Yankees Ranks: Top Five American League East Catchers

The catcher position is no longer home to a guy who is only good defensively. A steady bat in the middle of the order is just as important. Luckily, the Yankees have just that.

How important is it to have a legitimate backstop that not only calls a good game, but has an above average arm, can block balls like nobodies business, and just so happens to either hit for average or power?

Well, look no further than the American League East for a collection of just that. Three out of five teams in this division made the playoffs, while the Yankees who were left on the outside looking in, each have the type of player that commands a pitching rotation while doing more than their fair share when it comes to offensive ability.

The one team that doesn’t–that plays in an old Arena Football stadium, finished the year 68-94, 25 GB of first place.

For years it was acceptable to have an all glove no stick type guy behind the plate. It was almost a given, I mean they don’t call it the tools of ignorance for nothing. Players who came out of college or up through the Minor League system that showed a knack for driving the ball to various parts of the park were immediately moved away from catching to save their aching knees in the years to come.

Over the past decade or so we’ve seen this with the likes of Craig Biggio, Joe Mauer, Paul Konerko, Kenley Jansen, Wil Myers, Joey Votto, Pablo Sandoval, and Josh Donaldson.

There’s a bunch of All-Stars and even a Hall of Famer or two within that group.

Yet since Buster Posey came on the scene in 2010, many new-age catchers have taken great pride in being two-way players–one’s that are situated within a batting order to hit for power, while also commanding the respect of their pitching staff–players like Jonathan Lucroy, Salvador Perez, Wilson Ramos and a few others we’ll discuss next.

Bobby Wilson

When the most productive catcher you’ve had in franchise history is Molina brother No. 3–Jose Molina, you’re in for a bit of rough sledding. This season alone, the Rays used four different backstops, unable to find a single one that really excelled in any one category.

Though Curt Casali caught 84 games, the most of any Rays’ backstop, he hit a dreadful .186/.273/.336 with 8 HR and 26 RBI. The other downfall of Casali’s game was that he allowed 25 stolen bases in 39 attempts for a .641 SB%. Not good.

Bobby Wilson only caught 48 games, but besides, from finishing the regular season as the everyday catcher, he’s the one name most fans will remember from his days in both Los Angeles and Texas. Wilson’s .230/.272/.391 was the best of the rest, but 4 HR and 9 RBI are barely good enough for Wilson to remain with the club as a backup, let alone a starter.

The one small glimmer of hope for the Rays going forward may be 25-year-old Luke Maile. In 42 games played, Maile’s slash line was .227/.252/.361 with 3 HR and 15 RBI. Not exactly Earth shattering, but team officials say his chemistry with the pitching staff, including ace Chris Archer, is second to none.

Other members of the rotation including Alex Cobb, Jake Odorizzi, and Blake Snell have praised Maile’s determination to block balls, quietly induce strikes, and has a stronger arm than most people give him credit for.

Whether that is a ringing endorsement or not, remains to be seen. One thing is certain, though, for the Rays to contend sooner rather than later, they’ll need a guy like Maile to take the next step in the progression of his offensive game.

Sandy Leon

27-year-old Sandy Leon was not supposed to be the heir-apparent to Jason Varitek. That designation first belonged to Blake Swihart and then Christian Vazquez.

Swihart continues to battle one injury after the other–most recently undergoing left ankle surgery that shelved him for the duration of this season. Vazquez has had his own bouts with the disabled list, missing all of 2015 due to elbow surgery.

Leon, on the other hand, put together an impressive–albeit overshadowed 2016 campaign due to what David Ortiz, Mookie Betts, and Rick Porcello accomplished. In just 76 games, the Venezuela native hit .310/.369/.476 with 7 HR and 35 RBI.

Now obviously there is room for his power numbers to improve, but when you factor in that solid slash line with the fact he only committed one error in 600 innings for a .998 FCPT, it’s easy to see why the starting catching position is Leon’s to lose headed into Spring Training next season.

The one area of his game that really needs to improve though is throwing out would-be base stealers. Leon allowed 20 stolen bases in 34 attempts for a .588 SB%, second lowest on the club behind Bryan Holaday.

Leon’s propensity for allowing runners to advance combined with his inexperience and evolving power totals are the reason he ranks 4th on this list. If he continues to grow into a big game backstop this Postseason, while also improving in the aforementioned areas of opportunity, there is no reason why Leon can’t jump a few spots up this list before Spring Training.

Matt Wieters

From 2011-2013, Matt Wieters averaged 22 HR, 76 RBI, and 143 games played. A two-time All-Star during that same period, Wieters propelled himself into the conversation among the best-hitting catchers in all of baseball.

But then 2014 came–Wieters missed 136 games due to injury. And in 2015 he missed 87 games. So how the Orioles didn’t think Wieters was a lock to accept a one-year, $13.1MM qualifying offer during the winter of 2015 is beyond me.

He did however mostly reward the only team he’s ever played for in ’16, suiting up for 124 contests while slugging 22 HR and 66 RBI. The career .256 hitter only managed to get his average up to .243, so suffice to say, that ship has sailed.

The lingering back injuries Wieters has suffered from over the past three seasons has not only zapped him of what little speed he had in the first place but much of his once solid defensive ability.

This season, while catching 117 games, Wieters committed 11 errors while allowing 43 stolen bases in 66 attempts for a .652 SB%.

It will be very interesting to see if the Orioles or any other Major League team for that matter still envision the 30-year-old as an everyday catcher. Because as a free agent-to-be, Wieters’ real monetary value lies in his ability to strap on a pair of shin guards at least four times a week.

If not, the eight-year veteran likely won’t command more than $10MM per season as a strict DH, which severely cuts down on his number of possible employers. His No. 3 ranking on this list is in severe jeopardy.

Russell Martin

Many within baseball circles didn’t understand why the Yankees let Russell Martin walk after the completion of the 2012 season–especially after bringing a sense of stability to a beleaguered pitching staff, not to mention averaging 19 HR, 59 RBI and an All-Star appearance after only two seasons spent in the Bronx.

So Martin took his talents first to Pittsburgh, and then to his native Canada–where he continues to get the absolute most out of mediocre starting pitchers. J.A. Happ winning 20 games, come on!

Aaron Sanchez‘s 15-2 record and 3.00 ERA has just as much to do with the 33-year-old, 11-year veteran calling pitches as much as it does the 24-year-old right-hander’s raw talent. Anyone that says otherwise is dead wrong.

The main issue for Martin as he continues to get up there in age is the fact that it took him almost three full months to get his bat going. I mean, he was struggled to raise his batting average above .200 up until around the All-Star break.

But sans usual, Martin put together another solid second half that helped the Blue Jays solidify their place in last night’s Wild Card play-in game. Martin’s average may have only crept to .231, but his power numbers really reaped the reward of a 30 point swing, as he slugged 20 home runs and 74 RBI.

One other small iota to watch over the course of Martin’s next three years in Toronto–that will pay him $20MM per, is that he allowed 61 stolen bases in 72 attempts. While his overall fielding percentage was still high–.996, Martin and his battery-mates need to get on the same page–to keep base runners closer to the bag, otherwise, this will become a situation other teams look to take advantage of next season.

Gary Sanchez

Had Gary Sanchez come up sooner than August 4, he very well could be the leading candidate for AL Rookie of the Year. I mean a slash line of .299/.376/.657 with 22 HR and 42 RBI in only 53 games is absolutely astonishing–becoming the fastest player in the history of the game to hit 20 homers in 51 games is something else entirely.

Aside from bashing balls all over the United States and Canada, Sanchez showed the other tools a future All-Star catcher needs to possess at this level. He simply calls a really good game while excelling at blocking balls and throwing out would-be baserunners.

Once upon a time his defensive abilities were the one thing that kept scouts from saying he had a bright future behind the plate. Low and behold, after 71 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, Sanchez came on the scene immediately drawing comparisons to a young Ivan Rodriguez for his astute defensive ability.

My only concern for Sanchez headed into his sophomore season will be the immense pressure he’ll be saddled with to replicate his historical start. I mean, what happens if he only hits .275 with 20 home runs and 65 RBI, do fans and media alike call him a bust?

Next: I Miss Andrew Miller

I surely hope not, because no other catcher in baseball has the potential to redefine the catcher position once again. Imagine a player with Mike Piazza‘s offense and Ivan Rodriguez‘s defense. That’s the type of 23-year-old player to lead the Yankees back to prominence. The skies the limit for Sanchez.