This is really just a chance to talk about Joey Thomas. Of the four catchers on the roster, Thomas started 51 of 58 games, with Mason DeAnna doing the most work outside of Cincinnati’s starter.
Thomas did well in replacing an established backstop in Woody Wallace, hitting well enough to maintain a spot in the lineup, while playing very well on defense. We’ll start with that section of his game, which was what propelled him onto the Johnny Bench Award watch list. Trying to steal on the junior from Mason, Ohio was a fools errand for opponents, as he led the American Athletic Conference with 27 runners caught stealing.