If you have been here for over a year, you know this is not the first time I have released this list. However, since our subscriber count has tripled over the last twelve months and I am releasing all my other Top 10s, I felt it was fair to release my All-Time lists again.
I put A LOT of research into these lists last year, so I hope you enjoy.
Here are my Top 10 Catchers of All-Time.
Editors Note: All the graphics below come from statsolider.com go check it out.
10. Thurman Munson
Key Stats: .292 AVG, 113 HR, 701 RBI, .756 OPS, 1,558 H
bWAR: 46.1
WAR7: 37.0
JAWS: 41.5
Accolades: 7× All-Star, AL MVP (1976), 3× Gold Glove, 2× World Series Champion
Why: Thurman Munson is the second player in my Top 10s who should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Critics online will point to his short career and the fact that, regardless of his untimely death, he was beginning to regress and even contemplate an early retirement. I don’t think anyone really knows what he was going to do. He ranks 15th in WAR, 8th in WAR7, and 9th in JAWS. So, my putting him here is not a stretch by any means. He won an MVP and two championships as the captain of the Yankees.
9. Buster Posey
Key Stats: .320 AVG, 119 HR, 830 RBI, .897 OPS, 1,652 H
bWAR: 49.7
WAR7: 36.6
JAWS: 43.2
Accolades: Hall of Fame, 2x MVP, 2x All-Star, 3x World Series Champion.
Why: What is funny is that if I put a player from 1900 with these stats and accolades in this spot, people would be up in arms, sending me death threats. And frankly, I could. His name is Mickey Cochrane, and he also has three World Series rings.
Congrats, you just got freaking beaned! My #9 catcher is actually Mickey Cochrane. However, I am afraid of getting death threats on X, so I am just going to leave this comparison below.
8. Joe Mauer
Key Stats: .306 AVG, 143 HR, 923 RBI, .827 OPS, 2,123 H
bWAR: 55.2
WAR7: 39.0
JAWS: 47.1
Accolades: 6× All-Star, AL MVP (2009), 3× Gold Glove, 5× Silver Slugger, 3× AL Batting Champion
Why: If Mauer had the postseason success that Buster Posey did, you could argue he is a Top 3 catcher of All-Time. Sadly, he played for the Twins. Mauer is the only catcher in MLB history to win three batting titles. His 2009 MVP season, where he hit .365, is one of a catcher’s most dominant offensive seasons ever. Sprinkle in a few Gold Gloves, never dipping below 1.4 bWAR, and you have a Hall of Fame resume.
7. Roy Campanella
Key Stats: .276 AVG, 242 HR, 856 RBI, .860 OPS, 1,161 H
bWAR: 42.0
WAR7: 35.0
JAWS: 38.5
Accolades: Hall of Fame (1969), 8× All-Star, 3× NL MVP (1951, 1953, 1955), World Series Champion (1955)
Why: Campanella is an interesting case because you can’t really use WAR/WAR7/ and JAWS to judge him. His best three seasons, the ones in which he won MVP, were immediately followed by “Eh” years. He would alternate from winning MVP to being a replacement-level player some seasons (1954.) However, he only started his MLB career at the age of 26 due to segregation. His Baseball Reference page considers those numbers when it comes to WAR, and it hurts him. Why, you may ask? They include stats from when he was 15,16 and 17 years old! It muddies things and makes it complicated. You want to keep in his Negro League years, fine, I have no issue with that. However, take his pre-teen years out.
There was a slight rant there, but Campanella was one of the greatest catchers ever. We will never know what his early career would have looked like due to segregation, and we will never know what the end of his career would have looked like due to the car accident that paralyzed him.
6. Carlton Fisk
Key Stats: .269 AVG, 376 HR, 1,330 RBI, .797 OPS, 2,356 H
bWAR: 68.4
WAR7: 43.7
JAWS: 56.1
Accolades: Hall of Fame (2000), 11× All-Star, AL Rookie of the Year (1972), Gold Glove, 3× Silver Slugger
Why: Carlton Fisk’s best season came at the age of 24. He won Rookie of The Year and was 4th in MVP voting. He then proceeded to play another 21 years of what I would call above-average baseball. If he played any other position, his career would probably have ended sooner. But he was a solid above-average catcher, and those are hard to come by. So, he could play for 21 years and rack up enough numbers to get into the Hall of Fame.
What’s crazy is he is 4th in WAR, 7th in WAR7, and 4th in JAWS amongst catchers. Yet, I just said he was “solid.” That is why we need these Top 10 lists. Fisk’s numbers on the surface are “meh,” but when you compare him to catchers, he is one of the best ever to do it. The dichotomy is fascinating!
5. Mike Piazza
Key Stats: .308 AVG, 427 HR, 1,335 RBI, .922 OPS, 2,127 H
bWAR: 59.6
WAR7: 43.1
JAWS: 51.4
Accolades: Hall of Fame (2016), 12× All-Star, NL Rookie of the Year (1993), 10× Silver Slugger
Why: 5th in WAR/ 3rd in WAR7/ 5th in JAWS. This feels like the perfect spot to put him. He is the best power-hitting catcher in MLB history and probably the best offensive catcher, period. His defense is good, but he is the worst on this list. However, he leads in oWAR amongst all catchers, slightly above Carlton Fisk.
His story is super interesting. From Ted Williams watching him as a 16-year-old to the Dodgers drafting him as a favor to Lasorda, all odds were against him being a major league player. Yet, he will go down as one of the best ever.
4. Gary Carter
Key Stats: .262 AVG, 324 HR, 1,225 RBI, .773 OPS, 2,092 H
bWAR: 70.1
WAR7: 48.2
JAWS: 59.2
Accolades: Hall of Fame (2003), 11× All-Star, 3× Gold Glove, 5× Silver Slugger, World Series Champion (1986)
Why: Two Mets legends in a row! Carter is not close to Piazza offensively. However, his elite defense, clutch hitting, and leadership on a championship team give him the edge over Mike for me. He also started his career at a time when catchers were beginning to become more well-rounded and less focused on defense. My dad could probably speak more to Carter’s greatness. Maybe Brett will book him as a guest.
3. Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez
Key Stats: .296 AVG, 311 HR, 1,332 RBI, .798 OPS, 2,844 H
bWAR: 68.7
WAR7: 46.7
JAWS: 57.7
Accolades: Hall of Fame (2017), 14× All-Star, 13× Gold Glove, 7× Silver Slugger, AL MVP (1999), World Series Champion (2003)
Why: When I put my list out on X., I got a few people messaging me about Rodriguez and Piazza. Look, there is nothing that shows that either of these guys took PED’s. The evidence for Mike Piazza is that he had back acne. For Pudge, we would have to take Jose Canseco’s word. Clearly, the voters for the Hall did not take either of these accusations seriously. So, neither will I.
Pudge is the most excellent defensive catcher of all time. Racking up 13 Gold Gloves and pairing it with over 300 home runs and almost 3,000 hits makes him the most well-rounded player on this list. However, he played a little too long and was not as successful in the postseason as the two guys you will see next.
2. Johnny Bench
Key Stats: .267 AVG, 389 HR, 1,376 RBI, .817 OPS, 2,048 H
bWAR: 75.1
WAR7: 47.2
JAWS: 61.2
Accolades: Hall of Fame (1989), 2× NL MVP, 14× All-Star, 10× Gold Glove, 2× World Series Champion
Why: I know this is where I will get the most hate, and I am ready for it. With almost every position I have covered, there has been a clear #1. Look, Bench leads in WAR, is 2nd in WAR7, and is 1st in JAWS. If you are going off that, then yes, he is the #1 catcher of All Time.
However, the catcher position is unique, and you can argue it has changed and morphed more than any other position over the last century. People like to say that he transformed the position, but I think that is an insult to my #1 catcher of All Time.
1. Yogi Berra (Cry about it)
Key Stats: .285 AVG, 358 HR, 1,430 RBI, .830 OPS, 2,150 H
bWAR: 59.5
WAR7: 43.4
JAWS: 51.4
Accolades: 3× AL MVP, 18× All-Star, 10× World Series Champion
Why: Was Yogi Berra a great defensive catcher? Nope. But Johnny Bench spent time in the minor leagues developing his defensive skills. Berra was at D-Day, killing Nazis.
Yogi Berra is genuinely the player who can change the catcher position. You could even argue that Mickey Cochrane did it, but Berra did it better. His 3x MVPs are tied with Roy Campanella for most by a catcher. 3.98 MVP share leads Bench by over a point. He is on par or better than Bench in every offensive category.
Lastly, Berra is the greatest winner in all of baseball history. He has 10 World Series rings as a player, and three more as a coach. That is the most of any player in MLB history at any position. So yeah, he’s not the greatest player of all time, but he is the most excellent catcher of all time.
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There should be special consideration given to catchers who wore pillows, not gloves, on their left hands and were expected to catch each pitch.
Again. Dumb. Nearly expert would have bench #1. I’d argue Berra isn’t even top 5.