MLB Network continued their rankings of the best players at each position on Sunday night, looking at catchers and center fielders (more on this spot below). Francisco Cervelli was named the seventh best catcher. The entire top ten can be found at the bottom of this article.
These rankings are based on what to expect for the upcoming season. Each show has two hosts who submit their own top tens, plus a panel of experts who give their top ten. The main list for the show though, is submitted by “the Shredder”, which is just their name for the list put together by the show’s researchers based on offense and defense, using “analytic methodology”.
The catcher show tonight was hosted by Brian Kenny and former MLB catcher Dave Valle. Bill James, Vince Gennaro, who is the president of SABR, and Mike Petriello, who is a baseball analyst for MLB.com, were the expert panelists. There was also a fan vote for the first time this year.
Last year, MLB Network named Cervelli the fourth best catcher, so he dropped slightly on the main list. Cervelli didn’t make the top ten catchers for Buster Olney earlier this winter. Perhaps surprisingly, because the position isn’t deep according to the panel on the show, Cervelli didn’t make any other list except the Shredder’s.
As I guessed last week, Andrew McCutchen wasn’t eligible for the center field show, which was on prior to the catcher rankings. However, they noted that McCutchen didn’t make the top ten for the Shredder before his move to right field made him ineligible.
The final rankings for the ten positions (relief pitchers and pitchers were separate) had four Pirates make at least one top ten. Jung Ho Kang was eighth for third base and Starling Marte was third for left field. Gregory Polanco was rated between fifth and tenth for three people on the show, but he didn’t make the Shredder’s list. McCutchen would have made at least a couple top tens with Brian Kenny and Preston Wilson saying they would have had him, so you could say the Pirates have five players who are among the top ten at their position.
Top Ten Catchers
1. Buster Posey
2. Jonathan Lucroy
3. Yasmani Grandal
4. Wilson Ramos
5. Russell Martin
6. Yadier Molina
7. Francisco Cervelli
8. J.T. Realmuto
9. Salvador Perez
10. Welington Castillo
