Orioles: 2016 AL East Positional Catcher Rankings
By Nate Wardle
3. Baltimore Orioles – Matt Wieters, Caleb Joseph, Francisco Peña (prediction: 2nd, Wieters, Joseph, Peña)
The Orioles got the majority of their starts from Wieters, who was healthy and a clutch contributor for the playoff team.
Wieters was an All-Star who hit .243/.302/.409 with 17 HR, 17 2Bs, 66 RBIs, 48 runs, and a oWAR of 1.4. The numbers aren’t overly fantastic for Wieters, in fact not much different than Brian McCann or Russell Martin.
The fact Wieters was healthy was beneficial for the Orioles, and he rated well defensively, with a dWAR of 1.1. Wieters threw out 35 percent of runners, and continued to be an above average defensive catcher.
Caleb Joseph had a terrible season, broken up by a nasty testicular injury that sidelined him for over a month. Caleb hit .174/.216/.197 with 0 HR, 3 2Bs, 0 RBIs, 7 runs in 40 games started (yes, he had no RBIs in 40 games started).
Joseph did pretty well behind the plate, and many Orioles fans continue to believe that with regular starting appearances at the plate, he will be just fine as the Orioles’ catcher.
Peña only appeared in around 14 games, but showed himself as a potential backup option for the Orioles moving forward.
The drop to number three has more to do with the breakout of the catchers above him than a bad year by Wieters. When it comes down to it, Matt Wieters, Russell Martin, and Brian McCann had almost identical years offensively.