Photo courtesy of Keith Allison.
If you are like me, you focus on the catcher position in the later rounds of your draft. Some of us bottom-feeders sometimes are not smart enough to grab Buster Posey and Yadier Molina in the early rounds of drafts. I felt that this year’s pool of catchers ran much deeper than in year’s past.
When a player is injured. a great bargain can be had for a cheap price. Brian McCann and Wilson Ramos are two examples of finding production without spending too much.
If you have a choice between the two, who should you take? Let’s take a look.
Brian McCann
Brian McCann missed the first month of the season recuperating from surgery on his throwing shoulder. His 2013 debut was delayed until May with a wrist injury while rehabbing in the minors.
Once he was injected back into Atlanta’s lineup he has done nothing but hit. Now, admittedly he can be a very streaky hitter. He is currently hitting .488 over his last ten games.
His HR/FB% is at a career high 18.2%. That is why he has accounted for ten home runs in 182 at-bats. He is also has a career high in LD% at 26.6%. These rates should adjust lower as the season wears on.
Having said that, I see McCann having no problem finishing the season with more than twenty home runs. His batting average will take a hit in the second half and you will see him hit .275 to .280 by the end of the season. His current .293 is not sustainable.
He will not win any awards with the amount of runs he scores. He should see an additional 25 runs scored in the second half to tack on to his current 20 runs that he has scored.
His RBI totals should come in around 65 total for the year. He hit 67 last season in a comparable amount of at-bats. McCann is an excellent contact hitter and with his power, he really should be driving in more runs. Then you take a look at who is hitting in front of him and it becomes a bone yard of failed run production. Andrelton Simmons the Braves lead off man has a wretched on base percentage of .283. Jason Heyward and Justin Upton can’t break a .250 batting average and continue to fight many 0-4 nights.
The shoulder injury really scared owners away during the draft, but he has made the owners who drafted him look very shrewd at this point.
Wilson Ramos
Fans living in Washington couldn’t spot Wilson Ramos if he was standing right next to them. He is one of the great forgotten players that can pay great dividends off of the waiver wire.
Like McCann, he has been injured. He has had major problems with his hamstrings, which is not something you want as a catcher. He is now healthy and resumed starting catcher duties on July 4.
He has done nothing but hit since he returned, hitting a robust .438 in the month of July. He is a good contact hitter with a solid power stroke.
Photo courtesy of DBKing.
He is very similar to Houston Astros All-Star catcher Jason Castro. Like Castro, Wilson Ramos is still young at age 25 and has his best years ahead of him.
He hits in the bottom of the Nationals order so it will limit his run scoring capabilities. Don’t count on many runs from a catcher hitting 7th or 8th in the batting order.
Expect his batting average to drop going forward. He is a career .272 hitter his peripherals suggest his average will fall somewhere in that range by season’s end. He is currently hitting .297.
His biggest problem is that he doesn’t take walks. His BB% stands at a terrible 5.9%. This is the main reason he hits in the bottom of the Nationals order.
He usually sustains a BABIP of over .300. This is the main reason he gets more than his fair share of RBI opportunities and is not a run producing black hole like a lot of players.
His HR/FB% should have no problem staying in the mid-20’s, which will allow him to hit between 7-10 homeruns in the second half. He doesn’t have the raw power of Brian McCann, but pitchers will think twice trying to groove a lazy pitch by him. You could see him finish the season with 13-15 homeruns.
Wilson Ramos is better than half the catchers in baseball. You can get him right now off of the waiver wire.
Who Would You Rather?
Most people would choose Brian McCann over Wilson Ramos based on his power and where he hits in the Atlanta Braves lineup.
This far into the season if you don’t already own Brian McCann you will have to trade for him. Any owner in their right minds will want a hefty sum in return.
Based on how valuable Brian McCann is to his owners, I would prefer Wilson Ramos. You don’t have to pay anything for him and he will provide you with good numbers moving forward. He will not be a black hole like the other catchers currently available on the waiver wire. I believe at this late stage into the season Wilson Ramos provides great value.