Red Sox vs the AL East: catchers

Sep 25, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Rene Rivera (44) throws the ball to first base during the second inning of the game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

4. Rene Rivera, Rays

Born in the same Puerto Rican town as Vazquez, Rivera is a journeyman catcher who broke out a year ago at age 30. Starting the season as a defensive-minded backup catcher for the Padres, Rivera worked his way into the starting lineup and played in 103 games with San Diego. His .252/.319/.432 slash line was good for a 117 OPS+ in the spacious Petco Park and, while his success came out of nowhere, his numbers appear to be relatively repeatable. His .301 BABIP was a notch above his career mark of .284 and his isolated power of .180 was significantly higher than his career .130 ISO. However, considering his move to the more hitter-friendly Tropicana Field, it seems likely that Rivera could repeat last season’s success.