Catchers Where They Don’t Belong
Catching sucks. It’s more physically and mentally exhausting than any other position besides possibly pitcher, but hurlers have a much lower workload. There’s relatively little individual glory; catchers’ best defensive plays are almost imperceptible to the naked eye. Spend any decent amount of time catching and your knees will hate you and withhold all your speed for the rest of your life.
Only the most twisted, masochistic athletes would subject themselves to catching. They’re a special breed, to say the least, but the unique skillset and mindset required for the position make them ill-suited to play anywhere else on the diamond. While shortstops can usually transpose themselves over to second or third base and many outfielders are interchangeable across the grass, catchers are mostly stuck with catching.
On the rare, special occasions when a catcher exchanges a mitt for a glove, it’s cause for celebration– much like position players pitching (especially when it’s a catcher who takes the mound!!!). What follows is a lineup of brave, wonderful idiots– MLB catchers playing every position.
Pitcher- Drew Butera & Bryan Holaday
There were nine (!!!) players in 2020 who both caught and pitched. If there’s any logic behind position players pitching, having a strong-armed, somewhat fungible backup catcher take the hill qualifies. Anthony Bemboom of the Angels was the best of them, allowing just one walk in an otherwise perfect inning. 40-year-old Yankee Erik Kratz‘s knuckleballing exploits were arguably the most entertaining. But two career backup catchers pitch often enough to make it a prominent résumé line.
In his age-36 season with Colorado, Drew Butera finished number one in OPS+… no wait, his OPS+ was one. Sorry about that. He went 6-39 with no home runs, but he did make his seventh career pitching appearance and has now pitched for four different MLB franchises. However, his fastball ain’t what it used to be– it dropped from 89.6 mph in 2012 to 80.1 in 2020.
Like the true journeyman backup catcher he is, Bryan Holaday has suited up for five teams since 2016, most recently the Orioles, who allowed him his fifth career mound appearance. He allowed a pair of hits in his three-batter outing, offsetting a 72.3 mph “heater” with a 60.7 mph knuckleball. Eat your heart out, Jacob deGrom!
Catcher- Yasmani Grandal
This team does need a catcher, doesn’t it? With apologies to J.T. Realmuto, Yasmani Grandal is the best in the game at the position. He didn’t disappoint in the first season of his four-year deal with the White Sox, achieving a .351 on-base percentage and mashing eight home runs. Defensively, he’s perennially among the best in the game. Baseball Prospectus’ catcher defensive adjustment metric ranked him the best defender in the American League in 2020.
First Base- Salvador Pérez
Longtime Royal Salvador Pérez bounced back from a season-ending injury suffered in Spring Training, 2019 to win the Silver Slugger in 2020. He batted a clean .333 with 11 home runs– both of which led MLB catchers. Kansas City has a habit of playing him at first base from time to time to keep his bat on the lineup. They did so three times this past season, giving him nine such appearances over his career.
Second Base- Christian Vázquez
Regrettably, Off the Bench’s favorite hybrid catcher/second base wierdo is strictly a backstop these days. As such, this lineup spot belongs to Boston’s Christian Vázquez. The 30-year-old has transformed from a punchless, glove-first backup into one of the best all-around catchers in baseball, having discovered a power stroke in 2019 and learning to draw walks in 2020. He still has a penchant for the infield though. He only played two-thirds of an inning at second base this past season, but he played a complete game there in 2019.
Third Base- Austin Nola
Austin Nola has undergone one of the more radical baseball transmutations we’ve ever seen. Aaron’s brother was strictly an infielder until the 2016 Arizona Fall League, where he caught for the first time at age 26. He reached the majors in 2019 at age 29, hitting well and playing first base (59 games), second base (15 games), catcher (seven games), third base (four games), and the outfield (two games). The Mariners made him their starting catcher in 2020, and he performed so expertly with the glove and the bat that he was the centerpiece of a midseason trade to the Padres. While he’s strictly a starting catcher in San Diego, he did moonlight at the infield corners before the trade, making him the prototype for this particular exercise.
Shortstop- Kyle Farmer & Isiah Kiner-Falefa
There was only one player in MLB this past year who played both catcher and shortstop: Tzu-Wei Lin. However, this emergency catching situation was the first such appearance of the infielder’s career. While we salute his versatility, he’s the inverse of what we’re looking for.
Two players who had primarily been catchers prior to 2020 became permanent infielders though. The more high-profile one was the Rangers’ Isiah Kiner-Falefah, who spent roughly equal time behind the plate and in the infield in 2018 and 2019. He played strictly third base and shortstop in 2020, winning the Gold Glove at the hot corner. Texas has already announced he’ll be their starting shortstop in 2021, as he continues to swim against the defensive spectrum’s current.
Unlike Kiner-Falefah, Kyle Farmer was primarily a catcher in the minor leagues with the Dodgers. Now with the Reds, he split time as a catcher/infielder from 2017-2019. Shortstop and second base were his primary positions in 2020, which was the first year he didn’t catch at any level as a professional.
Left Field- Willson Contreras
We’re bending the rules a little to include Willson Contreras. He strictly caught for the Cubs in 2020, posting solid offensive numbers and leading MLB with 14 hit-by-pitches. He does have 34 career games in left field though. Besides, pickings were slim– only three players spent time both behind the plate and in left field in 2020: Tzu-Wei Lin (not a real catcher), Garrett Stubbs (only ten plate appearances all season), and Daulton Varsho (see below).
Center Field- Daulton Varsho
Diamondbacks rookie Daulton Varsho is a special young player. The lefty-swinger was a consensus top 100 prospect prior to the 2020 season with the rare athleticism to play both catcher and center field. That’s exactly what he did upon getting the call to the majors, spending ten games at the former position and 14 at the latter. While he hit only .188, expect his bat to come around in a full season of playing time– no matter how they work him into the lineup.
Right Field- Jorge Alfaro
Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro is the default right fielder for this lineup. He was the only true catcher to play there whatsoever in 2020 (the only other being Tzu-Wei Lin, who is now getting on my nerves). Alfaro’s bat took a step backward this year, with his on-base percentage dropping to .280. At least his strong arm gave him the chance to play three innings in right field.
Designated Hitter- J.T. Realmuto
Let’s get one thing straight: J.T. Realmuto is an excellent defensive catcher, which is part of the reason why he’s among the most desirable free agents this offseason. It just felt wrong to exclude one of the top two players in the game at the position from a lineup comprised entirely of catchers. Yasmani Grandal takes the actual catcher spot, so the best place to put him is DH. Feel free to switch him with first baseman Salvador Pérez if you like.
Honorable Mention/Utility- Willians Astudillo
Everyone’s favorite overgrown hamster Willians Astudillo had a forgettable 2020. The Twins only used him eight times– six games at catcher and two as a pinch hitter. In honor of his willingness to play everywhere and swing at everything in 2018 and 2019, we bestow him a ceremonial spot on our bench.
