Catching
Just how bad was the Red Sox offense at catcher? In the NL, 13 pitchers had a higher batting average than Sandy Leon‘s .177. Is there now a Leon Line? Collectively the Red Sox catchers hit .202 and had a -2.1 fWAR. The good news is they led all AL catchers in steals (11). The surprising news is they were on base enough to get 11 steals.
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The key ingredient for the catching group is defense. One item is catcher ERA and Leon is the leader in that statistic among backstops, but the catchers also have a +24 DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) and it metricsville that is a positive. Overall the Red Sox are tenth in catching defensive metrics, but the real issue is giving up at-bats. They can’t hit.
Christian Vazquez hit .290 in 2017 and big things were expected in 2018 and Vaz sank to .207. Swihart caught 154 innings, tossed out 26% of attempted base stealers, and did hit .229 with three home runs. Will he get more time?
The free agent market offers some options that are long in tooth and short on talent. With Boston and an industrious lineup they can enjoy the luxury of a good field and no hit at the catcher slot, but can they continue down that path?
Prediction: Red Sox sign Kurt Suzuki