In his 16,223 chances behind the plate, he recorded a . 277. Stephen Vogt (10, 37) 25.22. There is plenty of time to get the grip just right on the ball and to "mentally" control his mechanics of his throw. He has snuffed out 46.7 percent of steal attempts, which is leading the majors. What is the highest average for a catcher during the postseason? He threw out 57 percent of baserunners in 1969, building a reputation that sometimes exceeded actual performance. That is the highest by any catcher in MLB history. The catcher now has to receive this ball under game conditions, stand up, position himself to avoid the batter (sometimes made worse by left-handed batters) and throw a fastball 85-mph to second base to get the runner out. Our catcher that's why. A quick release, strong arm, and the ability to make accurate throws are important for a catcher. Only six catchers have nabbed 40. He made 11 All-Star appearances and was the 1972 AL Rookie of the Year. Simply click here to return to Ask The Baseball Coach. 1100. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. I have reported and written about Major League Baseball in Philadelphia, Boston, and now back in Philadelphia since 2006. quarterbacking the schools football team, turned him into a catcher in the minor leagues, California residents do not sell my data request. The formula is simple: catcher caught stealings divided by total stolen-base attempts -- both successful and unsuccessful -- against that catcher. Back then, there were plenty of rough edges. I rarely do any technique-based instruction on throwing with J.T., Driver said. Active Leaders & Records for Caught Stealing % Jason Castro (12, 35) 25.65. It makes sense to Driver, who has seen other converted infielders be successful at throwing out runners from behind the plate. Its hardly a coincidence that Realmuto was primarily a shortstop at Carl Albert High in Midwest City, Okla., at least when he wasnt quarterbacking the schools football team. A good throwing catcher at the Major League level only throws out roughly . Hebecame the only catcher during the postseason in MLB history to average .300 or higher, have 20 RBIs or more and throw out 20 runners or more. Leading the Reds to 1975 and 1976 World Series wins, Bench threw out 69 or 158 runners attempting to steal. Deacon McGuire was the career leader for a record 24 years. Johnny Bench was that one catcher who used to get all that recognition. ), "he's thrown out X percent of potential base-stealers," the opposite: "stolen-base percentage against". Maybe not 42 years but 30+. TikTok video from thecoachscave (@thecoachscave): "Double Machine Drill: Goal is to block SL and pick FB and get in throwing position to any base (2nd this day). Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. The catchers that were the best in the 2021 season at throwing out runners trying to steal. Ron Karkovice (1990s) offensive grade: C. Active Leaders & Records for Caught Stealing %. Despite playing in just 41 games this season, Rutschman ranks 8 th among all catchers in doubles and 5 th in On Base Percentage. He threw out 49 percent of potential base stealers, the highest mark since Kenji Johjima threw out 53.7 percent for the Mariners in 2009. Gary Carter was the No. Congrats to ANYONE who can accomplish this!!! Minimum of 1000 IP, 3000 PA, 500 games (fielding, 500 IP for Ps), 200 stolen base attempts (catchers) or 80 stolen base attempts (baserunners only since 1951) or 100 decisions for career and active leaderboards for rate statistics. Martins arm may not strike fear into the hearts of opponents, but stealing a base against the Pirates catcher is no cake walk. If the runner took off at the precise instant that the pitcher released the ball, the catcher would need to receive the perfectly thrown ball, stand up, cock his arm and throw a 60-mph fastball to second base to get the runner out. This one is more straightforward, and dependent somewhat on opportunity, at least initially. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Over his 21 year career, Pudge won 13 Gold Gloves (10 consecutively from 1992-2001). It's the percentage. Buster Posey announced his retirement on Thursday, packing up his catchers gear at age 34 after a distinguished 12-season MLB career. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. And Statcast measures it better than any stopwatch could.We've already told you Perez sported the best "pop time" on a caught stealing at second base of 2017 at 1.81 seconds. This 10-minute meditative recording provides daily affirmations for baseball catchers wanting to increase their confidence and their results in throwing out baserunners. Tough? Our 13 year old catcher performed this feat tonight in very competitive travel league. This Month in Sports ReferenceFind out when we add a feature or make a change. Minimum of 1000 IP, 3000 PA, 500 games (fielding, 500 IP for Ps), 200 stolen base attempts (catchers) or 80 stolen base attempts (baserunners only since 1951) or 100 decisions for career and active leaderboards for rate statistics. Yadier Molina (14,601) is second all-time and the only other catcher to record 14,000 or more career putouts. But theres no denying that Realmutos talent is the biggest reason the Phillies have been more effective in controlling the running game. Gallagher, 30, has thrown out 29 . He looks cumbersome but he's quick as a cat." But Molina is a four-time All-Star and has one five consecutive Gold Gloves at the position. Perez, Realmuto and Stewart also tied for best average pop time on caught stealings at second base at 1.90 seconds. Barnhart ranked second in '17, throwing out 32 of 73 runners (43.8 percent). The distance between first and second base is 90 feet which is shortened by 5-6 feet for most base runners trying to steal second with their leadoff. Barnhart's 32 caught stealings were the fewest to lead the Majors since Hal Smith and Del Crandall caught 32 each in 1959, which makes sense given the lack of attempts in MLB. "I don't want to embarrass any other catcher by comparing him with Johnny Bench." "If Gabby would have caught me, I never would have a lost a game." Caught Stealing Percentage (CS%) Definition Caught stealing percentage refers to the frequency with which a catcher throws out opposing baserunners who are trying to steal. Certainly would be rare. Career caught stealing percentage: 1) 57% - Roy Campanella 2) 56% - Gabby Hartnett 3) 49% - Yogi Berra 4) 47% - Bill Dickey, Ernie Lombardi 5) 46% - Ivan Rodriguez 6) 44% - Thurman Munson, Elston Howard, Ray Schalk 7) 43% - Johnny Bench 8) 41% - Jim Sundberg 9) 40% - Bob Boone, Rick Dempsey 10) 39% - Mickey Cochrane, Lance Parrish It is a great statistical resource. Bob Boone was a third baseman in college at Stanford, and Carlos Ruiz was a squat second baseman until the Phillies signed him out of Panama. You had to take it away from him. James McCann of the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians Roberto Perez are tied for second with 1.2 runs saved. He had caught fewer than a handful of games when the Marlins selected him in the third round of the 2010 draft and turned him into a catcher in the minor leagues. Who is the best catcher of all time? I have never seen it in my 42 years of coaching; but I would guess it must have happened somewhere. The catcher has to do this without the benefit of a casual, well-thought out preparation and a "just so" grip on the ball. That is the highest by any catcher in MLB history. It's easy to do. The 1993 NL Rookie of the Year, he earned 12 All-Star appearances and 10 Silver Sluggers. Was one of three MLB players with two grand slams on the road in 2010.Finished 2nd in MLB to Yorvit Torrealba in catcher's ERA (3.23).Led all MLB catchers throwing out 44.4% (28 CS-63 ATT) base stealers, his fourth NL title in that category in seven ML seasons.Ranked 4th in the NL in hardest to fan (10.2 SO/AB) striking out just 51 times . According to Baseball Prospectus, Realmuto has saved 3.8 runs with his arm. Required fields are marked *. He was a great hitting catcher, which kept him in the Mets lineup. First 3 batters in 1st inning reached and each was thrown out trying to steal second. Both catchers who caught the final out of a World Series for the Phillies played the infield before they went behind the plate. Molina has just a 26.7 caught stealing percentage, good for a 13th in the league. Jim Fregosi. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. You might go to www.baseball-almanac.com and see if they have any information on that. Driver has worked to help Realmuto improve in several areas, including framing pitches. His career Chase Rate sits at 22.1%; the Major League average is at 28.3%. 55 pickoffs Add a pitched ball that was NOT perfectly thrown to the catcher's mitt (the target) and toss in something other than a nice crisp 90-mph fastball -- something like an 85-mph curveball or slider. The Os catcher rarely commits errorshe has two on the seasonand has a .990 fielding percentage. Those differences might not seem like a lot, but in the high-stakes game of stealing bases, every fraction of a second counts.Which MLB catcher threw out the most runners? What catcher has the most putouts in MLB history? Realmuto and Pirates backup catcher Chris Stewart, all of whom tossed one-time throws of 1.82 seconds. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Which MLB catcher has the strongest arm? Join in and write your own page! Caught stealing percentage refers to the frequency with which a catcher throws out opposing baserunners who are trying to steal. Unblurring History: Ten Best Defensive Catchers In the History of. 4) 47% Bill Dickey, Ernie Lombardi, 6) 44% Thurman Munson, Elston Howard, Ray Schalk, 10) 39% Mickey Cochrane, Lance Parrish, source for statistics: http://www.baseball-reference.com/, Pingback: MLB Catchers highest career caught stealing percentage | christopherj151515, Your email address will not be published. The formula is simple: catcher caught stealings divided by total stolen-base attempts -- both successful and unsuccessful -- against that catcher. Baserunners run wild on him - he threw out just 10 percent of runners last year, and gave up twice as many steals as Salvador Perez despite playing in 40 percent fewer innings. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. How? Multiply it by 100, and you have a better number with which to work: 14.4559. Perez's throw took just 1.81 seconds to reach second from the time it hit his glove, as tracked by Statcast, making it the quickest to nab a would-be-base-stealer last season.Perez, a four-time Gold Glove Award winner, has made a career of cutting down runners on the bases, a skill amplified in the modern game, as the number of attempted steals has halted to record low rates. The former Yankee catcher averaged .357 during the postseason, had 22 RBIs and threw out 24 runners. But Realmuto learned his technique in the minors, then refined it in his first few big-league seasons. Castillo had far fewer chances (just 49). During his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Campanella threw out 57 percent the base runners who attempted to steal a base on him. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. We actually had a conversation early in spring training after we had watched him do some drills and throw to bases, Driver recalled the other day. Yadier Molina (14,646) is second all-time and the only other catcher to record 14,000 or more career putouts. View 2022 batting stats for Catchers. With Wieters at catcher, you run at your own risk. Just the same as a piece of flint. " Streak then was ended. His work may go unheralded by the common fan, but potential base thieves know better than to run on Ellis. Third on baseball's all-time hits list for catchers at 2,356, Fisk had a 24-year career. "Mike earned everything, and he probably had to go above and beyond what some of the rest of us had to do." Theres Nothing To Argue About. Its the most by a Phillies catcher since Mike Lieberthal cut down 40 in 1997, according to Fangraphs. When a runner is thrown out by the catcher, the catcher gets credit for a runner thrown out, which is used in figuring their percentages for runners thrown out. 2, George Case, the best base-stealer during the time Richards played for the Tigers, reportedly said Richards was the toughest catcher to run against. If every base hit or walk is becomes a double or triple (because there is no real threat to throw out runner), it is going to be a long day. But it's more than just the volume of runners that are being caught by Realmuto. Rick answered: Tommy, thank you for your question!Credit for the answer to your question goes to yankee dinosaur blogWhen a runner is thrown out by the catcher, the catcher gets credit for a runner thrown out, which is used in figuring their percentages for runners thrown out. Molina may be off to a slow start defensively, but if his past performance is any indication, look for the St. Louis Cardinals catcher to regain his form as the season goes on. Call out "runner" and have catcher get in throwing position. best catchers in baseball,best catchers 2021,catchers throwing ou. As a sophomore catcher for Gallatin (TN) HS at Smyrna (TN)HS, in 1986, in 1st inning, our pitcher walked the 1st 3 batters and all 3 tried to steal 2nd and I threw all 3 out. Ray Schalk led the American League in putouts a record nine times. According to Baseball Prospectus, Realmuto has saved 3.8 runs with his arm. MLB Catchers highest career caught stealing percentage | christopherj151515, The best Right Fielders in Major League Baseball history, The best Center Fielders in Major League Baseball history, The best Left Fielders in Major League Baseball history. Its mostly, Hey, Im going to stay out of your way because I know you do this really naturally and I dont want to make this any more robotic than it needs to be., "But we do look at every pitch that he catches and assess anything that needs to be done. An 11-time All-Star and eight-time World Series champion, Dickey anchored the some of the great Yankee teams ever. During his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Campanella threw out 57 percent the base runners who attempted to steal a base on him. And we kind of said, Hey, if we start telling you stuff about throwing, remind us of this conversation and tell us to stop. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. Over the past ten years or so, from 2021, the best catchers via CS% fall in the 40% mark. What is the stat for catchers throwing out runners? Many thanks to him. However, Roberto Perez led American League baseball catchers in 2020 with a 71.4% CS%. Johnny Bench Cincinnati Reds (1967-1983) Bench is fairly universally viewed as the greatest catcher in MLB history. Why English language is important for electrical engineering? In the last 10 seasons, there have been 17 instances of a catcher throwing out at least 35 base stealers. Who has thrown out the most baserunners in MLB history? Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez, who has a 41 percent caught-stealing rate for his career, was once an infielder. 385. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. Viloria, 25, has above-average pop time measurements and a strong track record of throwing out runners (36 percent in his career; league average is 27 percent). Second on the all-time home run list as a catcher at 389, the two-time World Series champion earned two NL MVPs and 10 Gold Gloves and made 14 All-Star appearances. 349. He cited the Cincinnati Reds Tucker Barnhart, a Gold Glove catcher last season who didnt catch until high school. Runners may attempt to steal on Martin a lot, but the Pittsburgh Pirates catcher has held his own against the competition. The Dodgers catcher has thrown out the most baserunners in baseball this season at nine and has a caught stealing percentage of 42.9 percent. Hartnett is one of four catchers in baseball history to hit 200 home runs and have a career batting average of .295 or better. You can run on these men, but they will make you pay. Its the percentage. Some catchers will gun down even the speediest of runners if they are dumb enough to attempt a stolen base. Your email address will not be published. "I think we all felt like we had the most athletic catcher in baseball last year in Alfaro, and we probably acquired the only guy that's more athletic than him," Driver said. "Pudge works harder than anyone I know, because he sets goals for himself and then follows through. Joe Torre. Martin may not be able to boast of the scorching caught stealing percentage that other catchers like Mauer and Wieters havehis stands at .348but he has thrown out eight baserunners this season. "Johnny Bench was the No. The Tigers threaten to increase their lead when Yankee pitcher Len "KIng" Cole walks Hugh High, who is substituting for the injured Ty Cobb, on four straight pitches.On Cole's next pitch to Sam "Wahoo" Crawford, High takes off for second and is gunned down by Nunamaker's perfect strike to Yankee second baseman Luke Boone.Cole's control problems continue and he walks Crawford, who also takes off for second at the first opportunity, this time successful.Bobby Veach then comes to the plate, and in the course of his at bat, Nunamaker picks Crawford off of second base.Veach ultimately walks and decides to steal as well, thrown out by Nunamaker for the third out.Pretty strange set of circumstances coming together in this half inning, for the catcher to have that many opportunities.Yours in baseball,Rick. Find sortable fantasy baseball statistics here. 1 catcher of the seventies. Realmuto, Driver realized there wasnt anything he could teach the Phillies catcher that would make him better at throwing out baserunners. This throw proves, though, that arm strength isn't everything, and that accuracy plays a big role in cutting down baserunners as well. What MLB catcher has thrown the most runners? Ellis may be the unsung hero on the Los Angeles Dodgers star-studded roster that is akin to a Hollywood blockbuster. Scott: That is impressive. "That's been great for us and something that's made our lives a heck of a lot easier.". There are others Id include right behind Dickey, but he was the best all-around catcher of them all. Thats a big part of playing the infield. This target is 1/4 that of the strike zone. View 2021 MLB Fielding Ii stats, Fielding Ii leaders & player - Caught Stealing Percentage Fielding Ii statistics. Home plate was his, you see. He also has only allowed two passed balls and two errors as catcher. Most guys have one or two of those skills, but he possesses each. His pitch-framing . Sometimes, you just dont challenge the man behind the plate. Who is the greatest defensive catcher of all-time? The catcher can control the pitchers. The Bucs catcher also has yet to commit an error in 26 games behind the plate this season. Now, put a batter into the equation. First on baseball's all-time hits list for catchers at 2,844, the 1999 AL MVP earned 14 All-Star appearances and 13 Gold Glove Awards. 1 catcher of the eighties." If you look at caught-stealing percentage, however, Castillo's season ranks among the best in a while. He can pounce on bunts placed far out in front of the plate and he gets his throws away with no waste motion. His caught stealing percentage of 57.1 percent ranks second in the league, just behind Mauer. Phillies catcher J.T. "More than one observer has likened Campanellas quickness behind the plate to that of a cat. Driver noted that several Phillies pitchers have gotten better at both holding runners and delivering the ball to home plate faster to give the catcher a better chance to make an on-time throw. Sparky Anderson. The catchers that were the best in the 2021 season at throwing out runners trying to steal. Has this ever happened in pros or anywhere? Robinson Chirinos (11, 38) 23.90. What is important to note from this chart is that a catcher's pop time has a correlation of 0.01 which is strange considering that we would expect to see is a negative correlation which would suggest that a catcher with a smaller pop time would be more likely to throw a runner out. "Why has our pitching been so great? Rodriguez is arguably the best defensive catcher ever. Find out more. A one-time American League MVP in 2009 and three-time Gold Glove winner, Mauer is a pitchers best friend because he keeps runners on the basepaths. Expect Molina to return to his normally sharp defensive formand for runners to continue to think twice about running against him. A pitcher, standing 60'6" away from homeplate, has plenty of time to get set, to concentrate, to wind-up, and to throw to a target some 17" wide and 36" high. R. Kurt Suzuki (16, 38) 22.64. A catcher, on the other hand, has to throw a distance of approximately 127'3" to a target that is "framed" by the shortstop's (or secondbasemen's) glove poised over a base by inches rendering the target 9" wide by 18"-20" high. Gary Sanchez . In 1914 Yankee backup catcher Les Nunamaker sort of . How? Coming in close for second were Sanchez, Marlins backstop J.T. There are other factors, too. The Minnesota Twins superstar leads the MLB in caught stealing percentage, throwing out 60 percent of runners. Stealing bases in baseball is an art form. Then our 1st batter reached safely in the bottom of the 1st and he was also gunned by the opponents catcher. Caught Stealing Percentage (CS%) Caught stealing percentage refers to the frequency with which a catcher throws out opposing baserunners who are trying to steal. He also credited coach Bobby Dickerson with drilling the infielders to make better tags on throws from the catcher. I've been searching the internet to find articles of this feat and cannot find anything besides what is documented here. He threw out 40 percent of would-be base stealers, was an above-average pitch framer, and he deserves a ton of credit for his handling of a young Houston staff. For example, Phillies rookie Jorge Alfaro had just eight max-effort throws tracked by Statcast, so he didn't qualify in our rankings (we used 100 throws tracked to qualify). Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Brad Davis, founder of the @DugoutLegends Twitter account, is a Sporting News contributor. So, beyond his obviously strong and accurate arm, what is it about Realmuto's technique behind the plate that makes him so successful? But when you have a guy thats already been an All-Star that you acquire, you pretty much let him go.. Craig Driver is a second-year coach on the Phillies big-league staff and part of their cadre of catching instructors. Mauer is a baserunners worst nightmare when he is behind the plate. 1. Who leads all MLB Catchers in HRs, Batting Average & more? Join our linker program.