If Marmaduke “Moose” Mason walked out of the pages of the Archie comic books, which debuted in 1942, he’d probably emerge in the human form of former Brigham Young University power hitter, Colton Shaver.
Shaver, 22, was drafted in the 39th round (1171st overall) in 2017 by the Houston Astros after his junior season at Brigham Young.
Listed by his minor league bio page at 6’1″, 210 pounds, Shaver probably pins the scale’s needle to a more daunting 225 lbs, judging by the similarly hulking build of his comic book counterpart.
In fact, as an 18-year-old high school senior, he was listed as carrying 6’1″ on his husky frame, and weighing in at 220 lbs. His BYU bio even listed him at 225 lbs. Watching him hit (and measuring the collateral damage done to opposing pitchers’ offerings), I think we can safely settle on 225 lbs. After all, he was a four-year varsity linebacker in high school!
The Colton Shaver Origin Story
Born September 18, 1995, in the similarly named Riverton, Utah as Moose’s Riverdale, Shaver attended Jordan High School in Sandy, Utah, a Salt Lake City suburb 15 miles to its south, and quickly became a two-sport legend.
At Jordan High, Shaver played under coach Chad Fife and pulled in such personal awards as Utah Gatorade Player of the Year, and Utah Mr. Baseball. He was two-time region MVP, four-time all-state in baseball, and a four-year letterman in football and baseball for the Beetdiggers.
In his senior year at Jordan (2013-2014), Shaver hit .478 in 126 plate appearances (31 games), with 14 doubles, 12 home runs, and 39 RBIs. His OBP was .627, with a 1.660 OPS. He walked more than three times (33) his strikeout total (9).
Perfect Game offered this hitting scouting report from that showcase in 2013: “Thick extremely strong build, mature look. Right handed hitter, full effort swing, big shift into contact, upper body arm swing, looking to hit the ball hard, ball explodes when squared up; showed his plus power in batting practice, will have to tone down approach in games for regular contact, has big hitting tools to develop. High energy player who has fun on the field. Good student. PG Grade 9.5.”
Colton As a BYU Cougar
Recruited by the University of San Diego, BYU, Washington State, and Utah Valley University, Colton Shaver chose BYU and started every single baseball game in his three-year career in Provo.
Shaver earned post-season honors in all three of his Brigham Young years. As a freshman, he was named to the All-WCC Freshman Team as a DH. Shaver was a 1st Team All-WCC selection during his last two seasons.
As a freshman, Shaver hit .313 with a .595 slugging percentage, with 13 home runs and 42 RBIs. Shaver drew 22 walks for an OBP of .405.
The summer of 2015, Shaver played for the D. C. Grays in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League, and hit .245 in 94 ABs, hitting five doubles and a homer, among his 23 hits, with 14 RBIs. He walked 25 times against 17 Ks.
His sophomore season saw Shaver continue to prove 1B was the correct choice over linebacker. He hit .335 with a .582 slugging percentage, with 10 Colton clouts and 57 RBIs. Shaver walked 39 times and had an OBP of .452.
Shaver played in the Cape Cod league the summer following his sophomore year. All he did was lead the league with eight home runs and 29 RBIs, playing for the Wareham Gatemen.
His junior season started out slowly in non-conference play. In West Coast Conference play, though, Shaver hit .374 with a .673 slugging percentage, nine homers, 30 RBIs and a .415 on-base percentage. All told, his junior season reflected a .269 batting average with .486 slugging, 13 home runs, 42 RBIs and a .351 OBP.
Overall, Colton Shaver has easily hit his way into the conversation as one of the best power hitters in BYU baseball history.
Climbing the Ladder to the 2017 World Champs
Shaver began his trek to Houston for the Greenville Astros of the rookie Appalachian League, an affiliate Houston eliminated following the 2017 season. He got his feet wet by hitting .250 in his 56 ABs. His double and six homers didn’t rock the world, but served as a suitable transition from college to the pros. His .992 OPS gave a glimpse into his production future, even as his walk rate was predictably lower than his prep and college days: 12 free passes to 20 strikeouts.
Finishing 2017 with Houston’s New York-Penn League short-season Class A affiliate Tri-City ValleyCats, Shaver nearly doubled his ABs (107) from Greenville, but struggled in his mid-season promotion. Logging a .196 BA, with three doubles and four homers, he nonetheless drove in 18 runs, while striking out 43 times to only 13 walks.
He managed, though, to give ValleyCat fans and Houston brass a glimpse of his prodigious power and heroic timing, by hitting the first walk-off grand slam in Tri-City ValleyCats history, and proceeded to do it again less than a month later, on August 21, adding another homer in that game, as well.
A Glimpse Up the Ladder
Houston would appear to have a productive decade ahead at the 1B position. Yuli Gurriel is signed through the 2020 season. While previously highly-touted first base prospects Jon Singleton and A.J. Reed have stalled in their progress after their respective major league auditions, Houston’s front office is hoping Yordan Alvarez will be ready to slide in behind El Yuli, perhaps even prior to 2020.
Alvarez has put in time at 1B, but has more time, lately, in left field and DH in his Class A and A+ 2017. But, three out of his four Arizona Fall League games recently completed had him at 1B, and his left-handedness (batting and throwing) and his size (6’5″, 225) all but scream 1B.
Related: Astros to Fast-Track 1B Prospect Yordan Alvarez
Whether Colton Shaver can supplant Alvarez in the Astros’ depth chart depends, of course, on both players’ progress and mastering each successive minor league level. Both Singleton and Reed were heavily-touted and each folded in their progress, and the likes of Alvarez and Shaver may end up lapping those two to Houston.
Other 1B prospects are lurking at various stages in the system, of course, but visible and exciting in the crystal ball seem to be either Alvarez or Colton “Moose” Shaver.