Oozing defensive talent and touting intangibles behind the plate that earned him the nickname “Mini Yadi” by teammate Joe Kelly, Christian Vazquez has been a frustrating case since he broke into the majors in 2014.
A .700 OPS away from being an MLB mainstay, Vazquez’s bat always lagged just a bit too far behind his defensive ability to justify an everyday role. He posted a .617 OPS in his rookie campaign before missing all of 2015 due to Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. In 2016, Vazquez came back to a .585 OPS in 57 games, not too far off from a typical NL pitcher.