Catchers Are Lastly Becoming a member of in on the Enjoyable on the Plate

I typically fear about overusing the phrases “for a catcher” in my writing. I don’t like overusing phrases. Working example, I hate that I’ve already overused the phrase “overusing” (and the phrase “phrases”) within the first two sentences of this piece. But the “for a catcher” qualifier is commonly vital. Catchers aren’t as quick as different place gamers. He runs properly… for a catcher. They aren’t as agile as different place gamers. He’s athletic… for a catcher. They want extra day off than different place gamers. He performs quite a bit… for a catcher. Above all else, they have an inclination to not hit in addition to different place gamers. Say it with me now: He hits properly… for a catcher.

Catcher is probably the most demanding defensive place, and because of this, offensive requirements for backstops are decrease. The typical wRC+ at catcher is often about 10% worse than the large league common. That signifies that a workforce whose catchers produce a 100 wRC+ will normally rank among the many majors’ high third, although you wouldn’t wish to see these catchers batting greater than the underside third of the order. That is so typically the case that the majority of us take it as a right. As an example, if I have been chatting in a sports activities bar as an alternative of writing for FanGraphs, I’d say that Austin Wells (101 wRC+), Bo Naylor (99 wRC+), or J.T. Realmuto (102 wRC+) has hit “fairly properly for a catcher” this 12 months, with out even bothering to test how properly the common catcher has truly carried out. Sadly for these guys, I’m much more comfy sitting behind a pc than sitting in a bar, so I did look into how properly catchers have hit in 2025. What I found is that, at the very least for now, I’m at no threat of overusing the phrase “for a catcher” in any case. Simply previous the quarter mark of the 2025 season, catchers have a 101 wRC+.

With a .246/.318/.396 slash line, catchers are barely outperforming the league common in all three triple slash classes. If they’ll hold this up, the 2025 season would be the first since at the very least 2002 (way back to our positional splits go) during which catchers outperformed the league common in any one of many triple slash statistics, not to mention all three.

The Statcast numbers aren’t fairly as spectacular; catchers fall barely under the league common in xBA, xOBP, and xSLG. Nonetheless, they’re nearer to league common in every of these three metrics than they’ve been in some other season of the Statcast period:

Don’t learn into the truth that catchers are underperforming their anticipated slash stats. The Statcast numbers don’t align with actual outcomes proper now; the league common wOBA is .314, whereas the league common xwOBA is .327. Regardless, the “x” stats assist the concept catchers have been a lot nearer to being league-average hitters than regular. Right here’s how they examine to different positions in xwOBA. What stands out is the truth that catchers don’t stand out:

I do know it may appear slightly foolish that I’m all excited a few .246/.318/.396 slash line and an xwOBA 4 ticks under league common. As I made these first two tables, I felt a bit like a father or mother placing their youngster’s B- spelling check up on the fridge. However for a child who usually brings residence Cs and Ds, a B- is one thing to rejoice! Check out how this 12 months’s catchers stack as much as these of years previous. I’d say that spike on the far proper is worthy of the fridge:

As you possibly can see, catchers loved a short interval of (relative) offensive success within the first half of the 2010s, led by Buster Posey and Joe Mauer. Since 2015, nonetheless, catchers have completed final among the many 9 positions in wRC+ in each season besides the shortened 2020 marketing campaign. Right here’s the identical chart as above, however this time, I’ve added within the different positions. For the higher a part of two-plus a long time, that blue line lived on the backside. This 12 months, it has jumped as much as the center of the pack:

Due to this offensive outburst, catchers lead all positions in WAR. This desk is positively fridge-worthy:

Catchers are born on third base in terms of WAR, since they obtain the most important enhance from our positional changes. Even so, they’ve by no means completed a season (at the very least not since 2002) with extra WAR than all eight different positions. The very best they’ve ever ranked was a distant second place behind heart fielders in 2014. Their common rating over the previous 23 seasons is sixth.

Earlier this 12 months, MLB.com requested a bunch of entrance workplace decision-makers which place they’d prioritize in the event that they have been constructing a workforce from scratch. Catcher was probably the most frequent response. Certainly, it’s not unusual to listen to the argument that catcher is probably the most precious place in baseball. Nevertheless, that argument is normally based on sport calling and the flexibility to deal with a pitching workers, expertise we don’t have a great way to measure. Thus, I’ve at all times been open to the concept catchers would possibly provide extra to their groups than gamers at some other place, however it’s exhausting to know for certain. We simply don’t have the empirical proof. To this point in 2025, nonetheless, that hasn’t mattered. Catchers have been probably the most precious place gamers on the sector, no assumptions vital.

At this juncture, I really feel inclined to state the apparent: The 2025 season is lower than two months outdated, and catchers have roughly one other 13,000 plate appearances to take earlier than the 12 months is up. That offers them loads of time and alternative to come back crashing right down to earth. However even when this all seems to be a small pattern dimension fluke, it’s a fluke like we’ve possibly by no means seen earlier than.

Utilizing our splits leaderboard, I discovered catchers’ wRC+ from each consecutive two-month interval (i.e., March/April-Could, Could-June, June-July, July-August, and August-September) in each season since 2002. With the caveat that we’re solely a part of the way in which by way of Could proper now, March/April-Could 2025 ranks on the very high. Out of greater than 100 two-month durations from the final 24 seasons, that is solely the second time catchers have had a wRC+ above 100:

In an effort to establish the catchers most chargeable for the place’s success this 12 months, I calculated how a lot the general catcher wRC+ would drop in case you eliminated every particular person participant from the equation. These are the ten catchers who’ve made probably the most constructive offensive influence for the place this 12 months. Remember, the stats listed under are every participant’s stats as a catcher, so they could look slightly completely different than the numbers you’ve seen elsewhere:

To nobody’s shock, the main participant right here is Cal Raleigh. The Mariners star has been phenomenal this season. If it weren’t for some man named Aaron Decide, Raleigh could be constructing a powerful case to be the primary catcher to win an MVP since Posey in 2012. His 170 wRC+ could be the best for a certified main catcher since Mauer in 2009. What’s extra, Raleigh has saved his greatest work for his days behind the dish. In 149 plate appearances as a catcher, he has a 215 wRC+. In 45 PA at DH, his wRC+ is 14. With out Raleigh, total catcher wRC+ would drop by greater than three factors. It could nonetheless be the place’s highest wRC+ in a season since at the very least 2002, however I’m undecided I’d be scripting this piece if catchers’ collective wRC+ have been 98 as an alternative of 101.

After Raleigh, the remainder of the highest 10 is a enjoyable assortment of names. Will Smith and Sean Murphy are All-Stars having fun with bounce-back seasons. Drake Baldwin, Iván Herrera, and Hunter Goodman are promising bat-first catchers off to nice begins. Carson Kelly, Tyler Heineman, Austin Wynns, and Jose Trevino are veterans taking part in over their heads in part-time roles.

The bottom wRC+ within the desk above is Trevino’s 132. To discover a certified main catcher who completed a season with a wRC+ that prime, it’s a must to go all the way in which again to Posey in 2015. In different phrases, you may argue (and I might agree) that none of these 10 performances within the desk above are sustainable. However that’s not precisely a shock. These are the highest 10 names from an inventory the place nobody has greater than 166 plate appearances. You’ll discover simply as many unsustainable performances in case you have a look at the names on the backside:

Patrick Bailey is the worst offender. It’s not that he has the very worst numbers, however nobody else who has been equally unproductive has acquired a lot taking part in time. Bailey is such an outstanding defensive participant that he might most likely maintain onto a beginning function even with a 37 wRC+. Due to his glove, he’s nonetheless on tempo for 1.9 WAR; solely 18 main catchers compiled extra WAR final season. That being stated, Bailey produced a 113 wRC+ over three minor league seasons earlier than his debut and a 79 wRC+ in his first 801 main league plate appearances. His rest-of-season Depth Charts projected wRC+ is 81. Merely put, it’s troublesome to think about he might presumably proceed to hit this poorly.

You may say one thing comparable about Jacob Stallings and Ben Rortvedt. I’m undecided both is sort of as proficient a hitter as Bailey, however main league batters merely don’t hit as poorly as these two have over greater than a handful of video games. Both they’ll profit from some constructive regression, or they’ll lose their jobs. Stallings has already misplaced taking part in time in Colorado to Goodman and will ultimately lose his roster spot to prospect Drew Romo. Rortvedt may need an extended leash; he’s eight years youthful than Stallings, he was pretty good simply final season, and he’s a lot much less of a identified amount. The truth that Danny Jansen additionally hasn’t performed notably properly has helped Rortvedt to proceed receiving taking part in time from the Rays. Nonetheless, they may ultimately substitute him with prospect Dominic Keegan if his slash line doesn’t enhance from its present .096/.190/.115.

Maybe probably the most fascinating title among the many backside 10 is Salvador Perez, who has gotten off to a dreadful begin in 2025. Nevertheless, no certified batter has a bigger distinction between his wOBA and xwOBA. Regardless of a .261 wOBA, Perez has been hitting the ball simply as exhausting as he did in his Silver Slugger-winning 2024 season. Certainly, he recorded the hardest-hit batted ball of his profession on an RBI single final Friday. His .362 xwOBA ranks third amongst certified catchers, behind solely Smith and Raleigh. That is one other man who can’t presumably proceed to be this unhealthy for for much longer.

Past the names listed above, William Contreras, Adley Rutschman, Yainer Diaz, and Ryan Jeffers might additionally assist their place survive some inevitable regression from the likes of Kelly, Heineman, and Wynns. From 2023-24, Contreras, Rutschman, Diaz, and Jeffers have been 4 of the highest hitting catchers within the league. To this point in 2025, Jeffers is the one one with a wRC+ above 100, and he’s achieved nearly all of his injury in a handful of video games as a chosen hitter. He has a 119 wRC+ this 12 months, however an 85 wRC+ in 105 PA at catcher in comparison with a 211 wRC+ in 36 PA at DH. There’s a very good probability that can even out ultimately. Actually, previous to this 12 months, Jeffers had equally excessive splits in the other way: From 2020-24, he produced a 106 wRC+ as a catcher and a 60 wRC+ as a DH.

Rutschman has continued to battle like he did in final 12 months’s second half, however not like final 12 months, he has an xwOBA within the 78th percentile that claims he’s seemingly to enhance. Diaz has been even worse than Rutschman, however he too has “x” stats that recommend he can bounce again. Contreras hasn’t hit fairly as poorly as Rutschman or Diaz, however nor does he have a major hole between his wOBA and xwOBA. Nevertheless, he has been taking part in by way of a fractured finger on his left hand, and he has advised the ache is at its worst when he’s hitting. It’s exhausting to understand how lengthy an damage like this can take to heal (the Brewers suppose he’s been coping with it since final season), however with time, he can hopefully begin to look extra just like the hitter who had a 130 wRC+ from 2022-24.

In the end, the fundamental idea of regression to the imply suggests catcher offense might be going to drop off because the season goes on. So does the much more primary idea of wear and tear and tear; the most important league season is lengthy, and catching takes a toll on the physique. One other indication that that is all too good to be true is outdated, dependable BABIP. Catchers are at present operating a .291 BABIP, which is correct consistent with the .290 league common. Besides, catchers by no means have a league-average BABIP. They got here shut with a .300 mark in 2006 (league common was .301), however catcher BABIP is normally about 10 ticks decrease than league BABIP.

However, BABIP doesn’t clarify all of the success catchers are having this 12 months. They’re additionally strolling a bit extra and hitting for barely extra energy than they’ve in years previous. Moreover, BABIP isn’t all about luck; higher-quality contact will result in the next BABIP, and catchers have greater hard-hit and barrel charges proper now than in some other season of the Statcast period. Briefly, regression is probably going, however it’s not inevitable – particularly if main gamers like Perez, Rutschman, and Contreras begin carrying their weight.

Catchers have needed to cope with quite a bit this season. The problem system appeared in spring coaching, maybe presaging the eventual implementation of a full automated ball-strike system. Umpires are calling a noticeably smaller strike zone, forcing catchers to regulate on the fly. Stolen base makes an attempt are up for the third 12 months in a row. Essentially the most demanding defensive job stays as demanding as ever. With all that happening, I wouldn’t blame catchers if their offense was at its worst. As an alternative, they’re hitting higher than I’ve ever seen and doing every thing they’ll to make that “for a catcher” qualifier redundant. In 2025, a very good hitter for a catcher is only a good hitter, interval.