Diego Cartaya

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #8 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: A star on Venezuela’s junior national teams, Cartaya emerged as arguably the top prospect in the 2018 international class and signed with the Dodgers for $2.5 million. He played just 80 games combined his first three years due to the coronavirus pandemic and a pair of back injuries, but he stayed healthy in 2022 and hit 22 home runs with an .892 OPS to win the Dodgers’ minor league player of the year award. Cartaya rose to Double-A Tulsa in 2023 and ably handled a high-octane Drillers pitching staff, but his offense cratered. He hit .189 with a .657 OPS, the lowest batting average and fourth-lowest OPS in the Texas League, and was transferred to the development list for the final month of the season.
  
  Scouting Report: Cartaya is a physical righthanded hitter with explosive power. He makes thunderous contact when he connects and sends long home runs out from left field to right-center. Cartaya previously had a short, compact swing, but as his body has matured and changed, his swing has gotten overly long. He struggles to catch up to velocity with his swing length and has lost his plate discipline as his struggles have compounded, frequently chasing sliders low and away. The Dodgers have worked with Cartaya on shortening his swing but have yet to see results. While Cartaya’s offense has declined, his defense has improved. He has strong hands and has improved his receiving and blocking technique enough to project to be an average defender. He’s just a fair athlete but makes up for it with meticulous preparation. He’s a smart game-caller who is bilingual and works hard for his pitchers.
  
  The Future: Cartaya has to shorten his swing to fulfill his potential as an everyday, power-hitting catcher. That will be his primary goal in 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 30 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #1 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 65/High
  
  Track Record: Cartaya played for Venezuela in international tournaments from the time he was 10 years old and progressively emerged as the country's best player in his class. The Dodgers made him their top target during the 2018-19 international period and signed him for $2.5 million. Cartaya played just 80 games in his first three years after signing due to the canceled 2020 minor league season and an assortment of injuries, including a pair of back flareups and a hamstring strain. He made staying on the field a top priority in 2022 and played a career-high 95 games as he rose from Low-A to High-A. He finished in the top 10 in the Dodgers' system in doubles (22), home runs (22) and OPS (.892), earned a selection to the Futures Game at Dodger Stadium and was named the Dodgers' minor league player of the year.
  
  Scouting Report: A large, physical masher at 6-foot-3, 219 pounds, Cartaya has grown into plus-plus power and has become one baseball's most promising young power hitters. He demolishes baseballs from left-center to right-center field with a fast, powerful swing and drives balls over the wall even when he mishits them. He crushes both high-end velocity and good breaking stuff and has a knack for playing up to his competition, including when he homered off Padres lefthander Blake Snell during a rehab start last May. Cartaya's swing gets a tad long at times, leading to bouts of strikeouts, but he has the instincts and awareness to self-correct and make adjustments. Cartaya recognizes pitches, stays in the strike zone and draws plenty of walks to post high on-base percentages on top of his power. He projects to be an average hitter with plus-plus power and still has room to improve as he becomes more consistent with his swing mechanics. Cartaya's defense has further to go. Once considered a potential plus defender, he has gotten tighter in his hips and upper body and he's gotten bigger and lost quickness and mobility. He has yet to find an optimal setup with his new physique and receives pitches too deeply, resulting in drops and framing issues at the top of the zone. He is frequently late on blocks and allowed 93 wild pitches and 11 passed balls in just 64 games in 2022. The Dodgers ascribe Cartaya's struggles to rust at the beginning of the year and fatigue at the end of it, but his setup, receiving technique and blocking all need significant improvement for him to be an average defender. Cartaya does have the intangible components for catching. He is an advanced game-caller who communicates well with his pitchers and is bilingual. He has above-average arm strength that plays up with a quick release.
  
  The Future: With Will Smith entrenched as the Dodgers' catcher, Cartaya has time to improve his defense without being rushed. He projects to be a middle-of-the-order force in the Dodgers' lineup no matter his ultimate position.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 70. Speed: 30. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #1 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Cartaya represented Venezuela at international tournaments from the time he was 10 years old and emerged early as the country’s top player in his class. He maintained that status through his teenage years and signed with the Dodgers for $2.5 million on the first day of the 2018-19 international signing period. Cartaya immediately impressed in the Rookie-level Arizona League in his pro debut and was the youngest player the Dodgers invited to their alternate training site in 2020, where he understandably struggled against older competition. A back muscle flareup delayed his full-season debut in 2021, but he reported to Low-A Rancho Cucamonga in late May and became an instant star. He hit 10 home runs in 31 games while showing uncommon poise and maturity defensively behind the plate before his season was cut short by injuries. He went on the injured list with a strained hamstring in July and re-injured his back in August while he was rehabbing. The Dodgers shut him down for the year.
  
  Scouting Report: Though only 20 years old, Cartaya is a big, physical masher who is a force at the plate. He is an extraordinarily mature hitter who expertly manages the strike zone, recognizes pitches out of the hand and makes ear-ringing contact with controlled, powerful swings. His efficient swing and natural strength create booming, all-fields power with remarkable ease, and he stays through the big part of the field in his approach to hit towering drives from left-center to right-center. Cartaya turns around premium velocity, stays on breaking balls, covers the entire plate and rarely chases out of the strike zone, giving pitchers little recourse to avoid damage. He struggles at times with changeups and pitches fading down and away from him, but he still projects to be an above-average hitter with plus power, if not more. Cartaya is a good athlete who is impressively limber for his size behind the plate. He presents a good target for his pitchers, frames well at the bottom of the strike zone and controls the run game with his plus-plus arm strength. He still needs to improve his framing at the top of the strike zone and his game-calling, but he has all the tools to be a plus defender. He will have to watch his size to maintain his athleticism and mobility in blocking as he gets older. Unable to return home to Venezuela during the coronavirus pandemic, Cartaya lived with Dodgers Triple-A manager Travis Barbary in South Carolina during the 2020 shutdown and rapidly learned English. He is an exceptionally hard worker who expertly retains scouting report information and invests deeply in his relationships with pitchers. He is a natural-born leader who remains poised in adverse situations and is comfortable communicating in both English and Spanish.
  
  The Future: Cartaya’s repeated back injuries are concerning, but if he can stay healthy, he has the talent to be a franchise catcher who hits in the middle of a lineup and contends for Gold Glove awards. He is expected to be ready for the start of spring training and will likely spend most of the 2022 season at High-A Great Lakes.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #6 prospect in 2021
  Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Running: 30. Fielding: 60. Arm: 60.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Cartaya was Venezuela’s top player in the 2018 international signing class and signed with the Dodgers for $2.5 million on July 2. He quickly jumped from the Dominican Summer League to the Rookie-level Arizona League in his pro debut and starred in the AZL as a 17-year-old. One of the youngest players added to a 60-man player pool in 2020, he spent the summer at the alternate training site.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cartaya is highly advanced for his age on both sides of the ball. He shows soft hands in receiving, sets a good target, expertly frames low pitches and has impressive flexibility for his size. Cartaya has plus raw arm strength and has improved at syncing his footwork to get his best throws off more consistently. He still needs refinement but has a chance to be a plus defender with a plus arm. Cartaya has an advanced approach at the plate and projects to hit for average with his short, quick swing and sound bat path. His natural strength and long levers give him power potential, but his swing is primarily geared to shoot the ball the other way.
  
  THE FUTURE: Cartaya has the potential to be a standout, but he’s still a teenager who is many years away. He’ll make his full-season debut in 2021.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #7 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Cartaya starred for Venezuela's junior national teams growing up and was regarded as the country's best prospect in the 2018 international signing class. The Dodgers established a relationship with him early and signed him for $2.5 million. Cartaya began 2019 in the Dominican Summer League but proved so advanced the Dodgers moved him stateside after just 13 games to the Rookie-level Arizona League, where he excelled as a 17-year-old.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cartaya is a highly advanced player on both sides of the ball. He has a short, quick swing with a sound bat path, drives the ball with an up-the-middle approach and makes adjustments to get to his power. He has strong hands and plenty of bat speed and should hit for both average and power as he matures. Cartaya presents a big target behind the plate and is flexible for his size. He's an above-average receiver with an above-average to plus arm, and some scouts think he's already a present major league-caliber defender. He has a strong, durable frame and a high baseball IQ, which he shows off with smart decisions on the basepaths.
  
  THE FUTURE: Cartaya has the Dodgers dreaming of an above-average hitter and plus defender behind the plate. He'll be only 18 next season but has a chance to move quickly.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #11 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Cartaya ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the 2018 international class after a decorated amateur career, headlined by representing Venezuela at international tournaments since he was 10.The Dodgers locked onto Cartaya early and signed him for $2.5 million on the first day of the signing period.
  
  Scouting Report: The 17-year-old Cartaya is beyond his years in terms of his baseball IQ and feel for the game. He is a polished hitter with a short, quick swing that drives the ball to all fields and has a sharp understanding of the strike zone. He recognizes pitches, rarely chases and overall has the traits of a potential plus hitter with a high on-base percentage. His power is mostly to the gaps now, but he could grow into average home run pop with physical maturity. Defensively, Cartaya is a smooth, athletic receiver with a plus arm and quick exchange, and he shows solid flexibility and agility in blocking balls.
  
  The Future: Cartaya shows all the promising traits of a well-rounded catcher, but the journey for teenage catchers is long and rife with potential pratfalls. He'll get his first taste of pro ball in 2018.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked California League #5 prospect in 2021
  Cartaya played less than two months in the league but made a loud impression in that short time. He had 10 home runs and 31 RBIs in 31 games and consistently made some of the hardest contact of any player. Lauded for his maturity, Cartaya showed advanced pitch recognition and plate discipline to go with booming, all-fields power. He crushed righties (1.022 OPS) as well as lefties (1.077 OPS) and had a hit in all but nine games. “The bat was real,” Lake Elsinore manager Mike McCoy said. “He killed us a couple times offensively.” Cartaya presented a good target for pitchers, framed well at the bottom of the strike zone and drew raves for his game-planning and leadership behind the plate. The only concern was his health. Cartaya missed the start of the season with a back injury, suffered a hamstring injury in July and was shut down in early August after his back issues flared up again.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Complex League #5 prospect in 2019
  Cartaya is the rare 17-year-old catcher with advanced defensive skills. He made it to the Arizona League after a short stint in the Dominican Summer League. The jewel of the Dodgers’ 2018 international class, Cartaya presents a good target for pitchers and receives well behind the plate, and his plus arm consistently turned in pop times quicker than two seconds. He threw out 24 percent of basestealers and wasn’t shy about trying to pick off runners who strayed too far off second base. Cartaya projects to be at least an average hitter with barrel awareness and plus raw power. He showed the ability to make adjustments at the plate, allowing him to get to his power. Despite having below-average speed, Cartaya is an instinctual runner who moves well on the bases.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #18 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #23 prospect in 2022
• Ranked Baseball America's #97 prospect in 2020

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 65/High
  
  Track Record: Cartaya played for Venezuela in international tournaments from the time he was 10 years old and progressively emerged as the country's best player in his class. The Dodgers made him their top target during the 2018-19 international period and signed him for $2.5 million. Cartaya played just 80 games in his first three years after signing due to the canceled 2020 minor league season and an assortment of injuries, including a pair of back flareups and a hamstring strain. He made staying on the field a top priority in 2022 and played a career-high 95 games as he rose from Low-A to High-A. He finished in the top 10 in the Dodgers' system in doubles (22), home runs (22) and OPS (.892), earned a selection to the Futures Game at Dodger Stadium and was named the Dodgers' minor league player of the year.
  
  Scouting Report: A large, physical masher at 6-foot-3, 219 pounds, Cartaya has grown into plus-plus power and has become one baseball's most promising young power hitters. He demolishes baseballs from left-center to right-center field with a fast, powerful swing and drives balls over the wall even when he mishits them. He crushes both high-end velocity and good breaking stuff and has a knack for playing up to his competition, including when he homered off Padres lefthander Blake Snell during a rehab start last May. Cartaya's swing gets a tad long at times, leading to bouts of strikeouts, but he has the instincts and awareness to self-correct and make adjustments. Cartaya recognizes pitches, stays in the strike zone and draws plenty of walks to post high on-base percentages on top of his power. He projects to be an average hitter with plus-plus power and still has room to improve as he becomes more consistent with his swing mechanics. Cartaya's defense has further to go. Once considered a potential plus defender, he has gotten tighter in his hips and upper body and he's gotten bigger and lost quickness and mobility. He has yet to find an optimal setup with his new physique and receives pitches too deeply, resulting in drops and framing issues at the top of the zone. He is frequently late on blocks and allowed 93 wild pitches and 11 passed balls in just 64 games in 2022. The Dodgers ascribe Cartaya's struggles to rust at the beginning of the year and fatigue at the end of it, but his setup, receiving technique and blocking all need significant improvement for him to be an average defender. Cartaya does have the intangible components for catching. He is an advanced game-caller who communicates well with his pitchers and is bilingual. He has above-average arm strength that plays up with a quick release.
  
  The Future: With Will Smith entrenched as the Dodgers' catcher, Cartaya has time to improve his defense without being rushed. He projects to be a middle-of-the-order force in the Dodgers' lineup no matter his ultimate position.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 70. Speed: 30. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 65/High
  
  Track Record: Cartaya played for Venezuela in international tournaments from the time he was 10 years old and progressively emerged as the country's best player in his class. The Dodgers made him their top target during the 2018-19 international period and signed him for $2.5 million. Cartaya played just 80 games in his first three years after signing due to the canceled 2020 minor league season and an assortment of injuries, including a pair of back flareups and a hamstring strain. He made staying on the field a top priority in 2022 and played a career-high 95 games as he rose from Low-A to High-A. He finished in the top 10 in the Dodgers' system in doubles (22), home runs (22) and OPS (.892), earned a selection to the Futures Game at Dodger Stadium and was named the Dodgers' minor league player of the year.
  
  Scouting Report: A large, physical masher at 6-foot-3, 219 pounds, Cartaya has grown into plus-plus power and has become one baseball's most promising young power hitters. He demolishes baseballs from left-center to right-center field with a fast, powerful swing and drives balls over the wall even when he mishits them. He crushes both high-end velocity and good breaking stuff and has a knack for playing up to his competition, including when he homered off Padres lefthander Blake Snell during a rehab start last May. Cartaya's swing gets a tad long at times, leading to bouts of strikeouts, but he has the instincts and awareness to self-correct and make adjustments. Cartaya recognizes pitches, stays in the strike zone and draws plenty of walks to post high on-base percentages on top of his power. He projects to be an average hitter with plus-plus power and still has room to improve as he becomes more consistent with his swing mechanics. Cartaya's defense has further to go. Once considered a potential plus defender, he has gotten tighter in his hips and upper body and he's gotten bigger and lost quickness and mobility. He has yet to find an optimal setup with his new physique and receives pitches too deeply, resulting in drops and framing issues at the top of the zone. He is frequently late on blocks and allowed 93 wild pitches and 11 passed balls in just 64 games in 2022. The Dodgers ascribe Cartaya's struggles to rust at the beginning of the year and fatigue at the end of it, but his setup, receiving technique and blocking all need significant improvement for him to be an average defender. Cartaya does have the intangible components for catching. He is an advanced game-caller who communicates well with his pitchers and is bilingual. He has above-average arm strength that plays up with a quick release.
  
  The Future: With Will Smith entrenched as the Dodgers' catcher, Cartaya has time to improve his defense without being rushed. He projects to be a middle-of-the-order force in the Dodgers' lineup no matter his ultimate position.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 70. Speed: 30. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 65/High
  
  Track Record: Cartaya represented Venezuela at international tournaments from the time he was 10 years old and emerged early as the country&#39s top player in his class. He maintained that status through his teenage years and signed with the Dodgers for $2.5 million on the first day of the 2018-19 international signing period. Cartaya immediately impressed in the Rookie-level Arizona League in his pro debut and was the youngest player the Dodgers invited to their alternate training site in 2020, where he understandably struggled against older competition. A back muscle flareup delayed his full-season debut in 2021, but he reported to Low-A Rancho Cucamonga in late May and became an instant star. He hit 10 home runs in 31 games while showing uncommon poise and maturity defensively behind the plate before his season was cut short by injuries. He went on the injured list with a strained hamstring in July and re-injured his back in August while he was rehabbing. The Dodgers shut him down for the year.
  
  Scouting Report: Though only 20 years old, Cartaya is a big, physical masher who is a force at the plate. He is an extraordinarily mature hitter who expertly manages the strike zone, recognizes pitches out of the hand and makes ear-ringing contact with controlled, powerful swings. His efficient swing and natural strength create booming, all-fields power with remarkable ease, and he stays through the big part of the field in his approach to hit towering drives from left-center to right-center. Cartaya turns around premium velocity, stays on breaking balls, covers the entire plate and rarely chases out of the strike zone, giving pitchers little recourse to avoid damage. He struggles at times with changeups and pitches fading down and away from him, but he still projects to be an above-average hitter with plus power, if not more. Cartaya is a good athlete who is impressively limber for his size behind the plate. He presents a good target for his pitchers, frames well at the bottom of the strike zone and controls the run game with his plus-plus arm strength. He still needs to improve his framing at the top of the strike zone and his game-calling, but he has all the tools to be a plus defender. He will have to watch his size to maintain his athleticism and mobility in blocking as he gets older. Unable to return home to Venezuela during the coronavirus pandemic, Cartaya lived with Dodgers Triple-A manager Travis Barbary in South Carolina during the 2020 shutdown and rapidly learned English. He is an exceptionally hard worker who expertly retains scouting report information and invests deeply in his relationships with pitchers. He is a natural-born leader who remains poised in adverse situations and is comfortable communicating in both English and Spanish.
  
  The Future: Cartaya&#39s repeated back injuries are concerning, but if he can stay healthy, he has the talent to be a franchise catcher who hits in the middle of a lineup and contends for Gold Glove awards. He is expected to be ready for the start of spring training and will likely spend most of the 2022 season at High-A Great Lakes.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 60. Speed: 30. Fielding: 60. Arm: 70.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Cartaya represented Venezuela at international tournaments from the time he was 10 years old and emerged early as the country’s top player in his class. He maintained that status through his teenage years and signed with the Dodgers for $2.5 million on the first day of the 2018-19 international signing period. Cartaya immediately impressed in the Rookie-level Arizona League in his pro debut and was the youngest player the Dodgers invited to their alternate training site in 2020, where he understandably struggled against older competition. A back muscle flareup delayed his full-season debut in 2021, but he reported to Low-A Rancho Cucamonga in late May and became an instant star. He hit 10 home runs in 31 games while showing uncommon poise and maturity defensively behind the plate before his season was cut short by injuries. He went on the injured list with a strained hamstring in July and re-injured his back in August while he was rehabbing. The Dodgers shut him down for the year.
  
  Scouting Report: Though only 20 years old, Cartaya is a big, physical masher who is a force at the plate. He is an extraordinarily mature hitter who expertly manages the strike zone, recognizes pitches out of the hand and makes ear-ringing contact with controlled, powerful swings. His efficient swing and natural strength create booming, all-fields power with remarkable ease, and he stays through the big part of the field in his approach to hit towering drives from left-center to right-center. Cartaya turns around premium velocity, stays on breaking balls, covers the entire plate and rarely chases out of the strike zone, giving pitchers little recourse to avoid damage. He struggles at times with changeups and pitches fading down and away from him, but he still projects to be an above-average hitter with plus power, if not more. Cartaya is a good athlete who is impressively limber for his size behind the plate. He presents a good target for his pitchers, frames well at the bottom of the strike zone and controls the run game with his plus-plus arm strength. He still needs to improve his framing at the top of the strike zone and his game-calling, but he has all the tools to be a plus defender. He will have to watch his size to maintain his athleticism and mobility in blocking as he gets older. Unable to return home to Venezuela during the coronavirus pandemic, Cartaya lived with Dodgers Triple-A manager Travis Barbary in South Carolina during the 2020 shutdown and rapidly learned English. He is an exceptionally hard worker who expertly retains scouting report information and invests deeply in his relationships with pitchers. He is a natural-born leader who remains poised in adverse situations and is comfortable communicating in both English and Spanish.
  
  The Future: Cartaya’s repeated back injuries are concerning, but if he can stay healthy, he has the talent to be a franchise catcher who hits in the middle of a lineup and contends for Gold Glove awards. He is expected to be ready for the start of spring training and will likely spend most of the 2022 season at High-A Great Lakes.
• October, 2021 Scouting Report
  Cartaya played less than two months in the league but made a loud impression in that short time. He had 10 home runs and 31 RBIs in 31 games and consistently made some of the hardest contact of any player. Lauded for his maturity, Cartaya showed advanced pitch recognition and plate discipline to go with booming, all-fields power. He crushed righties (1.022 OPS) as well as lefties (1.077 OPS) and had a hit in all but nine games. “The bat was real,” Lake Elsinore manager Mike McCoy said. “He killed us a couple times offensively.” Cartaya presented a good target for pitchers, framed well at the bottom of the strike zone and drew raves for his game-planning and leadership behind the plate. The only concern was his health. Cartaya missed the start of the season with a back injury, suffered a hamstring injury in July and was shut down in early August after his back issues flared up again.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Running: 30. Fielding: 60. Arm: 60.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Cartaya was Venezuela's top player in the 2018 international signing class and signed with the Dodgers for $2.5 million on July 2. He quickly jumped from the Dominican Summer League to the Rookie-level Arizona League in his pro debut and starred in the AZL as a 17-year-old. One of the youngest players added to a 60-man player pool in 2020, he spent the summer at the alternate training site.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cartaya is highly advanced for his age on both sides of the ball. He shows soft hands in receiving, sets a good target, expertly frames low pitches and has impressive flexibility for his size. Cartaya has plus raw arm strength and has improved at syncing his footwork to get his best throws off more consistently. He still needs refinement but has a chance to be a plus defender with a plus arm. Cartaya has an advanced approach at the plate and projects to hit for average with his short, quick swing and sound bat path. His natural strength and long levers give him power potential, but his swing is primarily geared to shoot the ball the other way.
  
  THE FUTURE: Cartaya has the potential to be a standout, but he's still a teenager who is many years away. He'll make his full-season debut in 2021.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Running: 30. Fielding: 60. Arm: 60.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Cartaya was Venezuela’s top player in the 2018 international signing class and signed with the Dodgers for $2.5 million on July 2. He quickly jumped from the Dominican Summer League to the Rookie-level Arizona League in his pro debut and starred in the AZL as a 17-year-old. One of the youngest players added to a 60-man player pool in 2020, he spent the summer at the alternate training site.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cartaya is highly advanced for his age on both sides of the ball. He shows soft hands in receiving, sets a good target, expertly frames low pitches and has impressive flexibility for his size. Cartaya has plus raw arm strength and has improved at syncing his footwork to get his best throws off more consistently. He still needs refinement but has a chance to be a plus defender with a plus arm. Cartaya has an advanced approach at the plate and projects to hit for average with his short, quick swing and sound bat path. His natural strength and long levers give him power potential, but his swing is primarily geared to shoot the ball the other way.
  
  THE FUTURE: Cartaya has the potential to be a standout, but he’s still a teenager who is many years away. He’ll make his full-season debut in 2021.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Running: 30. Fielding: 60. Arm: 60.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Cartaya was Venezuela’s top player in the 2018 international signing class and signed with the Dodgers for $2.5 million on July 2. He quickly jumped from the Dominican Summer League to the Rookie-level Arizona League in his pro debut and starred in the AZL as a 17-year-old. One of the youngest players added to a 60-man player pool in 2020, he spent the summer at the alternate training site.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cartaya is highly advanced for his age on both sides of the ball. He shows soft hands in receiving, sets a good target, expertly frames low pitches and has impressive flexibility for his size. Cartaya has plus raw arm strength and has improved at syncing his footwork to get his best throws off more consistently. He still needs refinement but has a chance to be a plus defender with a plus arm. Cartaya has an advanced approach at the plate and projects to hit for average with his short, quick swing and sound bat path. His natural strength and long levers give him power potential, but his swing is primarily geared to shoot the ball the other way.
  
  THE FUTURE: Cartaya has the potential to be a standout, but he’s still a teenager who is many years away. He’ll make his full-season debut in 2021.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Cartaya starred for Venezuela’s junior national teams growing up and was regarded as the country’s best prospect in the 2018 international signing class. The Dodgers established a relationship with him early and signed him for $2.5 million. Cartaya began 2019 in the Dominican Summer League but proved so advanced the Dodgers moved him stateside after just 13 games to the Rookie-level Arizona League, where he excelled as a 17-year-old.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cartaya is a highly advanced player on both sides of the ball. He has a short, quick swing with a sound bat path, drives the ball with an up-the-middle approach and makes adjustments to get to his power. He has strong hands and plenty of bat speed and should hit for both average and power as he matures. Cartaya presents a big target behind the plate and is flexible for his size. He’s an above-average receiver with an above-average to plus arm, and some scouts think he’s already a present major league-caliber defender. He has a strong, durable frame and a high baseball IQ, which he shows off with smart decisions on the basepaths.
  
  THE FUTURE: Cartaya has the Dodgers dreaming of an above-average hitter and plus defender behind the plate. He’ll be only 18 next season but has a chance to move quickly.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Cartaya starred for Venezuela's junior national teams growing up and was regarded as the country's best prospect in the 2018 international signing class. The Dodgers established a relationship with him early and signed him for $2.5 million. Cartaya began 2019 in the Dominican Summer League but proved so advanced the Dodgers moved him stateside after just 13 games to the Rookie-level Arizona League, where he excelled as a 17-year-old.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Cartaya is a highly advanced player on both sides of the ball. He has a short, quick swing with a sound bat path, drives the ball with an up-the-middle approach and makes adjustments to get to his power. He has strong hands and plenty of bat speed and should hit for both average and power as he matures. Cartaya presents a big target behind the plate and is flexible for his size. He's an above-average receiver with an above-average to plus arm, and some scouts think he's already a present major league-caliber defender. He has a strong, durable frame and a high baseball IQ, which he shows off with smart decisions on the basepaths.
  
  THE FUTURE: Cartaya has the Dodgers dreaming of an above-average hitter and plus defender behind the plate. He'll be only 18 next season but has a chance to move quickly.
• August, 2019 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Cartaya ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the 2018 international class after a decorated amateur career, headlined by representing Venezuela at international tournaments since he was 10.The Dodgers locked onto Cartaya early and signed him for $2.5 million on the first day of the signing period.
  
  Scouting Report: The 17-year-old Cartaya is beyond his years in terms of his baseball IQ and feel for the game. He is a polished hitter with a short, quick swing that drives the ball to all fields and has a sharp understanding of the strike zone. He recognizes pitches, rarely chases and overall has the traits of a potential plus hitter with a high on-base percentage. His power is mostly to the gaps now, but he could grow into average home run pop with physical maturity. Defensively, Cartaya is a smooth, athletic receiver with a plus arm and quick exchange, and he shows solid flexibility and agility in blocking balls.
  
  The Future: Cartaya shows all the promising traits of a well-rounded catcher, but the journey for teenage catchers is long and rife with potential pratfalls. He'll get his first taste of pro ball in 2018.
• February, 2019 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Cartaya ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the 2018 international class after a decorated amateur career, headlined by representing Venezuela at international tournaments since he was 10.The Dodgers locked onto Cartaya early and signed him for $2.5 million on the first day of the signing period.
  
  Scouting Report: The 17-year-old Cartaya is beyond his years in terms of his baseball IQ and feel for the game. He is a polished hitter with a short, quick swing that drives the ball to all fields and has a sharp understanding of the strike zone. He recognizes pitches, rarely chases and overall has the traits of a potential plus hitter with a high on-base percentage. His power is mostly to the gaps now, but he could grow into average home run pop with physical maturity. Defensively, Cartaya is a smooth, athletic receiver with a plus arm and quick exchange, and he shows solid flexibility and agility in blocking balls.
  
  The Future: Cartaya shows all the promising traits of a well-rounded catcher, but the journey for teenage catchers is long and rife with potential pratfalls. He'll get his first taste of pro ball in 2018.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Cartaya is the rare 17-year-old catcher with advanced defensive skills. He made it to the Arizona League after a short stint in the Dominican Summer League. The jewel of the Dodgers’ 2018 international class, Cartaya presents a good target for pitchers and receives well behind the plate, and his plus arm consistently turned in pop times quicker than two seconds. He threw out 24 percent of basestealers and wasn’t shy about trying to pick off runners who strayed too far off second base. Cartaya projects to be at least an average hitter with barrel awareness and plus raw power. He showed the ability to make adjustments at the plate, allowing him to get to his power. Despite having below-average speed, Cartaya is an instinctual runner who moves well on the bases.