Notre Dame Catcher Drafted by San Diego Padres

Star pitcher Jack Radel was drafted in the first round (28th overall) of the MLB Draft on Saturday, and catcher Mark Quatrani heard his name called on Sunday after the San Diego Padres took him in the 18th round (545th overall).

The Padres select Mark Quatrani!

2026 at a glance for our catcher:
15 HR
66 RBI
80 H
1.100 OPS
15 runners caught stealing 😮‍💨#GoIrish ☘️ | #ForTheFaithful pic.twitter.com/J0wHVOhzrN
— Notre Dame Baseball (@NDBaseball) July 12, 2026

About Mark Quatrani

First and foremost, Quatrani's college baseball career didn't begin in South Bend. Quatrani began his career in the Ivy League at Cornell, where he hit over .318 in each of his two seasons and finished with 17 home runs, 12 doubles and 77 RBIs.

But Quatrani didn't just dominate during the regular season either, he put up numbers in two different summer leagues, including the prestigious Cape Cod Summer League.

In case you forgot, this is just a glimpse of what Mark Quatrani brings to both sides of the game 🔥#GoIrish ☘️ | #ForTheFaithful pic.twitter.com/gw9h4TGcfb
— Notre Dame Baseball (@NDBaseball) July 12, 2026

But his best season was this past year at Notre Dame where he was named a Semifinalist for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award and a First Team All-Region selection after leading the Irish in hits (80), RBIs (66), hit by pitches (12), batting average (.376), on-base percentage (.457), slugging percentage (.653) and OPS (1.100).

And Quatrani was equally as impressive behind the plate defensively, too. Quatrani didn't make a single error and threw out 20% of opposing baserunners.

Will Quatrani sign?

That's the big question considering he still has one year of eligibility. 18th-round draft choices don't necessarily get the big signing bonuses, which is why I wouldn't be surprised if Quatrani elects to return to Notre Dame for his senior season.

If Quatrani were to replicate what he did this past season or even perform better, there's a pretty good chance he would hear his name called somewhere between the 10th round and 15th round next year.

But on the flip side, if Quatrani returned to South Bend and got hurt or didn't perform like he did this past season, there's the chance he doesn't get drafted at all next season. Turning down the guaranteed money and the chance to play in the minors is a pretty big risk to take, which is why I'd be surprised if he doesn't sign with the Padres.

Who's likely to replace Quatrani behind the plate?

No matter who it is, they likely won't be nearly as good offensively or defensively as Quatrani was. But ND does have options, and the most likely candidates are Davis Johnson and Shane Miranda. And whichever of the two doesn't consistently start behind the plate will likely DH every day.

Miranda batted over .400 in 44 at-bats this past year, and Johnson hit .259 with six home runs in 52 at-bats, so both can hit a little bit.

For Notre Dame's sake, hopefully neither replaces Quatrani, and he chooses to return to South Bend for his senior season.

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