Carlton Fisk was a magnificent player for the Chicago White Sox back in the day. He was an 11-time All-Star, a Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove winner, and Silver Slugger which all led to him making it to the Hall of Fame. He is probably the best catcher in the history of the White Sox. He also spent the first half of his career with the Boston Red Sox before making his way to Chicago.
Since then, a lot of players have used the tools of ignorance for the White Sox. Some have been good and some have been great. Over the last few decades, AJ Pierzynski and Yasmani Grandal have been great. Of course, AJ is long retired now and Grandal might be the best active catcher going.
Pierzynski’s name is on the Hall of Fame ballot this year but he won’t get in. He was an outstanding player during his White Sox tenure and was one of the pillars on the team that won the World Series in 2005.
In his career with the Sox, he slashed .279/.318/.424 for an OPS of .742. He also hit 118 home runs over his 1068 games with the club. There is no doubt that between his 2005 postseason efforts along with his numbers, he is one of the best players in team history.
Fast forward a few years and you have Yasmani Grandal on the White Sox. He signed after the 2019 season so he really only had the short 2020 season and 2021 to spend with them. In those games, he has been magnificent.
2021 was a crazy year for him. He dealt with some injury troubles but he was insane when he was on the field. He clearly knows how to tell his body what to do in order for him to reach his goals. He knew he was coming back at some point soon and he did.
The Chicago White Sox have had some really good catchers in team history.
It is hard to say that Grandal was a more impactful White Sox catcher in their careers because he isn’t done yet. He should have a lot of great baseball left in him as he gets himself ready for the 2022 season where he hopes to be healthy.
These are two of the best catchers in team history. In terms of pure bat talent, the winner is Grandal for sure. He is one of the best hitters in the world which makes him one of the most appreciated catchers in the game. He has a lot more to give if he plays a majority of the 2022 season which is very fun to think about it.
With all of this in mind, Grandal having the same level of impact on the organization feels impossible. Everyone loves him but Pierzynski is on another level. However, the 2022 version of Yasmani Grandal can help lead this team to a World Series so he is important now. Hopefully, he can become one of those all-time great playoff performers as AJ did.