It's impossible to calculate the effort devoted to the craft of pitch framing in the past 15 years of professional baseball -- or, if you prefer the more elegant term used by some catchers, pitch presentation. Thousands of man-hours have been put in to learn the slight turn of a shoulder or a wrist that can dress up the quality of a pitch -- not to mention the countless days of video review and the daily feedback from staffers.
Along the way, there has been a dramatic evolution of style, from the manner in which Jose Molina worked to receive the ball in the center of his body to Tyler Flowers' extending his gloved hand and seemingly catching the ball at the edge of the swing path.
This refined art has made the difference in millions of dollars of earnings between catchers who received pitches properly and those who didn't, and it will basically become obsolete sometime in the near future, once major league baseball implements an electronic strike zone. The subtle shoulder and wrist turns won't matter anymore because machines will judge whether pitches passed through the strike zone before reaching the catcher.
The electronic strike zone is no longer theoretical. It's a matter of when, not if, now that the umpires have acknowledged that the league has the right to implement the technology. (The guess here is the 2022 or 2023 season.)
The most progressive teams in baseball have greatly valued pitch framers, from the Astros to the Rays to the Brewers, in the belief that a small handful of strike calls can make an enormous competitive difference. Yasmani Grandal got $73 million from the Chicago White Sox this winter, and his reputation as a strong defensive catcher is built on his consistent ability to get strike calls for his pitchers.
But even before the electronic strike zone is implemented, the way teams evaluate, draft and develop catchers is bound to change. The catcher coveted for his ability to frame pitches will become extinct, much in the same way that the old-fashioned, back-to-the-basket, 7-foot center who is the focus of a half-court NBA offense is almost never seen anymore.
It's possible that the position of catcher will become a place to station slower sluggers whose strength is their offensive potential. In this way, the Yankees' Gary Sanchez could be ahead of his time because one of his primary deficiencies -- sometimes jerking his glove away from the strike zone as he receives a pitch -- won't matter.
"Offensive catchers will be the preference," former catcher and longtime manager Bruce Bochy wrote in a text. "There should be fewer passed balls once framing importance would be gone, and the priority would be to just catch the ball."
The focus in catching might increasingly be about pitch calling at heightened efficiency, understanding how to exploit the weaknesses of hitters with the electronic strike zone in place and becoming more unpredictable. A catcher's ability to throw -- to properly set his feet -- will become even more of a priority, especially with the forthcoming change to how left-handed pitchers must execute pickoff moves.
"It will take some pressure off the catchers with men on base, and will allow them to set up a little more to throw," Bochy wrote. "The pre-pitch setup will still have some importance because some pitchers like a good target to help them. If [the electronic strike zone] happens, there will be some happy catchers, but it will hurt the strong defense guys."
Think about the Padres' Austin Hedges. Sarah Langs of MLB.com noted that last season, he had plus-20 runs saved, according to Statcast research. That's a whopping seven more than any other catcher had. That competitive advantage for him would disappear with the electronic strike zone.
Former catcher A.J. Ellis said that however the position will be changed by the electronic strike zone, he doesn't believe that curtailing the running game will become a priority. "Teams are afraid to give up outs on the bases while waiting for two- and three-run homers. Pitchers have also been coached and are better at holding runners." He noted the significant decline in stolen base attempts over the past decade: In 2010, there were 2,406, and last season, there were only 1,557.
"Catchers will still be asked to be solid blockers of balls in the dirt," Ellis said. "Catchers will not have to be as well-versed in game prep or scouting as teams trend toward wristbands and predetermined scripts for their arms. I still believe in the power of presence behind the plate. Communication skills will matter."
It's possible that the draft standing of some catchers could be hurt. If strong defense is the selling point for a particular high school or college catcher, that might not play in his favor as much as it would have in the past. By the time the catcher reaches the big leagues, framing or handling pitches likely won't be a priority.
In 2020, however, pitch presentation will matter in what will presumably be one of the last years before the advent of the electronic strike zone. Defense remains a priority at the position, and it matters in the ranking of the top 10 catchers, which is based on input from folks around the industry.
1. J.T. Realmuto, Philadelphia Phillies
If Realmuto and the Phillies work out an extension, he'll probably become the second catcher to sign a nine-figure contract, even in the shifting financial landscape; Buster Posey was the first with his eight-year, $159 million deal settled in 2013. Realmuto led all catchers in WAR last season, is among the leaders in framing metrics and threw out more runners than anybody else by a wide margin (he cut down 43 of 92 would-be stealers). On top of all that, his baserunning metrics are some of the best in the majors.
2. Yasmani Grandal, Chicago White Sox
Grandal bet on himself last season, taking a one-year deal with the Brewers, and thrived, with a .380 on-base percentage, 28 homers and 79 runs. It'll be interesting to see how the White Sox deploy the switch-hitter in their lineup -- maybe right between the right-handed-hitting Eloy Jimenez and Jose Abreu.
3. Roberto Perez, Cleveland Indians
Indians manager Terry Francona believes that Perez blossomed in 2019 because he got a chance to be the everyday guy after years of playing behind Yan Gomes or splitting time. "He was adamant he was ready to play," Francona said. "I don't think anybody knew what he would hit, nor were we worried about it because he's so good behind the plate. He put together a really solid year offensively."
Perez compiled 24 homers and had a .774 OPS, both career highs. But what separates him from a lot of his peers is his defense.
"He's always been elite behind the plate," former Indians starter Corey Kluber said. "I think everyone on our team knew that. More people just got the chance to realize it this year. The offensive improvement comes with getting consistent at-bats. But he prides himself more on the defense than anything else, and I think that speaks for itself when you look at the way he handled the pitching staff and his own numbers at the end of the year."
About those framing metrics: Among 113 catchers, Perez ranked second.
4. Christian Vazquez, Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox have some rebuilding to do, but they appear set at catcher for at least the next few seasons, now that Vazquez is fully established. He hit for consistent power for the first time in 2019, with 26 doubles and 23 homers, and he fared so well at the plate that former manager Alex Cora worked to get him into the lineup on days when he wasn't catching. He had 11 starts at designated hitter, seven at first base and one at second.
5. Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees
There are two different conversations around Sanchez, and the one that probably matters most is what is said by the Yankees. Manager Aaron Boone defends him strongly, complimenting his pitch calling, other parts of his defensive work and, of course, his offense. Thirty-four of Sanchez's 92 hits were home runs in 2019, and he had a .525 slugging percentage.
Then there's the conversation among rival evaluators, who wonder if the Yankees' chances in the postseason are directly hampered by Sanchez's lapses -- pitches dropped, would-be strikes missed, perhaps an erosion of confidence from pitchers that Sanchez will block balls in the dirt. In the Yankees' playoff games last season, his struggles at the plate seemed to affect his defense. The best catchers construct a mental wall between those elements of play because the defense is so important.
6. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
It's difficult to find an appropriate place for Molina on this list because after his more than 2,000 games in the regular season and postseason, the signs of physical regression are there for the future Hall of Famer who turns 38 next week. Some days, he doesn't move well, and his offensive numbers have drifted downward. But as one evaluator said, Molina will always compete -- for every pitch of every inning, for every plate appearance -- and that is a highly valued quality in a catcher.
About that Hall of Fame candidacy: Molina is nearing some of the counting numbers that, when coupled with his defense, should make him an absolute lock for Cooperstown. He needs only 37 hits to reach 2,000 in his career and is closing in on 1,000 RBIs.
Because of Molina's preeminence on defense, I thought he was Hall of Fame-worthy a few years ago. For example: Since he took over as the Cardinals' starting catcher at the outset of the 2005 season, opponents have attempted only 1,229 stolen bases against St. Louis, fewest in the majors, and in that time, the team that has been the target of the second-fewest attempts is Arizona, by a margin of 388. The Padres have permitted more than 1,000 more attempts than the Cardinals.
Think about how many primary catchers the other teams in the National League Central have cycled through during Molina's career:
Brewers: 6
Cubs: 5
Pirates: 9
Reds: 7
The stability that the Cardinals have enjoyed since Molina took over as catcher is staggering.
7. Willson Contreras, Chicago Cubs
As the Cubs' front office tries to move on from the frustrations of recent seasons, it seems intent on creating more consistency -- and Contreras can be the antithesis of that. There are times when Contreras looks like he's ready to become an offensive monster, and then he goes through stretches in which he struggles to maintain a plan at the plate. In the final four months of last season, Contreras had 15 walks in 215 plate appearances, with a .312 on-base percentage. But his athleticism will always be intriguing for other teams -- the strength, the powerful arm, etc.
8. Mitch Garver, Minnesota Twins
At age 28, Garver had a remarkable season and perhaps a professional breakthrough, with 4.0 bWAR, 31 homers and a .995 OPS in 93 games for the Twins. For all of that, he was awarded the Silver Slugger Award for American League catchers.
9. James McCann, Chicago White Sox
It's not as if the White Sox had no catching when they signed Grandal. But just as the Nationals and Braves benefited from having strong tandems of catchers, the White Sox will have some flexibility with Grandal and McCann. They can consistently rest both, lean on one when the other is dealing with a nagging injury and take advantage of right/left matchups. Last season, McCann hit .295 vs. lefties, with a .372 OBP, and Grandal hit 17 of his 28 homers against right-handed pitchers. Grandal posted a .926 OBP vs. lefties as well, giving the White Sox the option of starting him at DH against some lefties.
10. Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers
That the Dodgers turned over a championship-caliber pitching staff to a rookie said everything you need to know about Smith, who reminds evaluators a lot of Posey in his skill set and demeanor. In his first 170 plate appearances, Smith had an adjusted OPS+ of 134 -- a sign of what's to come.
Best of the rest
Tom Murphy, Seattle Mariners: Now that Omar Narvaez has been dealt to the Brewers, Murphy gets the full-time gig in Seattle.
Wilson Ramos, New York Mets: He would be perfect for the electronic strike zone because the man flat-out rakes. He batted .288 last season, with a .351 on-base percentage. Despite the fact that he's a right-handed hitter, doesn't run well and was limited on a lot of days (as most catchers are) to pinch-hit appearances, he produced a 26-game hitting streak.
Jorge Alfaro, Miami Marlins: He hit 18 homers in his first season in Miami.