Guardians catchers slumping at plate
Finding more offensive production from the catcher's spot was one of the top items on the Guardians' to-do list this winter. Progress had been made — and then it was stopped cold.
From 2020-22, Guardians catchers ranked last in the majors in WRC+ (which measures overall offensive value compared to league average), and it wasn't close. Cleveland's 51 combined WRC+ among all its catchers meant that they were 49% below the league average offensively.
One reason for this is that, for some time now, the Guardians have placed more value on their catchers' defensive abilities. Over the same 2020-22 period, Cleveland catchers ranked sixth with 17 defensive runs saved. Austin Hedges and others were also highly regarded for their ability to guide the pitching staff.
But while Guardians catchers have
been among the league's best defensively, they haven't exactly helped the offense.
That in part led to the signing of Mike Zunino to a one-year deal in free agency. Zunino was coming off season-ending surgery in 2022, but he also has a 30homer season on his resume.
He had a strong start to the season, hitting .241 with an .837 OPS through the end of April, including two home runs, seven doubles, six RBIS and 11 walks. And then his bat melted.
Zunino is 0 for 27 with 21 strikeouts in May, the worst offensive stretch of his career.
“Yeah, I mean, he's having a tough time, and we know … when things are going bad, it kind of gets exacerbated,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said.
Cam Gallagher hadn't fared much better in May, going 1 for 19 with five strikeouts and zero walks before getting two hits Friday.
The Guardians know Zunino should round into form eventually. However, the long-term answer for the Guardians catchers' woes at the plate is likely Bo Naylor, who made a brief cameo in the majors last season just before the playoffs. He was then added to the playoff roster, as he offered an entirely different skillset than that of Hedges or Luke Maile.