David Avitia is a pretty well-connected guy. The Cubs took his brother Daniel in the 19th round this year and David was a teammate of the Cubs 14th round pick Frankie Scalzo at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. While his younger brother Daniel did not sign, David is known for his defensive acumen and his ability to handle a pitching staff as a catcher.
Basic Info
Age: 22
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 205
Grand Canyon University
Signed as a nondrafted free agent
In a press statement, Grand Canyon University released the following information about Avitia’s defensive prowess:
“Avitia was the Lopes’ primary catcher for four years and he amassed over 1,000 innings behind the plate. One of the nation’s premier defensive catchers, Avitia stopped over half of opponent’s stolen base attempts the last three seasons (35 of 69, 50.7%) and caught 39 of 88 (44.3%) for his career.”
David added, “I am excited to continue my career with the Cubs and see what the future holds. All I wanted was a chance and this is it. I know it won’t be easy but I’m going to do everything I can to further my career.”
A career .211 hitter, his ability to manage a pitching staff is evident this year as he helped lead Grand Canyon to a College World Series appearance. Avitia is so good defensively that he caught 50.7% base runners in his career. That is just insane!!! Normally a good catcher catches anywhere between 30% and 35%. But 50? Wow!
In 2019, he played for Orleans in the Cape Cod League. While he hit just .171, he had an OBP of .314 in 33 games.
As for his offensive talents, he does come up with the occasional hit.
His bat through the zone is not the quickest. If the Cubs can speed that bat through the zone a bit, he might hit for a little bit higher average. Although, he has shown at times he can get it done with the stick. Here he shares his favorite moment in college. He comes across as very well spoken, thoughtful, and an intelligent player.
As a result of his bat not needing much in terms of development, his defensive skills are going to really drive how fast he moves through the system. It’ll be interesting to see where they send the then 23 year old next summer and just exactly where he’s going to start out next year is anyone’s guess.
Right now, I’m a little surprised that he has not been placed with some affiliate in the system. There was a rumor that he didn’t even sign. That’s a little strange considering Grand Canyon released a statement with a comment from David that he was looking forward to beginning his career.
Cubs Central 