Conventional wisdom maintains that Johnny Bench was the greatest catcher in baseball’s Modern Era, a period encompassing 62 full seasons since 1961.
But a statistical analysis suggests that one of Bench’s fellow Hall of Famers, Ivan Rodriguez, might actually have been the era’s top catcher. And what about Mike Piazza, Carlton Fisk, Gary Carter, and Ted Simmons? They’re all in Cooperstown, too. Don’t they deserve consideration?
Bench was a powerful hitter, leading the National League in home runs two times and runs batted in on three occasions. His excellence behind the plate for the Cincinnati Reds was documented by his collection of 10 Gold Gloves.
But Rodriguez went Bench three better with 13 Gold Gloves. And he was remarkably durable behind the plate, catching a total of 2,427 games for six clubs, primarily the Texas Rangers. That was 201 games more than the runner-up, Fisk, and 685 more than Bench.
So who was better, Bench or Rodriguez? My 10-part formula gives a nod to Rodriguez. Piazza is second, and Bench is third in a very close race. The other Hall of Famers — Fisk, Carter, and Simmons — hold the next three slots.
Last Thursday’s story was the final installment in my position-by-position review of the best players in baseball today. It took three months to travel the route from catchers to relief pitchers, and I intend to retrace that path in the three months to come, broadening my ratings to include the entire Modern Era.
Today’s rankings are confined to the 161 big-league players who made at least 2,500 plate appearances between 1961 and 2022 and spent at least 40 percent of that time playing catcher. (The formula took all of the stats for each player into account, including any appearances at other positions.)
My formula rewards both quality and longevity, employing a blend of rate stats and counting stats. The 10 components are weighted evenly. Let’s discuss them briefly, since this is the first story in a new series:
Wins above replacement. Total WAR for the Modern Era (1961-2022), as calculated by Baseball Reference.
Wins-above-replacement rate. A ratio of WAR per 500 plate appearances.
Defensive wins above replacement. A breakout of the defensive component of WAR, again as determined by Baseball Reference.
Batting average. A time-honored favorite. Hits divided by at-bats.
Slugging percentage. A measure of power. Total bases (through hits) per at-bat.
Bases per out. A ratio of all bases a batter reaches for every out that he makes. It’s figured in three steps: (1) Add up the bases accumulated through hits, walks, hit batters, and stolen bases, as well as all sacrifice hits and sacrifice flies. (2) Calculate outs by subtracting hits from at-bats, then adding double plays, caught stealings, sacrifice hits, and sacrifice flies. (3) Divide bases by outs.
Runs generated. The total number of runs scored and runs batted in, minus home runs. (Homers count in both the R and RBI columns, hence the subtraction.)
Scoring rate. A ratio of runs generated per 500 plate appearances.
Games played. The total for the Modern Era, regardless of the position played.
Hits. The total for the era.
A player’s performance in each of these 10 statistical categories is matched solely against the other players at his position. The top-rated player — Rodriguez in this case — is awarded 1,000 points, the lowest is set at zero, and the others fall in between, based on their relative performances.
Keep in mind that the rankings are confined to the period from 1961 through 2022. If that cuts off the most productive years of a player’s career, it’s unfortunate, yet unavoidable. (Such as any star in the 1950s who wasn’t quite as good in the 1960s.) The focus is solely on results from the Modern Era.
Statistical breakdowns for the era’s top five catchers can be found below, followed by the names of the next 15.
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1. Ivan Rodriguez (1991-2011)
Score: 1,000 points
WAR: 68.7 total, 3.3 per 500 PA, 29.6 defensive
Averages: .296 BA, .464 SLG, .724 BPO
Scoring: 2,375 R generated, 116 per 500 PA
Totals: 2,543 G, 2,844 H
Notes: Rodriguez’s greatest year is acknowledged to be 1999, when he won a Gold Glove, hit 35 homers, drove home 113 runs, and batted .332 for the Rangers. He was named the American League’s Most Valuable Player that season. He finished among the top 10 vote-getters for MVP four other times, and he carted home a total of 13 Gold Gloves.
2. Mike Piazza (1992-2007)
Score: 920 points
WAR: 59.5 total, 3.8 per 500 PA, 1.5 defensive
Averages: .308 BA, .545 SLG, .910 BPO
Scoring: 1,956 R generated, 126 per 500 PA
Totals: 1,912 G, 2,127 H
Notes: Piazza wasn’t renowned for his defensive skills; he never won a Gold Glove. But he was an outstanding hitter, peaking with a .362 average for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1997. He batted .308 over his 16-year career. Piazza never won a Most Valuable Player Award either, though he came awfully close. He finished second in the MVP balloting in 1996 and 1997, third in 2000, and fourth in 1995.
3. Johnny Bench (1967-1983)
Score: 911 points
WAR: 75.1 total, 4.3 per 500 PA, 19.7 defensive
Averages: .267 BA, .476 SLG, .793 BPO
Scoring: 2,078 R generated, 120 per 500 PA
Totals: 2,158 G, 2,048 H
Notes: Bench was an important cog in Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine. He won National League MVP Awards in 1970 (45 homers and 148 RBIs) and 1972 (40 and 125). The NL Gold Glove for catchers was his personal property for a decade. He won every single one between 1968 and 1977.
4. Carlton Fisk (1969-1993)
Score: 881 points
WAR: 68.4 total, 3.5 per 500 PA, 17.0 defensive
Averages: .269 BA, .457 SLG, .772 BPO
Scoring: 2,230 R generated, 113 per 500 PA
Totals: 2,499 G, 2,356 H
Notes: Fisk became famous for his World Series heroics with the Boston Red Sox in 1975. Many fans are unaware that he actually played the bulk of his career with the Chicago White Sox (1,421 games), not Boston (1,078 games). Fisk debuted with style, winning the American League’s Rookie of the Year Award. He reached the top 10 in three MVP races.
5. Gary Carter (1974-1992)
Score: 843 points
WAR: 70.1 total, 3.9 per 500 PA, 26.1 defensive
Averages: .262 BA, .439 SLG, .735 BPO
Scoring: 1,926 R generated, 107 per 500 PA
Totals: 2,296 G, 2,092 H
Notes: Carter’s Hall of Fame plaque depicts him in an Expos cap, since he spent 12 of his 19 seasons in Montreal. But he made his name in New York, serving as the sparkplug of the 1986 world-champion Mets. Carter won three Gold Gloves, finished second for the 1975 NL Rookie of the Year Award, and climbed as high as second (1980) and third (1986) places in MVP voting.
Next 15
6. Ted Simmons (1968-1988)
7. (tie) Joe Mauer (2004-2018)
7. (tie) Joe Torre (1961-1977)
9. Jorge Posada (1995-2011)
10. Buster Posey (2009-2021)
11. Yadier Molina (2004-2022)
12. Jason Kendall (1996-2010)
13. Thurman Munson (1969-1979)
14. Lance Parrish (1977-1995)
15. Javy Lopez (1992-2006)
16. Brian McCann (2005-2019)
17. Darrell Porter (1971-1987)
18. (tie) Bill Freehan (1961-1976)
18. (tie) Russell Martin (2006-2019)
20. Gene Tenace (1969-1983)