Third year in a row I’m starting this. I’ll do my best to finish this year.
Key:
AVG – batting average (hits/times at bat)
SLG – slugging percentage (total bases/times at bat)
OBP – on-base percentage (hits + walks + times hit by pitch/total plate appearances)
OPS – slugging percentage + on-base percentage
SEC – secondary average (extra bases + walks + stolen bases/at-bats + walks)
NL Catchers
1. Arizona – Miguel Montero/Henry Blanco (.277 AVG / .481 SLG / .348 OBP / .828 OPS / .278 SEC)
Montero took a step up this year, and is pretty much neck-and-neck for the best catcher in the league with Atlanta’s Brian McCann. Blanco actually improved upon Montero’s numbers (Montero - .820 OPS, Blanco - .870), but Blanco’s also 39 years old and unlikely to hit eight home runs in a hundred at-bats again next year.
2. Atlanta – Brian McCann/David Ross (.269 AVG / .456 SLG / .347 OBP / .803 OPS / .278 SEC)
As noted before, Montero and McCann had pretty much the same season in 2011 (they were tied for on-base percentage and three points apart in slugging), so much of the difference here comes down to David Ross vs. Henry Blanco as the backup. Ross’ .761 OBP would be better than all but three NL teams. This is a fine backstop duo, and the least of Atlanta’s worries.
3. St. Louis – Yadier Molina/Gerald Laird (.293 AVG / .447 SLG / .341 OBP / .788 OPS / .221 SEC)
Molina the good showed up this year, and what has sometimes been a black hole offensively turned into a positive. Unable to hold onto his starting position with a few AL teams, Laird is a competent, if unspectacular, backup.
4. Cincinnati Reds – Ramon Hernandez/Ryan Hanigan (.275 AVG / .404 SLG / .349 OBP / .753 OPS / .211 SEC)
Second straight year of pretty good catching from this duo, and possibly the last – rookie Devin Morasco’s presence means Hernandez, at age 35, is unlikely to be resigned.
5. Colorado Rockies – Chris Ianetta/Eliezer Alfonzo/Jose Morales (.246 AVG / .388 SLG / .359 OBP / .746 OPS / .278 SEC)
Ianetta did decently in his first year not platooning with Yorvit Torrealba, although what saved him is taking 70 walks. Alfonzo and Morales were standard backups, so Colorado may be in the market for a better one for 2012.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Doumit/Michael McKenry/Chris Snyder (.267 AVG / .405 SLG / .330 OBP / .735 OPS / .213 SEC)
Not a strength for the Pirates, but not a weakness – except when both Doumit and Snyder were hurt. McKenry (.598 OPS) simply didn’t produce as well as the others (not that a third-string catcher should be expected to do so).
7. Milwaukee Brewers – Jonathan Lucroy/George Kottaras (.262 AVG / .405 SLG / .312 OBP / .717 OPS / .203 SEC)
A middle-of-the-pack finish is actually an improvement for the Brewers. Lucroy has stabilized the catching and should be there for a few years, although Kottaras actually had slightly better offensive stats.
8. Washington Nationals – Wilson Ramos/Ivan Rodriguez/Jesus Flores (.249 AVG / .401 SLG / .312 OBP / .713 OPS / .221 SEC)
Ramos did the same for the Nationals that Lucroy has done for Milwaukee. 15 HR and 52 RBI may not seem like a lot for some teams, but it’s a big step up for the Nats. Not sure why they’ll need Ivan Rodriguez around anymore (I assume Rodriguez is trying to hang in for 3,000 hits; he’s 156 away). Flores offers nothing of note.
9. Philadelphia Phillies – Carlos Ruiz/Brian Schneider (.258 AVG / .353 SLG / .343 OBP / .696 OPS / .187 SEC)
Major drop for the Phillies from previous years. Ruiz (.754 OPS) is slightly above league average at this point, and Brian Schneider (.502 OPS) had the lowest numbers of the 38 catchers on this list. When you’re hitting less than the Cubs’ Koyie Hill, that’s saying something. I don’t expect Schneider to be back next year.
10. San Diego Padres – Nick Hundley/Rob Johnson/Kyle Phillips (.239 AVG / .386 SLG / .305 OBP / .691 OPS / .219 SEC)
This can be broken down in two parts. Nick Hundley (.824 OPS), when he was healthy, was at the same level as Miguel Montero and Brian McCann. However, he only had 308 plate appearances. Johnson (.544 OPS) and Phillips (.548) were unsatisfactory replacements. So the Pads have to keep Hundley healthy and find more competent backups.
11. Florida Marlins – John Buck/Brett Hayes (.228 AVG / .378 SLG / .311 OBP / .688 OPS / .233 SEC)
You could see this one coming. Buck had a career year in 2009 with Kansas City (.802 OPS), so Florida gave him a three-year contract. In 2010, he regressed to his previous level (.683 OPS), which meant his backup actually outhit him slightly. But now they have Buck for two more years, which means Hayes either stays the backup and the Fish lose some of his most valuable years (he’s now 27), or they flip them and Buck becomes a very expensive reserve.
12. New York Mets – Josh Thole/Ronny Paulino (.268 AVG / .347 SLG / .332 OBP / .6791 OPS / .158 SEC)
Let’s face it, Thole was a disappointment this year. He didn’t hit the way the Mets expected, and had some issues behind the plate (although he’s not as bad a catcher as his critics claim). Paulino did nothing special, and I would say he’s not coming back except the Mets really need him to hit lefties, because Thole can’t.
13. Chicago Cubs – Geovany Soto/Koyie Hill (.220 AVG / .378 SLG / .300 OBP / .6785 SLG / .241 SEC)
Soto had a down year last year (he seems to alternate them) and didn’t take as many walks as he did in 2009. Hill has never hit (.545 OPS last year, .573 lifetime), and really should be an emergency guy stashed at AAA only, or a coach.
14. Los Angeles Dodgers – Rod Barajas/Dioner Navarro (.216 AVG / .391 SLG / .283 OBP / .674 OPS / .241 SEC)
Barajas performed as well as he was expected to – some home run power, no batting average, no walks, average defense. Navarro was traded from the Dodgers to the Rays a few years back with the reputation as a great prospect; he came back this year as a backup catcher, and that’s what he remains.
15. San Francisco Giants – Eli Whiteside/Buster Posey/Chris Stewart (.225 AVG / .333 SLG / .302 OBP / .635 OPS / .195 SEC)
I noted in this space last year that if Buster Posey got hurt the Giants would be in serious trouble – and, well, I’m sorry to say I was right. Posey was taken out for the year in a home-plate collision, and Whiteside and Stewart struggled in his stead. In fairness, Posey was only slightly above league average even before his injury, but his exit for the season put a major hurt on the Giants’ chance to repeat.
16. Houston Astros – Humberto Quintero/Carlos Corporan/J.R. Towles (.211 AVG / .293 SLG / .256 OBP / .549 OPS / .128 SEC)
Good Lord, Houston, isn’t it time to get a catcher that can hit? You’ve been in existence now for 50 years, and you’ve had a grand total, to my knowledge, of three catchers with more than 400 plate appearances who’ve put up a single-season OPS of .800 or better (Joe Ferguson in 1977, Alan Ashby in 1987, and Mitch Meluskey in 2000). That’s horrendous. Seriously, there’s no hope here for the future: Jason Castro, who missed 2011 with an ACL injury, was the great hope, and he had a .574 OPS in 2010. J.R. Towles has had an astonishing career: .859 OPS in the minors, .583 with the Astros.
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