Yanks Go Yard
FanSided

New York Yankees: All-time best catchers in franchise history

By Michael Nitti

Gary Sanchez #24 of the New York Yankees - (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Gary Sanchez #24 of the New York Yankees - (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 8
Next
Yankees
Gary Sanchez of the New York Yankees. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

New York Yankees all-time best catchers – No. 7: Mike Stanley

12.8 WAR

Having almost evenly split the majority of his career between the Yankees, Rangers, and Red Sox, Mike Stanley’s best statistical years came while he was wearing pinstripes.

After spending the first six seasons of his career with the Rangers, Stanley signed as a free agent with the Yankees prior to the 1992 season. Stanley played four seasons with the Yankees before signing with the Red Sox prior to the 1996 season. The Red Sox then traded him back to the Yankees in 1997, where he would play another 28 games.

In 426 games with the Yankees, Stanley slashed .285/.377/.504 with 72 HR and 263 RBI. In 1993, he won his only Silver Slugger award after slashing .305/.389/.534 with 26 HR and 84 RBI. Stanley also had his only All-Star selection in 1995, amassing 18 HR and 83 RBI.

In 1995 and 1997, the only two seasons the Yankees made the playoffs in Stanley’s time there, the team failed to make it past the ALDS. However, Stanley went 8-for-20 with one HR and four RBI in six games.

6. player. 43. . 2015-2019. New York Yankees. Gary Sanchez

New York Yankees all-time best catchers – No. 6: Gary Sanchez

11.2 WAR

The first and only active player on this list is current Yankee backstop Gary Sanchez. Going on his fifth season with the club, Sanchez has already made a mark on what could be another legendary Yankee catcher career.

Having signed with the Yankees as an international free agent in 2009 at the age of just 16 years old, Sanchez would spend the next six years working his way through the minor leagues. In 2015, Sanchez joined the major league club to stay, hitting .299/.376/.657 with 20 HR and 42 RBI in just 53 games.

In his four years with the Yankees thus far, Sanchez has amassed 105 HR, 262 RBI and a .525 SLG. He’s earned two All-Star selections as well as a Silver Slugger award. He’s also the fastest catcher in MLB history to hit 100 HR, and currently ranks 80th all-time among catchers in that category.

In the postseason, Sanchez has had some struggles. In 27 games, he has hit six HR and 16 RBI, but owns a slash line of just .176/.225/.382. Despite that, Sanchez has plenty of time to alter the narrative around him as the Yankees continue their chase for 28.

Home/New York Yankees All-Time Lists