Top Catchers in Major League Baseball – Part 2
Baltimore Orioles have been in all sorts of trouble this season and are currently struggling in the League with a 44-66 win-loss record. The Orioles are ranked one spot better than the worst-performing Houston Astros and a chance for revival this season
seems a distant possibility.
Their main weakness is their inability to halt the flow of runs and a run differential of -128 magnifies their crisis. However, the Orioles have something to cheer about this season. Their catcher, Matt Wieters is ranked as the third-best catcher in the
Majors and this is no small achievement. Seeing his team in tatters, Wieters’ performance has been a source of inspiration for his team.
Wieters has started 87 games as catcher and has performed the obligation for 769 long-innings. What has been inspiring during this stretch is the number of errors which total just two. Wieters’ fielding percentage is .997, just .001 less than first-places
Chris Iannetta.
Orioles’ catcher has amassed 53 assists which are easily placed among the top five in MLB. The Orioles would want Wieters to maintain his good form when they start their next campaign and hope to come up with a better strategy to transform their scattered
success into winning ways.
The lanky Wieters has been a blessing on the plate too. He has already registered 43 runs for his team, ten of which have been home-runs. His hits (87) are fast approaching the 100 mark and his 38 RBIs prove his consistency from the plate. It will be very
important for Baltimore to keep Wieters motivated for the next season as he can be a good player around which a strong bull-pen can be built.
Chicago White Sox have had a mixed season thus far but have experienced a surge in form after the All-Star break. However, they continue to be inconsistent in producing wins, slipping yet again from 52-52 to 52-58 amid six consecutive defeats, including
a 4-0 whitewash by the New York Yankees.
All players, except one, have been unpredictable this season and have not performed to their optimum level. A.J. Pierzynski has been, by far, their most prominent player both on the plate and behind the plate. Playing as catcher, Pierzynski has started 87
games for the White Sox and has performed his duty of catcher in 795 innings. His 795 innings are the third-most by any catcher on the circuit this season.
Pierzynski’s fielding percentage has been phenomenal at .996 and just three errors in entirety has been a highlight of his performance.
He has not only impressed behind the plate but also on the plate. In 345 at-bats, the left-handed batter has amassed 99 hits and is all set to register more than 150 hits in what has been a spectacular season for him. He is just 22 hits way from reaching
1500 career-hits which, if completed, will be an achievement he can bask in personal glory.
Pierzynski’s batting average has been more than decent at .287 and his 31 runs, including five home-runs, have been more than helpful for the otherwise struggling Chicago.
A major point to be noted is that none of the top four catchers in MLB featured in the All-Star game this season. Those who did feature have an ordinary record in the League and this raises a serious question on the selection of the All-Star rosters.
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