Red Sox vs the AL East: catchers

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Apr 13, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters (32) hits a solo home run in the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Blue Jays won 11-3. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

3. Matt Wieters, Orioles

Wieters was on his way to a strong start to the 2014 season before an elbow injury, which eventually would require Tommy John Surgery, sidelined him in May. Through the first 26 games of the season, Wieters was slashing an impressive .308/.339/.500 with 5 home runs and his trademark solid defense. While last season may have appeared to be the start of a breakout on the surface, however, there were plenty of red flags in Wieters’ performance. His BABIP of .329 was well above the more modest .285  that represents his career mark in that area, and Wieters also saw his walk rate drop to 5.4%, the third consecutive season when his walk rate had fallen. While Wieters is a strong defensive catcher with ample power, predictor stats such as BABIP suggest that he’ll never get on base enough to put himself in the elite range.

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