A good catcher can does more than just catch the ball and throw it back to the pitcher. He is involved in the game plan to attack an opposing teams lineup, serves as a conduit between pitching coach and pitcher, and does whatever he can with the glove to ensure borderline pitches are called strikes. There's so much that goes into being a good catcher. There's the physical element - those guys take a pounding back there. There's the cerebral element - those guys need to know what to do in a multitude of situations many of which don't occur. And of course there's the part of being able to receive and frame pitches without giving too much away to the umpire. 

With the way recruiting is trending with players committing to schools earlier and earlier, the catching position is one that has somewhat held the line of traditional recruiting. It's not too often you hear of catchers committing as freshman or even sophomores. Of course there are exceptions and you will see guys who are far-and-away above their peers. However, there is always a need for good catchers on the collegiate and pro levels and many of them are late to the process. 

In this issue of THE FIVE, we'll look at five catchers (listed in no particular order) who will, and in some cases, are already in the process of hearing from interested colleges. 

THE FIVE

LOG IN TO SEE SPOTLIGHTS AND VIDEO ON CARTER KAY, OWEN CAIN, CONNOR VALENZUELA, NICK OCHOA, and TANNER SHINKLE.