Top Five Catchers in Pittsburgh Pirates History

The Pittsburgh Pirates have had some very good catchers in their history. Let’s run down the top five backstops in the franchise’s storied history.

Like with shortstops, we’re going to continue to look at the top five players each position on the diamond in Pittsburgh Pirates history. Today, we’re going to move behind the plate, and look at the top five catchers in Bucco history.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a deep and storied history at catcher. It is, after all, one of the most important positions on the diamond. Catchers can help pitchers get more strikes, or relax a pitcher. Plus, they are usually the leader type on the team. The Pirates have always seemed to have a plan when it came to behind the plate. This even applies to the past decade when the Pirates have featured top notch back stops such as Russell Martin and Francisco Cervelli.

Like before, a player who has played more games with the Pirates will be weighed more heavily than one who has played fewer games than the Pirates. Also, era adjusted statistics such as OPS+, and wRC+ are weighed much more heavily since we are comparing catchers from multiple different eras in baseball history.

So, let’s get started with number five.

Number 5 – Fred Caroll

This name is definitely a callback. Fred Carroll played with the Pittsburgh Pirates before the National League was even formed. The Bucs once played in the American Association, the precursor to the NL.

Caroll was a top-tier slugger during the 1880’s. In his 3,290 plate appearances, Caroll batted .284/.370/.480 with 27 home runs and 146 doubles. Now those power numbers don’t seem too great. But this was a time when getting to the double-digit mark in home runs basically made you the Miguel Cabrera of 1880.

From 1886 to 1889, Carroll posted a .434 slugging, including a .484 slugging in 1889. This is why we look at adjusted stats. On paper, a .778 OPS to us isn’t that impressive. It’s solid, but not super great. Well, overall, Carroll had a 136 OPS+ (36% above the league average), .366 wOBA, and 130 wRC+ (30 above the league average). In today’s standards, he would have batted like Max Muncy, Josh Donaldson, Trey Mancini, or Bryan Reynolds.

Defensively, well, there is not that much to go off of. He caught 30% of all runners trying to take an extra base on him, but that was one season in 1890. Stolen base percentage was not tracked before that. However, we can tell that overall, Carroll was much more of an average defender than good defender with a -0.3 defensive WAR.

Number 4 – Smoky Burgess

Smoky Burgess was an All-Star caliber catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played with the Pirates from the late 1950’s through the early 1960’s.

Burgess made four different All-Star Games with Pittsburgh, and for a good reason. Burgess batted .296/.352/.445 in his 2,029 plate appearances with the Pirates. He also hit 51 home runs, and had outstanding pitch recognition. Burgess struck out only 4.5% of the time and walked 8.1% of the time.

Burgess posted a 116 OPS+ during his time as a Pirate, and a wRC+ of 113.  Both are very good marks, as those are the equivalent today of a Francisco Lindor or Corey Seager type batter.

Burgess was also outstanding defensively. According to FanGraphs, his adjusted defensive rating was 38.8 and he racked up 4.1 defensive WAR in Pittsburgh. Both above average numbers. He also consistently posted very good caught stealing numbers, including a 50% caught stealing rate in 1960 when he helped the Pirates upset the New York Yankees in the World Series. Running games were more prevalent during this era of baseball, adding to the impressiveness of these numbers. Overall, Burgess had the 5th highest catcher fWAR in Bucs’ history.

Number 3 – Tony Pena

Tony Pena was not only an All-Star catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first half of the 1980s, but he was also a one of the better catchers in the game. Pena stepped to the plate 3,091 times in a Pirate uniform and batted .286/.327/.411. That’s good for a 104 wRC+ and OPS+. From 1982-1986, Pena’s wRC+ (104) was the 10th best among MLB catchers.

While Pena was definitely a contributor with the bat, it was his glove that was his main calling card. Between 1982 and 1986, the defensive wizard posted a 15.6 defensive WAR. His lowest full season dWAR total was 1.3 in 1983. He also caught 39.5% of all runners trying to take an extra base on him.

Pena made four All-Star Games with the Pirates. Overall, he had a 20.5 fWAR, and a 91 defensive fielding positional adjustment on FanGraphs. Not only is that the 2nd highest among Pirate catchers, but 10th highest in Pirates history in general.

Even on his way out the door, Pena continued to contribute to the Pirates. In one of the most well known trades in franchise history, Pena was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in a deal that saw the Bucs receive center fielder Andy Van Sylke. Van Slyke went on to become one of the best outfielders in franchise history, while helping to lead the Pirates to three consecutive division crowns from 1990-1992.

Number 2 –  Manny Sanguillen

Manny Sanguillen is not just one of the most well known catchers in Pittsburgh Pirates history, but one of the most well known players in franchise history. He helped the Bucs win two World Series Championships, and went to  three All-Star Games for Pittsburgh.

Sanguillen was not a Johnny Bench level offensive force, but he was still above average. He clocked in with a solid .299/.326/.403 line and a 102 wRC+ and OPS+. However, those numbers are brought down slightly by a weak three season stretch Sanguillen had at the end of his career when he was not getting regular playing time.

From his 1969 rookie season to 1976, Sanguillen posted a slash line of .303/.334/.411 and 109 OPS+. Despite his low walk numbers, Sanguillen was a great contact hitter only striking out 6.2% of the time with the Pirates.

Like Pena, Sanguillen was known for his defensive ability. With the Pirates between 1969-1976, the All-Star had a 11.6 defensive WAR. He consistently caught runners trying to steal on him at a near 40% rate. It only ever dipped below 30% twice, and in one of the seasons it did drop below 30%, he was used in the outfield part time.

Sanguillen is still seen regularly by Pirate fans. Before/during games at PNC Park he can often be found at Manny’s BBQ in center field. He is always ready to crack a smile, sign an autograph or take a picture with fans.