Orioles: 2016 AL East Positional Catcher Rankings
By Nate Wardle
4. Toronto Blue Jays – Russell Martin, Josh Thole (prediction: 1st, Martin, Thole, A.J. Jimenez, Humberto Quintero)
As usual, Russell Martin was the main catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, but it was a subpar season for Martin.
Before the season started, I remarked that Martin is a guy who typically is good for 20 HR, 20 2B, good defense, and being on a winning team.
In 2016, Martin hit .231/.335/.398 with 20 HR, 16 2B, 74 RBIs and 62 runs. Those numbers are not dramatically different than last year. However, defensively he only threw out 15 percent of runners attempting to steal. Last year, Martin threw out 44 percent.
Could it be Martin’s age? This is a guy who has been a starting catcher for 11 years. Martin did, however, perform well in several other stats, including being second in the AL in fielding percentage, and fifth in range factor for a catcher.
Thole continued as R.A. Dickey‘s catcher, but also played in 50 games and continued to be a defensive catcher, hitting .169/.254/.220 with 1 HR, 3 2B, 7 RBIs, 7 runs. His caught stealing percentage of 25 percent was below the league average, and he wasn’t the only below average backup in the league.
Martin’s offense wasn’t much different from Brian McCann or Matt Wieters, but it was his bad year behind the plate that drops him down to the fourth-best catcher in the division. Yes, I know Blue Jays’ fans will say that Martin is known for his other work behind the plate, but so is Wieters.