Best defensive catcher currently playing

[keystone]

Yadier Molina

(If y'all have already discussed this, someone delete the thread, OK?)

[bob]

I like your argument laid out here, its very compelling.

[StanTheMan]

When the answer is as obvious as Molina.... there is no need for further discussion.

Great Thread so far. Nice and concise, without all the usual BS normally attributed to "best" at this or that threads.

[keystone]

Defensive catcher

Whew. Thanks, Stan!

I could pull up the stats to support my selection, but as The Man said, why? I don't see any other names posted...

[keystone]

I'm beating this dead horse after discovering that Yadi isn't throwing out many runners at all, has four errors and two passed balls. It's not even Memorial Day.

Now I'm not so sure. Is there another statistic to look at to save his reputation?

[Old Sweater]

I'm beating this dead horse after discovering that Yadi isn't throwing out many runners at all, has four errors and two passed balls. It's not even Memorial Day.

Now I'm not so sure. Is there another statistic to look at to save his reputation?

Well there is no plate blocking or game calling stats and any D stats they don't tell the whole story.

Yadier has thrown out 10 in 28 attempts for 36% and some off the 4 errors probably come from all the extra snap
throws he does. The opponents just trying 28 SB attemts shows how he controls the running game and he leads all
catchers with 31 assists.


Take a gander at the rest of the catchers and you will see he controls the running game as good or better then any of them.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_2008_field.shtml

[keystone]

Thank you, old sweater. Now I can still brag about him. Defensive stats are so hard to make sense of. They never tell the whole story...

I saw where Giovanny Soto was actually throwing out more runners, but a young catcher still has so much to learn behind the plate. He seems to be the whole package, though.

[Old Sweater]

"Over 17 years, saving thousands of runs is like driving in thousands, of runs. It's the same thing. So, what's the difference?" -- Bill Mazeroski

Like your sig. Omar could say the same thing.

[Baseball Guru]

I tell ya what, Jason Kendall is having quite a year behind the plate as well.. He has thrown out 18 of 34 runners (47%) and has 28 assists..

[keystone]

Yeah, I saw that on the ESPN stats page, guru. What's up with Jason? He couldn't ever throw anyone out... Must be eating his spinach?