Although potential Hall of Famers Buster Posey and Yadier Molina are among the most decorated catchers in baseball history, it appears the two 30-somethings have given way to a new guard at the position. J.T. Realmuto, Gary Sanchez and Willson Contreras stand out as the most valuable behind-the-plate building blocks in today’s game, owing to performance, age and affordable control. The Brewers’ Yasmani Grandal also belongs in the current class of elite backstops, but the fact that he’s 30 years old, expensive and only signed through this season works against him in comparison to Realmuto, Contreras and Sanchez.
Among those three, the longest big league track record belongs to the Phillies’ Realmuto, who’s in his age-28 season. The athletic Realmuto broke out with the Marlins in 2016 and proceeded to rack up 11.3 fWAR through last year, trailing only Posey and Grandal at his position. He’s fresh off back-to-back 4.0-fWAR seasons and is on a similar pace in his first year as a Phillie.
So far in his new digs, Realmuto has accounted for 2.0 fWAR through 208 plate appearances. While Realmuto’s offensive production has dropped from where it was over the previous three seasons (115 wRC+), his 102 wRC+ remains far above average for his position (89). He’s also an all-world defensive player who possesses far more speed than you’d expect a catcher to have. If there’s one check against Realmuto, it’s that he’s only under control for another season after this one, in which he’s earning $5.9MM.
No full-time catcher has fared better at the plate this season than the hard-hitting Sanchez, whose 154 wRC+ ranks 18th among all players with at least 100 PA. The 26-year-old has mashed 17 home runs, good for a fifth-place tie, to put an uninspiring 2018 behind him. Sanchez combined for 7.5 fWAR from 2016-17, his first two seasons, but fell to 1.7 in ’18 and sits well behind Realmuto this season (1.2). Although Sanchez has a big arm, he’s not in Realmuto’s stratosphere as an overall defender. However, Sanchez is making barely over the league minimum this year and comes with three more seasons of control via arbitration.
Contreras, who turned 27 on May 13, has been a revelation at the plate since he debuted in 2016. Dating back to then, Contreras’ 119 wRC+ ranks second among backstops (only Sanchez’s 128 has been better), while his 7.5 fWAR is eighth. He’s at 152 and 1.7 in those categories this year, having swatted 12 homers and gotten on base at a 40 percent clip. Although Contreras has not gotten rave reviews behind the plate this season or for most of his career, his offense, age and affordability are all huge pluses. Like Sanchez, he’s in his final pre-arb season and controllable through 2022.
Considering all of the above factors, which of these three catchers would you want to build a team around?
(poll link for app users)
Salvador Perez has missed 2 months and everyone has already forgotten about him being an elite catcher.
Wow.
He’s not an elite catcher tho…
Yeah hes annual .300 on base was what kept him from being elite . But the fans still loving in 1987 loved the fact he could drive in runs batting in the middle of the order of those mid 2010s royals teams lol
His contract brings him down compared to the other three.
Over the past five seasons, his wRC+ has been barely been above the 89 average that they mentioned for catchers, and he has never had an OPS above .800. That is not elite.
You’re not elite if your OBP isnt even .300. He gets the Yadier Molina treatment of free all star game trips for no reason
The last 5 years Perez has played, he’s had 1 OPS+ over 100, while Molina has 3. So at least Molina has that as well as getting on base above .300, but Perez on the other hand, is just a well below average hitter with power.
Molina is solid but there have been better catchers in the NL recently. 2016 was his best offensive season in years and he didnt even make the all star team that season. Its hard to take seriously
So this is an offense only conversation? Considering Molina has basically been the best defensive catcher over the last decade+ and one of the best all time. So defense and calling games as a catcher isn’t the most important thing for the position?
At what point does hurting your team offensively outweigh defense?
So he’s hurt the team offensively in the last 2 weeks… like everyone on his team. How has he hurt them before that? Besides his first 2 or 3 years in the majors?
You really want a catcher that hits bombs, makes errors, can’t call a game himself, and not great at throwing runners out over a catcher that does all of that and is an average hitter? Get outta here
Every catcher in the majors can call a good game. What he did in the past decade has no bearing now. That attitude is part of the problem. Grandal is literally that catcher you describe as a “bomb hitter” that hurts the team on D. Grandal is easily a better player right now than Yadi
No, I want a catcher who gets on base and has at least average power who plays average defense. And we’re talking about Salvador Perez right now, nobody thinks Molina is a bad offensive catcher, just maybe not all star level.
The position as a whole is so razor thin and Molina has the last name so that’s why he has been an all star catcher
It’s the build around thing. Molina is 36 and you don’t build a team around a 36 year old catcher
Perez is and has been overrated since the Royals World Series year!
Keibert Ruiz
Keibert??? He’s not even the best catcher on the Dodgers
I’m as big of Dodger fan you’ll ever find, and that statement was ridiculous.
Erik Kratz
*Tuffy Gosewich
If David Ross comes out of retirement then this isn’t even a discussion
Tuffy Tuffy!!
Glad I’m not the only fan
Is that you Fahran Zaidi?
Because he’s the only one who wanted him. Except for the Rays, because they have like 10 catchers on the IL (not quite, but it’s a lot).
Joey Bart!
Adley is the correct answer. Bart is a close second. Might even go Jake Rogers. Also even factoring in age I would take Grandal over these options.
It would be hard to take Adley over Bart right now, Bart has absolutely raked in his pro career, and Adley hasn’t shown anything yet because of obvious reasons, but I’d be shocked if he doesn’t rake as well.
I’m not taking some kid in A ball over an established stud like Contreras or realmuto. That seems pretty crazy to me anyone would. Plenty of prospects have fizzled out or not become studs. It’s not as if either one of them is a can’t miss prospect
Bart’s not even in the conversation yet.
Willians Astudillo would be my choice.
agreed
Who needs these guys when you have Grayson Greiner?
If I were the Cubs I would move Contreras to LF, put Caratini behind the plate and Trade Schwarber.
Well thank God you aren’t the Cubs
That would be dumb. Contreras doesn’t call the best game, but he has a laser of an arm and is elite at throwing out runners both in terms of steals and pickoffs.
But leads MLB in errors for catchers
that would be concerning if errors meant anything…
Yea, passed balls resulting in tying, go ahead, and game winning runs mean nothing. Annoying take.
Passed balls don’t count as errors.
Contreras only has two passed balls this year, which is fewer than Realmuto and Sanchez have.
They should be!
Why lump a meaningful stat in with a useless one?
another great example of why good teams don’t listen to the fans when making these decisions.
You aren’t smart. That is all.
Sucker punching Sanchez is a POS.
Thanks mr morality
Oh look, it’s the one perfect person who’s never made a mistake.
None of the above.
Based on today’s catchers, your franchise catcher has to be either Realmuto or Sanchez. They’re far and away the top 2 with whoever is number 3 far away
Yeah, Sanchez’s sub-Mendoza average last year was an inspiring performance by one of the two best catchers in the MLB. *eyeroll*
Its not really a question that he’s an elite bat at the position. He had a .197 BABIP last year and it looks to be pretty clearly the outlier based on everything else he’s done.
This ain’t last year RY..”*eyeroll*”
Mitch garver
I love how Connor hyperlinked “has not gotten rave reviews.” Way to keep the meme alive.
Also, the obvious choice is Peter O’Brien.
JP Arencibia, no doubt.
i remember watching that guy in ST one year. I really wondered why he didnt get a few more chances.
they knock Contreras’s D, and yes his framing sucks, but he’s got a rocket arm, and is master of the backpick
Sanchez will be DH/1B in a couple years … but the other two will still be catching
Wrong.
Sanchez also has a rocket arm.
His CS% is 16%, which is pretty terrible.
Just a DH.
Tomas Telis says hi.
Matt Wieters
Elias Diaz
J.T. Realmuto is overrated. He isn’t that good of a hitter and this year is proving it.
Except his ops+ is 30 points above average for his position
Christian Vazquez!!
Future Hall of Famer Blake Swihart
First ballot hall of famer Sandy Leon.
From what they say, Adley Rutschman is going to be the number One selection, hands down in the draft. Maybe a few years away, but he is supposed to be the whole Catching package!
Solid article IMO. Minus Grandall getting an honorable mention.
Sal Fasano for the (moustache ride) win
that’s not even his name. I play for his dad
Based on the link provided… Hedges is the best defensive catcher in the game (which is more impressive given the pitching staff being so young). Batting average is horrible, but he will hit you 15 or so homers, and save you a bunch of runs. Probably about an average hitter compared to the rest of the catchers in the league. That with the best defense, and the fact he is 26 should at least get him some consideration. Basically, based on this and some of the other comments, you probably could have expanded this beyond the 3 named there.
Saying Gary Sanchez is an elite catcher? You might as well call Mike Trout an elite catcher. Sanchez is the worst catcher in the game. He might be your elite DH, but not catcher. 8 errors, 4 Passed balls, 8 wild pitches, 17% caught stealing… That’s in 256 innings.
“Although Sanchez has a big arm, he’s not in Realmuto’s stratosphere as an overall defender.” Really? Sanchez isn’t in the same stratosphere as an overall defender with John Hicks. Sanchez ranks 58th for caught stealing percentage. and, BTW, my grandma had big arms.
Judging a catcher based on a pitcher throwing a wild pitch, that is a huge LOL.. You know Willson has allowed a wild pitch 1 in every 19 inning’s but Sanchez is 1 in every 32.
Also half of Sanchez errors are because the SS or 2B didn’t catch the throw but he is the one charged with the error.
you should really research before posting nonsense!!!!!
Judging a catcher on a combination of stats… wild pitches and passed balls can be interchanged at times.
Sorry if the official scorer loves your SS and 2B more than your catcher.
You should watch a game of baseball once in a while, you might see how terrible Sanchez really is.
give me gary or give me death
Right now theres not a better catcher than Contreas. Realmuto is overrated and Sanchez had one good year.
Sanchez has had two good years (2016&2017) and is having himself another good year. I think what you meant to say was: Sanchez had one bad year.
Sanchez is THE top catcher now. 18 bombs is leading AL and his fielding has been improving due to hard work w coaches. Cannon arm shown vs Red Sox this weekend! Team control and low pay (for now) is very attractive too. He’ll be up there for a few more years. Yogui #2?
Sanchez is the easy choice. Best offense. Top throwing arm amongst catchers. The errors where balls thrown down to second hit a runner or infielder can’t hold onto the throw. The issue with Sanchez is pass balls and he is the worst at that but has slightly improved so if I had to pick based on total package Sanchez is the easy pick.