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In this article, we will go over the best catchers in the MLB right now and explain why we believe they deserve a place in this ranking. Keep in mind that we will only take a look at active players and not retired ones.
J.T. Realmuto (Philadelphia Phillies)
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Jacob Tyler Realmuto is named one of the current best MLB catchers right now. He debuted in 2014 for the Miami Marlins and got traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in February 2019. Realmuto has two All-Star games under his belt in 2018 and 2019, and he also won the Gold Glove Award in 2019. Another one of his honors is the Silver Slugger Award, which he has won two times in 2018 and 2019.
J.T. Realmuto scored his 100th home run in the 12-6 victory against the Washington Nationals in June 2021. The catcher signed with the Phillies until 2025 but his future after that is uncertain. For a catcher, he is getting old (Realmuto was born in 1991) and that isn’t good for any catcher due to the wearying nature of the position.
Yasmani Grandal (Chicago White Sox)
Yasmani Grandal is a catcher who debuted in 2012 and is currently playing for the Chicago White Sox. Before that he played for San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Milwaukee Brewers. Grandal played in the All-Star game twice in 2015 and 2019. In a few years, a four-year contract with the White Sox will end and we aren’t sure what his future will hold considering he is turning thirty-three this fall. The top season of his career was in 2019 when his best stats were 28 HR, 77 RBI, and 109 BB.
Will Smith (Los Angeles Dodgers)
William Dills Smith is fairly young but he deserves to be on our “best catchers in the MLB” list. He debuted for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019 after being a first-round pick in 2016. His debut season ended with 42 RBI and hitting .253/.337/.571 in over fifty games. He helped his team win the World Series in 2020 and we are sure that he has a bright future as a catcher. He was born in 1995, so he still has a future in the game, as long as he can keep his performance at this level and beyond.
Sean Murphy (Oakland Athletics)
Sean Murphy is one of the younger players on our list. He debuted in 2019 for the Oakland Athletics and even though his career is short (for now), he will have a long time to shine in the future. His 2020 stats (shortened season) were seven home runs, 14 RBI, and hit .233 out of forty-three games.
His stats in 2021 are promising, for example, his batting average through the beginning of June was .228, hit 17 home runs, and batted in 54 runs. He will play in the MLB for many seasons to come and because of his stats and style, he deserves to be on our “best catchers in the MLB” list.
Willson Contreras (Chicago Cubs)
Willson Contreras is a Venezuelan baseball catcher, who currently plays for the Chicago Cubs. He was added to the Cubs’ roster after earning the Cubs Minor League Player of the Year in 2015 status and batting .333/.413/.478 in eight home runs. He helped the Cubs win the World Series in 2016 and participated in two All-Star games in 2018 and 2019. The 2019 season was the best in his career to date and he finished it with 24 home runs and 64 RBI.
Austin Nola (San Diego Padres)
Austin Nola debuted for the Seattle Mariners in 2019, but he was traded to the San Diego Padres in 2020. He played with the Padres in both the 2020 National League Wild Card Series and the 2020 National League Division Series, but he missed the 2021 start of the season due to a fractured finger and a knee sprain. Before starting in the catcher position, he played in numerous other positions, like first, second, and third base, and left/right field.
Salvador Perez (Kansas City Royals)
Salvador Perez is certainly one of the best catchers in the MLB and he has a lot of honors to prove it. Perez has played in six All-Star games, won the World Series in 2015, and was given the World Series MVP award that same year. Also, he has won five Gold Glove Awards from 2013 to 2018 except for 2017. There are also three Silver Slugger Awards and he might have been named near the top of our list if he didn’t miss the 2019 season due to the unfortunate Tommy John surgery, he went through.
Honorable Mentions
We will end our list with seven players, but that doesn’t mean that we won’t mention some other players we considered to be a part of our best catchers in the MLB unofficial ranking.
- Travis d’Arnaud
- James McCann
- Yadier Molina
- Mitch Garver
Don’t forget to read through our selection of the best pitchers in the MLB too.
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