Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 40 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 40

After playing for high school power Orange Lutheran, Ricketts continued his amateur career at the University of San Diego. He spent four seasons with the Toreros, parlaying a solid final year into a seventh-round selection in the 2022 Draft. He got off to a red-hot start in the Florida State League to kick off his first full season, earning a bump up to High-A after posting a .954 OPS in his first 20 games. A wrist injury and a knee sprain derailed him, forcing him out for nearly two months. He tried to play through the wrist issue for much of the second half, though he finished well in September and made up for lost at-bats in the Arizona Fall League.

A left-handed-hitting catcher, Ricketts looks like he should be able to do a lot of damage at the plate. He’s hit-over-power now with an approach geared for contact. There could be more power in there -- he did hit 16 homers at San Diego in 2022 -- if he can learn to add more loft to his swing. He runs pretty well for a 6-foot-3 catcher.

That athleticism has allowed him to exhibit some defensive versatility, having played a good amount of the outfield in college and seeing time at first base then and since starting his pro career. His defensive ability behind the plate is still a work in progress, though he has good hands and could be an average receiver, with a fringe-average arm. Being able to stick behind the plate would obviously enhance his value, perhaps as a big league backup, though being a left-handed bat off the bench at multiple positions might be a more likely outcome.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 40 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 40

Ricketts played for California high school powerhouse Orange Lutheran, a team that won back-to-back National High School Invitational titles in his junior and senior seasons. He went from OLU to San Diego and got regular playing time almost immediately, but it wasn’t until his fourth season in 2022 that things clicked. Ricketts hit .373/.423/.658 and opened enough eyes for the Phillies to take him in the seventh round of the Draft. He signed and made his summer pro debut with Single-A Clearwater. He showed some improvement on both sides of the ball in his first full season of pro ball, but a wrist issue and a knee sprain forced him out of action for extended periods of time.

A 6-foot-4 backstop, Ricketts is what many teams covet: a left-handed-hitting catcher. He has some feel for hitting, though he has to clean up some swing-and-miss in his setup at the plate. He has the chance to reach average power -- his pop showed up for the first time at San Diego in 2022 when he hit 16 homers -- though he struck out a bit more than expected during his brief pro debut. While speed won’t be a part of his game, Ricketts has shown enough athleticism to have played the outfield and first base quite a bit in college.

That also means his receiving is a bit behind developmentally. He’s a fringy receiver with an arm that can approach average, but that part of his game is behind his offensive potential. Perhaps his defensive versatility will come into play in the future, but for now, he’ll get the chance to work on becoming a big league backup catcher.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 40

Ricketts played at California high school powerhouse Orange Lutheran, a team that won back-to-back National High School Invitational titles in his junior and senior seasons. He went from OLU to San Diego and got regular playing time almost immediately, but it wasn’t until his fourth season in 2022 that things clicked. Ricketts hit .373/.423/.658 and opened enough eyes for the Phillies to take him in the seventh round of that year’s Draft, where he signed and made his summer pro debut with Single-A Clearwater.

A 6-foot-4 backstop, Ricketts is what many teams covet: a left-handed hitting catcher. He has some feel to hit, though he has to clean up some swing-and-miss in his setup at the plate. He has the chance to reach average power -- his pop showing up for the first time at San Diego in 2022 when he hit 16 homers. While speed won’t be a part of his game, Ricketts has shown enough athleticism to have played the outfield and first base quite a bit in college.

That also means his receiving is a bit behind developmentally. He’s a fringy receiver with an arm that can approach average, but that part of his game is behind his offensive potential. Perhaps his defensive versatility will come into play in the future, but for now he’ll get the chance to work on becoming a big league backup catcher.

Awards

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	09/16/2024	Reading Fightin Phils activated C Caleb Ricketts from the 7-day injured list.
	09/06/2024	Reading Fightin Phils placed C Caleb Ricketts on the 7-day injured list retroactive to September 5, 2024.
	06/25/2024	Reading Fightin Phils activated C Caleb Ricketts from the 7-day injured list.
	06/13/2024	Reading Fightin Phils placed C Caleb Ricketts on the 7-day injured list.
	05/12/2024	Reading Fightin Phils activated C Caleb Ricketts from the 7-day injured list.
	05/05/2024	Reading Fightin Phils placed C Caleb Ricketts on the 7-day injured list.
	03/31/2024	C Caleb Ricketts assigned to Reading Fightin Phils from Jersey Shore BlueClaws.
	03/07/2024	Philadelphia Phillies Prospects activated C Caleb Ricketts.
	09/22/2023	Scottsdale Scorpions activated C Caleb Ricketts.
	08/05/2023	Jersey Shore BlueClaws activated C Caleb Ricketts.
	08/01/2023	Jersey Shore BlueClaws sent C Caleb Ricketts on a rehab assignment to Clearwater Threshers.
	07/27/2023	Jersey Shore BlueClaws sent C Caleb Ricketts on a rehab assignment to FCL Phillies.
	06/21/2023	Jersey Shore BlueClaws sent C Caleb Ricketts on a rehab assignment to Clearwater Threshers.
	06/21/2023	Jersey Shore BlueClaws sent C Caleb Ricketts on a rehab assignment to Clearwater Threshers.
	06/04/2023	Jersey Shore BlueClaws placed C Caleb Ricketts on the 7-day injured list.
	05/09/2023	C Caleb Ricketts assigned to Jersey Shore BlueClaws from Clearwater Threshers.
	03/17/2023	C Caleb Ricketts and assigned to Philadelphia Phillies.
	09/14/2022	C Caleb Ricketts assigned to Phillies Organization.
	08/02/2022	Clearwater Threshers activated C Caleb Ricketts.
	08/02/2022	C Caleb Ricketts assigned to Clearwater Threshers.
	07/25/2022	Philadelphia Phillies signed C Caleb Ricketts.
	07/05/2021	College Workout activated C Caleb Ricketts.
	07/05/2021	C Caleb Ricketts and assigned to College Workout.
	03/07/2019	C Caleb Ricketts assigned to San Diego Toreros.