This season has witnessed offensive contributions from the catcher position at levels seldom seen before.
After the jump, I’ll look a bit closer at the different dimensions of this phenomenon.
All of the tables below are looking at players with at least half their games at catcher.
Let’s start with power. Here are the seasons with the most catchers having 20+ HRs.
| Rk | Year | Count | Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2012 | 9 | Russell Martin / Brian McCann / Yadier Molina / Mike Napoli / A.J. Pierzynski / Buster Posey / Wilin Rosario / JarrodSaltalamacchia / Matt Wieters |
| 2 | 2009 | 7 | Victor Martinez / Joe Mauer / Brian McCann / Bengie Molina / Mike Napoli / Miguel Olivo / Jorge Posada |
| 3 | 2000 | 7 | Darrin Fletcher / Todd Hundley / Charles Johnson / Javy Lopez / Mike Piazza / Jorge Posada / Ivan Rodriguez |
| 4 | 1999 | 7 | Todd Hundley / Mike Lieberthal / Dave Nilsson / Mike Piazza / Ivan Rodriguez / Ed Taubensee / Jason Varitek |
| 5 | 1996 | 7 | Chris Hoiles / Todd Hundley / Javy Lopez / Mike Piazza / Benito Santiago / Mike Stanley / Terry Steinbach |
| 6 | 1993 | 7 | Darren Daulton / Chris Hoiles / Ron Karkovice / Mike Macfarlane / Mike Piazza / Mike Stanley / Rick Wilkins |
| 7 | 1979 | 7 | Johnny Bench / Gary Carter / Joe Ferguson / Jeff Newman / Darrell Porter / Ted Simmons / Gene Tenace |
| 8 | 1997 | 6 | Sandy Alomar / Todd Hundley / Mike Lieberthal / Javy Lopez / Mike Piazza / Ivan Rodriguez |
| 9 | 2011 | 5 | J.P. Arencibia / Brian McCann / Mike Napoli / Carlos Santana / Matt Wieters |
| 10 | 2006 | 5 | Ramon Hernandez / Brian McCann / Mike Piazza / Jorge Posada / David Ross |
| 11 | 2003 | 5 | Ramon Hernandez / Charles Johnson / Javy Lopez / Jorge Posada / Jason Varitek |
| 12 | 1984 | 5 | Bob Brenly / Gary Carter / Carlton Fisk / Rich Gedman / Lance Parrish |
| 13 | 1973 | 5 | Johnny Bench / Joe Ferguson / Carlton Fisk / Thurman Munson / Earl Williams |
| 14 | 1956 | 5 | Ed Bailey / Yogi Berra / Roy Campanella / Stan Lopata / Gus Triandos |
| 15 | 1955 | 5 | Yogi Berra / Smoky Burgess / Roy Campanella / Del Crandall / Stan Lopata |
The only years comparable to 2012 are the last two on the list with 5 catchers in a 16-team major league environment.
How about overall offensive contribution. Here’s what the list looks like for OPS+ of 130 or more (min. 300 PA).
| Rk | Year | Count | Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2012 | 5 | Jonathan Lucroy / Joe Mauer / Yadier Molina / Buster Posey / Carlos Ruiz |
| 2 | 2000 | 5 | Todd Hundley / Charles Johnson / Mike Piazza / Jorge Posada / Ivan Rodriguez |
| 3 | 1993 | 5 | Darren Daulton / Chris Hoiles / Mike Piazza / Mike Stanley / Rick Wilkins |
| 4 | 1979 | 5 | Brian Downing / Joe Ferguson / Darrell Porter / Ted Simmons / Gene Tenace |
| 5 | 1977 | 5 | Johnny Bench / Gary Carter / Carlton Fisk / Ted Simmons / Gene Tenace |
| 6 | 1975 | 4 | Johnny Bench / Manny Sanguillen / Ted Simmons / Gene Tenace |
| 7 | 1970 | 4 | Johnny Bench / Dick Dietz / Ed Herrmann / Joe Torre |
| 8 | 1963 | 4 | Ed Bailey / Earl Battey / Elston Howard / John Orsino |
| 9 | 2011 | 3 | Alex Avila / Nick Hundley / Mike Napoli |
| 10 | 2010 | 3 | Joe Mauer / Buster Posey / Geovany Soto |
| 11 | 1999 | 3 | Jason Kendall / Dave Nilsson / Mike Piazza |
| 12 | 1992 | 3 | Darren Daulton / Chris Hoiles / Mickey Tettleton |
| 13 | 1974 | 3 | Johnny Bench / Joe Ferguson / Gene Tenace |
| 14 | 1973 | 3 | Joe Ferguson / Thurman Munson / Darrell Porter |
| 15 | 1956 | 3 | Ed Bailey / Yogi Berra / Stan Lopata |
| 16 | 1950 | 3 | Yogi Berra / Roy Campanella / Andy Seminick |
| 17 | 1938 | 3 | Bill Dickey / Ernie Lombardi / Rudy York |
| 18 | 1937 | 3 | Bill Dickey / Gabby Hartnett / Rudy York |
| 19 | 1936 | 3 | Bill Dickey / Ernie Lombardi / Babe Phelps |
| 20 | 1935 | 3 | Mickey Cochrane / Gabby Hartnett / Ernie Lombardi |
| 21 | 1933 | 3 | Mickey Cochrane / Spud Davis / Bill Dickey |
| 22 | 1932 | 3 | Mickey Cochrane / Spud Davis / Ernie Lombardi |
| 23 | 1914 | 3 | Ted Easterly / Wally Schang / Art Wilson |
1963 (no. 8 on the list above) looks to be the top year on a normalized basis, followed closely by 1977 and 1979. All of the pre-expansion seasons from no. 15 down on the list are on a par with 2012 on a normalized basis.
Now, let’s add some defense into the equation. Here are the seasons with catchers compiling 4 WAR or better.
| Rk | Year | Count | Players |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1977 | 8 | Johnny Bench / Gary Carter / Joe Ferguson / Carlton Fisk / Thurman Munson / Ted Simmons / Jim Sundberg / GeneTenace |
| 2 | 1978 | 7 | Johnny Bench / Gary Carter / Carlton Fisk / Ted Simmons / John Stearns / Jim Sundberg / Gene Tenace |
| 3 | 1979 | 6 | Johnny Bench / Gary Carter / Brian Downing / Darrell Porter / Gene Tenace / Butch Wynegar |
| 4 | 2012 | 5 | Joe Mauer / Yadier Molina / Buster Posey / Carlos Ruiz / Carlos Santana |
| 5 | 2003 | 5 | Jason Kendall / Javy Lopez / A.J. Pierzynski / Jorge Posada / Ivan Rodriguez |
| 6 | 2000 | 5 | Charles Johnson / Jason Kendall / Mike Piazza / Jorge Posada / Ivan Rodriguez |
| 7 | 1993 | 5 | Darren Daulton / Chris Hoiles / Mike Piazza / Mike Stanley / Rick Wilkins |
| 8 | 1975 | 5 | Johnny Bench / Thurman Munson / Manny Sanguillen / Ted Simmons / Gene Tenace |
| 9 | 1970 | 5 | Johnny Bench / Dick Dietz / Ray Fosse / Thurman Munson / Joe Torre |
| 10 | 1983 | 4 | Gary Carter / Carlton Fisk / Terry Kennedy / Lance Parrish |
| 11 | 1973 | 4 | Johnny Bench / Joe Ferguson / Thurman Munson / Ted Simmons |
| 12 | 2011 | 3 | Alex Avila / Mike Napoli / Matt Wieters |
| 13 | 2007 | 3 | Russell Martin / Victor Martinez / Jorge Posada |
| 14 | 2001 | 3 | Paul Lo Duca / Mike Piazza / Ivan Rodriguez |
| 15 | 1999 | 3 | Jason Kendall / Mike Piazza / Ivan Rodriguez |
| 16 | 1998 | 3 | Jason Kendall / Mike Piazza / Ivan Rodriguez |
| 17 | 1997 | 3 | Charles Johnson / Mike Piazza / Ivan Rodriguez |
| 18 | 1996 | 3 | Todd Hundley / Mike Piazza / Ivan Rodriguez |
| 19 | 1985 | 3 | Gary Carter / Rich Gedman / Mike Scioscia |
| 20 | 1982 | 3 | Gary Carter / Terry Kennedy / Lance Parrish |
| 21 | 1976 | 3 | Johnny Bench / Thurman Munson / Gene Tenace |
| 22 | 1972 | 3 | Johnny Bench / Carlton Fisk / Ted Simmons |
| 23 | 1968 | 3 | Johnny Bench / Bill Freehan / Tom Haller |
| 24 | 1967 | 3 | Bill Freehan / Tim McCarver / Joe Torre |
| 25 | 1964 | 3 | Bill Freehan / Elston Howard / Joe Torre |
| 26 | 1963 | 3 | Earl Battey / Elston Howard / Joe Torre |
| 27 | 1938 | 3 | Bill Dickey / Ernie Lombardi / Rudy York |
| 28 | 1933 | 3 | Mickey Cochrane / Spud Davis / Bill Dickey |
Those years from the late 1970s are there again at the top of the list, but 2012 is right behind them. Again, on a normalized basis, the two pre-expansion seasons at the bottom of the list are on a par with 2012. But, a bit surprising that, unlike the OPS+ list, there are not more pre-expansion years represented.
Other than the golden era of catchers in the 1970s, the 2012 receivers look to be on par with just about any other period. So, what do you think – a one-season wonder, or could this be the start of another period of unusual offensive prowess at the catcher position?
