Giants Spring Training Preview: Catchers

Coming in to Spring Training, the Giants are really only set at one position: catcher. Buster Posey will return from a lengthy absence and seems to be right on schedule recovering from his hip procedure, which sets him up to be able to start behind the dish on Opening Day.

New President of Baseball Operation Farhan Zaidi has used most of this offseason to add depth to the previously thin roster, prioritizing positional versatility and upside rather than pedigree. This meant Nick Hundley, a relatively one dimensional offense-first catcher was not given a contract and has recently crossed the Bay, and the Giants will miss his veteran leadership and overall clubhouse presence.

Therefore, given Posey’s health issues last year, one would think that the catching position was a weak point for the 2018 squad. However,  as a collective unit, Giants’ catchers combined to have a .270/322/.427 slash line, which is over 100 points higher than that of all MLB catchers last season (.216/.281/.333).

For a comparison, Joe Panik has a career .277/.338/.395 slash line. Essentially, the Giants had Joe Panik with a little more pop in 2018, which isn’t too bad!

This can be attributed to the Giants employing arguably the best hitting catcher in Posey; however, with Nick Hundley, who had almost 40% of the catchers’ plate appearances out of the picture now, who can step up and fill the void? Will it be an offseason signing, a current Giants prospect, or a complete unknown?

The Incumbents

Buster Posey

Even in a season in which he played through a pretty serious hip injury, Buster Posey was still one of the most productive players at his position. He put up a respectable .284/.359/.382 slash line and played his usual above average defense. However, last year proved that the Giants Captain America is mortal, and he has only hit six homers since July 2017. Many believe his power will return after his hip procedure, but there is of course no guarantee. If Posey’s worst case is a similar slash line to 2018, the Giants will still have one of the best catchers in the game until he is ultimately moved to first base à la Joe Mauer, but we can enjoy him in the squat for the time being.

Aramis Garcia

With the departure of Nick Hundley, that leaves only Garcia as the other catcher on the Giants 40 man roster. This would mean the Giants believe Garcia is a real option for the backup position despite only playing in 19 games last season. This could be because of his positional versatility (10 games at catcher, 7 games at first base) as well as his relative youth (25 years old). However, Garcia has always had an incredibly high strikeout rate in the minors and was even higher in his short cameo last season, striking out 31 times in only 65 plate appearances. Garcia may be in for a huge offensive regression, but he provides nice positional flexibility as well as some nice power for the catching position.

The Long Shots

Joey Bart

Buster Posey Jr….I mean Joey Bart…burst onto the scene in 2018 after being taken second overall in the MLB Draft this past June. After a standout collegiate career at Georgia Tech, Bart tore up Low-A with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, slugging over .600 with 29 XBH in 45 games. That performance earned him an invitation to big league camp, where he will surely be attached to Buster Posey’s good hip. He also notably caught Madison Bumgarner’s first bullpen, which can only mean good things. The Giants have said that Bart will start the year at High-A San Jose, which has always been a notable stop for Giants prospects. Will a HUGE Spring Training give Bart the backup catcher spot? Most likely not, but he is in big league camp, which could open the right eyes.

Hamlet Marte

Owner of the best name in camp, Hamlet Marte seems to be a carry over from Zaidi’s time in LA. Although he has only played two games above High-A, Marte will be in camp and has a chance merely because of his Shakespearian name. Boy, would I love to get a Hamlet Marte jersey and for there to be a Shakespeare Night at Oracle Park in his honor, but I’m not calling the shots. Baseball related, he seems to have a legit hit tool, with a career .275/.341/.443 slash line in the minors. Will he become the next Mike Piazza or the next Steve Holm? Tune in this spring to find out!