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

New York Yankees all-time best catchers – No. 4: Jorge Posada

42.7 WAR

The most recent Yankee catcher to get their number retired and a plaque in Monument Park is Jorge Posada. Behind only Berra in most games played for Yankees catchers, Posada gathered five All-Star selections, five Silver Slugger Awards and four World Series Championships.

Originally drafted as a switch-hitting infielder in the 24th round of the 1990 MLB draft, Posada eventually made the transition to catcher full-time by the 1993 season. After a couple of brief stints with the Yankees in 1995 and 1996, Posada was awarded the backup job in 1997 behind Joe Girardi.

The following season, Posada would take over as the primary catcher, a title he would hold for the next 13 years before serving as the DH for his final season in 2013. Posada managed to hit 275 HR, 379 doubles and 1,065 RBI, good for ninth, tenth and twelfth among catcher all-time, respectively.

In his five seasons as a Silver Slugger Award recipient, Posada averaged 24 HR, 34 doubles and 94 RBI to go along with a .396 OBP and a .506 SLG. Since the award was made in 1980, Posada is one of four catchers in MLB history to win four straight Silver Slugger Awards. The other three? Ivan Rodriguez, Mike Piazza, and Brian McCann.

Posada’s playoff numbers pale in comparison to his playoff numbers, as he owns a slash line of .248/.358/.387 in 125 games played. He’s also collected 11 HR, 23 doubles and 42 RBI. Regardless, he played an integral part in four World Series Championships as well as being a member of the Core Four.