Getting Your Vitamin C- The Best Catchers 26 and Under

Catcher is a demanding position, both mentally and physically. Orthopedic surgeons have waiting lists littered by catchers with bad knees, and good pitchers thank their catcher for calling a no-hitter or perfect game. Catcher is the quarterback of baseball, and the position that has the most control over the game. A young catcher is a strange paradox, although their fantastic athletes and the brightest of the bright their lack of experience and relatively young age in comparison to the rest of the team makes them a little bit worrisome. Here's a list of the best catchers 26 and under.

1. Joe Mauer, C, Minnesota Twins (A)- Mauer's defense is unmatchable, nearly as good as Pudge's was in his prime. He can throw out almost half the runners he sees stealing second, even with soft tossers like Glen Perkins, Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn. His contact rate is also unmatchable. He's already won two batting titles, a feat unheard of in the baseball world. He's a wonderful kid, and I had the pleasure of meeting him at a diner three years ago on a road trip with one of my best friends. Extremely down to earth and and extreme competitor, Mauer is already a hall-of-famer in my book.

2. Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore Orioles (A)- For the Orioles Wieters is their savior. A kid that can make contact at Mauer's rate, doesn't strike out and plays stellar defense is hard to come by. His OPS with AA Bowie in 2008 was 1.084, Barry Bonds numbers. The fact that he hasn't turned 23 yet and his career OPS in the minors is a sexy 1.054 to go along with a .355 batting average means that he'll be atop the league in no time. Finally the Orioles have someone besides Cal Ripken and Nick Markakis.

3. Brian McCann, C, Atlanta Braves (A-)- McCann's defense isn't at the level that Mauer's or Wieters' is but he still damn good at making the pick. He has a strong arm and a good feel for the game, and he generally leads the NL in all the offensive categories among catchers. Still only twenty four McCann is already a 3 time Allstar and sports a .297 career batting average and a .501 slugging percentage. He's the leader of the Braves after Chipper Jones, and he'll be part of the freight train that embarrasses the Mets in 2009 (if they can actually be more embarrassed than they already are).

4. Buster Posey, C, San Francisco Giants (A-)- Posey is a carbon copy of Mauer and hits a ton without too much power. His power will probably come, but if he stays a doubles hitter like Mauer has that's just as good, especially in his massive home ball park. In a cup a coffee in the minors he has a career 1.044 OPS and at age 21 he'll breakout in 2009. Oh, his defense is stellar too.

5. Geovany Soto, C, Chicago Cubs (B+)- Soto strikes out less than most catchers but still more than most batters. His defense is above average but not great and his bat is very good. He's good for 20 homers, a .290 batting average and a slugging percentage around .500. The Cubs lucked out with Soto, seeing as Michael Barrett, Jason Kendall, Todd Hundley are all scrubs and past Cubs, its nice to see that they have a guy that can help lead them to a championship.

6. Russell Martin, C/3B, Los Angeles Dodgers (B+)- Martin's defense and range is a top the NL and is so good that his play at third could even win him a gold glove some day. He's not particularly adept at any one aspect of the game but his contact, speed and line drive power are all above average. His OBP, .385 in 2008 is one of the best in the MLB but his slugging .393 isn't anything to write home about. His career slugging is .433 so there's room for improvement, but over all, Martin is a guy you'd definitely want leading your team in to battle. A great game caller, and a guy with a good CERA, Martin is the heart and sole of those Dodgers--sorry Joe.

7. Max Ramirez, C, Texas Rangers (B+)- Ramirez gets the edge over Salty and Teagarden because of his mature bat. He had a 1.096 through 243 at bats at AA Frisco in 2008. Teagarden isn't known for his bat, and Salty has done nothing in the majors so Ramirez may very well secure the starting job in '09, especially if Salty Balls gets moved to first (looking more and more unlikely with Blalock and Young at the corners). He'll hit around three hundred with 15 homers and play above average defense once he has a few years under his belt.

8. Jeff Clement, C/1B, Seattle Mariners (B)- Clement has loads of potential and is probably the closet you can get to Wieters besides Mauer. He slugged a fat .676 with AAA Tacoma in 2008. It isn't his fault that the Mariners are using him highly incorrectly but the strikeout rate is his fault. Striking out 63 times in only 203 at bats and sporting a .227 batting average just plain isn't going to get it done in the MLB.His defense is average and with Johjima signed to a phat contract there's a chance that Clement will be moved to first with the departure of Richie Sexson.

9. Carlos Santana, C/3B, Cleveland Indians (B)- Santana will be moved to third in 2009 because of the Indians' log jam at receiver. Santana hit .352 last year in the Carolina league and showed off his rocket arm. His defense isn't very good, and he can't call a game to save his life so the move to third suits him well. He probably will never win a batting title against MLB pitching but he may very well be in the discussion by 2010 and 2011. Of course he could be another J.R. Towles, unlikely, and his minor league numbers before 2008 were pitiful, a .688 OPS in single A in 2007.

10. Chris Iannetta, C, Colorado Rockies, (B-)- It took Chris 3 years to finally break out. He hit pretty well in 2003 and spanked 18 homers in 333 at bats. His K rate, 92/333, isn't Mike Napoli's but its damn close. Whiffing that much in Colorado is a bad sign as that's a contact hitters park. Still, if he can improve on his .264 batting average he could be a legit asset for the young Rockies.

11. Angel Salome, C, Milwaukee Brewers, (B)- The new pudge, Salome is just 22 years old and already has major league experience. He was atop the league last year with the Huntsville Stars hitting .360 in Milwaukee's AA affiliate. His strikeout rate is average, but he has a chance to lead the MLB in doubles some day, hitting 30 in only a half season in 2008. A short guy, barely 5'9", Salome will have to prove himself right out of the door to gain the respect of his manager, but either way he looks to be a very good player. His defense is below average so he may very well move to another position as well.

12. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C/1B, Texas Rangers, (B)- Saltalamacchia came to the Rangers in the Mark Texeira trade and he hasn't exactly dazzled them. His numbers have been average for a catcher, slugging .364 and getting on base 35% of the time. His defense is average but the Rangers are stocked with young and talented catchers so LF or 1B may well be in his future. Still, Salty Balls has the skills to hit 30 dingers one day, and just looking at him swing you can tell he's here to stay.

13. Kurt Suzuki, C, Oakland Athletics, (B-)- Suzuki is another Beanian masterpiece in the making. His strikeout rate is fantastic and suggests that he could be a .300 hitter one day. In his first full season at catcher Suzuki carried quite the load on his back, with 530 at bats. His slugging and batting average were .369 and .279 respectively which leads me to believe that his ceiling is an OPS around .750. His defense is good and he's a very nice kid, buying me a bobblehead when I met him.

14. Dioner Navarro, C, Tampa Bay Rays, (B-)- Navarro has plenty of job security with the Rays heading in to 2009. He hit a shade under .296 in 2008 and over .300 through the All Star Break. He plays good defense, and has an above average arm, but his real value is his ability to advance the runner. He struck out only 49 times in over 500 at bats in 2008, and should be in the two hole instead of Iwamura. His power isn't very good, but he could hit 10-12 home runs in 2009 or 2010.

15. Jesus Flores, C, Washington Nationals, (B-)- Another prospect that the Nationals managed to pry away from the Mets, Flores has a lot of potential. He flashed some of it in 2008 when he hit 8 homeruns in 301 at bats. He had 21 dingers in 2006 with single A St. Lucie and has the tools to hit .280-.290 and 15-20 homers for the Nats within the next couple of years.

16. Lou Marson, C, Philadelphia Phillies, (B-)- It took Marson one game to hit his first major league homer with the Phillies. His all around game is the most polished of any of the catching prospects sans Wieters. He played for team USA in 2008 and flashed his rocket arm and great game calling. His batting average has been on the rise for the past three years and he finally hit over three hundred last year, flashing a .314 batting average. Like Suzuki his power isn't phenomenal but the Phillies have a tiny park and power always comes later--he's still only 22. He is the likely starter for the Phillies in 2008, but it may take some time for him to secure more than 300 at bats in a season with Paulino and the band of backups that Philly has.

17. Jesus Montero, C, New York Yankees, (B-)- Montero has the makings of the best hitting catcher since the young Ivan Rodriguez. His power has been rated by scouts as an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale (perfect). At age 19 he's still in diapers and his .867 OPS in the Sally, A league is only a glimpse of what he can do. His defense is below average but he has the tools to be above average if he doesn't put on too much more weight. He'll be the Yankees "Next" athlete by 2012.

18. Bryan D. Anderson, C, St. Louis Cardinals (B-)- In 2005 Anderson hit .331 in the Appalachian League in 2005 and then .388 in AA Texas in 2008. He has a career .306 batting average in the minors and is only 22. If he can get some at bats, maybe steal some from the baby Molina in 2009 La Russa will like what he sees and consider handing him the starting job or at least letting him split time with Molina. He has an A ceiling.

19. Taylor Teagarden, C, Texas Rangers, (B-)- Teagarden is kind of a dork and even though he spanked 27 homers in 2007 between AA and A+ he isn't always known for his bat. His power is there and his defense is very, very good. He has a good arm, a good feel for the game and can prevent past balls with the best of 'em. He has formidable competition between Salty Balls and Ramirez, but he'll at least secure the backups spot until he gets traded or starts for Texas.

20. Austin Romine, C, New York Yankees, (C+)- Romine has the ability to be an A, but for now, at age 21 he's still the Yankees' second best young catcher. He hit .300 even with Single A Charleston in 2008 and has a perfect 80 on the scouting scale for arm strength. His hand cannon and agility along with his sick bat make him a hot prospect and if it wasn't for Montero he'd be in the Yankees' top 3.

21. Shawn Riggans, C, Tampa Bay Rays, (C+)- Its easy to forget about Riggans with all of the young talent in Tampa. He hit .346 in Bakersfield in 2004 and .309 in AA Montgomery in 2005 and then then over .280 at Durham in '06 and '07. He plays good D and makes good contact and he doesn't strike out all that much either. For these reasons he's a hell of a back up catcher, maybe an elite one. When Navarro goes down Riggans will be there ready to take his job for good.

22. Miguel Montero, C, Arizona Diamondbacks, (C+)- Making Montero caddy for Snyder is a bad move on 'Zona's part. Although his BAA will likely never approach .300, he could be Geovany Soto part deux. He could easily hit 30 homers and has showed off his bat in Arizona, spanking 5 in less than 200 at bats, and 10 in a little over 200 at bats two years back.

23. J.R. Towles, C, Houston Astros, (C+)- Frankly Towles is kind of a pussy and if he doesn't pucker up he'll get pushed aside by Jason Castro. He has a career minor league BA of .302, and slugged .985 in '05 and then '976 in '07. He will once again be handed the catchers' job on a silver platter in 2009 and if he doesn't secure it then he could have problems. If he lives up to his potential then .280-.290 with 15-20 homers is in reach.

24. Jeff Mathis, C, Anaheim Angels, (C+)- Mathis has to sit back and watch Napoli belt homers and then struggle for months on end--must be frustrating for the kid. Mr. Eyebrows has a lot of power potential, maybe more than Napoli, but like Napoli he whiffs and doesn't exactly woo anyone with his batting average. He hit 21 bombs in AAA in 2005 through only 2/3 of a season, indicating that 25-30 home runs is a possibility in the MLB. His absolutely putrid .195 career batting average in 4 seasons with the Angels needs to improve or he'll be flipping burgers and/or smoking crack.

26. Tyler Flowers, C, Chicago Whitesox, (C)- Flowers came over in the Lillibridge/Vasquez deal in winter 2009. He's a very good all around player and could be a B+ catcher when he pulls it all together. He has a career .291 batting average in professional ball and a .488 SLG percentage to accompany it. He had a .921 OPS in 2008 with A+ Myrtle Beach, and it seems like there's plenty more where that came from. He'll be in the top ten on this list, as a Jarrod Saltalamacchia type player, within the next two years.

27 (Tie). James Skelton, C, Detroit Tigers, (C+)- James Skelton is probably the closest thing the Tigers have to Pudge Rodriguez's replacement. In 2007 and 2008 he had near identical years at the plate hitting .309 and then .307. He's a lot like Russell Martin in that he makes contact and steals bases. He snagged 14 in 2008 and in 2007. The Tigers like the kid, and I've never met him so I can't be sure, but what I've seen is only good.

27(Tie). Kyle Skipworth, C, Florida Marlins, (C+)- The youngest on this list and right out of high school Skipworth, 18, has tons of potential. Think of him as a Jose Tabata, or better yet, a Tim Beckham at catcher. I his first season in the minors he didn't show how great he is , batting only .203 in Rookie ball, but he did show that he can belt 20 home runs soon--he hit 5 in about a 1/4 of a season. He needs a good 3-4 years in A-AA before he can be a reliable MLB catcher.


28. Francisco Cervelli, C, New York Yankees (C)- Cervelli is New York's version of a young Jason Kendall. He hit .315 in 2008 at AA and .309 in 2006 in the NY Penn League. He has little power, and likely will never hit more than 5-10 bombs in the MLB but his defense is one of the best among catchers in the minors. He broke his wrist in Spring Training last year from an asshole slide by a Devil Rays player, but if he's healthy I'd throw him on the roster or atleast give him some at bats over Jose Molina.

29. Jason Castro, C, Houston Astros (C)- Castro is hot on Towles' heals and was a number 10 pick in 2008's MLB draft. In 44 games in low A he has a .381 OBP and a .275 batting average. His high OBP is a great sign for a 21 year old player straight out of college. Pitch recognition is the most important aspect of a young batters game, not power and not walks--contact and avoiding strikeouts. These two things Castro has so he could very well be with the big club by 2011.

30. George Kottaras, C, Boston Red Sox (C)- Kottaras, part of the Greek National team is actually a Canadian with parents Native to Greece. He has loads of power, a lot like Jeff Mathis, but he doesn't make contact and strikes out. In fact he's possible the complete opposite of what scouts like to see in a young hitter--all power and no contact. Even so, Kottaras hit 22 homeruns in barely 2/3 of a season in Pawtucket, and for a guy that hits for power like that, his 64 strikeouts really weren't all that bad--pretty decent actually. Bard and Varitek are both in the twilight of the careers, especially Varitek, and Kottaras could be the next Varitek easily. (Photo by Kelly O'Connor, www.sittingstill.net)