In an article on The Ringer this week, Ben Lindbergh examined the intersection between catcher defense and their performance at the plate, arguing: “To a greater degree than players at other positions, catchers’ work in the field follows them to the plate, bringing burdens and blessings.” The benefits Lindbergh sees for catchers at the plate are twofold: they have an advantage hitting against pitchers they’ve previously caught, and they are gifted a slightly more generous zone by umpires (check the article for the exact numbers and his methodology in determining these things). While the data supports Lindbergh’s conclusions, attempting to ferret out the causes is, like much in the intersection between baseball and human nature, guesswork.
Mike Zunino isn’t getting his due...yet
