Does defense matter to you from a catcher?

[MAC16]

Me and my friend got into a debate today he says defense is the most important thing from a catcher i disagree. he says mike piazza was not one of the best catchers to ever play because his defense was one of the worst when he is a career .308 hitter and holds the record with most homeruns by a catcher well over 400. he says he would rather have yadi molina than brian mccann.. im just wondering what you guys think about this topic? does defense matter that much to you from the catcher position?

 

[wolfmanalfredo]

I think both offense and defense are equally important. I may be in the minority, but I think Piazza juiced. Good defense wins the game more then good offense. You can't win without pitching and defense. If you've got a catcher that can hold the ball, and throw out runners, that saves runs. I don't care if you hit 1 HR per game as a catcher, if you can't stop the other team from scoring, it doesn't matter.

 

[craiger122003]

Yes it does to me Yadi is absolutely the best catcher in baseball defensively
Am I a Cards fan Yes However without a doubt he is the best defensively and he has gotten
better every year offensively He wil be my first drafted catcher in fantasy
Pickoffs last 4 years : Yadi 24 Mathis 14 Nuff said I dont want everyone else drafting Yadi
so I will stop there Also I said Mathis beacause he is second

 

[predatorkj]

I think your best quality in a catcher is defense. Sure you want somebody who can launch the ball. But your main priority is going to be defense. Having good offense from that postion is icing on the cake. Although I do figure if they are playing on an MLB team...they ought to be somewhat good offensively anyways.

 

[wolfmanalfredo]

Yes it does to me Yadi is absolutely the best catcher in baseball defensively
Am I a Cards fan Yes However without a doubt he is the best defensively and he has gotten
better every year offensively He wil be my first drafted catcher in fantasy
Pickoffs last 4 years : Yadi 24 Mathis 14 Nuff said I dont want everyone else drafting Yadi
so I will stop there Also I said Mathis beacause he is second

Mauer is a pretty good defensive catcher too. Yadi is the best in baseball IMO defensivly, but all around nobody knocks on Mauers door when he's healthy

 

[darocker80]

IMO, calling a smart, strategic, great game and having a good connection/relationship with your pitcher is the most important

 

[wolfmanalfredo]

IMO, calling a smart, strategic, great game and having a good connection/relationship with your pitcher is the most important

Dig it, thanked

 

[MallCopKJ]

More importantly, it matters to the people who run baseball teams. There are probably plenty of guys who could be in the Majors right now if it wasnt for their need to sharpen how they call a game and how their defense is overall.

Theres a reason Jason Varitek continues to get paid. It sure isnt his bat.

 

[matfanofold]

Personally, I'd rather take production over defense out of a catcher, but not one-sidedly so. Piazza is a great example of this. However, if he were just a bit more proficient behing the plate, it would not have hurt!

 

[TomMurry]

I think defending the plate and being able to handle pitches is the most important aspect of a catcher. Wrangling wild pitches and low balls can save games. Id take a good plate presence with an average arm and bat over a stellar hitter that was a risk behind the dish and a subpar arm.

 

[thenumberonemetfan]

It depends on the team imo.If you have a team with a veteran staff then your catcher doesn't need to call a great game as the pitchers will most likely be in control the opposite if your dealing with an inexperienced pitching staff.If your team has a great lineup then you can sacrifice a good bat behind the plate for a good glove.

 

[cgilmo]

brian mccann is underrated defensively

 

[bmc398]

As far as fantasy baseball goes (which is what I feel one of the posters was getting at with his Y Molina rant) who cares about defense. I don't think i've ever been in a league where defensive or catching stats matter, and ive been in tons of leagues. IF you draft Molina before Mauer in fantasy you're nuts. Id also have to agree that Mauer is no slouch behind the plate and is competent enough in his defense and handling the staff that his sheer offensive output puts him head and shoulders above any other catcher in the game. Its especially impressive if you factor in how well the Twins haave done lately with him behind the dish and all of the young pitchers they have had on that staff. This is all coming from a Tigers fan too. Can't hate on the MVP...he's a player.

 

[ajbraves25]

As far as fantasy baseball goes (which is what I feel one of the posters was getting at with his Y Molina rant) who cares about defense. I don't think i've ever been in a league where defensive or catching stats matter, and ive been in tons of leagues. IF you draft Molina before Mauer in fantasy you're nuts. Id also have to agree that Mauer is no slouch behind the plate and is competent enough in his defense and handling the staff that his sheer offensive output puts him head and shoulders above any other catcher in the game. Its especially impressive if you factor in how well the Twins haave done lately with him behind the dish and all of the young pitchers they have had on that staff. This is all coming from a Tigers fan too. Can't hate on the MVP...he's a player.

+1. If you are talking fantasy.. Mauer is the clear 1st 2nd and 3rd choice. But defensively speaking Yadi gets the nod. But is Mauer that far off Yadi when it comes to defense? I mean I haven't looked at their defensive stats, but wouldn't Mauers leadership and bat more than make up for Yadi's defense?

~AJ

 

[cowboysrule48]

I thought it was common knowledge that a catcher's defense/game-calling ability was the most important facet of the game. I'd gladly take a catcher who bats .250 and does an amazing job at handling the pitcher staff over a .310 hitter who does not. Tony LaRussa even said that Molina is so valuable to that team behind the plate he would still be in the lineup if he didn't get a single hit all season.

I agree with ajbraves about Mauer/Molina though. Mauer has the defensive ability also. He's just one of those special players that doesn't come around often.

 

[darocker80]

IMO, calling a smart, strategic, great game and having a good connection/relationship with your pitcher is the most important

Dig it, thanked

thanks. joe mauer demonstrates this well.

You should've seen Matt Cain and Lincecum's faces when they found out bengie was returning.

 

[Brett Keith]

I'll take Yadier over any catcher not named Joe Mauer.

 

[ballcardzdotcom]

brian mccann is underrated defensively

This

 

[lisu]

There's a minimum batting production that you want from your catcher, but I think that in the end defense is the most important thing that you want from your catcher. Pitchers need to be confident in their catcher's abilities and trust their pitch calls.

There are reasons why there are some catchers on rosters who are only there specifically to catch a particular pitcher.

 

[Mozzie22]

Mike Matheny is probably my second favorite all time player and I can say with no shame that he couldn't hit at all!! However, he was invaluable to his team because of his unreal defense. He is the best I have ever seen at blocking balls in the dirt and calling a game. He made millions of dollars and was beloved by all of his managers despite the fact he couldn't hit his way out of a paper sack. Defense is absolutely more important at the catcher position.