Quote:
Originally Posted by KC_Connection
Mauer isn't nearly as good defensively as those 3, but I'd probably rank him 4th anyway for the bat.
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Depends on who the real Carlos Ruiz is.
If Chooch is legit and can repeat his offensive successes of last season (or even 90% of them), he has to be in the conversation with the top 3 guys. He's a premier defensive catcher, great leader and ultimately a sound fundamental hitter.
And by next season, I anticipate that Jonathan Lucroy will pass Mauer as well. He's not at an elite level defensively, but still plenty good. He's also going to develop into a very nice hitter and probably #5 style hitter.
It's a pretty decent time for quality catchers, despite the fact that so many of the best hitters among them (Ruiz, Posey, Montero, V-Mart, etc...) are spending time at 1b and/or DH to save the wear and tear.