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Ranking the NL Central: Catchers | Print |  E-mail
Written by Justin Bridgman   
Friday, 23 October 2009 10:37

Catcher is always a difficult position for most teams to find stability, and in the NL having a good hitting catcher matters a ton. Basically it can be the difference in how good a lineup is (See Geovany Soto). Coming into this season the catching crop of the division looked a lot better than it does now, and the best catcher in the division happens to be a terrible hitter, while probably the best skilled hitter ranks lower because he is fat and high.

1. Yadier Molina, Cardinals (Preseason rank: 2)
Molina is the unquestioned best defensive catcher in baseball, and it is a reputation that he deserves. He has one of the strongest arms in the game throwing out runners trying to steal and also those just trying to get back to first base. Molina doesn't bring the greatest offensive play to the game though, and it really cost the Cardinals in the playoffs. His posted a career high OPS of .749 which was good, but his 27 double plays hit into was bad. He lack of speed isn't helped by his extreme lack of hustle going to first, but he gets away with it thanks to his great defense.

2. Geovany Soto, Cubs (Preseason rank: 1)
This isn't a homer pick it is just how bad the rest of the catchers in the division are. Soto experienced a major offensive decline this season finishing with an OPS of .702 and only hit 11 homers in a season where he was projected to hit in the low 20s. his drop-off was one of the main reasons the Cubs offense struggled so much this season, and his injury problems combined with a positive drug test and weight gain made for an awful season. His defense is still pretty solid and he does a great job of handling the pitching staff. I expect a rebound next season from Geo.

3. Ryan Doumit, Pirates (Preseason rank: 3)
Doumit was another guy who had a horrible down season filled with injuries and under performance. He managed to post an OPS of .714 thanks to a good slugging percentage. Doumit may need to move to first base soon because he can't stay healthy behind the plate, but right now I expect him to bounce back on offense and maintain his average ability on defense.

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4. Ryan Hanigan, Reds (Preseason rank: NR)
Hanigan might need to get more playing time next season, but I'm not so sure if he's the future for the Reds. His bat is bad even for a catcher, but he does have some OBP benefit. If he can learn to hit for some more power he might become a useful starter full-time. He does have a strong throwing arm and his 43% of baserunners thrown out is mighty impressive. I think his ceiling is Yadier Molina with a bit less defensive ability, but he still has a ways to go before he gets there.

5. Humberto Quintero/Pudge Rodriguez/ JR Towles, Astros (Preseason rank: 5)
I don't have much to say about this trio of old, bad, and waste of space. Pudge was dumped in August meaning that Quintero and Towles got to suck instead of him, the Astros can probably find a better catcher on accident in the free agent market.

6. Jason Kendall, Brewers (Preseason rank: 6)
Here's the thing about Kendall- he has no baseball skills anymore. He can't hit at all (.636) and his defense is mediocre. He also can't throw out a runner to save his life (20% CS). Much like the Astros, the Brewers need a new catcher because Kendall isn't going to cut it.



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