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MLB 2017: Top 10 catchers

By Joshua Sadlock

Jul 16, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (28) hits an RBI double during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 16, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (28) hits an RBI double during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 23, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (4) reacts after New York Mets third baseman Jose Reyes (7) scored during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. The Mets won 7-4. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 23, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina (4) reacts after New York Mets third baseman Jose Reyes (7) scored during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. The Mets won 7-4. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals

Molina is without a doubt the heart and soul of the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the most consistent franchises in sports over the past decade. He’s also done it almost exclusively behind the plate, starting only five games at first base and four at DH out of his nearly 1,600 games over the past 13 seasons. Molina has been to seven All-Star Games while winning eight Gold Gloves along the way. After looking like a light hitter for his first few seasons in the big leagues, Yadi has also made big strides with the bat.

It is hard to quantitatively rank catchers and their defensive value across generations due to the lack of data dating back more than 10 years. Molina’s eight Gold Gloves more than speak for themselves. He trails only Ivan Rodriguez and Johnny Bench in that regard. Bench is already in the Hall, and Rodriguez appears likely to get in this year or next. Molina should be viewed as one of the top five defensive catchers in the history of baseball.

Even as he turned 34 in the middle of last season, Molina still caught 146 games in 2016 while logging the highest innings total of his career. Since his first All-Star season in 2009, Molina is second among MLB catchers in WAR, behind only Buster Posey. His defensive value over that time period is nearly double Posey’s. As it currently stands, Molina should be a Hall of Famer. He is roughly 400 hits shy of 2,000, and only two catchers who have reached that mark are not enshrined. Molina will top 2,000 hits within the next three seasons, and has the intangibles that help him add up to a Hall of Famer.

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