James McCann has excelled at stopping the running game and pitch blocking in 2015
(Photo credit: MLive.com)
One of the hardest parts of the game to quantify is catcher defense. It is believed by some baseball insiders that handling of pitchers is the most important defensive skill of any catcher. By pitcher handling, I mean studying opposing batters, game calling, understanding pitcher abilities and tendencies, helping pitchers maintain focus and other duties unique to the catching position. These things are difficult to measure because we do not know how much of good pitching is due to the pitcher versus the catcher.
Evaluating James McCann's Defense
