The AL East is one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. This season four of the five teams finished with a record above .500. Having a quality player at every roster spot is critical for success, but especially catcher. So let’s breakdown how all five teams’ catcher position looks for 2022.
Before we get started, most of the catchers we will talk about are good either offensively or defensively, as it is not common for catchers to be high quality in both areas. It is also not particularly easy to replace a catcher, as there is work that needs to be done with the pitching staff to ensure comfortability and familiarity.
Looking at the free agent market for catchers this offseason, the options are limited.
Let’s keep this in mind as we take a deeper look into each team and come back as a reference throughout to see if any of these free agents would be an improvement.
Baltimore Orioles
Pedro Severino was the primary catcher for the Orioles this season. He is average in terms of offensive production, with a .686 OPS this season. Severino is a below average defensive catcher in terms of framing, defensive runs saved (-9 DRS on the year), and controlling baserunners. His caught stealing rate was only 22.5%. Severino is under team control for another two years and I expect him to be the primary catcher for the Orioles on Opening Day.
Austin Wynns was the back-up catcher for the Orioles this season. He is a below average offensive catcher with a .540 OPS. He is also a below average defensive catcher, with a -6 DRS and below average strike rate. He is fine as an up and down catcher option. Since he is out of minor league options, I expect the Orioles to include him on the major league roster to start the season and DFA him when Adley Rustchman is ready to make his MLB debut.
Edit: Austin Wynns was outrighted by the Orioles and elected free agency on October 25th
Rutschman is the Orioles number one prospect and will be ready to make his MLB debut in 2022. He is a plus defender with a strong arm, which will benefit him in the majors to control the running game. Rutschman was promoted to Triple A this season and did very well offensively, hitting .312/.405/.490. He has demonstrated progress offensively as he made his way up the ranks of the minor leagues. After he settles in with the major league club and adjusts to the pitching staff, he will be an exciting young player to watch on the Orioles.
Boston Red Sox
Christian Vázquez was the primary catcher for the Red Sox this season. With a .660 OPS and 77 wRC+, Vázquez had a weaker year at the plate compared to years past, so he may perform better offensively next season. The defensive aspect of the game is what he’s always been known for and this season was no different. He had 5 DRS and an above average strike rate (the percent of called strikes on the edges of the zone). His control of the running game was not particularly impressive, with only a 24.6% caught stealing rate. While he does have above average pop time, his arm is closer to average.
Vázquez has a $7 million club option for 2022 that I expect the Red Sox to accept because Vázquez is comfortable with the Red Sox pitching staff and is a good defensive catcher.
Kevin Plawecki had an average offensive season, with a .738 OPS (mostly due to OBP) and 102 wRC+. He is a below average defensive catcher, with a -3 DRS and below average strike rate. Plawecki has one more year under team control and I expect him to remain as the backup catcher.
New York Yankees
Gary Sánchez and Kyle Higashioka were the Yankees’ catchers this season, with Sánchez as the primary catcher. Sánchez had a really poor offensive year in 2020, but started to come back offensively this season with a .730 OPS and 99 wRC+. While he still has not gotten back up to his previous production, he had a swing change this season that helped him significantly. Career wise, Sánchez is below average defensively, and that remained true this year. He had -10 DRS this season. While he does have plus pop time and a plus arm, he had a tough time controlling the running game this season with a caught stealing rate of only 17%. Sánchez has one more year under team control and I expect him to return in 2022.
Higashioka had a rough offensive season with a .635 OPS and 71 wRC+ this season, but he is more of a defensive catcher. This season he had 5 DRS and an above average pop time and strike rate. Higashioka is under team control for another three years and is a fine backup catcher for the short term
Tampa Bay Rays
Mike Zunino and Francisco MejÃa shared responsibility this season. Zunino is more known for his plus defense, but he’s had one of the best seasons of his career offensively, with an OPS of .860 and a barrel percentage that was in the top 1% of the league (24%). This was a massive improvement over his past seasons with the Rays. After implementing a swing change, Zunino was able to capitalize and make more quality contact this season.
Zunino has a $7 million club option, which is on the more expensive side for the Rays. However, the team relies heavily on the success of their pitching staff and may prioritize keeping a high-quality catcher defensive like Zunino. Given Zunino’s defensive quality and a strong offensive 2021 season, I think the Rays will accept his option for 2022.
Francisco MejÃa was acquired in the Blake Snell trade earlier this year and has three more years of team control. He is a good defensive catcher with a plus arm. Offensively, he is a switch hitter with a lot of upside. He had a .738 OPS and 108 wRC+ this season. He provides a strong tandem behind the plate with Zunino, and would be a fine option for primary catcher if something were to happen to Zunino.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays split catching responsibility among three catchers this season, Reese McGuire,
Danny Jansen, and Alejandro Kirk. Due to injury to Jansen, McGuire was provided an opportunity for more playing time this season. He posted a .653 OPS and 78 wRC+. Career wise, he has large splits but has done well versus right-handed pitching (.760 OPS). He provides defensive value, with 2 DRS and an above average strike rate. He also has plus pop time and great control of the running game, with a caught stealing rate of 35%.
McGuire is pre-arbitration but out of minor league options, which means he would need to start the 2022 season on the major league roster. One thing working in his favor is that he provides a left-handed bat in the otherwise right-handed heavy Blue Jays’ line-up and is strong offensively versus right-handed pitching.
Danny Jansen is more of an offensive catcher. While he did lose some time to injury this season, he put up a .772 OPS and 105 wRC+. His is a plus framer, as he had an above average strike rate this season, but his caught stealing rate is on the lower side at 24% and his pop time is below average.
Jansen is under team control for another three seasons and I expect him to be the primary catcher on the Opening Day roster.
Alejandro Kirk is the best offensive option of these three catchers due to his power potential. While he was injured for part of the season, he had a 47% hard hit rate and 16% barrel rate. Defensively, he is below average in terms of caught stealing rate (19%) and strike rate. Kirk is pre-arbitration and has all three minor league options remaining.
Having three major league catchers on a roster is not a bad thing, but it does open up a possibility for trade. This offseason in particular the free agent market for catchers is thin, so it is possible that the Blue Jays decide to part ways with one of their catchers to improve another area. Due to his offensive upside, I feel the Blue Jays will choose to hold onto Kirk over McGuire next season if they do not keep all three.
Like the Orioles, the Blue Jays also have their number 1 prospect as a catcher. Gabriel Moreno performed very well offensively and defensively in Double A this season before he was promoted to Triple A towards the end of the year. In Double A, he hit .373/.441/.651 and had a caught stealing rate of 44%. If he continues on this path, he has an opportunity to receive major league playing time next season in the hopes he will be their everyday starting catcher in 2023.
Final Thoughts
Of all the teams in the AL East, the Blue Jays appear to be in the most comfortable position with their catchers in terms of controllability and depth, though they may lack the upside of other team’s options like Rutschman, Sánchez, and Zunino. Due to the limited options for free agents this offseason, it’s possible they take advantage and trade one of their catchers.
It is possible more catchers become available as teams decide whether to accept club options for 2022. But unless there is a significant upgrade on the market, I expect the AL East teams to stick with the catchers currently on their rosters, who are already familiar with their respective pitching staffs. The position of catcher is one of the more difficult ones to replace.
What do you think of the catchers in the AL East right now?