Ryan Falla
The Dodgers are no strangers to developing high-potential catching talents into uber-talents, year after year it seems as if there is always a new star catcher in the making their way to the majors. From Will Smith to Diego Cartaya and Dalton Rushing, the stream of talent is nearly endless. This season has been no different as 19-year-old catcher Jesus Galiz fully embarks on his journey through the Dodgers system with his first year of Single-A play. The right-handed hitting catcher comes into the organization out of Venezuela as a 2021 international signing, having signed alongside current Single-A teammates Wilman Diaz, Rayne Doncon, Thayron Liranzo, Kelvin Ramirez, and Christian Romero.
Galiz was featured as the top-ranked international catching prospect leading into his signing with MLB Pipeline listing him as the 8th-ranked international prospect at the time. A big part of his allure as a young catcher was his arm strength alongside his general ability to field his position, two aspects of his game he show-cased heavily throughout the 2023 season which includes incredible defensive play in the playoffs. Though he is only 19 years old his development has seen him make fantastic strides in his talents as a ballplayer on the field as well as his professional attitude and approach, setting the foundations for what will be a truly incredible career.
“I’m feeling great right now. I’m really happy about my season. I’m really proud of myself. I felt that I did a great job this year, so far my best year. I was healthy most of the season, that’s great. I feel really good with my development, with my defense. My offense was really good. I think that I completed all my goals for this year. I’m really proud of myself for that.”
Galiz In 2023
Throughout 330 plate appearances this year, Galiz managed a very respectable .723 OPS while appearing in the Cal Leagues Top 20 in RBI with 52 on the year while impressively ranking 2nd in Line Drive percentage with a 23.1% LD rate. His ability to rocket the ball off his bat was also present in his 2022 season in Rookie Ball as he managed an .814 OPS through 27 games at the age of 18. Galiz maintains an impressive, all-around build as a baseball player that allows him the opportunity to excel at all aspects of the game.
Not only does his defense and offense rate well enough to project him as an MLB starter, but his ability to guide his pitchers through a game ensures he will be wanted wherever he goes. He does everything you can ask from a catcher and then some; in fact, in a year that has seen stolen base rates flying through the roof, Galiz has maintained a 24% caught stealing rate as the league average dips to about 19%. A proverbial teammates teammate, Jesus Galiz is without a doubt a captain on the field and a leader in the making for one of the most prestigious franchises in sports.
“[…] My attitude as a professional baseball player, I think was my best improvement of this year. At the season’s start, I started kind of bad. The first month, to be honest. Then I said to myself, I had to make a change, and I did. I’m really proud of that too.”
Jesus Galiz features a compact swing that plays well across all parts of the field, allowing him an equal spread of the ball as noted by his incredibly similar percentiles (Oppo% of 31.6%, Center% of 26.4%) while managing one of the lowest Pull% in the league (42%). Galiz maintains an advanced understanding of the strike zone as a whole, forcing pitchers to work the entirety of the zone which often allows Galiz to pounce on mistakes being made by pitchers extending their repertoire into uncomfortable territory.
Doing The Work
Future development should see his hitting abilities play at an above-average level at the Major League level and with his defense projecting at the level of a starter he will be a lineup mainstay for years to come. His mature approach to game-calling and managing his pitchers mid-game will make him a manager’s favorite across all levels of play, especially once he hits the bigs.
“All that work is down to Rocky Gale, our catching coordinator […] Fumi [Ishibashi] too. Every day they talk with me when they come here. Working every day with Ronny Paulino, we worked a lot on adjustments with framing, working with the bottom of the zone. That was my weakness when the season started. Now I’m feeling really good, I’m feeling great with my defense. I’m at about 85% where I want to be. I want to keep working hard this off-season and be ready for the next year.”
Galiz holds all the tools for Major League success at 19 years old, all that is required now is patience as those tools develop into big league form. With the Dodgers’ level of excellence in developing young ballplayers, you can expect Galiz to rise through the system quickly, likely making his debut by 2025 at the earliest.
The Dodgers’ current glut of catchers filling up the system allows the time necessary for Galiz to develop, though I wouldn’t be surprised to see him tested ahead of the clock given his advanced play. There are a fair share of “hit-first” catchers within the organization, and given the projected development of Galiz regarding both sides of play I would not be surprised to see him rise to the top of the Dodgers catching crop soon, perhaps even going as far as to see him become a Major League favorite across all organizations.
Final Thoughts
Jesus Galiz has everything it takes to succeed at the highest levels of play, from his exceptional attitude as a professional to his will and desire to improve every aspect of his game, and with time he will no longer just be a fan favorite at the Minor League Level, he will be a favorite of all Dodger fans across the big league 26 man roster for. years to come
“I’m trying to lose more fat and gain more muscle. I wanna have more power for the next year. Be ready for work more with my legs, be more powerful with my legs, with my hips. Work out with my body. Have a better shape for next year. And that’s what I wanna do for the offseason. I think that I’m not gonna play Winter Ball so I will have more time to prepare for the next Spring Training.”
