Editor’s note: This first appeared on AMNY.com.
Over the next two weeks, Metro Philadelphia and amNewYork Metro will be asking you, the readers, to help piece together Major League Baseball’s all-time starting lineup by voting who you think is the very best player at each position.
Each day, you will be given a list of 10 players per position where you can choose one (1) option.
Those looking to vote can submit their choices in several ways:
- Send your vote via email to sports editor Joe Pantorno at joseph.pantorno@metro.us
- Reach out to Pantorno on Twitter @JoePantorno
In our fifth installment today, we take a look at 10 of the top catchers in MLB history.
- Check out and vote for our starting pitchers here.
- Check out and vote for our starting first basemen here.
- Check out and vote for our starting second basemen here.
- Check out and vote for our starting third basemen here.
- Check out and vote for our starting shortstops here.
Players up for consideration on our all-time catcher list had to play at least 1,000 career MLB games at the position.
We were left with 122 players who were put through the Metro Philadelphia vacuum, which included:
- Wins Above Replacement (WAR)
- Defensive WAR (dWAR)
- Batting average (BA)
- On-base plus slugging percentage (OPS)
- Home runs (HR)
- Hits
- Runs batted in (RBI)
Taking their ranks within each statistic, an average number was deciphered. The lower the average number was, the better their standing.
Players with additional individual accolades, positive defensive metrics, and postseason successes were given an additional boost — allowing us to come to a list of 10 players that are considered the very best at their position.
Without further ado, here is today’s ballot for you to vote on, in alphabetical order:
Johnny Bench
Years active: 1967-1983
Team: Cincinnati Reds
Stats: 75.2 WAR, 19.7 dWAR, .267 BA, .817 OPS, 2,048 hits, 389 HR, 1,376 RBI
Metro average: 10.57
Accolades: 2x (’70, ’72) NL MVP, 1968 NL Rookie of the Year, 14x All-Star, 10x Gold Glove, 2x World Series, 1976 World Series MVP, Hall of Fame
Yogi Berra
Years active: 1946-1965
Teams: New York Yankees, New York Mets
Stats: 59.5 WAR, 9.2 dWAR, .285 BA, .830 OPS, 2,150 hits, 358 HR, 1,430 RBI
Metro average: 13.14
Accolades: 3x (’51, ’54, ’55) AL MVP, 18x All-Star, 10x World Series, Hall of Fame
Roy Campanella
Years active: 1948-1957
Team: Brooklyn Dodgers
Stats: 35.6 WAR, 8.5 dWAR, .276 BA, .860 OPS, 1,161 hits, 242 HR, 856 RBI
Metro average: 29.57
Accolades: 3x (’51, ’53, ’55) NL MVP, 8x All-Star, 1x World Series, Hall of Fame
Gary Carter
Years active: 1974-1992
Teams: Montreal Expos, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers
Stats: 70.1 WAR, 26.1 dWAR, .262 BA, .773 OPS, 2,092 hits, 324 HR, 1,225 RBI
Metro average: 14.57
Accolades: 11x All-Star, 3x Gold Glove, 5x Silver Slugger, 1x World Series, Hall of Fame
Bill Dickey
Years active: 1928-1943, 1946
Team: New York Yankees
Stats: 57.3 WAR, 10.2 dWAR, .313 BA, .868 OPS, 1,969 hits, 202 HR, 1,209 RBI
AMNY average: 12.57
Accolades: 11x All-Star, 7x World Series, missed 2 seasons (1944-45) for military service, Hall of Fame
Carlton Fisk
Years active: 1969-1993
Teams: Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox
Stats: 68.4 WAR, 17.0 dWAR, .269 BA, .797 OPS, 2,356 hits, 376 HR, 1,330 RBI
Metro average: 12
Accolades: 1972 AL Rookie of the Year, 11x All-Star, 1x Gold Glove, 3x Silver Slugger, Hall of Fame
Yadier Molina
Years active: 2004-Present
Team: St. Louis Cardinals
Stats: 40.1 WAR, 25.0 dWAR, .282 BA, .738 OPS, 1,963 hits, 156 HR, 916 RBI
Metro average: 21.4
Accolades: 9x All-Star, 9x Gold Glove, 4x Platinum Glove, 1x Silver Slugger, 2x World Series
Thurman Munson
Years active: 1969-1979
Team: New York Yankees
Stats: 46.0 WAR, 11.9 dWAR, .292 BA, .756 OPS, 1,558 hits, 113 HR, 701 RBI
Metro average: 26.28
Accolades: 1976 AL MVP, 1970 Rookie of the Year, 7x All-Star, 3x Gold Glove, 2x World Series
Mike Piazza
Years active: 1992-2007
Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics
Stats: 59.6 WAR, 1.5 dWAR, .308 BA, .922 OPS, 2,127 hits, 427 home runs, 1,335 RBI
Metro average: 20
Accolades: 1993 NL Rookie of the Year, 12x All-Star, 10x Silver Slugger, most HR by catcher all-time, Hall of Fame
Ivan Rodriguez
Years active: 1991-2011
Teams: Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Washington Nationals
Stats: 68.7 WAR, 29.6 dWAR, .296 BA, .798 OPS, 2,844 hits, 311 HR, 1,332 RBI
Metro average: 5.28
Accolades: 1999 AL MVP, 14x All-Star, 13x Gold Glove, 7x Silver Slugger, 1x World Series, Hall of Fame
