This has been a very strong season for backstops in Major League Baseball with nine different catchers blasting 20 or more home runs. Earlier in the year there was even talk that the National League MVP would come down to Carlos Ruiz and Yadier Molina, however, both masked marvels dealt with some injuries and now it’s the Giants catcher Buster Posey who is a frontrunner for the award.
Several star catchers failed to make the top-five this season including Miguel Montero, Carlos Santana, Matt Wieters, and Mike Napoli, but that really says more about how impressive the other offensive catchers were this year.
Top 5 Catchers
5. AJ Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox
At 35-years old Pierzynski is supposed to be in the twilight of a very solid career. The White Sox opened the season with prospect Tyler Flowers prepared to share the position. Instead, Pierzynski got off to a hot start, batting .309 with four home runs in April forcing manager Robin Ventura to keep him in the lineup.
Pierzynski has always been solid, as suggested by his career .284 average, but he has never been known for his pop until this season. In fact, the 2005 World Series champion never swatted more than 18 home runs in a previous season, but has now established a career-high with 27 round-trippers.
The veteran suddenly has new life in his career and perhaps will rack up the 357 hits needed to become the ninth catcher in baseball history to reach 2,000 career hits.
4. Wilin Rosario, Colorado Rockies
Apparently Rosario does not want to see Bryce Harper win the NL Rookie of the Year award. The Rockies backstop has enjoyed a red-hot finish to the season, hitting .348 with nine home runs, 28 runs, 26 RBI in 38 games since Aug 13.
The 23-year-old has dominated southpaws this season with 13 home runs and a .356 average in 108 at bats. While he is certainly aided by Coors, Rosario does have nine home runs on the road.
With 27 home runs, Rosario leads all NL catchers in the power department. During the off-season he has to improve his defense and plate discipline to be considered an All-Star caliber player, however, you can expect Rosario to be amongst the top five catchers drafted in 2013 fantasy drafts.
3. Yadier Molina, St Louis Cardinals
It certainly looks like the Cardinals opted to invest in the correct superstar as St. Louis prepares to defend its World Championship in the playoffs even with Albert Pujols playing in the American League. The MVP on the Cardinals this season has been Molina. The 30-year-old catcher has played a key role and it’s not just a result of his fine rapport with the pitchers plus the stellar defense behind the plate.
Molina now carries a potent bat and established career-highs across the board with 22 home runs, 75 RBI, 12 steals, and a .320 average. Molina is by far the most well-rounded catcher in baseball, as his 12 steals leads the league at his demanding position while his 22 dingers ranks in the top five. A legitimate MVP candidate, Molina is irreplaceable for the Cardinals and one of the most durable catchers in baseball.
2. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
It is hard to believe that there was some talk of Joe Mauer being overrated last season, but now that he’s healthy the Twins franchise player is reminding us that when healthy he is a perennial MVP candidate.
Despite a lack of support in the Twins lineup and a cavernous ballpark that limits his round-trippers, Mauer is thriving with a .322 average, 10 home runs, and 84 RBI. Mauer’s greatest value is at reaching base and he does so at a .415 clip. He even returned to his aggressive nature on the base paths with eight swipes this season.
At 29 years old, Mauer is showing us that he is still in his prime and remains a great source for a high average, run production, and stolen bases from behind the plate.
1. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
This season baseball fans were reminded exactly how valuable Posey is to the Giants. Last season the franchise enjoyed a healthy Pablo Sandoval and a dominant Tim Lincecum and yet the Giants failed to make the playoffs without an injured Buster Posey. This season, Lincecum has struggled and Sandoval has missed some time, and yet the Giants locked up the NL West Division.
Posey has dominated and is the frontrunner for the NL MVP award with 23 home runs, 100 RBI, a .334 average, and .405 on base percentage. He has been a consistent force in the Giants lineup, even manning first base on 28 occasions when the team wanted to provide him with a rest from catching.
The 25-year-old Giants star has done it all this season, even catching a perfect game for Matt Cain. Though playing at AT&T certainly robs Posey of some home runs, he has adapted to his ballpark hitting .343 at home. He is even more dangerous this season against southpaws with 12 home runs and a .424 average in 158 at bats. The best catcher in baseball, the only question is whether Posey is the best player in the National League.
Biggest Busts
3. Alex Avila, Detroit Tigers
While injuries certainly slowed Tigers backstop Alex Avila this season, the end result has been a decrease of 10 home runs, and .047 points on the batting average from a year ago. Avila has remained valuable in Detroit with a fine .356 on base percentage, but 2012 was a step in the wrong direction for the 25-year-old catcher.
2. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves
The good news is that Brian McCann has blasted 20 home runs for a fifth straight season. The bad news is that his average has tumbled to .227 and his slugging is south of .400 for the first time in his career. Just 28 years old, McCann’s excellent durability throughout his first eight seasons of his career may be taking a toll on his performance.
1. Geovany Soto, Texas Rangers
One of the least consistent players in baseball, Geovany Soto finally lost the patience of the Cubs management, who traded the 29-year-old backstop to Texas this season. Though this will be the fifth straight year of at least 11 home runs, Soto’s average is at a woeful .200 and even his good eye for the strike zone is not enough to salvage a down season.