It’s not often that you see catchers 6’3″ or taller at any level of baseball. At the Major League Level, for example, only Joe Mauer and Matt Wieters stand that tall (both 6’5″).
The main reason for this is that it is difficult for them to quickly get out of the crouching position and into a throwing position as efficiently as a shorter player.
Don Wille (Sachem East 2020) is not only 6’3″, but he curtails the running game as well as anyone. In fact, playing on JV last season, he threw out every runner that attempted to steal off him.
I had the opportunity to watch him training with Charles Galiano this evening and it became evident pretty quickly just how much of a weapon he is behind the dish. He possesses very strong wrists for a 15-year-old that allows him to frame pitches well and steal borderline strikes, and he also has an incredibly strong arm that will make even the best base stealers think twice about taking off.
Willie noted that 3x World Series Champion Buster Posey “I like how quick he is, his footwork and his receiving,” he said.
While he has a long way to go before he’s in the same breathe as Posey, he did treat his competition in similar fashion this past season. To go along with his defensive dominance, he also batted .595 at the plate. He noted that he worked really hard last offseason to get stronger and the results certainly showed.
This season he will most likely be called up to varsity and could be a difference-maker on a solid Sachem East team. He got his feet wet when he was called up for the playoffs, where he watched from the bench but caught bullpen sessions from their talented rotation consisting of Anthony Siroka and Roman Dorosh.
He played this summer with the Body Armor Titans, a talented collection of the best players across the island. He noted that he’s focused on improving his game this season by attending the Seven Tool Catching winter clinic with Galiano.
When asked if he would consider moving to another position if he continued to grow taller, Wille adamantly stated he wishes to remain behind the dish.
“I love catching because you’re always in the game and you always have to know what’s going on.”
He stated that he is very interested in attending Fordham University, and will be attending their camp on November 11.
If you’d like more information on Seven Tool Catching, you can visit their webpage by clicking here.
