Editorials

Dodgers 2015: How Does The New Catching Duo Rank In The NL?

Vincent Samperio, Dodgers Nation
Vincent Samperio, Dodgers Nation

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With Ellis remaining on the active roster and Grandal essentially replacing Butera’s void, the Dodgers easily have a better catching duo on paper for the upcoming season. But how do they fare up against the rest of the National League? Let’s take a look at the 2015 Steamer Projections:



Team Position Player Plate Appearances wRC+ WAR Combined WAR
Arizona Diamondbacks C Tuffy Gosewisch 362 55 0.2 0.4
Gerald Laird 145 70 0.2
Atlanta Braves C Christian Bethancourt 431 70 0.7 1.0
A.J. Pierzynski 185 76 0.3
Chicago Cubs C Miguel Montero 418 99 2.3 2.5
David Ross 119 72 0.2
Cincinnati Reds C Devin Mesoraco 448 110 3.0 3.0
Brayan Pena 304 78 0.0
Colorado Rockies C Wilin Rosario 303 106 1.1 2.0
Nick Hundley 267 85 0.9
Los Angeles Dodgers C Yasmani Grandal 429 111 2.2 3.1
A.J. Ellis 198 88 0.9
Miami Marlins C Jarrod Saltalamacchia 431 88 1.1 1.1
Jeff Mathis 90 52 0.0
Milwaukee Brewers C Jonathan Lucroy 530 117 3.4 3.9
Martin Maldonado 215 73 0.5
New York Mets C Travis d’Arnaud 505 111 2.9 3.0
Anthony Recker 75 79 0.1
Philadelphia Phillies C Carlos Ruiz 441 101 2.6 2.7
Cameron Rupp 122 60 0.1
Pittsburgh Pirates C Francisco Cervelli 365 87 1.2 1.6
Chris Stewart 182 75 0.4
San Diego Padres C Derek Norris 474 106 2.6 2.6
Wil Nieves 123 58 0.0
San Francisco Giants C Buster Posey 593 141 6.1 6.6
Andrew Susac 152 91 0.5
St. Louis Cardinals C Yadier Molina 443 110 3.8 4.0
Tony Cruz 210 70 0.2
Washington Nationals C Wilson Ramos 431 109 3.0 3.3
Jose Lobaton 147 80 0.3

Out of the fifteen National League teams, the duo of Grandal and Ellis projects to be the 5th-most productive catching tandem with 3.1 WAR. To put that into perspective, the combination of Ellis and Butera in 2014 resulted in exactly 0.0 WAR (via Baseball Reference), meaning the Dodgers won 94 games with virtually no production from the catcher position.

Interestingly enough, Grandal’s projected 111 wRC+ would be the third best among qualified catchers, only behind Buster Posey and Jonathan Lucroy. He is finally at full health and could have a breakout season, as Mike Petriello of ESPN Insider wrote back in November before the Dodgers even acquired him.

If there is a flaw in Grandal’s game, it’s his inability to throw out baserunners. Last season, his caught stealing percentage was a meager 13%, a small improvement from 8% in 2013. Another downside encountered in 2014 were the twelve passed balls he allowed, a new career high for that matter.

However, Grandal is widely-known as one of the best pitch framers in MLB, ranking 8th-best among MLB catchers in 2014. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman immensely valued that statistic during his tenure as general manager for the Tampa Bay Rays, so it’s no surprise that he wanted to acquire a catcher with this skill set.

Ellis, on the other hand, was ranked the 5th-worst pitch framer last season. On a more positive note, his caught stealing percentage of 25% was a massive upgrade over Grandal, though it dropped from 44% in 2013. He also improved from six passed balls in 2013 to only two in 2014.

Only appearing in 93 games a year ago, Ellis also had the worst offensive showing in his career, posting a .577 OPS with only 12 extra-base hits. Injuries clearly derailed him, though towards the latter months of the season, he started progressing (.846 OPS in 17 postseason plate appearances). With a lighter workload in 2015, Los Angeles is banking on Ellis to stay healthy and rebound from a forgettable 2014 season.

From Grandal’s elite power potential and pitch framing skills to Ellis’ ability to draw walks and familiarity with most of the pitching staff, the new catching core for the Dodgers is something to look forward to for the 2015 season.

Dodgers 2015 Spring Training – A.J. Ellis

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