The Five Best Catchers in Baseball
Top 5 Includes Victor Martinez, Pudge Rodriguez, and Hip-Hip Jorge!
Aug 28, 2007 James Lincoln Ray
If somebody offered you a job that required you to squat down the 100 degree heat while some guy the size of Texas throws a hard object right at you, at 95 miles per hour, would you take it? Maybe for $13 million a year.
Let's face it, there is no harder position in baseball than catcher. The catcher has to be part ballplayer, part manager, part pitching coach and part psychiatrist. It also helps to be able to hit .300. As you can imagine, few fit the mold.
Those who do -- Mickey Cochrane, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Johnny Bench -- are not just Hall of Famers, but true immortals of the game. Today, there are quite a few fine catchers hoping to join the ranks of the all-time greats. Here are the five best catchers in baseball today.
Jorge Posada, New York Yankees
Since 1999, Posada leads all Major League catchers in home runs and RBI. He's won four World Series, four Silver Slugger awards, and he's also been on five All Star teams. In 2007, Posada is having perhaps his best season ever: he's batting .331 with 35 doubles, 17 home runs, and 74 RBI.
Although Posada may not win a Gold Glove until Pudge Rodriguez retires, he is regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in the game. He's also done an impressive job handling pitchers from 300 game winner Roger Clemens to fresh-off-the-farm rookies like Phil Hughes.
Victor Martinez, Cleveland Indians
Martinez could win an MVP someday. He is just 28 years old and he's got a lifetime average of .301. He's also averaged 20 homers and 80 RBI over his four full seasons with the Indians. This year, Victor is batting .304 with 20 home runs and 92 RBI through just 120 games.
Don't be shocked if Martinez hits 35 homers and drives in 125 RBI next year. He seems to be going in that direction.
Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
Mauer won the batting title last year. It was the first time since Reds' catcher Ernie Lombardi did it in 1942. He doesn't have the power of Posada or Martinez, and that keeps him out of the top two. He's still a young guy, though, and could develop into a 20 homer, 90 RBI guy soon.
Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves
When the Braves let Javy Lopez go to the Baltimore Orioles via free agency in 2004, some people thought they were crazy. Lopez was just 32 years old and was coming off a year in which he hit .328 with 43 home runs and 109 RBI. But history has shown that the decision was a good one. Lopez has gone downhill rapidly and is hitting just .251 with 8 homers and 35 RBI this year.
His replacement, however, is faring much better. After breaking out in 2006 with a .333 batting average to go along with his 24 home runs and 93 RBI, McCann is having another splendid season. Although he's batting just .272, McCann leads all National League catchers in doubles, home runs and RBI.
Russell Martin, Los Angeles Dodgers
If Russell Martin weren't playing in Los Angeles, the Dodgers would have an even more pathetic offense. The catcher leads the team in batting average (.295), home runs (16), and RBI (75). Those numbers put him in the top five among all catchers. He's also a solid defensive catcher who can run well, as evidenced by his 20 stolen bases this season.
Honorable Mention: Pudge Rodriguez
Let's get one thing straight: Rodriguez is one of the top five catchers in baseball history, and he's got the resume to prove it. A 2003 World Series champion who won the 1999 American League Most Valuable Player award, Pudge is a twelve-time Gold Glove award winner who has collected almost 2,500 hits.
Combine that with his 14 All-Star game elections, seven Silver Slugger awards, 287 home runs, and .303 lifetime average, and you have a guy who is arguably the greatest catcher to ever play the game of baseball. But Pudge has slipped a little bit this season, and at age 35 with 17 seasons under his belt, he may have slipped out of the top five.
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