Catching is a difficult position to find for any major league team. It’s a demanding position where defense is the top preference and offense typically struggles. It takes elite play and discipline to contribute on both sides of the baseball. Drafting a catcher can be seen as a risk but for the Colorado Rockies, they appear to have made an excellent pick in the third round of the 2024 MLB First-Year Player Draft on Monday afternoon (July 15) by selecting Cole Messina from the University of South Carolina.

Messina finished his third season with the Gamecocks where he put up the best year of his college career. He had a team-high 21 home runs and 71 RBIs, including a SEC tournament record 16 RBIs in five games, and added 71 hits and scored 64 runs. He slashed .326/.465/.701, leading the team in AVG and SLG and placed seventh in the SEC in OBP. Behind the dish he threw out 13 baserunners, along with eight in 2023.

His efforts in 2024 earned him the Johnny Bench Award which is given to the best college men’s catcher and was named second team All-American by Baseball America and D1Baseball in addition to the SEC All-Tournament Team and All-NCAA Raleigh Regional.

Over his three years in college for South Carolina, Messina played 138 games where he batted .305/.436/.625 with 38 home runs, 137 RBI, and 128 runs scored.

C Cole Messina is off the board. Thick, physical build. Bat speed is plus. Feel for the barrel, and to hit in general, is there. Plus power especially to the pull side. Sneaky athlete behind the plate. Would like to see his defensive skillset add polish. pic.twitter.com/o5jgeecVqM

— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) July 15, 2024

Longtime scouting and player development assistant Jerry Weinstein has taught catching at levels for the Rockies. He played a key role in the decision to select Messina in the third round.

“He was the heartbeat of that ballclub at South Carolina offensively and defensively — most importantly, he was at the top of our draft board,” senior director of scouting operations Marc Gustafson said to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. “We had Jerry rank all the catchers in the country, and Jerry had him at the top of his list.”

As a catcher for the Gamecocks, Messina has the leadership qualities and ability to take charge behind the plate that is desirable to teams. While he may be an average receiver and with an arm to boot, he is reliable behind the dish and is able to move well enough that you are comfortable leaving him there. What makes him even more valuable is that he can then contribute on the other side of the ball.

In terms of comparison, Messina is slightly reminiscent of current Rockies catcher Elias Díaz. For his career, Díaz has often been regarded as an average to slightly below-average receiver behind the dish. His pitch framing has been considered below league average but has shown a strong arm and a nice ability to move behind the plate. His calling card has been his offense and he has proven to be a reliable hitter for the Rockies during his time with the team. His bat has enabled the Rockies to give him more breaks from catching and use him as a designated hitter to help the team.

This same approach could be what’s in store for Messina. The bat will play in professional baseball. While he may have some swing-and-miss issues, he has consistently worked on his approach to cut down on that and make more consistent contact. What’s been impressive is that he’s always been productive in drawing a healthy amount of walks. In 2024 he drew 50 walks against 67 strikeouts and in his college career has drawn 94 walks against 123 strikeouts. For a power bat, those are quite good numbers.

Summerville’s Cole Messina is off the board. Rockies take him in Round 3 pic.twitter.com/rtXeSEFyBI

— Scott Eisberg (@SEisbergWCIV) July 15, 2024

The Rockies have a few catchers in the system that lean more towards the defensive side of things, but have some in the pipeline that fit Messina’s mold as well. Drew Romo and Willie MacIver have become a fearsome tandem in Triple-A with their excellent defensive abilities and productive bats. What will be intriguing with Messina is if catching will be in the cards long term. He will definitely have to stay on top of his conditioning to stick at catcher, but his work ethic indicates that he will have no problem with that. There is also the possibility he could see some action at first base. That position is often a supplement to a catcher so it could be a way to give Messina more versatility as needed, especially to keep his bat in a lineup.

While it isn’t viewed as the flashiest pick, selecting Messina in the third round is a wise decision. You get a quality bat to slot into a lineup with the added benefit of putting a bonafide leader behind the plate.