Messina is the only catcher on this edition of the PuRPs list
27. Cole Messina (93 points, 16 ballots)
With Drew Romo ineligible for PuRPs voting this time around, Cole Messina is the only catcher we’ve got on this Purple Row Prospects list. The 6’0”, 230-pound catcher, who signed for a slot bonus of just over $1 million after getting picked 77th overall, came to the Rockies after two-straight successful years in the toughest conference in NCAA baseball at South Carolina. He wasn’t the only Messina selected in the 2024 draft — his brother Carson, a pitcher, was picked in the 12th round by the Toronto Blue Jays.
After barely playing as a freshman in 2022, Messina was impressive in the college wood bat Northwoods summer league (.893 OPS). He came back to Columbia his sophomore year and took hold of the starting catcher job. In 2023 he had 17 HR among his 36 XBH in 285 PA with a .307/.428/.615 line for the Gamecocks to earn first team All-SEC honors. Though he had to settle for second team All-SEC in 2024, Messina’s .326/.465/.701 line with 21 HR in 286 PA was an improvement across the board offensively.
The Rockies assigned Messina to High-A Spokane, where he was 1.5 years younger than league average. There he formed a battery with Colorado’s 2023 third rounder (and fellow PuRP) Jack Mahoney, who was also drafted from South Carolina. Messina had a mess of a debut season offensively, hitting just .140/.232/.220 with a homer and a double in 56 plate appearances, which is a 33 wRC+.
There isn’t a whole lot of recent video on Messina out there, so enjoy this game-tying ninth-inning homer in the 2024 NCAA regionals:
MLB.com ranks Messina 19th in the system as a 45 FV prospect (he was 100th overall on their draft board):
A right-handed hitter, Messina showed a more adjustable stroke and did a better job of making consistent contact in 2023. He always has struggled to stay back on changeups but also is swinging and missing a lot more often against fastballs this year. He’s still getting to his pull power and has 15-20 homer upside, and he does draw a healthy amount of walks.
Messina has the leadership skills desired in a catcher and takes charge behind the plate. He’s an average receiver with arm strength to match, and he moves fine behind the plate despite being a well-below-average runner. The 6-foot, 230-pounder will need to stay on top of his conditioning but has the work ethic to do so.
Messina was listed as a prospect of note by Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs earlier this month:
Messina got a shade over $1 million as Colorado’s third rounder in 2024. He has above-average power, but I was bearish on his hit tool and defensive fit prior to the draft, and Messina didn’t do anything in pro ball to dissuade me from that notion.
Keith Law of the Athletic wrote this about Messina after the draft:
South Carolina catcher Cole Messina (3) has big power, with 38 homers in the last two years and a big body to match. He starts with his hands high and his bat behind him, so it takes him a while to get the bat head to the zone. He’s really big for a catcher, listed at 6-foot, 230, and will have to work to maintain his conditioning, as he’s nothing special on defense as is.
First of all, if this isn’t Messina’s MLB walk-up song, I’m going to be disappointed.
Messina could be a strong offensive player, but it won’t work as a profile if he can’t stay behind the plate. The scouts seem to think the work ethic is there to do it though and the other intangibles are lauded as well. I’m splitting the difference by grading Messina as a 35+ FV player, outside my top 30 (he’s behind Bryant Betancourt on my catcher pref list). We’ll see how quickly the Rockies push Messina through the system, but I’m betting on it being a one level per year path to MLB for Messina, starting back in Spokane this season.