Leandre: Top 30 catchers entering 2024, 30-21
The depth at the catching position has improved dramatically over the years. Here is the back-third of the top 30.
Not too long ago, the catching position was super top-heavy in MLB.
Fast forward to now, it might be the deepest it’s been in quite some time.
Sure, there’s a gap between the cream of the crop and the back half of the top 30, but the overall talent pool has deepened in the past half-decade.
Let’s take a look at the catchers between No. 30 and 21.
30. Jose Trevino — New York Yankees
Trevino looked like a budding star in the first half two seasons ago, but the offensive regression bug hit him like a semi-truck.
In the first half of 2022, the eventual All-Star slashed .251/.299/.415 with a 105 wRC+ and the No. 2 catcher in the American League for fWAR.
Since then, he’s still been a defensive stalwart, but his wRC+ is 68 in 107 games played.
Defensively, he’s still a phenom, and his ranking in the top 30 still reflects that. His offense is closer to what it’s been over the past 107 games than the previous 63, but he’s going to continue stockpiling WAR so long as he stays healthy.
29. Yasmani Grandal — Pittsburgh Pirates
I miss the days when Grandal was a top-two catcher in the league, but sadly those days are behind us.
Defensively, he’s still a plus-framer. Offensively, however, his power has drastically declined — though ticked up from 2022 — and his pop time remains among the worst in the sport.
Potentially being the adult in the room in Pittsburgh will give the man a second wind. I don’t see a pathway back to a three-plus-win player, but one-and-a-half to two wins is hardly impossible to envision if accompanied by more of a 50-50 split in playing time.
28. Yan Gomes — Chicago Cubs
Gomes is sort of the anti-Grandal nowadays. Offensively? Fairly solid. Defensively? Good at blocking and catching base stealers but not a great framer.
Ultimately, I think the odds he has a good 2024 are higher than that of Grandal.
If the soon-to-be 37-year-old can tap into his power a bit more, he actually might have a quality campaign as the Cubs’ backstop this year.
27. Freddy Fermin — Kansas City Royals
I like Fermin, I just need to see more of him.
He’s solid — last year, he had a 108 wRC+ with 1.5 fWAR in 70 games — but save for 2023, he never sustained success at the plate.
What’s nice about him, however, is he controls the run game very well. Last year, he ranked in the 82nd percentile in caught stealing above average with 70th percentile framing.
Even if he doesn’t hit, the defense will keep him at the MLB level.
26. Austin Hedges — Cleveland Guardians
If this were a power ranking for defense only, there’s a decent chance Hedges would finish first for catchers.
Fresh off a World Series championship as the Texas Rangers’ backup catcher, the 31-year-old has almost perfectly mimicked former Los Angeles Angels catcher Jeff Mathis.
Since 2019, he’s slashed .171/.237/.279 with a 41 wRC+ but has 1.9 fWAR and 47.7 framing runs (leads all catchers).
25. Kyle Higashioka — San Diego Padres
I think Higashioka is underrated leaguewide, in all honesty. While he’s far from a star-caliber backstop, he’s a more than capable starter.
In the past two seasons, he’s put up 3.4 fWAR and 15.6 framing runs.
He’s turned into a halfway decent power hitter, but power goes to die in San Diego. If he were still in the Bronx, he’d probably be in the top 20.
24. Logan O’Hoppe — Los Angeles Angels
Offensively, the Angels might have a budding star behind the dish. Defensively, he’s got some work to do.
Last season, he had a .352 xwOBA, which ranked tied for seventh among 69 catchers with a minimum of 100 plate appearances and tied 19th in homers despite being 57th in games played.
The -7.2 framing runs in 425.1 innings need improving on if he’s going to stick at the catcher position.
So, despite the upside, he’s stuck at No. 24.
23. Tyler Stephenson — Cincinnati Reds
To be honest, everything I said about O’Hoppe fits Stephenson. However, his best offensive season was better than the Angels’ backstop.
I think once a team — the Reds or someone else — decides to just make him a designated hitter, a la Mitch Garver, he’s going to not only stay healthy but emerge as one of the best young right-handed bats in the league.
22. Victor Caratini — Houston Astros
Caratini is one of the best bang-for-your-buck catchers in the game. Ultimately, the lack of volume limits him where he can rank among the game’s best backstops.
Last year, he was an 89th percentile framer to go with being above average in whiff rate, chase rate, strikeout rate and average exit velocity.
Between Caratini and Yainer Diaz, the Astros have quietly one of the best catching tandems in the league.
21. Tom Murphy — San Francisco Giants
Similar to O’Hoppe and Stephenson before him, Murphy is an offense-first catcher.
Similar to Caratini, he lacks the volume to jump this list.
Until the Giants added Jorge Soler, Murphy was ranked as a designated hitter, and fairly high up on the list. I love his bat; not so in love with his defense anymore.
He also has only played 61 games over the past two years. Even if he had the defensive season he’d put up in 2019, 61 games played was going to knock him down.
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