Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 45 | Overall: 40

Caron has improved throughout his three seasons at Nebraska, going from sporadic playing time as a freshman to leading the Cornhuskers to their first-ever Big Ten Conference tournament championship this spring. He earned tourney MVP honors after setting a league record with six homers in six games. That performance raised his profile in a down year for college catchers and could catapult him into the first four rounds.

A right-handed hitter, Caron pounds the ball harder than most college players and has more power potential than most backstops. He's very strong and though he has a pull-heavy approach, his pop plays to all parts of the ballpark. He doesn't strike out excessively, but he can get aggressive and is susceptible to chasing non-fastballs out of the zone.

Caron's below-average speed makes him quicker than most catchers, and he moves well behind the plate. His receiving and framing skills need to improve, though he has made progress, and he does a good job blocking balls in the dirt. He has solid arm strength but lacks consistency with the accuracy of his throws.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

After playing sparingly as a freshman and putting up middling numbers as a sophomore at Nebraska, Caron took off as a junior, finishing with a .968 OPS and 16 homers, hitting six in six Big Ten Conference Tournament games to earn tourney MVP honors. That allowed him to become a bigger fish in a small sea of college catchers, landing in the fourth round of the 2024 Draft to the Mariners, who sent him to full-season Modesto for a brief pro debut.

As someone who was young for the Draft (just 20 as a college junior) and from a cold-weather region (he went to high school in Wisconsin before heading to Nebraska), Caron might have more ceiling that he can catch up to. There’s some rawness to his bat, with his rhythm and timing at the plate not great compared to other college juniors, though his swing works pretty well, and he has pretty decent pitch selection, though he can be prone to being over-aggressive and pull-happy. He’s physical and strong with a good amount of power to tap into and he swung the bat very well in helping Modesto win its second straight California League title.

Caron already has a strong arm, and there might be more than met the initial eye defensively as well. Nebraska’s coaches were very regimented in how they told their catchers to set up and receive depending on the count. A decent athlete who runs well for a backstop, Caron could take a step forward in his overall receiving when given the reins to his own protocol behind the dish. If it all clicks, he could develop into a power-hitting regular in the big leagues.

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 45 | Overall: 40

Caron improved throughout his three seasons at Nebraska, going from sporadic playing time as a freshman to leading the Cornhuskers to their first-ever Big Ten Conference tournament championship this spring. He earned tourney MVP honors after setting a league record with six homers in six games. That performance raised his profile in a down year for college catchers and catapulted him into the fourth round, and the Mariners selected him and signed him for a full slot bonus of $594,000.

A right-handed hitter, Caron pounds the ball harder than most college players and has more power potential than most backstops. He's very strong, and though he has a pull-heavy approach, his pop plays to all parts of the ballpark. He doesn't strike out excessively, but he can get aggressive and is susceptible to chasing non-fastballs out of the zone.

Caron's below-average speed still makes him quicker than most catchers, and he moves well behind the plate. His receiving and framing skills need to improve, though he has made progress, and he does a good job blocking balls in the dirt. He has solid arm strength but lacks consistency with the accuracy of his throws.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	04/01/2025	C Josh Caron assigned to Everett AquaSox from Modesto Nuts.
	03/06/2025	activated C Josh Caron.
	01/30/2025	Seattle Mariners invited non-roster C Josh Caron to spring training.
	08/13/2024	C Josh Caron assigned to Modesto Nuts from ACL Mariners.
	08/05/2024	C Josh Caron assigned to ACL Mariners.
	07/19/2024	Seattle Mariners signed C Josh Caron.
	06/16/2024	College Workout activated C Josh Caron.
	02/12/2024	3B Josh Caron assigned to Nebraska Cornhuskers.
	02/20/2022	3B Josh Caron and assigned to Nebraska Cornhuskers.