One to Thirty- Catchers

This is the first part of a series where I hope to rank all the players at each position. I’ve never done this before, so I’m probably not very good at it.

1. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins- Only 24 years old and already the best in the league. Has a great bat and he’s good behind the plate.

2. Victor Martinez, Cleveland Indians- He’s bad enough behind the plate that he may be moved to first base at times, but he has great power.

3. Jorge Posada, New York Yankees- He’s rejuvenated his career in 2007 and has been huge in the Yankees lineup.

4. Ivan Rodriguez, Detroit Tigers- He’s a solid bat in the powerful Detroit lineup, and he’s been very helpful to the young pitchers.

5. Russell Martin, Los Angeles Dodgers- He could use some work behind the plate, but he’s a good hitter.

6. Bengie Molina, San Francisco Giants- The best of the Molina brothers is good defensively like his family, and his good year at the plate helps him.

7. Jason Varitek, Boston Red Sox- Varitek never seems to go away; he calls a good game and his offense has rebounded in 2007.

8. Paul Lo Duca, New York Mets- Lo Duca has always been a solid performer, but he doesn’t show much power at all.

9. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves- Last year might end up being McCann’s best year, but he still has a lot of potential.

10. Ramon Hernandez, Baltimore Orioles- The veteran catcher has been underrated most of his career, and he has a good all around game.

11. Mike Napoli, Anaheim Angels- Jeff Mathis used to be the jewel of the system, but it looks like it’ll be Napoli behind the plate for the next decade.

12. Kenji Johjima, Seattle Mariners- Johjima has been great in his second year in the states and is a very underrated hitter.

13. John Buck, Kansas City Royals- Buck is a guy that should get more attention than he does. He’s a great hitter but not very good defensively.

14. Michael Barrett, Chicago Cubs- Barrett battled injuries in 2006, but he hasn’t completely rebounded. Fighting Zambrano has been the most pop he’s had all year.

15. Johnny Estrada, Milwaukee Brewers- Estrada’s a pretty good contact hitter and a smart catcher defensively.

16. A.J. Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox- The often outspoken Pierzynski is average in just about everything.

17. Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia Phillies- This 28 year old rookie has a strong arm and a decent bat.

18. Miguel Olivo, Florida Marlins- He used to be the worst hitter in baseball, now he’s only close to being the worst.

19. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals- This Molina brother might be the best defensive catcher in the league, but it doesn’t make up for offensive defincies.

20. Gregg Zaun, Toronto Blue Jays- Zaun is a veteran whose best attribute is his leadership. Average player.

21. Yorvit Torrealba, Colorado Rockies- Doesn’t do anything outstanding at all.

22. Chris Snyder, Arizona Diamondbacks- Pretty good defensive catcher, but he’s a liability in the lineup.

23. Josh Bard, San Diego Padres- He flashed some good ability last year after being traded by Boston, but he hasn’t done very well this year.

24. Ronny Paulino, Pittsburgh Pirates- He was a good hitter in his ML time last year, but he’s been awful this season, despite some success defensively.

25. Brad Ausmus, Houston Astros- He’s as bad as usual at the plate, and his defensive game is declining as well.

26. Gerald Laird, Texas Rangers- Going from Rod Barajas to this guy isn’t much of an upgrade, if any.

27. Brian Schneider, Washington Nationals- He’s overrated defensively and he cannot hit at all.

28. Jason Kendall, Oakland A’s- Some might say he’s the worst player in baseball, but he calls a good game, which is more than I can say for the last two.

29. David Ross, Cincinnati Reds- Last year he was a feel good story, this year, I just feel bad for the Reds.

30. Dioner Navarro, Tampa Bay Devil Rays- He’s a hard worker, but his hard work yields no tangible results.