Devin Mesoraco has been off the DL all of six games and has already hit three home runs. He also has three doubles, going 8 for 17 overall.
Boy, Dusty Baker really blew it on that one, didn't he?
I say that because I feel like we should already be well acquainted with this version of Mesoraco. He was the big catcher prospect two years ago, ranking 16th among all prospects according to Baseball America, but Baker chose to leave him on the bench, preferring Ryan Hanigan's defense.
But Baker is gone now. So is Hanigan, for that matter, which means Mesoraco finally has a chance to apply his potential. And the early returns are breathtaking.
It's early, yes, and if he goes hitless in his next 10 at-bats, this post will seem horribly misguided, but seeing how quickly he's taken to an everyday role and knowing his potential, I don't think it's too far-fetched to think he could be a must-start catcher by season's end.
I've already bumped him up to 15th in my catcher rankings, and the margin between him and the four ahead of him is thin.