DefenseĪs alluded to above, a few years ago there were concerns that Nottingham would have to move to first base because of defensive shortcomings behind the plate. His inconsistency with the bat may hold him back from becoming an everyday player behind the plate, but he has a good shot to fill the role of “backup catcher with pop” quite adroitly. The offensive profile here will be driven by how often Nottingham will be able to make contact against major league pitching. Nottingham is nearly as slow as molasses in January based on his 30 run tool grade, but he’s looked like a solid base runner, swiping 16 bags while getting nabbed only five times in the last two full seasons. 209/.326/.369 last season did translate to an above-average 103 wRC+, although I wouldn’t expect his OBP to be boosted by 20 hit-by-pitches again in the coming seasons like it was in 2017. “The plus raw power is still present” according to the scouts at Baseball Prospectus, and Nottingham did launch 20 long balls in 841 plate appearances during his two years with Biloxi. He did make some significant strides in cutting down his strikeouts last season (from 30.2% to 22.6%) while also boosting his walk totals. Scouts at MLB Pipeline give him a 40 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale, meaning that ultimately he may be best suited for a backup role long-term. Because of his penchant to swing-and-miss, his hit tool projects to be well below average at the major league level. 223 batting average while striking out nearly 27% of the time. Nottingham has an aggressive approach at the plate and some holes in his swing that more advanced pitchers have been able to exploit, and in 213 games at the AA level during 2016-17 he hit for only a combined. His bat hasn’t continued to develop as hoped while playing the last two seasons in the pitcher-friendly Southern League. Since joining Milwaukee’s organization, though, the script has flipped on Nottingham’s career trajectory. 316/.372/.505 with 17 home runs and 33 doubles while whiffing in just 19.4% of his plate appearances. In 119 games between the Class-A Midwest League and Class-A Advanced California League, Jacob hit. He was once considered an offense-first prospect whose bat may have forced him off the catching position, especially after crushing A-ball competition in 2015. 296/.345/.519 (119 wRC+) with one home run through his first eight games at the highest level of the minors. Jacob began the year by reaching the AAA level for the first time in his career and was off to a hot start with Colorado Springs, batting. His hands are held high, up around ear level, and he uses a brief toe-tap before loading up and swinging. He bats from a crouched, slightly open stance, with significant bend in his knees. Nottingham has a very physical build, especially for a catcher, standing 6’2” and tipping the scales at 230 lbs. So what can we expect from the young backstop? Offense This might not be a long stint in Milwaukee for Nottingham, but he’s the organization’s most advanced catching prospect and is someone that we’ll probably see a good deal of in the next few seasons. His first career start came last night, when he went 0-for-3 but looked good behind the plate. Nottingham debuted two nights ago in the laugher against the Reds, appearing as a defensive replacement behind the plate starting in the 7th inning while drawing two walks and scoring a run in two plate appearances. A former 6th round pick of the Houston Astros back in 2013, Nottingham has been traded twice in his career - first to Oakland around the deadline in 2015 as a part of the Scott Kazmir deal, then from the Golden State to Milwaukee a few months later in the Khris Davis trade prior to the start of the 2016 season. Two days ago, the Milwaukee Brewers announced the placement of catcher Manny Pina on the disabled list and called up 23 year old Jacob Nottingham to the big leagues for the first time.
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