Catcher Positional Scarcity

[nsacpi]

Decent catchers seem scarce. This led me to run a quick check, using WRC+ to compare the median major league catcher with his counterparts at short and center in 2015, 2010 and 2005. What I did was look at players at those positions with at least 300 plate appearances and rank them by WRC+. Then I took the 15th best for each position. Here are the numbers:

2015: Catcher 86, SS 95, CF 108

2010: Catcher 100, SS 91, CF 108

2005: Catcher 90, SS 91, CF 108

Interestingly, there has been very little fluctuation in the offensive output of center fielders over the three years, some fluctuation at short and much more at catcher. We also see that in 2015 catchers were especially incompetent offensively compared to shortstops and center fielders.

Will this change anytime soon? I did a check on the list of Top 20 players by league released by BA so far. Specifically, I looked at the top 5 in each league. I found 10 shortstops and 2 catchers. Now I realize some of those shortstops might not stick at short. But the data suggest that the relative scarcity of catchers who are competent hitters is not likely to change in the next few years.

This finding does have some implications for the Braves. It suggests that in considering whether to hold on to Bethancourt, we should add a premium to his value to reflect the current and prospective relative scarcity of players at his position. It is similar to the proposition I've advanced about the relative scarcity of hitters compared to pitchers. It doesn't mean you don't trade hitters for pitchers, but it does mean that you should take into account recent shifts in relative supply in setting the exchange rate.

[50PoundHead]

Catching is a position that has changed radically since my fandom began in the early-1960s. There used to be quite a few good-to-great hitting catchers in that era. Berra, Howard, Torre, Crandall, Carter, Bench, etc. (This is a really abbreviated list). Catcher is pretty much viewed as a defensive position now and it seems that managers tilt the risk/reward in that direction. It could be a result of the deep stats movement with the pitch framing measurements. I get all that, but it's almost like managers try to exert too much control here.

[nsacpi]

Catching is a position that has changed radically since my fandom began in the early-1960s. There used to be quite a few good-to-great hitting catchers in that era. Berra, Howard, Torre, Crandall, Carter, Bench, etc. (This is a really abbreviated list). Catcher is pretty much viewed as a defensive position now and it seems that managers tilt the risk/reward in that direction. It could be a result of the deep stats movement with the pitch framing measurements. I get all that, but it's almost like managers try to exert too much control here.

There will always be some great hitting catchers, shortstops, center fielders. This is why I looked at the 15th best player offensively at each position in each year. I wasn't really interested in what was going on at the elite tail of the distribution.

[The Chosen One]

We had somewhat of a catcher renaissance with Yadi, Mauer, McCann, and Weiters. They're all in their 30's now. Waiting for the next generation of catchers to come if Laird hasn't eaten them already.

Does Mauer even catch anymore?

[nsacpi]

I hadn't thought about the possibility that Laird ate the next generation of catchers. I like that.

[yeezus]

I hadn't thought about the possibility that Laird ate the next generation of catchers. I like that.

Providing himself with job security, and dinner on Tuesday nights.
Really knows what he's doing.

[MadduxFanII]

Braves fans got spoiled by an approximately 20-year run of offensively gifted catchers. We spent about a decade with Javy behind the plate, followed by a couple years of Johnny Estrada (.291/.346/.409 during his time with us), followed by about a decade of Brian McCann, followed by a year of Evan Gattis. There were some down years in that stretch (2002, McCann's 2012), but generally speaking we always ran out a catcher who could really hit.

AJ's nice season notwithstanding, we're running up against the reality of the position now. Kind of a downer.

[The Chosen One]

Bring back David Ross to be a starter!

[The Chosen One]

Braves fans got spoiled by an approximately 20-year run of offensively gifted catchers. We spent about a decade with Javy behind the plate, followed by a couple years of Johnny Estrada (.291/.346/.409 during his time with us), followed by about a decade of Brian McCann, followed by a year of Evan Gattis. There were some down years in that stretch (2002, McCann's 2012), but generally speaking we always ran out a catcher who could really hit.

AJ's nice season notwithstanding, we're running up against the reality of the position now. Kind of a downer.

Don't forget mixed in Eddie Perez, D. Ross, and Laird were major offensive threats bacing up.

[50PoundHead]

There will always be some great hitting catchers, shortstops, center fielders. This is why I looked at the 15th best player offensively at each position in each year. I wasn't really interested in what was going on at the elite tail of the distribution.

I guess my point is that teams used to tolerate below average defense if the guy could hit (especially hit for power). That seems to be changing.