Catcher is Baseball's Most Endangered Position

[RFS62]

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...0jYOrvs16M0wVE



For years I've been wishing for automated ball and strike calls to take over for umpires. I'm not a believer that the charm of a human making a crucial call is better than the certainty of getting it right.

But one unintended consequence might be the devaluation of catchers, no longer needing to frame pitches.

538 took a pretty good look at this.


"Catchers and MLB teams might soon have to get very comfortable with change. Catcher is the one position on the field for which teams have still routinely traded offense for defense: It’s the rare position that has gained in defensive importance this century. But no other position is threatened with having so much defensive value stripped away. An automated strike zone, which MLB has begun to experiment with, would eliminate the value of receiving, and advances in training are already shrinking the gulf in defensive skill at the position.

Yankees catching instructor Tanner Swanson told FiveThirtyEight that an automated zone would completely change the position: “It would be almost a second DH.”

[mth123]

Framing is going away. Nobody really runs anymore. Game calling intelligence is on a computer and sent from the bench. As long as we don't gut multiple past balls a game, give me a bat behind the plate.

[marcshoe]

Reds just signed their catcher of the future:

[WrongVerb]

Framing is going away. Nobody really runs anymore. Game calling intelligence is on a computer and sent from the bench. As long as we don't gut multiple past balls a game, give me a bat behind the plate.

I suspect the stolen base would return if teams started putting noodle arms behind the plate. An assured 80%+ success rate is what's needed to make the stolen base attempt profitable.

[Boston Red]

Just bought my 9 year old catcher's gear. Hope everyone else his age has a dad who reads this article!

[texasdave]

Attachment 16121

The future of baseball.

No need to worry about signs being stolen.
No need to worry about umps incorrectly calling balls and strikes.
No need to worry about collisions at the plate.

But, most importantly, no need for pitchers or catchers or designated hitters. Rosters could be reduced to about half of what they are presently. Think of the money the owners will be saving. Cha-ching!

[Bruce Berenyi]

there will always be a spot for the likes of Hank Foiles, Hal Bevan and Jesse Gonder

[Big Klu]

there will always be a spot for the likes of Hank Foiles, Hal Bevan and Jesse Gonder

Bill Plummer
Vic Correll
Don Werner
Mike O'Berry
Dave Van Gorder
Steve Christmas
Brad Gulden
Sal Butera
Terry McGriff
Glenn Sutko

[15fan]

There’s a lot more to catching than framing pitches. A LOT more. The article grossly understates The value of all of those other dimensions.

[Bruce Berenyi]

There will always be room for Dutch Dotterer
Damon Berryhill
Sonny Ruberto
Jerry Zimmerman
lloyd McClendon

[westofyou]

The one year I played catcher in little league was the funniest year I can remember, just a gas to be involved each pitch

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There’s a lot more to catching than framing pitches. A LOT more. The article grossly understates The value of all of those other dimensions.

Thank you

[traderumor]

The one year I played catcher in little league was the funniest year I can remember, just a gas to be involved each pitch

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Thank you

That is exactly why I loved pitching and always wanted to catch, but had a coach who only let lefties play pitch, first, and outfield.

[Boston Red]

That is exactly why I loved pitching and always wanted to catch, but had a coach who only let lefties play pitch, first, and outfield.

I'd let a lefty catch, but surely you're not complaining about a coach not letting a lefty play third, short or second. What would be the point of that?

[traderumor]

I'd let a lefty catch, but surely you're not complaining about a coach not letting a lefty play third, short or second. What would be the point of that?

Lefties can play anywhere, never understood the restrictions.

[Boston Red]

Lefties can play anywhere, never understood the restrictions.

The physics of it just really doesn't work at third, short and second.