AL Central Rankings: Who has the top catcher in the division?
Aug 12, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers (21) looks to the dugout between plays against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The American League Central has some of the best teams and players in all of baseball, there is no doubt about that, and this will showcase the catchers of the division, ranking them from 1-5.
First off, the catchers in the division include: Alex Avila (Detroit Tigers), Tyler Flowers (Chicago White Sox), Yan Gomes (Cleveland Indians), Salvador Perez (Kansas City Royals) and Kurt Suzuki (Minnesota Twins).
Hall of Fame manager Casey Stengel once said of catchers in this quote from brainyquote.com:
“No baseball pitcher would be worth a darn without a catcher who could handle the hot fastball.”
As for the five catchers in the AL Central, they combined for 67 home runs, 241 runs, 302 RBIs and a batting average of .257 in 2014.
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The division also has a combined four All-Star selections, one Gold Glove and one Sliver Slugger award between the five catchers. All three AL Gold Glove award finalists were from the AL Central.
So with the talent this division possesses with the players behind the plate, let’s see which catcher takes the No. 1 spot in these AL Central Division rankings.
Next: No. 5 Alex Avila
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5. Alex Avila (Detroit Tigers)
Sep 22, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila (13) throws out Chicago White Sox right fielder Avisail Garcia (not pictured) on a ground ball by Jordan Danks (not pictured) in the ninth inning at Comerica Park. Chicago won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
A look at last season:
Alex Avila regressed a bit last season compared to his 2013 campaign. The Tigers catcher batted .218 last season with 44 runs, 22 doubles, and 11 home runs in 457 plate appearances. Those stats, along with 61 walks (17 fewer than the season before) led to 47 RBIs.
Those numbers aren’t great, but behind the plate, Avila, a Gold Glove award finalist, has a .995 fielding percentage with just five errors in 112 games. Avila did have a 2.0 WAR (wins above replacement) and a RAR (runs above replacement level) of 18 last season.
In a article by Detroit Free Press reporter Drew Sharp, it says Avila may bat second by default:
“His batting average has gotten progressively worse in each season since his All-Star selection in 2011. He strikes out too much. He doesn’t run the bases well enough to score from first base on a double. And his issues with concussions calls into question Avila’s ability to even stay on the field.”
The article went on to talk about how Avila has a career .358 on-base percentage against right-handers, making that his saving grace to bat second in the Tigers’ batting order this upcoming season.
Aug 19, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila (13) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Avila’s role with the Tigers is one to keep track of for AL Central foes, because if he is able to get back to his All-Star form of 2011, he could be a dangerous weapon for the club as their No. 2 batter.
2015 Baseball Prospectus Projections:
The Baseball Prospectus publication sees a nice improvement from Avila this season, batting 23 points higher than last season at .241 with a .339 on-base percentage and .387 slugging percentage, both also better than last season.
There is also a projection where Avila will hit one fewer home run (10) and fewer doubles (19), but score more runs (47) and again have fewer walks (53) compared to his ’14 season with the reigning AL Central champions.
BP says of Avila: “He has defense-first-catcher hitting skills, with okay power, terrible contact and a nice walk rate.”
They said it:
A mlive.com article by Chris Lott has a quote from Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, saying about Avila being the No. 2 batter:
“I’m seriously considering it. I wouldn’t say that in any way am I locked into it. But it’s legitimately on the table as a possibility.”
Next: No. 4: Tyler Flowers
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4. Tyler Flowers (Chicago White Sox)
Sep 22, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers (21) receives congratulations from teammates after he hits a two run home run in the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
A look at last season:
If Tyler Flowers could be more consistent, he would have a better spot on this list, but for his career, he’s had decent numbers but not at a consistent enough level for anyone to be comfortable with.
With Flowers, his is truly a tale of two halves, because his second-half numbers were much better than what they were before the All-Star break.
Before the All-Star game, Flowers was batting .218 with a .273 on-base percentage and .304 slugging percentage. In that span, he had 102 strikeouts and 26 RBIs.
Following the All-Star break (and a new pair of Oakley sports glasses), Flowers had second-half numbers that included a .280 average with a .337 OBP and .553 SLG. Those numbers are vastly improved from where he was in the first half.
The question about Flowers is can he finally put together a complete season, as he was the catcher chosen to replace A.J. Pierzynski as the White Sox catcher after the ’12 season.
Last year, Flowers finished with final numbers of a .241 batting average with a .297 OBP and .396 SLG. Behind the plate, the White Sox catcher had a .991 fielding percentage with eight errors in 124 games.
Those aren’t great, but better than some. What I’m really looking forward to seeing with Flowers is if we get the Flowers of the second half of the ’14 season to start out this year, or will it be another tough first half of the season from the White Sox catcher?
2015 Baseball Prospectus Projections:
For the ’15 season, Flowers is projected to bat .216 with a .296 OBP and .379 SLG, all three numbers lower than what he batted last season.
Within those numbers, Baseball Prospectus says Flowers will have 13 home runs, 14 doubles, one triple, 33 walks and 44 RBIs.
If he has those numbers anywhere near the All-Star break, look for the White Sox to go to a Plan B when it comes to their catcher.
They said it:
In late January, White Sox General manager Rick Hahn said the following about Flowers as the starting catcher in an ESPN Chicago article:
“At this point, there’s no reason to move off of that. Competition is good. It brings out the best in people. And if someone comes in and fights for that job and earns it, I’m sure we’ll be flexible. But certainly we view Tyler as the starter.”
Next: No. 3: Kurt Suzuki
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3. Kurt Suzuki (Minnesota Twins)
Sep 17, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki (8) throws the ball to first base for an out in the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
A look at last season:
Kurt Suzuki batted .288 during the ’14 season, and with that, he improved his average 66 points from the previous year. Granted, Suzuki went from 281 plate appearances in ’13 to 503 last season, but his numbers from one season ago showed what type of player he can become.
To go with that near .290 BA, Suzuki compiled a .345 on-base percentage and .383 slugging percentage. Also in ’14, the Twins’ catcher hit just three home runs, but to offset the lack of power, Suzuki did have 61 RBIs and 34 doubles on a team which finished last in the AL Central.
In 1,017.2 innings caught (119 games) last season, Suzuki had a .995 fielding percentage with just four errors in 780 chances. For his career, Suzuki has 43 errors in eight seasons (923 games).
Aug 7, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Minnesota Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki (8) catches Oakland Athletics outfielder Jonny Gomes (not pictured) fly ball behind home plate in the eighth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports
2015 Baseball Prospectus Projections:
The projections for Suzuki are lower than what he achieved last season, with BP projecting the catcher to have 435 plate appearances, where the right-handed batter will have a .256 BA with a .311 OBP and .372 SLG.
The publication also projects seven home runs from Suzuki in ’15, which would be a career-best, along with 22 doubles and 42 RBIs. His walk numbers are said to be lower in ’15 as well at 28, compared to 34 from last season.
Suzuki could be the most intriguing catcher in the division for the single reason of which player will he be? Will Suzuki be the player who batted .288 in ’14, or will he be the catcher who bats .256?
If Suzuki can stay in the high .280s with his average, he could prove to be a very valuable asset for a Twins team who have struggled in recent memory.
They said it:
In an 1500 ESPN article on Feb. 25, Suzuki was quoted by 1500 ESPN writer Derek Wetmore about his career-best season and if he can sustain those numbers:
“I don’t see why not. I know there’s a lot of people say, ‘Oh, he had a lot of luck,’ or whatever. I don’t pay too much attention to that stuff. I think that this is who I am, you know? That’s the player I was last year and that’s who I plan on being again this year.”
Next: No. 2: Yan Gomes
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2. Yan Gomes (Cleveland Indians)
Aug 4, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes (10) hits a two run home run during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field. The Indians beat the Reds 7-1. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
A look at last season:
Being just 27 years old for the upcoming 2015 season, Gomes could be the best young catcher in the AL Central. Gomes was the catcher for the reigning AL Cy Young award winner in Corey Kluber last year, and his offensive numbers didn’t disappoint, either.
Last season, Gomes had 518 plate appearances and in that span of appearances batted .278 with a .313 OBP and .472 SLG, leading to 21 home runs and 74 RBIs.
With Gomes, he also put up numbers that included: 61 runs, 25 doubles, three triples and 24 walks. His strikeout numbers were high at 120.
In Baseball Prospectus, that publication says about the catcher:
“Formerly one of the best-kept secrets in the American League, Gomes is now firmly on the radar following a full season of across the board contributions.”
I don’t believe there is a catcher in the Central who has more potential than Gomes entering the ’15 season.
Behind the plate, Gomes had a .988 fielding percentage with 14 errors in 1,082 innings (1,139 chances). Even with the 14 errors, he was still a Gold Glove award finalist.
2015 Baseball Prospectus Projections:
Gomes is being projected to bat .268 in 450 plate appearances this upcoming season. He’s also had projections of .314 OBP and .443 SLG.
A closer look at the BP projections for the Indians’ catcher has him scoring 51 runs, along with adding 24 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 56 RBIs. He’s also being projected for 25 walks (he had 24 last season) and 108 strikeouts, which is better than the 120 he finished with in ’14.
They said it:
The following quote is from The Chronicle Telegram, where writer Chris Assenheimer quotes Gomes about last season:
“You can definitely tell when a guy is bringing his defense to his hitting. I don’t think anyone would care if I was struggling hitting and we were still winning ballgames. (Manager) Tito (Francona) put that in my head, and I really do believe in that. I still put in my work with hitting, but I try to focus and study so much more on my defense and whatever the pitching staff is doing that it clears my mind when I’m hitting.”
Next: No. 1: Salvador Perez
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1. Salvador Perez (Kansas City Royals)
Oct 24, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) bats against San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (28, left) during the second inning in game three of the 2014 World Series at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
A look at last season:
Salvador Perez saw a drop in production from his ’13 season to the ’14 season when the Royals ended up becoming the AL Champions.
During the ’14 season, Perez batted .260 with a .289 on-base percentage and .403 slugging percentage. As for the rest of his season, those averages helped the Royals catcher total the following numbers: 57 runs, 28 doubles, two triples and 17 home runs.
In his 606 plate appearances in ’14, Perez totaled 70 RBIs and walked just 22 times.
Perez, the AL Gold Glove winner, caught 146 games last season, committing nine errors in 1,118 chances (1,248.2 innings) for the Royals. His fielding percentage was .992, but the soon-to-be 25-year-old Perez has shown he is durable by catching 283 games the past two seasons.
Plus, the back-to-back All-Star had a WAR (wins above replacement) of 4.3 in ’13 and 3.3 last season.
Though Perez has caught the 280-plus games the past two seasons combined, FoxSports.com reported how the Royals hope to cut that workload this season. In an Associated Press article it stated:
“Perez wore down and faded offensively in the stretch. After hitting .283 with 11 home runs and a .437 slugging percentage before the All-Star game, he hit .236 with six homers and a .360 slugging percentage after it.”
It will be worth watching out for if Perez and the Royals cut down on his workload this season and how that will affect the reigning AL champs in ’15.
2015 Baseball Prospectus Projections:
In ’15, Perez is being projected to increase his averages, jumping up to a .283 batting average with a .312 OBP and .421 SLG. The publication also projects Perez to have 13 home runs, 28 doubles and 65 RBIs, meaning it thinks he’ll drop in those numbers compared to his ’14 season.
One projection to keep an eye on are strikeouts for Perez, as BP is saying he’ll have 15 fewer, going from 85 to 70 this season.
They Said It:
In the aforementioned FoxSports.com article on Perez, Royals manager Ned Yost said the following about the catcher earlier this month:
”How do I resist the temptation to write Salvador’s name in the lineup 150 times? I don’t know yet. It is hard to take him out. It’s hard to do. We’ve got to find ways and I don’t know how we’re going to do it yet.”