Scouting Report

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Arm: 45 | Field: 50 | Overall: 60

One of the best high school catchers in the 2020 Draft, Parada could have gone in the second or third round if he hadn't been set on attending Georgia Tech. After a strong freshman season and summer with the U.S. collegiate national team, he's expected to be the first backstop selected in 2022. His defense drew some mixed reviews during his college debut but his bat earned praise throughout and he set a school record with 26 homers this spring. 

Parada doesn't try to do too much at the plate, keeping his right-handed swing under control and lashing line drives all over the park. He has good feel for the barrel, makes repeated hard contact against all types of pitching and he's showing increased power to all fields this year. He projects as a potential .280-.300 hitter with 20-25 homers per season who could fit into the middle of a big league batting order. 

Parada runs well for a catcher but isn't the most agile or physical behind the plate, and he wore down over the course of last spring and summer with Georgia Tech and Team USA. He has looked better as a sophomore and scouts credit him for working diligently on his defense. He earns average to solid grades for his receiving and needs to improve his fringy arm strength and his throwing accuracy after erasing just 12 percent of basestealers as a freshman. 

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

Parada attended Catcher U at Georgia Tech and was an immediate contributor for the Yellow Jackets, producing a .929 OPS as a freshman in 2021. He set a school record with 26 homers as a Draft-eligible sophomore and slashed .361/.453/.709 over 60 games, pushing him into easy first-round territory. The Mets used the first of their two Top 14 picks on Parada with hopes he could be a quick mover in their system. Parada did reach Double-A by the end of his first full season but finished with a .248/.324/.428 slash line and 14 homers over 105 games. A right ankle injury limited him somewhat, and he made up for the lost time with 18 games in the Arizona Fall League, where he put up a .611 OPS. 

The plus power potential is still there for the right-handed slugger, especially to the pull side, which was beneficial when he wasn’t aiming for the Coney Island beach in Brooklyn. His exit velocities are still promising, and batting from a relaxed stance with a decent leg kick, he’s able to elevate well on contact. But he exhibited above-average swing-and-miss rates against fastballs and breaking stuff on pitches in and close to the zone, and that will only become more worrisome the higher he climbs against sharper stuff. 

Parada displayed below-average arm strength in college and professional baserunners ran rampant against him, swiping 115 bags – the 10th-most against any catcher in the Minors – despite getting only 59 starts behind the dish. His framing also remains a focus, though the Mets are happy with how much work he’s putting in, and they haven't made any moves toward another position. Parada’s value still comes at the plate, not behind it, as he tries to refind his Tech form in the pros. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 55

Parada could have been a fairly high pick in the 2020 Draft but was insistent upon going to Georgia Tech, the alma mater of backstops Jason Varitek, Matt Wieters and Joey Bart. The right-handed slugger took to the college game quickly with a .929 OPS as a freshman and then took off with a .361/.453/.709 line and school-record 26 homers as a Draft-eligible sophomore. Ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 Draft prospect, Parada went at No. 11 to the Mets and translated instantly to the pro game with a .455 OBP and 13/12 K/BB ratio in 13 games, mostly at Single-A St. Lucie, where he won a league title.

Part of Parada’s pre-swing setup includes a bat wiggle and a decent leg kick, but he has few issues covering the zone, making contact and driving the ball to all fields. His exit velocity topped out at 105.5 mph in his brief FSL stay, but there should be more in the tank over a larger sample as he settles into pro ball. Repeating 20-plus homers isn’t likely to be an issue by the time he reaches the Majors, and his ability to marry average and power will drive his place toward the middle of most lineups.

Defense has long been a primary focus for Parada, and that’s notable considering he looked like he was wearing down with additional playing time at Georgia Tech and with Team USA in 2021. His caught-stealing rate gradually improved from his freshman to sophomore years, but his general arm strength still checks in at below-average. While the Mets are pleased with his growth in 2023, he remains a work-in-progress behind the plate. No matter, Parada’s potential with the bat is so good that he profiles as a potential bat-first everyday catcher.

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Arm: 45 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

One of the best high school catchers in the 2020 Draft, Parada could have gone in the second or third round if he hadn't been set on attending Georgia Tech. His defense drew some mixed reviews during his college debut, but his bat earned praise throughout and he set a school record with 26 homers this spring. The Mets took notice and were elated when Parada fell into their laps with the 11th overall pick, and New York signed the backstop to a $5,019,735 bonus.

Parada doesn't try to do too much at the plate, keeping his right-handed swing under control and lashing line drives all over the park. He has good feel for the barrel, makes repeated hard contact against all types of pitching and he's showing increased power to all fields this year. He projects as a potential .280-.300 hitter with 20-25 homers per season who could fit into the middle of a big league batting order. 

Parada runs well for a catcher but isn't the most agile or physical behind the plate, and he wore down over the course of last spring and summer with Georgia Tech and Team USA. He looked better as a sophomore, and scouts credit him for working diligently on his defense. He earns average-to-solid grades for his receiving and needs to improve his fringy arm strength and his throwing accuracy after erasing just 12 percent of basestealers as a freshman.

Video scouting report »

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

While Parada has been a known quantity for a while -- he was the MVP of the Perfect Game WWBA World Championships in 2018 -- he really jumped on the prospect map with a very strong summer showcase performance in 2019, standing out in Major League Baseball's PDP League and playing in PG's All-American Classic.

Parada has the chance to be a solid all-around backstop when all is said and done. He has the potential to hit for both average and power. He shows more pull power now, but should have the ability to drive the ball to all fields. He's a hitter first right now who is content to go the other way and who doesn't strike out a lot, but there's plenty of strength for him to tap into. He's pretty athletic and runs well for a catcher. Behind the plate, he has an above-average arm that's accurate, but his other defensive skills are just adequate. There's some stiffness, but he should be good enough to stay behind the dish long term.

He has shown the ability to play other positions should catching not work out and his athleticism should allow him to handle another spot if a team wanted to let his bat play. Any team wanting to draft and sign him away from his commitment to Georgia Tech would likely send him out as a catcher and let him develop as an offensive-minded backstop.

Awards

AFL Rising Stars

Year	Team
2023

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	06/15/2024	Binghamton Rumble Ponies activated C Kevin Parada from the 7-day injured list.
	06/08/2024	Binghamton Rumble Ponies placed C Kevin Parada on the 7-day injured list retroactive to June 7, 2024.
	03/07/2024	New York Mets Prospects activated C Kevin Parada.
	02/01/2024	New York Mets invited non-roster C Kevin Parada to spring training.
	11/03/2023	C Kevin Parada assigned to National League Fall Stars.
	11/03/2023	National League Fall Stars activated C Kevin Parada.
	09/22/2023	Glendale Desert Dogs activated C Kevin Parada.
	08/29/2023	C Kevin Parada assigned to Binghamton Rumble Ponies from Brooklyn Cyclones.
	08/21/2023	Brooklyn Cyclones activated C Kevin Parada from the 7-day injured list.
	08/16/2023	Brooklyn Cyclones sent C Kevin Parada on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets.
	08/16/2023	Brooklyn Cyclones sent C Kevin Parada on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets.
	07/28/2023	Brooklyn Cyclones placed C Kevin Parada on the 7-day injured list.
	04/03/2023	C Kevin Parada assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.
	04/03/2023	Brooklyn Cyclones activated C Kevin Parada.
	04/03/2023	Brooklyn Cyclones activated C Kevin Parada.
	02/03/2023	C Kevin Parada roster status changed by New York Mets.
	02/03/2023	New York Mets invited non-roster C Kevin Parada to spring training.
	08/25/2022	C Kevin Parada assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.
	08/12/2022	C Kevin Parada assigned to FCL Mets.
	07/30/2022	New York Mets signed C Kevin Parada.
	06/11/2022	C Kevin Parada assigned to College Workout.
	05/24/2022	C Kevin Parada assigned to Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
	08/08/2019	C Kevin Parada assigned to PG West.
	08/08/2019	C Kevin Parada assigned to PG West.