MLB History: Top 10 Catchers in MLB History
We continue our look at the best players in MLB history with the top 10 catchers of all time
MLB History.
To be a catcher in the MLB, you have to be tough. Wild Pitches. Pitchers are throwing pitches to you at 95+ MPH, bouncing the ball in the dirt. You have to be able to withstand foul tips and still be able to help call the game, whether or not you get the help from the bench.
Because of the pounding they get back there, any offensive production a team can get out of the position puts you ahead of the game. That’s why teams search as much as they can to get offensive production out of the position.
And when they do, as the player ages, they move to first base or get some time at DH if they are in the American League, to give them time off, but keep the bat in the lineup.
Teams need to be strong up the middle, and if you have a quality defensive player behind the dish and can get some offensive production? Well, a lot of times that can help lead you to a ring or two if the other parts are there.
So who are the top 10 catchers in MLB history? Who are the greatest backstops of all-time? Before we unveil the top 10, let’s talk about five guys who just missed the list, including one active player who will more than likely force his way in here once his career is over.
MLB History: Just Missed
15. Lance Parrish
14. King Kelly
13. Roy Campanella
12.Joe Mauer
11. Buster Posey
Parrish had a nice career, playing 19 years in the major leagues. His 324 homers are tied with Gary Carter for the fifth most all-time among catchers. He was an eight-time All-Star, won three Gold Gloves, and was the catcher on the 1984 World Series-winning Detroit Tigers. King Kelly had a 16 year, Hall of Fame Career in the 1800’s and had a fantastic mustache. He led the league in runs for the straight seasons and in 1886 hit a whopping .388.
Who knows what Roy Campanella would have done had it not been for the car accident in 1958 that left him paralyzed. Campy won 3 MVPs and was an All-Star every year from 1949-1956.
Mauer primarily was a catcher for the early part of his career until concussions shifted him to first, however, in 2009, he put up one of the best seasons for a catcher, hitting .365 with a 1.031 OPS, on his way to an MVP.
Posey may find himself in the top 10 once his career is done. He’s a five-time All-Star, a three-time World Series Champ and the 2012 NL MVP. He’s hit over .300 four times in his career thus far.
So who made our list? Let’s take a look at number 10.
MLB History 10., Ernie Lombardi
Lombardi played 17 seasons in the major leagues after breaking in with the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1931 season. He lasted one year with them before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds, where, he took off as a player. Lombardi didn’t make an All-Star team until 1936, but he had some excellent seasons before that, including 1935 where he hit .343 with a .918 OPS.
From 1936-1943, Lombardi made the All-Star team every year except one. In 1938, he hit .342 with a .915 OPS and won the National League MVP, even though he only led the league in batting average and nothing else. He was a part of two pennant-winning teams with the Reds in 1939 and 1940 and helped them win the World Series in 1940.
The Reds traded him to the Boston Braves before the 1942 season, where he made another All-Star team. He lasted one year in Boston, before being dealt the New York Giants where he would stay until the end of his career after the 1947 season.
Ernie won two batting titles and hit over .300 10 of 17 years played. As a catcher. He also had an OPS of .800 or better 10 of 17 years he played.
Among catchers with 1000 games or more, Lombardi’s .306 average ranks eighth all time. His .818 OPS is 14th.
Lombardi was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1986 by the veterans committee.
MLB History 9. Bill Dickey
The New York Yankees had some fantastic teams in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Part of that was having players like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio. Another central part of that team was the man behind the plate and part of the reason why the New York Yankees have the number eight retired twice.
Bill Dickey started the tradition of great Yankees catchers. He never led the league in any categories, but that doesn’t matter.
Dickey made the All-Star team 11 of his 17 seasons, and he lost two years due to military service. He made the squad every year from 1936-1943.
He hit over 20 homers every year from 1936-1939. He hit over .300 in a season 11 times. He finished in the top 10 in MVP voting five times. His best season may have been in 1936 where he hit .362 with 22 homers, 107 RBI, and a 1.042 OPS, in 120 games.
Among catchers who played in 1000 games, Dickey is second in batting average, fifth in slugging, third in OPS and eighth in RBI.
In eight World Series, Dickey hit over .400 twice. Not bad for the guy who wasn’t thought of with all of the other Hall of Fame talent that were on those Yankees clubs.
Speaking of the Hall of Fame, Dickey was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1954.
MLB History 8. Gabby Hartnett
Yes, quite a few of the best catchers of all time played at a time when there was no color TV’s, no night games, and men wore suits to watch the games in the stands — this is another player from that era.
Gabby Hartnett was one of the best catchers ever, and just had the misfortune of playing in a time when the Yankees had a dynasty and spending his entire career with the Chicago Cubs except for his final season in 1941. Hartnett appeared in four World Series as a member of the Cubs. All of them losses.
Hartnett appeared in the first six All-Star games played, from 1933-1938. He had four Top 10 MVP Award finishes, including being named the 1935 MVP Award, where he hit .344 with a .949 OPS with 13 homers and 91 RBI.
He finished his career with a .297 batting average and finished over .300 six times in his 20-year career. He was a run producer. His 1179 RBI are ninth all-time among catchers, even through he only had one season of 100+ RBI. His .858 OPS is fifth ever among catchers with at least 1,000 career games. Although there was no WAR stat back then, his 53.4 career WAR is ninth ever among catchers.
Hartnett would be elected into the Hall of Fame in 1955.
MLB History 7. Mickey Cochrane
There are players in every sport throughout history where their careers were cut short, and you wonder what kind of numbers they would have put up had it not been for injury or something like that. Although he played 13 years, Mickey Cochrane was one of those players.
In 1937, Cochrane was beaned and spent a week in the hospital. Doctors forced him to retire after the incident. He was just 34 years old and may have had a few more seasons where he could add to his already impressive totals.
Cochrane won two MVP’s and finished in the top 10 of MVP voting five times. His .320 career batting average is the highest ever for a catcher. His .419 OBP is also the best for a catcher ever.
He began his career in Philadelphia with the A’s and was traded to the Detroit Tigers in 1934, where he would take over as player-manager. He would lead the Tigers to back to back pennants and the 1935 World Championship as manager while making the All-Star team in both seasons. In that 1935 season, he would hit .319 with a .902 OPS.
Cochrane would be elected into the Hall of Fame in 1947.
MLB History 6. Yogi Berra
The man who continued the New York Yankees tradition of great catching, plus when you’re good enough to have your sayings turn into isms with your name? That’s pretty good too.
Lawerence Peter “Yogi” Berra came up to the New York Yankees in 1946 for a cup of coffee, but got entrenched the next season. In fact, he was an All-Star every year from 1948-1962. Berra was a part of 10 World Series teams and was a career .274 hitter in the Fall Classic.
Berra drove in 90 or more runs in nine of his 19 seasons. He hit 20 or more homers 11 times in his career.
Berra’s numbers stack up with anyone at the position. His 59.4 career WAR is sixth ever at the position. He caught the seventh most games ever. His 358 homers are the fourth most ever for a catcher. His 1430 RBI are the most of any catcher ever in the history of baseball.
Want more? How about 3 MVPs in five years between 1951 and 1955. From 1950-1956, he finished in the top 5 of AL MVP voting.
He also excelled as manager, leading the Mets and Yankees to the pennant in their respective leagues. Berra was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.
MLB History 5. Carlton Fisk
This next catcher hit one of the most famous homers in World Series history but only appeared in the postseason twice in his Hall of Fame career. Carlton Fisk hit the ground running in 1972 becoming an All-Star, a top-five finish in the MVP voting, a Gold Glove and the Rookie of The Year. Fisk was an All-Star in his 20’s, 30’s and 40’s as a catcher.
Fisk finished in the top 10 in MVP five times. He won three Silver Slugger Awards and was an 11-time All-Star.
Among catchers, Fisk ranks fourth in WAR, second in games with 2499, third in runs, hits, homers, and doubles and sixth in RBI. When he retired, Fisk had the record for games caught and homers among catchers.
His 24 years behind the plate may just be a record that no one else beats with the way clubs are run today and the way catchers, if they can hit, get moved to other positions. Fisk never had that eye-popping, wow season. He had 20 or more homers eight times and drove in over 100 runs just twice.
Fisk was elected into the Hall of Fame back in 2000.
MLB History 4. Ivan Rodriguez
Very few catchers can give you elite offensive production and be a game changer behind the plate. When you get that, you get one of the best ever, and that’s what Ivan Rodriguez was, not only for the Texas Rangers but for the Detroit Tigers, in helping to lead them to an AL Pennant and the 2003 World Champion Florida Marlins.
Rodriguez came up to the majors in 1991 and finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting. From then on, he made the AL All-Star team every year from 1992-2001. During that same stretch, he won the Gold Glove at the catcher position every single season. All told, he won 13 Gold Gloves and seven Silver Slugger Awards.
In 1999, Rodriguez won the AL MVP, hitting .332 with 35 homers and 113 RBI, all while playing his home games in the Texas heat.
In 2003, it was Rodriguez and not Steve Bartman, who was the NLCS MVP, hitting .321 and driving in 10 runs.
Among catchers, Rodriguez is third in WAR, first in games with 2543, hits and doubles, fifth in RBI, second in runs and seventh in homers.
Rodriguez was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.
MLB History 3. Gary Carter
Very few catchers brought offense, defense, and leadership for a staff the way Gary Carter. The New York Mets traded for him before the 1985 season, in a trade that they thought would put the club over the top, and he helped lead them to a World Series title in 1986 and another playoff appearance in 1988.
Carter broke in for his first full year in 1975, where he made the All-Star team and finished second in Rookie of the Year balloting. He would make the All-Star team every year from 1979-1988. During that stretch, he even won two All-Star Game MVP Awards.
He drove in over 100 runs four times in his career and even led the NL in the category in 1984 with 106. He had two, thirty home run seasons.
All told, Carter won six Gold Glove awards and three silver sluggers.
Among catchers, Carter is second in WAR, fourth in games, seventh in hits and RBI and fifth in homers.
He retired in 1992, after a 19-year career, back where he started in Montreal, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002 — the first player to make the Hall of Fame with an Expo on their cap.
MLB History 2. Mike Piazza
Carter wasn’t the only catcher who helped take a New York Mets team to that next step. Mike Piazza was not going to re-sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, so they flipped the former 62nd round pick to the Florida Marlins. Well, he wasn’t staying there long as they flipped him to the Mets a few days later in 1998. The rest, as they say, is history.
Piazza was an absolute offensive machine. He won the NL Rookie of the Year in 1993, posting a .318 average with a .932 OPS, 35 homers, and 112 RBI. He finished top 10 in NL MVP voting seven times.
He was an All-Star every year from 1993-2005 except for one. He was never the best throwing catcher, but he could block the ball well and was excellent at going after foul pop-ups.
He had two 40 homer seasons and had seven other seasons where he hit over 30 homers. He drove in over 100 runs six times. He had 11 seasons where he hit over .300.
Among catchers with over 1,000 games played, he’s fourth in average, first in OPS with .922, fourth in RBI, first in homers with 427 and fifth in WAR.
Piazza would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.
MLB History 1. Johnny Bench
We’ve reached the top of our countdown of the top 10 catchers in MLB history. This man could do it all. Power? He led the league in homers twice. Defense? Do not run on this guy or you will be thrown out. Johnny Bench was a huge part of the Cincinnati Reds “Big Red Machine” clubs of the 1970’s.
Bench took hold of the Reds’ catching position in 1968 winning the National League rookie of the Year award. Two years later, he would win his first MVP Award, as his 45 homers and 148 RBI led the National League. He would win the NL MVP again two years after that and again led the NL in homers with 40 and RBI with 125.
Bench was also excellent on defense, with the ability to shut down an opponents run game with his excellent catch and throw ability. He won the Gold Glove every year from 1968-1977.
Bench won two titles with the Reds in 1975 and 1976. He was the World Series MVP in 1976, where he hit an absurd .533.
Next: Top 25 Postseason Moments
Among catchers, Bench is first in WAR, ninth in hits and doubles, second in homers and third in RBI.
So there you have it. The top 10 catchers in MLB History. Anyone too high or too low? Anyone snubbed who should be on here? Leave a comment below.