and National's VP Bob Boone, Norris is becoming the complete package as a future Big League catcher.

While many are speculating when Norris will be called up to the big league club, Derek is staying focused. Jonathan Maurer, Norris's agent, had this to say:

"Humble and hard working, Norris is not concerned about what level he is playing just that he gets a full season under his belt helping his pitching staff win games. Derek knows that promotions, fall ball opportunities, and hopefully in the future, Big League Spring Training will come when draft guru and acting National's GM Mike Rizzo feels it is the right time."

In addition to giving the Nationals ownership something to look forward to, Norris' staggering numbers have also begun to catch the eye of the mainstream media. The following is an excerpt from the blog of ESPN The Magazine senior writer Buster Olney

Before the 2007 draft, Nationals official Bob Boone worked out with a high school kid named Derek Norris to get a read on whether he thought Norris had the tools to become a professional catcher. "We had him throw with the equipment on," said Mike Rizzo, the acting GM for the Washington Nationals. When it was over, Boone and Rizzo felt like Norris could make it work behind the plate, and they selected him in the fourth round. "We felt like, if this guy can pull it off as a catcher, he might be something that there really isn't a lot of," Rizzo recalled. It appears that that gamble could pay off in a very big way. Norris, 20, is destroying pitching in Single-A -- in a four-game stretch over the last week, he clubbed six homers, and now has 20 homers, 64 RBI and an OPS over 1.000 OPS over 1.000 -- and he continues to make progress with his defense. "He has really, really improved as far as being a receiver and working on his game-calling skills," said Rizzo. "The thing we have to see behind the plate is that sometimes, he'll fall asleep for an inning or two -- he'll drop pitches, maybe not maintain his focus. That's a youthful mistake. He's got a plus arm. And he can sure roll the poles; he's a plus-plus power guy, an RBI guy, and he's going to be a middle-of-the-order guy who can catch or throw."

"Derek knows that promotions, fall ball opportunities, and hopefully in the future, Big League Spring Training will come" when Rizzo feels like it's the right time, says Jonathan Mauer, Norris's agent.

Congratulations Derek on a fantastic first half, and we look forward to seeing what lies in store for the rest of the 2009 season and beyond.

Millennium Sports Management