Is a catcher worth buying?

Francoeurstein · 12-28-2018, 07:46 PM

I know that in challenge/sim mode, the catcher position usually underperforms their scouting so I typically don't worry about upgrading at the position. Is it the same way in PT? I've used Wilson Contreras in my past 3 sims (Overall 73) and he's typically pretty God awful - never posting a WAR above 1.0. I've spent a lot of PT points upgrading in other positions, but haven't bothered with my catchers. Is it worth it? Do you guys have success with highly rated catchers? Or should I just punt the position and upgrade elsewhere?

Thalion · 12-28-2018, 07:48 PM

Get the catcher with the best catcher ability you can. Anything he can do with a bat is gravy. IMHO of course.

mcdog512 · 12-28-2018, 08:09 PM

Manny Sanguillen has been worth it....

DonkeyKongSr · 12-28-2018, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thalion

Get the catcher with the best catcher ability you can. Anything he can do with a bat is gravy. IMHO of course.

This. Go into your league and sort the stats for catcher by OPS+ or WRC+. My Diamond league literally has only 2 guys who are anything significantly above 100, and they are both historical golds. Only 7 guys have positive Batting Runs.

The best value option is a duo of Grandal and Posey. You can run with them until you can afford a diamond+ historical catcher (Bench, Campanella, Carter, Berra) that can really hit and catch well.

Francoeurstein · 12-28-2018, 08:17 PM

Okay thanks guys. Think I'm just gonna get two solid, cheap, glove-first guys.

Orcin · 12-28-2018, 09:42 PM

Sundberg is a great choice if you can find him for a good price.

humboldt1498 · 12-28-2018, 11:09 PM

Generally you need to platoon your catchers to see any kind of decent offensive results. As mentioned by several posters above me, you really want to find quality defensive catchers first, followed by offense.

mess · 12-29-2018, 07:46 AM

I've been running Bob Boone since Bronze. Always puts up around a .300 average with 120 Catching rating.

I recently picked up Realmuto to spell off every few days. Helps that Realmuto can back up 1B too.

Clavette · 12-29-2018, 09:20 AM

Butch wynegar or Diaz (forget first name) have been 2 great bronze catchers I use on my f2p teams. Both with high catcher ratings.

I've also used Yadi Molina and Yasmandi Grandal. Grandal will give you some hrs as well as being a good catcher. Both will hit in the low .200s

ArcAngel · 12-29-2018, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clavette

...or Diaz (forget first name) .

Bo.

Blazinghalo · 01-10-2019, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin

Sundberg is a great choice if you can find him for a good price.

llcmac · 01-10-2019, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blazinghalo

Good price is the operative term here. 2k for a 71 is crazy, but he's that good behind the plate.

Willie M · 01-10-2019, 08:47 PM

As you work your way up the leagues you can go with any of the following:

Sundberg
Charles Johnson
Stearns
Manny Sanguillen
Hartnett
Diamond rated catcher

Dunzie · 01-11-2019, 01:01 AM

Benito Santiago, Charles Johnson, Gary Carter, Tony Pena, Rich Gedman, Mike Lieberthal... Pudge (for a little more $$$)... I don't even look at their BA, it's all about how they call a game, catch, and throw out runners to me...

OzzyOz23 · 01-11-2019, 07:18 AM

In my experience, Ray Fosse is another very solid catcher. Top flight defense and enough stick to stay in the lineup against quality pitching. Consistent offense, albeit with somewhat below average OBP and middling power, although quite acceptable for a Catcher. Won a GG & SS for me in Gold. I highly recommend him.

mcdog512 · 01-11-2019, 07:25 AM

So the prevailing thought is a very high Catching Ability plays a significant part in the Batter/Pitcher interaction?

I picked up Tony Pena who has middling hitting skills but a 107 Catching Ability and 111 arm. I dropped Manny Sanguillen and put him in a platoon with Gabby Hartnett who had been platooning with Sanguillen. Hartnett is an 80 catcher ability. I'll have to observe today if it makes any difference although probably hard to say with so small a sample size.

captainbuttercream · 01-11-2019, 08:35 AM

I used a Todd Hundley and Jody Davis platoon. They both have some pop to go along with 90-100 catcher rating/arm

Abnerdoubleday · 01-30-2019, 01:11 PM

I want to believe that defensive catchers make a difference, but I'm gettting less and less convinced that in PT catchers defensive ratings make any difference whatsoever. I see catchers with terrible defensive ratings putting up excellent ZR and CERA (with run-of-the-mill pitchers) and visa-versa. I'd like to be convinced I'm wrong, but I'm just not seeing it.

nickwatic · 01-30-2019, 01:12 PM

I pulled diamond Joe Mauer on my main account which makes Live Posey my backup

jeffw3000 · 01-30-2019, 03:48 PM

I had Mickey Tettleton as my catcher. Good bat and just so so catcher ratings. I picked up Jody Davis, and he has been my catcher for the last 2 1/2 seasons. He holds his own with the bat, in a Silver league, and has much better catcher ratings. My entire starting rotation, is basically the same, but has been consistently better since getting Davis. Do not ignore what the catcher can do for your pitching staff.

12-28-2018, 07:46 PM	#1
Francoeurstein Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 269	Is a catcher worth buying? I know that in challenge/sim mode, the catcher position usually underperforms their scouting so I typically don't worry about upgrading at the position. Is it the same way in PT? I've used Wilson Contreras in my past 3 sims (Overall 73) and he's typically pretty God awful - never posting a WAR above 1.0. I've spent a lot of PT points upgrading in other positions, but haven't bothered with my catchers. Is it worth it? Do you guys have success with highly rated catchers? Or should I just punt the position and upgrade elsewhere?

12-29-2018, 07:46 AM	#8
mess Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Posts: 202	I've been running Bob Boone since Bronze. Always puts up around a .300 average with 120 Catching rating. I recently picked up Realmuto to spell off every few days. Helps that Realmuto can back up 1B too. __________________

12-28-2018, 07:48 PM	#2
Thalion Major Leagues Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 413	Get the catcher with the best catcher ability you can. Anything he can do with a bat is gravy. IMHO of course.

12-28-2018, 08:09 PM	#3
mcdog512 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Pack Robert Gibson; November 9, 1935 – October 2, 2020 Posts: 2,339	Manny Sanguillen has been worth it....

12-28-2018, 08:17 PM	#5
Francoeurstein Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 269	Okay thanks guys. Think I'm just gonna get two solid, cheap, glove-first guys.

12-28-2018, 09:42 PM	#6
Orcin Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 9,798	Sundberg is a great choice if you can find him for a good price.

12-28-2018, 11:09 PM	#7
humboldt1498 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 208	Generally you need to platoon your catchers to see any kind of decent offensive results. As mentioned by several posters above me, you really want to find quality defensive catchers first, followed by offense.

12-29-2018, 09:20 AM	#9
Clavette Major Leagues Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Connecticut Posts: 371	Butch wynegar or Diaz (forget first name) have been 2 great bronze catchers I use on my f2p teams. Both with high catcher ratings. I've also used Yadi Molina and Yasmandi Grandal. Grandal will give you some hrs as well as being a good catcher. Both will hit in the low .200s

01-10-2019, 08:47 PM	#13
Willie M Minors (Double A) Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 159	As you work your way up the leagues you can go with any of the following: Sundberg Charles Johnson Stearns Manny Sanguillen Hartnett Diamond rated catcher

01-11-2019, 01:01 AM	#14
Dunzie All Star Reserve Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Guelph, ON, CAN Posts: 588	Benito Santiago, Charles Johnson, Gary Carter, Tony Pena, Rich Gedman, Mike Lieberthal... Pudge (for a little more $$$)... I don't even look at their BA, it's all about how they call a game, catch, and throw out runners to me...

01-11-2019, 07:18 AM	#15
OzzyOz23 Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jun 2017 Posts: 60	In my experience, Ray Fosse is another very solid catcher. Top flight defense and enough stick to stay in the lineup against quality pitching. Consistent offense, albeit with somewhat below average OBP and middling power, although quite acceptable for a Catcher. Won a GG & SS for me in Gold. I highly recommend him.

01-11-2019, 07:25 AM	#16
mcdog512 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Pack Robert Gibson; November 9, 1935 – October 2, 2020 Posts: 2,339	So the prevailing thought is a very high Catching Ability plays a significant part in the Batter/Pitcher interaction? I picked up Tony Pena who has middling hitting skills but a 107 Catching Ability and 111 arm. I dropped Manny Sanguillen and put him in a platoon with Gabby Hartnett who had been platooning with Sanguillen. Hartnett is an 80 catcher ability. I'll have to observe today if it makes any difference although probably hard to say with so small a sample size.

01-11-2019, 08:35 AM	#17
captainbuttercream Minors (Double A) Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Indiana Posts: 109	I used a Todd Hundley and Jody Davis platoon. They both have some pop to go along with 90-100 catcher rating/arm

01-30-2019, 01:11 PM	#18
Abnerdoubleday Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 203	I want to believe that defensive catchers make a difference, but I'm gettting less and less convinced that in PT catchers defensive ratings make any difference whatsoever. I see catchers with terrible defensive ratings putting up excellent ZR and CERA (with run-of-the-mill pitchers) and visa-versa. I'd like to be convinced I'm wrong, but I'm just not seeing it.

01-30-2019, 01:12 PM	#19
nickwatic Minors (Double A) Join Date: Oct 2018 Posts: 195 Blog Entries: 1	I pulled diamond Joe Mauer on my main account which makes Live Posey my backup

01-30-2019, 03:48 PM	#20
jeffw3000 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 296	I had Mickey Tettleton as my catcher. Good bat and just so so catcher ratings. I picked up Jody Davis, and he has been my catcher for the last 2 1/2 seasons. He holds his own with the bat, in a Silver league, and has much better catcher ratings. My entire starting rotation, is basically the same, but has been consistently better since getting Davis. Do not ignore what the catcher can do for your pitching staff.