All MLB Team: Who deserves to be named the game’s best catcher?
As fans vote for the inaugural All MLB team, there are a few really tough choices across each position. However, the debate surrounding who deserves to be named the league’s best catcher is perhaps the most intriguing.
Throughout history, catchers have been valued mainly for their defense. The average catcher is strong defensively, but relatively weak offensively. Typically, those who are strong offensively lack elite defensive capabilities. There were exceptions, of course.
However, we are living in a different era. Now, the game’s best catchers have the complete package. Thus, the first ever All-MLB team ballot is loaded with all around talent at the catcher position. The ballot includes the likes of J.T. Realmuto, Yasmani Grandal, Mitch Garver, Gary Sanchez, Wilson Contreras, Christian Vazquez, and Roberto Perez.
The seven candidates combined for 189 total home runs and a .852 OPS. So, which one of them is the best of the best? What separates the good from the great, and the great from the best, is a combination of offensive productivity and stellar defense.
So, let’s break down the list of candidates and unveil who deserves the crown as the best catcher in baseball.
Right off the bat, there are a few candidates that can be eliminated due to a lack of defensive abilities. These are Gary Sanchez and Mitch Garver. Both were two of the most productive catchers offensively, swatting 65 home runs and combining for a .918 OPS between the two of them. They were on the two most powerful offenses in MLB history.
However, their defense prevents them from being considered the best in the league. Gary Sanchez’s defensive struggles have been well documented. While he improved, he still struggled to block and frame in 2019. According to Fangraphs, he posted a -6.8 FRM and -2 DRS. Garver was better at blocking and framing, but lacked elite arm abilities. He had a 16.2% throwout rate, and a -2 rSB, which calculates runs saved by preventing stolen bases. While they were elite sluggers, they were not elite defenders compared to the rest of the field.
Next to be eliminated are the catchers who excelled defensively, but did not do enough offensively. Roberto Pérez and Christian Vazquez would fall into this category. Both have been known as defense-first catchers throughout their careers, but are coming off their best offensive seasons. However, their defense did not suffer as a consequence of their increased offensive production. Pérez continued to be one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, posting an insane 29 DRS and 9.8 FRM on his way to his first career Gold Glove. Vázquez was great too with an incredible .999 fielding percentage and 12.4 FRM.
While their offense was greatly improved, it was still not good enough to compete with the other candidates on the ballot. Both Vazquez and Perez were valuable hitters to their team, but still struggled with strikeouts. As a result, they posted offensive WARs of -3.1 and -5.2 respectively.
So, by process of elimination, that leaves us with three candidates: J.T. Realmuto, Yasmani Grandal, and Willson Contreras.
Contreras will be a popular pick, as he has been the starting catcher in the past two All-Star games for the national league. He had another great offensive year, while playing good defense. However, when comparing him to Realmuto and Grandal, he is just average. While he had a 127 wRC+, which was better than both Realmuto and Grandal, he was a significantly worse defender. He wasn’t bad, posting average numbers in most defensive categories, Realmuto and Grandal were on a different level.
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After eliminating Contreras, the debate for best catcher in the MLB comes down to J.T. Realmuto and Yasmani Grandal. When looking at the stats, it is very close between the two. Both were incredible offensively in 2019, but Grandal had the slight edge in terms of run production. He posted a 121 wRC+ compared to Realmuto’s 108 wRC+. His higher OPS highlighted his superior ability to get on base. Grandal had an impressive 17.2% walk rate, while Realmuto had a 6.9% mark. At any rate, the margin between them is small, which is evident by Realmuto winning the NL Silver Slugger award over Grandal, which has sparked widespread debate.
However, at the end of the day, it all comes down to defense. For that reason, Realmuto reigns supreme over Grandal and the rest of the league. Grandal was great, posting a 17.0 FRM, but Realmuto was even better all around. His 8.0 FRM and 11 DRS are both impressive, but what separates him from Grandal is his ability to throw runners out. He had an amazing 10 rSB, and caught 46.7% of runners attempting to steal on him.
At the end of the day, Realmuto had a better combination of offensive production and defensive prowess. However, Grandal was a close second, and there are valid arguments on both sides. If you favor offense, Grandal is likely your choice. However, to people who favor defense, Realmuto had a better overall season in 2019. Grandal just got paid like the game’s best catcher, but Realmuto should be in line for a lucrative payday when his time comes as well.
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Time will tell if the rest of the MLB fanbase feels the same way, but right now, the stats prove that J.T. Realmuto deserves to be named to the All MLB Team.