Rule 5 Draft Proapect Profile: Deon Stafford

The 2020 Rule 5 Draft is scheduled to take place on December 10th, 2020, as part of the Winter Meetings and the Pirates have some interesting prospects eligible. We will break down all the Rule 5 players and whether or not the Pirates should worry about losing them or not.

When you think of a Big League catcher, power isn't normally what comes to mind. You usually think of a good defensive player who will hit you anywhere from 10-15 home runs a season. Pittsburgh Pirates Minot League prospect Deon Stafford is trying to change that tone and is in his first year of Rule 5 Draft eligibility. Over his first three Minor League seasons, Stafford has hit 21 home runs and driven in 109 RBI over 218 games played. However, in 2019 Stafford's numbers took a little dip as he advanced to Advanced-A Bradenton, calling in some questions as to the development of his offensive game.

The 2017 5th round draft pick out of St. Joseph University has seen his batting average drop over the last three years, but his defense has been on the rise in each of those three seasons. At 24-years-old Stafford is one of the older prospects in Advanced-A ball and will be looking to possibly make the jump to Double-A in 2021. He has a lot of competition above him on the depth chart, and it is going to take a lot of hard work for him to be a legit prospect for the Pirates. With his first Rule 5 Draft looming, could other teams take a shot with the young catcher, or will the Pirates decide to protect him to keep some of the catching depth inside the organization.

Offensive Prowess With Defense to Follow

While at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Stafford wasn't just one of the top hitting catchers on the team, he was one of the best offensive players in program history. He finished his career with the third-most home runs in program history as well as the third-highest batting average. During his senior season, he hit an impressive .395 with 18 home runs and 49 RBI spanning 54 games. The Pirates jumped on the offensive potential and ended up drafting Stafford in the fourth round of the 2017 MLB Draft. While Stafford did have college experience, the Pirates decided to start him at Class-A Short Season West Virginia, where he would be the starting catcher for the Black Bears.

The move was almost flawless for Stafford, who hit .280 with four home runs and 28 RBI in 45 games with the Black Bears. While he hit just four home runs that season, he used his power to drive the ball to the gaps rather than over the wall. He finished with a total of 16 extra-base hits and finished tied for third on the team with 11 doubles and third with 28 RBI. His defense made a smooth transition as well as he committed just one error in 359 innings of work for a .997 fielding percentage. He featured decent arm strength, throwing out 24% of would-be base runners, and allowed just one passed ball all season. For his efforts, he was named a New York Penn League Mid-Season All-Star and made the jump to full-season ball in 2018.

This was his break-out season, as he developed from a part-time starting catcher to a full-time starting catcher for the West Virginia Power by the end of the season. His batting average dropped to .253, but his production went up as he hit 11 home runs and drove in 49 RBI in 94 games played. He was one of the top offensive players for the Power that season, tying for second on the team in doubles. Stafford was also third in home runs and RBI during the season and once again earned South Atlantic League All-Star status. Stafford was accelerating through the Pirates Minor League system and made it to Advanced-A Bradenton with a chance to leapfrog some of the catchers that were ahead of him on the depth chart.

However, 2019 was not Stafford's year as his stats went down across the board offensively. His batting average dropped to .229 with six home runs and 32 RBI in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. His stats went down across the board as he split catching duties, appearing in 74 games. His strikeout rate was his biggest killer as he went down in nearly 28% of his at-bats that season and wasn't getting the bat on the ball. His fielding percentage improved from 2018, as he posted a .988 fielding percentage and allowed six passed balls on the season. He also lost control of the run game, throwing out only 18% of would-be base runners that season. He didn't get a chance to bounce-back in 2020, but considering he is 24-years-old, he probably will make the move to Double-A Altoona in 2021, as he looks to get his offense back on track.

To Protect or Not To Protect

With the offensive ability that Stafford has shown in the past, the big question for the Pirates is whether they should protect him from the Minor League Rule 5 Draft or not. He is an older prospect but is one of the ones who has shown the most promise of any of the Pirates catching prospect options. If the Pirates leave him unprotected, there is a chance that a team with room in their upper Minor Leagues for Stafford. If he stays in the organization, he will have to prove that his bat can come around in the higher levels of the Minor Leagues. His defense is good, but the Pirates need his bat to come around if they want to be successful.

Stafford is getting ready to mix in with the log-jam of defensive first catchers the Pirates have in the upper-minor leagues. If he can get back to his 2018 numbers, he will have no trouble jumping his way up the depth chart and establishing himself as a catcher of the future. He has shown home run power in the past and showed he can rack up the extra-base hits when needed. In Double-A, he will be fighting for playing time with fellow catching prospect Jason Delay, who we profiled yesterday. This could make for an interesting battle behind the plate, as both guys proved to be the strongest hitting catchers in the system. Adversity will be Stafford's biggest obstacle in 2021, and he has to show that he can overcome it.

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