Blue Jays Top 10 Catchers of All Time

Sep 18, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin (55) throws to first base to force out Boston Red Sox third baseman Brock Holt (not pictured) in the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays enjoyed a great first lap with Russell Martin in 2015, but their catching position hasn’t always been a strength. As the MLB Hot Stove season continues to creep towards a boil, it’s time for us to continue our all-time Blue Jays lists by looking back at the top-10 catchers in Toronto history.

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• Blue Jays: All-Time Roster Part Two, Battery and Infield
• Blue Jays: Top 5 All-Time Funkiest Pitching Motions/Deliveries
• Blue Jays: All-time ERA leaders list has some surprises

Before we get to the list, here are some caveats and explanations:

We don’t have framing data for catchers before the mid 2000’s. Since, most of the catchers in contention for this list played before that time, the ranking does not include framing as a factor.

Defensive/Catching stats in general get spottier the further back you go in baseball history.

Yes, catcher has not been a strong position historically for the Jays.

 For a note on how I used WAR and what WARPA means see the preamble of this top ten.

Only a catcher’s performance while with the Jays is considered. How they fared in the rest of their careers elsewhere is ignored. A minimum 400 PA with the Jays was the cutoff for inclusion in the top 10 and for stat rankings.

10. Alan Ashby

Alan Ashby was drafted by the Indians in 1969. He was traded to the newly minted Blue Jays in 1976 for Al Fitzmorris. Ashby had seen part time duty with the Indians but was thrust into a starting role with the Blue Jays.

He played 124 games in 1977. His offence suffered with the heavy load and he managed just a .210/.301/.280 slash line. His work behind the plate made up for the offensive struggles. He threw out nearly half of potential base stealers (48%) and posted a 1.5 dWAR.

In 1978, Ashby split playing time with Rick Cerone and saw a large improvement in his offensive statistics. He played 81 games and his slash line that year was .261/.333/.420. He also remained strong on the defensive side of things. After the 1978 season, he was dealt to the Astros for Joe Cannon, Pedro Hernandez and Mark Lemongello in what quickly turned out to be a very poor deal. Ashby was worth 7.9 WAR over 11 seasons with the Astros while Cannon, Hernandez and Lemongello were collectively worth -3.6 WAR in their brief Jays careers.

Blue Jays fans will remember Ashby’s post-retirement stint as colour commentator alongside Jerry Howarth on the radio. Ashby is currently the colour man on Astros’ TV broadcasts.

Among Jays’ catchers all-time he ranks 11th in WAR, 4th in BB% and 8th in defensive WAR.

Next: No. 9: A not-so-distant old friend

9. Dioner Navarro

Dioner Navarro was signed as an amateur free agent by the Yankees in 2000. He played for the Yankees, Dodgers, Rays, Dodgers again, Reds and Cubs before signing as a free agent with the Blue Jays prior to the 2014 season. He had a rollercoaster career before arriving in Toronto. He was a backup, then a starter, an all-star, a backup again and barely used in 2012. Dioner turned things around as a backup in 2013 as a Cub which prompted the Jays to offer him a two year deal and a chance to be a starter again.

Navarro played the most he ever had in a season before with 520 ABs. He was a positive offensively and defensively. He slashed .274/.317/.395 and had a penchant for clutch hits. Navarro’s defence is a subject for debate, especially in regards to framing, but he did post a 0.9 dWAR in 2014.

Prior to 2015, Navarro found himself, once again, in a back up role after the Jays decided to bring in Russell Martin. He asked for trade but a suitable one could not be found. As it turned out, the situation was beneficial for both the team and Navarro. Navarro saw regular work catching Marco Estrada and often Mark Buehrle. He got to experience a thrilling playoff run as well. The team benefitted from his versatility and his good attitude after he wasn’t traded. He slashed .246/.307/.374 and put up a 0.4 dWAR.

The book is not yet officially closed on Navarro Jays’ career. He’ll be seeking a chance to start again certainly but such positions are hard to come by.  Navarro may choose, or be forced, to remain with what he knows.

Among Jays’ catchers all-time he ranks 10th in WAR, 10th in RBI and 4th in batting average.

Next: No 8: One season worth of Bucking the trend

7. Buck Martinez

A 1967 draftee of the Phillies, Buck Martinez made his major league debut in 1969 with the Royals. He played 8 seasons in Kansas City and 3 with the Brewers before he was traded to the Blue Jays in 1981 for Gil Kubski. Martinez played 6 seasons with the Jays. He never had more than 300 PAs with the Jays as he mainly served as Ernie Whitt’s backup. The pair were an effective tandem.

Martinez’ defence is what made him a major leaguer and what made him valuable to the Jays. However, he had two very solid offensive years with the Jays in 1982 and 1983. He hit 10 home runs in both years with an OPS of .724 and .790 respectively. He slashed .222/.297/.378 in his time with the Jays and defensively he had a 3.5 dWAR and saved 16 Total Zone Fielding Runs above average.

Martinez completed one of the gutsiest and most valiant double plays in MLB history (see here) which ended his season. He made a comeback in 1986 and played the whole year but wasn’t the same player.

He began a broadcasting career in 1987 on the radio for the Blue Jays. He was named Manager of the Blue Jays prior to the 2001 season—taking over for Jim Fregosi. He was fired mid-way through the 2002 season. He went back to broadcasting and in 2010 became the TV play-by-play man for the Blue Jays. He’ll remain in that role for the foreseeable future after signing a 5 year extension in 2014.

Among Jays’ catchers all-time he ranks 5th in WAR, 6th in HRs, 6th in runs, 6th in RBI, 3rd in Defensive Runs

Next: No 6: A talented backstop north of the Borders

6. Pat Borders

Pat Borders was a homegrown product drafted by the Blue Jays in the 6th round of the 1982 draft. He spent 6 years in the minors and didn’t begin catching until 1986. He caught on quickly at his new position and made his MLB debut at age 25.  He would spend 8 years with the Jays in two separate stints. He was with the team through the glory years from 1988 to the end of the strike shortened 1994 season and briefly returned at the tail end of 1999.

His best season, and likely the best offensive season by a Jays’ catcher, was 1990 when he hit 15 home runs, had a .816 OPS, posted a 3.5 WAR and had the best defensive numbers of his career (7 Total Zone Fielding Runs above average and a 1.3 dWAR). He also was catching as Dave Stieb threw the only no-hitter in Jays’ history. It was looking as if the team had a burgeoning all-star in Borders, however he wouldn’t come close to his 1990 numbers again in his career. In fact, the rest of his regular season career was barely above replacement level.

In the playoffs, Borders was a different story. With the Jays, in 6 different playoff series he had a .321 average. He was named the 1993 World Series MVP with a 1.250 OPS in the series. He was an essential part of both World Championships.

After reaching free agency prior to 1995, Borders was unable to find a steady home or role. He bounced around between 8 different teams and never played more than 55 games for a team in a season the rest of his career. He played his last MLB game in 2005 at age 42 and officially retired in 2006. Borders is currently a manager in the Phillies system.

Among Jays’ catchers all-time he ranks 4th in WAR, 2nd in games played, 4th in home runs, 2nd in RBI and 5th in Defensive Runs.

Next: No. 5: Some of the best hair in Blue Jays history...

5. Charlie O’Brien

Charlie O’Brien was drafted by the Athletics in 1982 and made his debut with them in 1985. He played with Oakland, Milwaukee, New York Mets and Braves before joining the Blue Jays as a free agent in 1996. O’Brien had been a backup in the 10 years prior to becoming a Jay but when he came to Toronto, he was tasked with starting the majority of games behind the plate.

He was up to the increased responsibility and put together a fine season offensively and defensively. He slashed .238/.331/.410 with 13 home runs and was worth 1.2 dWAR. He saw his playing time reduced with the acquisition of Benito Santiago and his offensive numbers dropped off in 1997 but he put together perhaps the finest defensive season by a Jays catcher. He threw out 55% of would-be base-stealers and racked up 2 dWAR—as a backup.

O’Brien is probably best remembered for debuting the hockey-style catcher’s mask as a Blue Jay in 1996. He also caught Pat Hentgen and Roger Clemens during their Cy Young seasons.

O’Brien played the best baseball of his career during his time with the Jays. He played with the White Sox, Angels and Expos after leaving the Jays but was clearly in decline. He appeared in his last MLB in 2000.  At present, O’Brien appears to simply be enjoying his retirement.

Among Jays’ catchers all-time he ranks 6th in WAR, 3rd in WARPA, 10th in ISO, 2nd in Defensive runs.

Next: No. 4: The Ex-Expo that shined in Toronto

4. Darrin Fletcher

The Dodgers took Darrin Fletcher in 6th round of the 1987 draft. He debuted in 1989 with L.A. The Dodgers traded him to the Phillies who dealt him to Montreal. He was a staple in Montreal for 6 seasons. He left the Expos in 1998 to sign with the other Canadian team. Unlike the other catchers on this list so far, Fletcher was an established starter before he came to the Blue Jays and remained in a starting role nearly all of his Jays’ career. He played 5 seasons in Toronto.

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His best season as a Jay, and of his career, came in 2000. His offence that season ranks just behind Pat Borders’ 1990 season. Fletcher slashed .320/.355/.514, hit 20 home runs and put up 8.9 offensive runs. Combined with solid defence he was worth 2.8 WAR in 2000.

He was the Jays starting catcher from 1998 to 2001. Fletcher saw his usually potent bat fall off significantly in 2001 with an OPS of .628 but put up some of his best defensive numbers that year as well. The offensive numbers continued to drop in 2002 and Fletcher retired part way through that season.

Post-retirement, Fletcher did some amateur level coaching and appeared on Blue Jays broadcasts occasionally. Currently, he’s not involved in baseball professionally.

Among Jays’ catchers all-time he ranks 3rd in WAR, 3rd in games played, 3rd in home runs, 4th in defensive runs, 7th in OBP and 4th in SLG.

Next: No. 3: This TV analyst sure knew how to work a walk...

3. Gregg Zaun

Gregg Zaun was taken in the 17th round of the 1989 draft by the Orioles. He spent 5 years in the minors before getting his first crack at the bigs in 1995. He played with Baltimore, Florida, Texas, Kansas, Houston and Colorado before signing with the Blue Jays as a free agent at age 33. Zaun had never been a number one catcher before coming to the Jays. In fact, nobody was expecting much at all out of Zaun when the Jays scooped him up. His career was in the tank. It was looking as if his career trajectory was taking him into 3rd string catcher territory. However, the Blue Jays were severely lacking at the position and took a chance.

The team was richly rewarded and Zaun’s career was resurrected. He cracked 300 ABs for the first time in his career and slashed .269/.367/.393 while providing high quality defence. Zaun was handed more responsibilities in 2005 and had the best season of his career. He posted a .729 OPS, appeared in 133 games and put up a 2.1 dWAR.

In 2006 the Blue Jays felt compelled to sign Bengie Molina—which made Zaun the back up. At the end of the year however, Zaun and Molina were in a platoon and Zaun ended the season with a greater WAR (1.5 to 0.9). Zaun was once again the clear number one in 2007 and had solid season. The Jays put Zaun in a backup role with the signing of Rod Barajas for 2008. Tired of the Blue Jays’ flip flopping, Zaun moved on in 2009. He played for the Rays, O’s and Brewers before retiring prior to the 2011 season. His retirement came earlier than he would have liked after sustaining a serious shoulder injury with the Brewers.

Zaun went into broadcasting after retirement and is currently an analyst (“man-alyst”) with Sportsnet.

Among Jays’ catchers all-time he ranks 2nd in WAR, 4th in games, 5th in home runs, 1st in BB%, 4th in RBI, 1st in OBP, 7th in defensive runs.

Next: No. 2: Don Cherry would be proud, a good Canadian boy!

2. Russell Martin

Russell Martin was drafted by the Dodgers in 2002. He made his debut with L.A in 2006. He played for the Dodgers, Yankees and Pirates before signing with the Blue Jays prior to the 2015 season. Martin is the best catcher the Jays have ever acquired. He had been a perennial all-star level catcher for 9 years. He’d been a starting catcher since his MLB debut. Martin dwarfs every other name on this list so far in terms of talent and value.

Martin was, obviously, the Jays’ starting catcher in 2015 and logged 507 PAs. He hit 23 home runs (a career high), slashed .240/.329/.485, led the league in caught stealing % and put up 3.5 WAR. Martin was every bit the player that the Jays expected offensively. Defensively, his numbers were among the worst of his career. A significant part of the problem was the pitchers he had to catch. Normally, knucklerballers have their own personal catchers. With R.A Dickey, Martin chose to take on the task himself (which also allowed the team to carry a more productive backup in Navarro). Martin’s passed ball totals went through the roof.

Martin’s season garnered him an all-star game selection (John Buck is the only other catcher on this list so far to be selected as an all-star) and he was a gold glove finalist. His teams in the past had a penchant for reaching the playoffs and the 2015 Jays were no different—reaching the playoffs for the first time in 22 years. Martin’s 2015 season may be the best ever by a Jays’ catcher—although Pat Borders’ 1990 and a few seasons from the #1 on this list might have something to say about that.

Barring unforeseen issues, Martin will be the Jays starting catcher for a few more years at least. Martin will be entering his age 33 season and has over 10,000 innings of crouching in his knees but Zaun, Fletcher, Martinez and Ashby all had career best seasons after that age. Martin is #2 on this list after only one year with Toronto. After his Jays’ career is over, he may well be #1.

Among Jays’ catchers all-time he ranks 7th in WAR, 1st in WARPA, 9th in HR, 2nd in BB%, 3rd in SLG, 3rd in OBP 1st in ISO, 1st in wRC+, 2nd in offensive runs and 9th in defensive runs.

Next: No. 1: One of the all-time beloved Jays tops the list

1. Ernie Whitt

Unsurprisingly, Ernie Whitt is the greatest Blue Jays catcher of all time. His career began rather inauspiciously as he was drafted in the 15th round of the 1972 by the Red Sox, had a cup of coffee with Boston in 1976, was selected by the Blue Jays in the 1976 expansion draft and was little used by the Blue Jays until 1980.

A new manager, Bobby Mattick, believed in the 28 year old Whitt and gave him a chance to be the starting catcher in 1980. The offence came slowly as Whitt hit for a .640 OPS and .604 OPS in 1980 and the strike shortened 1981 but Whitt was solid defensively. His bat came around in 1982 with a .758 OPS. Over the remainder of his Jays career, Whitt would always post an OPS over .750. Whitt’s best season came in 1983 as he put up an .805 OPS, 3.6 WAR and 9 total fielding runs above average. Whitt was remarkably consistent putting up roughly 3 WAR from 1985 to 1989. Six of the best seasons by a Jays catcher according to WAR are Whitt’s. He has the best single season mark of 3.6 WAR.

Next: Blue Jays all-time greatest home run hitters

In 1985, Whitt was named to the All-star team and was instrumental in leading the team to its first divisional title that year and another in 1989. Whitt was traded away prior to the 1990 season to make room for young guns Borders and Myers. The Jays received Ricky Trlicek from the Braves in exchange for Whitt and Kevin Batiste. The trade didn’t work out for either team as Whitt had a terrible season in a back up role, Batiste never played another MLB game and Trlicek threw 1.2 IP in his brief Jays career. Whitt retired after a decent stint as a third stringer for the O’s in 1991.

Post-retirement Whitt has had success as a coach and manager. He was a coach in the Blue Jays’ system from 1997 to 2004 and on the major league coaching staff from 2005 to 2008. Whitt has managed Team Canada since 1999 and has been instrumental in promoting the growth of baseball in Canada.

Whitt holds the record in nearly every counting stat category for Jays catchers. Among Jays’ catchers all-time he ranks 1st in WAR (21.8 WAR. Next highest is Zaun at 7.1 WAR), 1st in games played (1218), 1st in home runs, 1st in RBI (518, more than doubling the next highest), 1st in SB (22), 4th in OBP (.327), 3rd in wRC+ (101), and 1st in defensive runs (79.3). Also 1st in hits, doubles, triples, runs, walks and WPA.

Next: Free Agent Target: Jordan Zimmerman

Honourable Mentions:

Jose Molina just missed the 400 PA cutoff. Rod Barajas and Greg Myers were considered as well