Newsday’s Top 10 baseball catchers on Long Island

A force in the batter’s box and a steady presence behind the plate, Michael Oliveto has been integral to the Hauppauge baseball program.

The senior catcher played a crucial role on  Hauppauge’s 2024 Suffolk and Long Island Class AA championship-winning team, which brought the program its first LI title and its first county title since 2000 before losing to Bethlehem  in the state championship game.

The Yale commit, who also is a pro prospect, is a complete hitter who headlines the best catchers on the Island. A Newsday All-Long Island second-teamer as a junior, Oliveto batted .381 with a county-leading eight home runs to go with six doubles, three triples, 32 RBIs, 28 runs scored, 23 walks and a .519 OBP. He hit a pair of walk-off home runs: a grand slam against East Islip in a key regular-season game and a two-run shot in the eighth inning against Comsewogue that erased a one-run deficit and put Hauppauge in the county championship game. He has all the tools defensively, from arm strength to receiving to blocking and more.

But on a day-to-day basis, what makes Oliveto special?

“Great leadership. Impeccable character. Great stability,” Hauppauge coach Josh Gutes said. “He is just one of one. Incredible athlete. Incredible competitor. He has intangibles beyond belief, and on top of that, he is going to go down as one of the all-time great baseball players in Hauppauge High School history. When you add that all up, he is the total package and then some.”

Oliveto is entering his second season as Hauppauge’s starting catcher.

As a freshman, he primarily played second base among other infield positions. The next year, he played first base, pitched and finished the season at catcher.

Oliveto has always had his catcher’s gear with him, but the recent growth has been substantial.

“This offseason, it’s been all catching,” he said. “I think overall, I’ve made a big jump just being comfortable back there — receiving-wise, blocking-wise. I think that’s all going to pay off this season.”

Said Gutes: “He’s got a great arm. He is a great leader behind the plate. He knows exactly when to fire a pitcher up, when to calm him down. He just has a great feel for the game. Respectful to umpires. Understands why we’re calling certain pitches in what spots. He’s another coach out there on the field.”

Oliveto averaged a homer every three games for Hauppauge last season, but he takes pride in being a “big average guy.”

“I like staying level, not trying to hit home runs, because you don’t hit home runs when you’re trying to hit them,” he said. “Just staying level, trying to drive the ball up the middle and good things happen.”

Oliveto has put on 20 pounds since August, and a huge 2024 season put him on the national radar ahead of a season in which the Eagles hope to continue their winning ways.

Said Gutes: “He’s kind of the rare superstar who cares as much about our team success and everybody else’s success.”

Here are the rest of Newsday’s top 10 catchers to watch this spring:

Vincenzo Buffolino, Kings Park, Sr.

Buffolino batted .400 with 32 hits, a team-leading 20 RBIs and a .461 OBP as a junior for the Long Island Class A champs. Coach Andrew Abreu said he has “no ego” at the plate and is “an incredible situational hitter.” The team captain is a four-year varsity player who had the defensive skills to play immediately. “When you have a guy who, behind the plate, is confident and controls the game,” Abreu said, “I think that it’s contagious.”

Angel Cartagena, Farmingdale, Sr.

Cartagena, an Iona commit, batted .399 with two home runs, four doubles and 20 RBIs as a junior. The three-year starter and two-year captain hit .400 in the 2024 playoffs for the Nassau Class AAA champions. Coach Frank Tassielli lauded his “second-to-none” arm strength. “The guys that can power your offense and be the field general defensively . . . those characters are few and far between,” Tassielli said. “Angel certainly fits that bill.”

AJ Cumbo, Clarke, Sr.

Cumbo, a St. Thomas Aquinas commit, hit .431 with a homer, 26 RBIs, 32 runs scored and a program-record 30 stolen bases for the 2024 Nassau Class A champions. Coach Tom Abruscato said he hits to all fields with power and does a great job within counts. He noted that his blocking, release and pop time have been consistently good and that he improved his setups. “He’s got all the tools,” Abruscato said. “He’s a great kid. Great competitor. Very mature, and he’s going to be one of our leaders.”

Kyle Coppola, Deer Park, Sr.

Coppola, a Bridgeport commit, batted .344 with 22 RBIs, six doubles, a triple, a homer and 13 runs scored last season. Coach Ryan Argenziano praised his rapport with the pitchers and coaching staff, noting they analyze at-bats together before series and between innings. Coppola, a four-year starter and captain, has steadily improved defensively every year. “We’re lucky to have him the last four years, and we’re hoping he has a monster senior year,” Argenziano said.

Noah Fiorillo, Wheatley, Sr.

Fiorillo batted .355 with 22 hits, 21 RBIs and a .953 OPS and caught seven runners stealing for the 2024 Long Island Class B champs. Coach Dave Burke commended the FDU-Florham commit’s ability to call the game behind the plate, mentioning his IQ and how his “plus arm” and “quick release” can slow down the running game. The three-year starter, who is starting at catcher for the second season, is a threat in the middle of the order. “It’s been such a great experience with a guy behind the plate that just gets the job done day in and day out,” Burke said.

Brayden Hromada, Center Moriches, Sr.

Hromada, who will play at Quinnipiac, has been Center Moriches’ starting catcher since he was an eighth-grader; he would have started in seventh grade, too, if not for the COVID-19 pandemic. Coach Paul Gibson said Hromada, a captain who has taken significant strides with the “mental piece” of catching, commands the game and knows how to work with pitchers. He has an “extremely professional” hitting approach and will be more aggressive this season. “He’s a humble kid,” Gibson said. “He’s a hard worker. He’s a lead-by-example kind of guy.”

Michael Orgera, Whitman, Sr.

Orgera, an Oneonta commit, batted .377 with a .506 OBP, 26 hits, 16 RBIs and seven doubles last season. The three-year starting catcher has been a very reliable hitter over the past two seasons. Coach Keith Barrett said Orgera’s arm has gotten stronger and his release quicker, leading to more runners being thrown out. “He’s got a good rapport with all the guys,” Barrett said. “He’s our team leader, for sure, and they definitely like pitching to him.”

Joe Perri, Comsewogue, Sr.

Perri, an Albany commit, batted. 328 with a .999 OPS, two home runs, 25 RBIs and 12 runs scored. A varsity player since the end of his eighth-grade season, Perri now is a captain and enters his first season as starting catcher after playing mostly third base. He has gotten stronger every offseason, and coach Joe Caltagirone described him as a vocal player who has “all facets of catching covered.” He is a refined hitter who knows the strike zone very well. “He’s all business,” Caltagirone said. “He brings it every day.”

Dylan Tripi, MacArthur, Sr.

Tripi, a Barry commit, batted .400 with a 1.180 OPS, four home runs and 32 RBIs. Catcher is his primary position, though he played third base as a junior and split time between the two positions as a sophomore. Coach Steve Costello said he is a very good receiver with above-average arm strength. At the plate, he is a “very cerebral hitter” with a “professional approach” that rubs off on his teammates. Said Costello: “He kind of sets the tone with being very low heartbeat.”

Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins’ teams.