The catcher position has to be single toughest position to play in the game of baseball. Simply being able to catch pitches from an MLB pitcher is hard enough, and requires elite hand-eye coordination, but they also have to call pitches, manage a pitching staff, be quick and explosive, have a strong and accurate throwing arm, all while exposed to an array of foul balls ripped into their head and body throughout the game. It’s a position that requires an insane amount of physical and mental toughness. I played catcher in one game in Little League, and told my coach – “never again.”
Today, I’ll be ranking my Top 15 greatest MLB catchers in the history of the game. These are the toughest of the tough and best of the best, and I’m taking into account not only how good they were defensively and offensively but also their leadership skills with bonus consideration for World Series rings. But before getting into the Top 15, I have one huge honorable mention, who probably belongs in the Top 10, maybe even #1, but I couldn’t figure out exactly where to rank him since he was never allowed to play alongside other legendary major leaguers - and of course I’m talking about
Josh Gibson
By some accounts, this spectacular player crushed close to 800 career home runs, but he was never allowed to play in the major leagues due to the color of his skin and the detestable “gentlemen’s agreement”, which prevented non-white players from participating in MLB. For this reason, his full statistics are unknown since the Negro Leagues didn’t always compile complete statistics or box scores. MLB incorporated the Negro League stats we do have, and they are now considered MLB stats, and after a few years of research, Josh Gibson became the official all-time MLB leader with a .373 career batting average, .718 slugging percentage and insane 1.176 OPS. It was a controversial decision to allow Gibson to be the new official leader in these important percentile statistics, because only 2,168 career at bats were considered, it does not right the horrific wrongs of the past committed by MLB and MLB owners, and we don’t really know what his stats would’ve looked like if he had been allowed to play in the proper big leagues at the time, but it’s pretty clear Josh Gibson would’ve been one of the greatest. He was known as the “black Babe Ruth,” although some of those who saw both play called Ruth “the white Josh Gibson.” He won consecutive Triple Crowns, leading his league in homers, RBIs and batting average and was #1 in home runs 11 times. His home run to at bat ratio was even better than Babe Ruth’s. Those who watched him play marveled at his incredible power and pure hitting ability, but he was also a good catcher who started his career as an average defender, but improved every year. He had a powerful arm and was a fantastic handler of his pitching staff. Sadly, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1943, but still played four more seasons, leading his league in homers each time. He passed away in January of 1947 at just 35 years old. But Josh Gibson was one of the greatest catchers to ever play the game and if he had been allowed to play Major League Baseball, he very well could’ve been confirmed to be the greatest catcher of all time.
Now, let’s get into the Top 15.
15. Ted Simmons
A player who wasn’t considered an all time great when he retired, but still compiled impressive enough career numbers to get in the Hall of Fame anyway was St. Louis Cardinal legend Ted Simmons. He played an incredible 21 years in the league, also playing for the Brewers and Braves, and hit .285 with 248 home runs. He was selected to 8 All Star Teams. Simmons was a highly productive and consistent switch-hitting catcher who knew how to get on base, walking more than he struck out throughout his career. He wasn’t considered a great defender, but got the job done and did something that no catcher does today – he caught nearly every game. He led the league multiple seasons in games caught, including 153 games in 1973 and 154 games in 1975. These days, catchers rarely allowed to play the position in more than 120 games.
14. Gabby Hartnett
An all-around elite talent who played for 20 years was Chicago Cub legend Gabby Hartnett. Although he never led the league in a particular offensive category, he was a model of consistency, catching over 100 games per season and consistently hitting close to if not over .300. He finished his career with a .297 average and that came with 236 career homers. He hit over 20 bombs 3 times and maxed out with 37 in 1930. He made the first 6 All Star teams from 1933 to 1938, and would’ve made many more had they existed sooner. In his best season, 1935, he hit .344 and took home the MVP award. Hartnett was also an excellent defensive catcher and worked extremely well with the pitching staff. His leadership skills led him to the position of player-manager during his last 3 seasons with the Cubs. In his final season, he played for the New York Giants as a player-coach and hit .300 as a backup catcher before retiring. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955. Unfortunately, his teams never won a World Series championship.
13. Thurman Munson
If it weren’t for his untimely and tragic death in a plane accident, Thurman Munson would easily been a Top 10 all-time catcher and would’ve also been a shoe-in Hall of Famer. In fact, he should be in the Hall of Fame anyway despite just playing 11 years, as Munson made 7 All Star Teams, won a Rookie of the Year Award, an MVP, 3 Gold Gloves and 2 World Series championships. It would not be a sympathy vote to check Munson’s name on a Hall of Fame ballot, but somehow he got completely snubbed, never even getting 10% before falling off the ballot in 1995. Munson had just 1,558 hits in his career, but he also hit .357 in the postseason and .373 in the World Series, while being one of the best players in the game for a decade. He was considered the heart and soul of the Yankee teams he played for and was not only an elite hitter and defender, but also had excellent leadership qualities and was absolutely clutch throughout his career, rising to the occasion during the biggest moments. It’s an absolute travesty he is not in the Hall of Fame.
12. Bill Dickey
One of the best and most forgotten superstar catcher in MLB history has to be mentioned in this video – Bill Dickey. He played for the New York Yankees and hit .313 with over 200 home runs during his 17-year Hall of Fame career. Dickey rarely struck out, retiring with a strikeout rate of one strikeout per 28.1 at bats, a better rate than even Tony Gwynn. He made 11 All Star Teams, including a streak of 8 in a row, which was interrupted by World War II. He missed two full seasons serving in the Navy before returning in 1946, when became a player-manager. Dickey made 9 World Series appearances and won 8 total championships. He was known for his reserved personality, which earned him the nickname “The Man Nobody Knows.” But he was one of the greatest players of all time and also one of the most underrated as his name is rarely mentioned alongside other Yankee greats that he played with like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
11. Yadier Molina
Next up is a recent legend who played for 19 years in the big leagues and retired at #1 among catchers in putouts and #2 with 130 defensive runs saved. He also ranks 4th all time in games played as a catcher. He was absolutely elite defensively, throwing out over 40% of would-be base stealers. He also caught the 4th most games of all time, an incredible feat considering he played so recently. There was nobody better as a defensive catcher during most of Molina’s career, but he was also solid as a hitter. He compiled 2,100 hits and 150 bombs, maxing out with 22 in 2012. Although his offensive don’t jump off the page, he was a clutch hitter with several key hits during the postseason. Molina made 10 All Star teams and won 9 gold gloves, 4 platinum gloves, 2 World Series and a Silver Slugger. He is a future Hall of Famer who played his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals and will definitely go down in history as one of the greatest catchers ever.
10. Mickey Cochrane
Although he only played 12 years in the league, Mickey Cochrane retired as one of the greatest catchers to ever play. He was promoted to the big leagues with the Philadelphia A’s after just one year in the minors and immediately became a star, hitting .331 and finishing 10th for the MVP. He went on the win the MVP in 1928 with the A’s and again in 1934 with the Tigers. He also led his teams to 3 World Series Championships, once as a player-manager in 1935. He made two All-Star teams in 1934 and 1935 and would’ve made many more if they existed during the majority of his career. His career was cut short after he was hit in the head by a pitch, which might have been intentional since he had homered in his previous at bat. Cochrane almost died from the injury and was ordered not to play again by doctors. He retired with a career batting average of .320 and an .897 OPS.
9. Buster Posey
Up next we have the 7-time All Star and 5-time Silver Slugger Buster Posey, who played his first full MLB season in 2010, and immediately propelled the Giants to their first World Series Championship in the city of San Francisco. He hit .305 with 18 home runs in the regular season, won the Rookie of the Year, and hit .300 in the World Series with a home run. But more importantly, he excelled defensively and showed amazing leadership skills, handling one of the best pitching staffs in the game. After a gruesome injury in 2011, he bounced back in a huge way in 2012, winning the MVP and Comeback Player of the Year Awards, hitting a league leading .336, crushing 24 bombs, then leading his team once again to a World Title, crushing 3 home runs in the postseason including a dramatic grand slam in Cincinnati to help the Giants come back from an 0-2 deficit in the series to win 3 games on the road and move on to the next round. He continued to hit and defend at an elite level every year and his team won a 3rd World Title in 2014. Posey opted out of the 2020 season due to the pandemic, but returned in 2021 to hit .304 with 18 homers, winning his second comeback player of the year award, while helping the Giants win a franchise record 107 games before his somewhat surprising retirement. Since he only played 12 seasons, his career totals aren’t the most impressive, but Buster Posey’s amazing leadership abilities and on-field skillset led the Giants to their only dynasty in the San Francisco era and since his retirement, they haven’t made the playoffs again. So, the Giants called on Buster to be their President of Baseball Operations and we will see if he has as much success in the front office as he had on the field.
8. Joe Mauer
Mauer only comes in this low because he was a catcher for the first 10 years of his career before moving to first base for the final five. But it was during those 10 years Mauer became one of the best in the game. He was one of the greatest contact hitters to ever play catcher and became the first and still only American League catcher to ever win a batting title when he hit .347 in 2006. That was just his first of 3 batting titles and in 2009, he hit an absolutely incredible .365 with 28 bombs and an OPS of 1.031, good enough for an A.L. MVP. In addition to his elite bat, he was an incredible defender and led the league twice in caught stealing percentage. He finished his career with a .995 fielding percentage and took home 3 Gold Gloves. Unfortunately, in 2014 he gave up catching due to previous injuries and concussions. He continued to put up solid numbers as a hitter for 5 more seasons before retiring in 2018. Before his retirement, however, he made one more brief appearance as a catcher for the home crowd in Minnesota. For his career, Joe Mauer hit .306 with 6 All Star appearances and 5 Silver Sluggers. Unfortunately, his Twins teams never made it past the ALDS, so he didn’t win a ring, but for his outstanding career, Mauer was elected into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2024.
7. Gary Carter
“The Kid,” Gary Carter was never really a mega superstar, but he played his heart out every game with incredible skill and was a catcher the entire time, playing the position in 94% of his games even in his final year in 1992. He helped his team win games like few others, accumulating a 70.2 career WAR, second highest of any catcher in MLB history and higher than many all-time greats like Tony Gwynn, Eddie Murray and Willie McCovey. He did it with elite defense, ranking 3rd all time in defensive WAR among catchers, and a consistent, powerful and clutch bat. Defensively, he was one of the best in baseball history, with an ability to frame pitches, control the running game and make spectacular catches. But with the bat, he was no slouch. For an 11 year period, from 1977 to 1987, he averaged 24 home runs per season, while driving in at least 100 runs 4 times. He led the league in RBIs in 1984 with a 106, and in 1986, he was a key member of the New York Mets and picked up one of the two-out hits in the 9th inning as part of the incredible comeback in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, leading to the critical Bill Buckner error. Carter can be seen in the celebration, already wearing his catching gear in case of extra innings. Carter also played for the Giants and Dodgers before returning to Montreal for his final season. All told, he had 2,092 hits, 324 home runs, 11 All Star appearances and 3 Gold Gloves, but it was also his consistency, clutch moments, leadership and overall positive impact on the game during a 19-year career that got him in the Hall of Fame.
6. Roy Campanella
Up next is another legendary catcher who began his career in professional baseball before the color barrier was broken, and for that reason, as a mixed race individual, he had to play in the Negro Leagues. He was just 15 when he started his career and was an absolute phenom, showing a high level of skill with the bat and the glove, playing mostly with the Baltimore Elite Giants. In 1944, he led the league with a .388 batting average. The Brooklyn Dodgers, who had already signed Jackie Robinson, took notice of Campanella and offered him a contract. Although it was Robinson who broke the color barrier in 1947, Campanella made his big league debut the following year and quickly became the Dodgers starting catcher. In 1949, he made his first of 11 All Star teams and hit .287 with 22 homers. From there, he only improved and went on to win not one, not two, but three MVPs, one in 1953 when he drove in a league leading 142 runs. He smashed 41 home runs, 40 as a catcher, an MLB record that remained until 1996 when Todd Hundley hit 41. But his most impressive statistic is a defensive one. Roy Campanella threw out 57% of would be base-stealers in his career, the highest percentage of any catcher in MLB history. Sadly, he played his last game at just 35 years of age, because of an automobile accident that resulted in a broken neck and paralysis from the shoulders down. But despite a late start and early end to his MLB career, Campanella retired as a 3-time MVP with multiple MLB records. Although it inexplicably took 5 years, he was eventually elected to the Hall of Fame.
5. Mike Piazza
The 1,390th pick in the 1988 MLB Draft was a young Junior College first baseman named Mike Piazza, who was only drafted as a favor, because his father knew Tommy Lasorda. Lasorda suggested Piazza convert to a catcher, and he did so, while showing immense talent as a hitter, crushing 29 home runs in High A Bakersfield in 1991. Piazza then tore up Double A and Triple A, forcing a promotion to the big leagues and in 1993, he hit .318 with 35 bombs, becoming an instant superstar and winning the Rookie of the Year award. He made 10 straight All Star teams and became one of the greatest power hitting catchers in the history of baseball. His defense wasn’t always elite, and he didn’t have the best throwing arm, but he could block balls, frame pitches and call a solid game. As a hitter, he still holds the all time record with 399 home runs as a catcher and is tied with Bill Dickey with a .313 career batting average at the position. He hit 427 total in his career, but perhaps none more memorable as the shot he hit during the New York Mets first game after the 9/11 attacks. Piazza made 12 All Star Teams and won 10 Silver Sluggers during his career. On the downside, he never won a World Series ring, but did lead his team to a World Series appearance in 2000, hitting .412 with 2 bombs in the NLCS then 2 more big flies in the World Series, but his Mets team fell short to the Yankees. Nevertheless, Mike Piazza was one of the best catchers to ever play.
4. Carlton Fisk
Up next Carlton “Pudge” Fisk, who played his first professional game as a catcher while Lyndon B. Johnson was President, and his last with Bill Clinton in office. His big league career stretched 24 years and he played in four different decades. His 24 years as a catcher is an MLB record that may never be broken. During his first full season, it became clear Fisk was a special talent and he hit .293, leading the league with 9 triples, winning the Rookie of the Year and a Gold Glove Award. It was only the beginning. He continued to make the All Star team nearly ever year and in 1975, he hit .417 in the ALCS, helping his Red Sox sweep the A’s and go to the World Series. In Game 6 of the Fall Classic against the Reds, he connected in the bottom of the 12th inning at Fenway, hitting one of the most iconic walk off home runs in MLB history. Unfortunately, his team lost the next game and Fisk never did win a World Series, but retired with several records as a catcher including most home runs, which was eventually broken by Mike Piazza. He is still second with 366 bombs as a catcher, and is 3rd all time in RBIs with 1,288. Carlton Fisk was one of the toughest MLB players of all time, playing for the Red Sox and White Sox, and it’s incredible how he was able to perform at a high level as a catcher for so many years, not retiring until the age of 45, still in the squat until the end.
3. Ivan Rodriguez
During his 21-year career, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez broke several career MLB career records for catchers including games played, runs scored, hits, doubles and stolen bases. He played almost exclusively behind the dish, appearing at other defensive positions in only 9 games. Starting in 1991 with the Texas Rangers, Rodriguez was an instant superstar and made 10 straight All Star Games, and won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves, becoming one of the best defensive catchers in MLB history. He led the league in caught-stealing percentage 9 times and threw out more than 50% of the would-be base stealers 8 times. In total, he won 13 Gold Gloves, more than any other catcher in MLB history. Offensively, he was almost just as good, hitting at least .300 in 10 separate seasons with power. He ended up with 2,844 hits, a .296 career average, .798 OPS and 311 home runs. In 2003, he was a force in the playoffs for the Florida Marlins and hit .353 in the NLDS, making an outstanding defensive play to finish off the series against Giants, a depressing memory for a Giants fan like myself. He went on to win the NLCS MVP against the Cubs then helped lead his team to a World Series title. He was one of the most durable catchers ever and holds many records for catchers that might never be broken. It took him longer than expected to get in the Hall of Fame, likely due to some steroid suspicions that mainly stemmed from his time on the Rangers with Jose Canseco, Juan Gonzalez and Rafael Palmeiro. Canseco named Rodriguez in his book as a steroid user. Nevertheless, Rodriguez was eventually elected in 2017 with 76% of the vote.
2. Yogi Berra
Coming in at #2 is the Yankee legend, Yogi Berra, who was mentored by another player on today’s list, Bill Dickey. Berra’s early professional career had a huge interruption as he served in World War II in the U.S. Navy before joining the Newark Yankees in 1946. He was impressive enough to earn a promotion to the big leagues and hit .364 during a brief call up. By 1948, he was the Yankees everyday catcher and he held on to that position for another 15 years. He made the All Star Team every season for 15 straight years, hitting for power and average while playing elite defense. Berra became the backbone of a New York Yankees dynasty that appeared in the World Series in an astonishing 15 out of 18 seasons. He holds the record as most World Series wins as a catcher with 10 championships. But he was also one of the best players in baseball, and won three total MVPs, one in 1951 then back to back MVPs in 1954 and 1955, beating out greats like Ted Williams and his teammate Mickey Mantle. He crushed at least 20 home runs for 10 straight years, and had multiple 100+ RBI seasons. As a catcher, he always got the best out of his pitchers and caught Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series. At one point, he played in 148 consecutive games without making an error. He was a consistent and healthy producer who played in at least 119 games per season for 14 straight years. Although he was on extremely stacked New York Yankees teams, there is no way they would have won as many championships without the great Yogi Berra.
1. Johnny Bench
Coming in at #1 as the greatest MLB catcher of all time is of course Johnny Bench, the Cincinnati Reds legend who played 17 years in the big leagues and became the leader of the Big Red Machine, the Reds teams that dominated the National League in the mid-70’s. Bench played his first full season in 1968 and became the first catcher to win the N.L. Rookie of the Year award, hitting .275 with 15 home runs. His defensive capabilities were quickly clear as he led the league in putouts and assists and became the first rookie catcher to win a Gold Glove. In 1969, he threw out a league leading 57.1% percent of baserunners and was even better offensively, hitting .293 with 26 homers. Then, in 1970, his bat exploded and he crushed a league leading 45 home runs, driving in 148 runs. He easily took home the MVP award that year and also led his team to the World Series, but the Reds lost to Baltimore. Still, a megastar was born and Johnny Bench continued to dominate offensively and defensively, winning another MVP in 1972, making 14 All Star Games and winning 10 Gold Gloves. The Reds made it back to the postseason several times, and eventually won it all in 1975. In 1976, they won it again, and Bench was absolutely unstoppable, hitting .533 with 2 home runs, taking home World Series MVP honors. He was an elite and clutch player who would always rise to the occasion and even hit a game-tying home run in his last Major League Game, on Johnny Bench day. Johnny Bench hit 356 home runs as a catcher and is in the Top 5 in multiple offensive and defensive categories, and as an overall contributor and leader at the catcher, there was no one better than Johnny Bench, so he comes in at #1.