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

Catchers play a vital role for any baseball team. Plenty of men have suited up behind the plate for the New York Yankees, but only a few can be considered among the franchise’s best.

For many franchises, catcher is often a hard position to find a cornerstone for, but for the Yankees, that hasn’t been the case, as they’ve retired five different catchers’ numbers, with two being enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

For this list, I only consider what these players have done during their time as a Yankee only. So, no, Ivan Rodriguez, despite being one of the best catchers ever, does not make this list for hitting .219 in 33 games in the Bronx.

Additionally, I analyze what each player did in the regular season as well as the playoffs, if applicable. Personal accolades play a part as well, but pure statistics play the largest role, both in terms of quantity and quality.

With that being said, let’s get into it!

New York Yankees all-time best catchers – No. 10: Rick Cerone

3.9 WAR

Last on the list is 18-year journeyman Rick Cerone. Of those 18 years, seven were spent in the Bronx over three separate stints.

In just over 2,000 PA, Cerone slashed .249/.297/.351 with 31 HR and 203 RBI. His best season came in 1980 when the New Jersey native had 14 HR, 30 doubles and 85 RBI with a .753 OPS.

Despite winning no World Series championships with the Yankees, Cerone managed to put together decent playoff numbers in his time with the club. In 17 games, Cerone had three HR, three doubles and 10 RBI.

New York Yankees all-time best catchers – No. 9: Brian McCann

5.7 WAR

Mostly known for his time on the Braves and as a member of the 2017 Astros World Series Championship* team, Brian McCann had a brief, but productive three-year stretch with the Yankees.

After nine successful years with the Braves, McCann signed a five-year deal with the Yankees. From 2014 to 2016, McCann hit 69 HR and 229 RBI. In his best season in 2015, McCann had 26 HR, 94 RBI and a .756 OPS, earning him his sixth career Silver Slugger Award.

Unlike the rest of this list, McCann only got a sniff of playoff baseball in the Bronx, as he went 0-for-4 in the 2015 Wild Card game. Although McCann’s deal ran through 2018, he was traded to the Astros following the 2016 season for Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman.

New York Yankees all-time best catchers – No. 8: Wally Schang

10.3 WAR

The player that dates back the furthest in history on this list is 1923 World Series Champion Wally Schang.

After Babe Ruth came to the Yankees in 1920, Schang followed suit in 1921 and would assume starting catcher duties for the better part of the next five seasons. From 1921-1925, Schang played 529 games for the Yankees, totaling 16 HR, 22 triples, 86 doubles and 209 RBI.

In his five seasons with the team, Schang totaled a 10.9 WAR. In his best two seasons with the Yankees in 1921 and 1922, Schang had slash lines of .316/.428/.453 and .319/.405/.412, respectively.

As a Yankee, Schang played in three World Series. In 19 games, he hit .271 with three doubles and four runs scored. In the franchise’s first World Series title in 1923, Schang went 7-for-22 with three runs scored.

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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.

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.

New York Yankees all-time best catchers – No. 5: Elston Howard

27.8 WAR

Rounding out the Yankee catchers that have their numbers retired on this list is Elston Howard. Across 13 seasons with the Yankees, Howard garnered 12 All-Star selections, four World Series titles, two Gold Glove awards and an MVP award.

Having played in the Negro American League as an outfielder from 1948-1950, Howard signed with the Yankees in 1950. After missing two seasons due to military service, Howard returned to the minor leagues in 1953, where he was converted to catcher. In 1955, at the age of 26, he became the first black player on the Yankees major league roster.

Howard accumulated 167 HR, 762 RBI and 218 doubles in 5,845 PA in his career, with most of those numbers coming as a member of the Yankees. His MVP year came in 1963 when Howard had a slash line of .287/.342/.528 and tallied 28 HR and 85 RBI. Additionally, Howard won the first of what would be back-to-back Gold Glove awards.

With the Yankees, Howard played in nine World Series, with four wins. Howard hit .261 with five HR, 18 RBI, seven doubles and 25 runs scored in 47 games. In World Series history, Howard currently ranks 10th in doubles and eighth in runs scored, leaving a lasting legacy as not only one of the earliest black players in the league, but as one of the all-time greats in Yankee history.

Fun fact: Howard is credited for creating the famous batting “doughnut” in 1955.

New York Yankees all-time best catchers – No. 3 Thurman Munson

46.0 WAR

The first and only captain on this list is none other than Thurman Munson. Across 11 years in his career, all with the Yankees, Munson was a two-time World Series Champion, seven-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, the 1970 Rookie of the Year and the 1976 AL MVP.

Drafted by the Yankees fourth overall in the 1968 MLB draft, Munson made quick work of the minor leagues, getting the call to the big leagues just a year later in 1969. In 1970, Munson became the full-time catcher, a position he held for the next 10 years before his life was tragically cut short due to a plane crash.

Nonetheless, Munson left a lasting legacy during his time with the Yankees, having been captain of the team from 1976 to the time of his death. Munson was a career .292 hitter to go along with 1,558 hits, 113 HR and 701 RBI. In his MVP season, Munson hit .302 with 17 HR and 105 RBI.

Munson was also superb defensively, winning three straight Gold Glove Awards from 1973-1975. Despite his career coming to an abrupt end, Munson still ranks 15th all-time in WAR for catchers.

In regards to his playoff numbers, Munson shined the brightest. In 30 postseason games, Munson hit .357 with three HR, nine doubles and 22 RBI. In 16 World Series games, Munson had a slash line of .373/.417/.493 with five doubles and 12 RBI.

New York Yankees all-time best catchers – No. 2: Bill Dickey

57.3 WAR

Closely behind Berra is his predecessor, Bill Dickey. With seven World Series Championships and 11 All-Star selections, Dickey would likely be the best catcher in franchise history for the majority of other franchises.

After getting purchased as a minor leaguer by the Yankees prior to the 1928 season, Dickey went on to be a crucial part of the team for the greater part of 19 years. Like Berra, Dickey spent two years with the Navy in 1944 and 1945.

Dickey was known for his ability to hit consistently, batting over .300 in nine of his first 10 seasons. For his career, Dickey had an impressive slash line of .313/.382/.486 in just over 7,000 plate appearances.

From 1936 to 1939, Dickey had at least 22 HR, 105 RBI and a .403 OBP. Although none of those seasons earned him an MVP, he finished in the top six in voting each of those four seasons. Among catchers with at least 300 games played, Dickey is second in BA, eighth in OBP and third in OPS.

The main thing holding Dickey back from being first on this list is his performance in the playoffs. In 38 World Series games, Dickey had a pedestrian slash line of .255/.329/.379. Despite that, he still managed to collect 24 RBI, good for eighth all-time in World Series history.

New York Yankees all-time best catchers – No. 1: Yogi Berra

(1946-1963) (2,116 G) (59.6 WAR)

With three MVP awards, 10 World Series Championships and 18 All-Star selections, Yogi Berra was almost a no-brainer for the top spot on this list, if it weren’t for another Yankee backstop who also got the same number eight retired after him.

Born Lawrence Peter Berra, Yogi was signed by the Yankees in 1943 as an amateur free agent. After a stint in the Navy during World War II in which he earned a Purple Heart, Berra was called up to the Yankees in 1946 at the age of 21. In seven games, he went 8-for-22 with two HR; an impressive showing for what would turn into a legendary career.

Across 18 years with the Yankees, Berra totaled 358 HR, 1430 RBI and 2,150 H, all of which are first amongst catchers in team history. He also amassed a .285 BA, .348 OBP and .482 SLG. In his MVP seasons in 1951, 1954 and 1955, Berra averaged 25 HR, 107 RBI and a .291 BA.

Berra had 10 straight seasons with 20+ HR and 82+ RBI. Between 1953 and 1956, Berra had at least 22 HR and 105 RBI for four straight years. Among catchers in MLB history, Berra ranks fourth in HR, first in RBI, sixth in hits and third in runs scored.

It doesn’t stop there. Berra was a part of 10 World Series Championship teams. In 75 World Series games, Berra had 12 HR, 10 doubles, and 39 RBI. In World Series history, those figures rank third, first and second, respectively.