Overview
Caleb Ricketts is a 6-foot-3, 225-pound left-handed hitter who throws right and profiles primarily as a catcher with some experience at first base and corner outfield. He came through Orange Lutheran High School in southern California and then played four seasons at the University of San Diego, where he finished as one of the Toreros’ top hitters and earned conference and national recognition. He was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft with pick 212 and has worked his way through the Phillies system.
Amateur background and draft
Ricketts earned attention early at Orange Lutheran, a strong California prep program, and then steadily improved at USD. In his final season for the Toreros he posted big offensive numbers – 16 HR, 55 RBI, .373/.423/.658/1.081 – earning him West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors, a Collegiate Baseball All-American, and was a Buster Posey award semifinalist for catchers. Those performances pushed him into the middle rounds of the draft where the Phillies took him in 2022. The college track and award list help explain why a seventh-round pick came with some expectation that he would move quickly if his bat translated.
Offensive profile and statistics
Across his minor league career Ricketts has shown a left-handed bat that can hit for average and take advantage of his size for extra bases. His MiLB career batting line sits at .255/.237/.386/.713 with 22 home runs and 125 RBI. In 2025 he hit .275 with an OPS of .753 over a full minor league slate. Ricketts has a simple, direct swing and puts the ball on the barrel often with solid strike out percentages. Ricketts has shown moderate on-base skills and an ability to create extra-base hits but has not shown elite walk or power rates, at least not yet. Overall his bat looks like his calling card but it still needs more consistent power and plate discipline to project as a strong everyday big league bat.
Sabermetric highlights and concerns
When you look beyond the basic lines, his strengths are contact and a decent slugging profile for a catcher. His ISO has been solid at times in shorter stints, which hints at legit extra-base pop when he is healthy. On the flip side his walk rate is not outstanding, so much of his value has come from batting average and timely extra-base hits rather than a high OBP. Some of the season-to-season swings are tied to small sample sizes and also to time missed with injuries. Advanced minor league metrics place him as a useful bat for the higher minors but one that still needs refinement to project as an above average major league hitter.
Defensive profile and metrics
Defensively Ricketts has the size to handle catching duties and he has shown good arm strength. In college he threw out a healthy share of would-be base stealers, throwing out 46% (16 of 35) would-be base stealers in a strong 2022 season. Prospect write-ups give him respectable grades across arm and fielding for a catcher and note that he can also provide positional flexibility by handling first base and occasional corner outfield work. In the past two seasons, the Phillies have elected to keep him behind the plate and not have him play other positions. At the minor league level his defensive tools are seen as a plus in terms of arm and framing potential, though like many young backstops there is room to improve on subtle receiving and blocking skills. The scouting grades published on the prospect page reflect average to above average defensive grades for his position.
Injuries and impact on development
Ricketts has had at least a couple of notable physical setbacks that affected his early professional progression. Reports note a wrist injury and a knee sprain that cost him nearly two months in 2023 and interrupted a very hot start when he was putting up a high OPS in the Florida State League. He also missed time in 2024 and 2025. Those interruptions are meaningful for a developing hitter because they take away at-bats and can sap timing and strength, particularly wrist issues which often blunt power, at least temporarily. The missed time likely slowed his upward momentum and explains some of the midseason dips in production.
Projection and outlook
Think of Ricketts as a bat-first catching prospect with the physical frame to add power as he matures and with defensive tools good enough to handle catching at higher levels. His path to a major league job will depend on refining plate discipline to bump his on-base numbers and staying healthy to turn his moments of pop into sustained production. If he continues to improve his secondary skills and avoids recurring injuries he profiles as a depth option who could work his way onto a big league roster as a backup catcher who provides left-handed pop. If his walk rates and defensive polish take another step forward he would have the tools to become a more regular contributor. Right now he is a solid mid-level prospect with clear upside and a need for consistency.
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