It was in 2015. I watched a baseball game at Dodger stadium. As a Dodgers fan, it was such a dream come true moment. In the game, I saw a player crush a home run to help the Dodgers win the game.
That player is Yasmani Grandal. A few weeks ago, I found a patch auto card in a lucky bag. It’s a card from the 2009 Upper Deck USA baseball. And the card is numbered to 99. While seeing the card, so many memories came out.
Back in 2015, Grandal played 115 games, slashing .234/.353/.403 with 16 home runs and 47 RBI. He was an All-Star in that season. From 2016 to 2019, he played 3 seasons for the Dodgers and 1 season for the Brewers. And Grandal finished each season with 20+ home runs. Well, Grandal only smashed 9 home runs in 2024. Nonetheless, from 2015 to 2019, was he one of the best hitting catchers in the majors?
To solve my doubts, I decided to check on the great Fangraphs website.
From 2015 to 2019, Yasmani Grandal smashed 117 home runs, which ranked 1st among MLB catchers. At the same time, Gary Sanchez blasted 105 home runs. Salvador Perez crushed 97 home runs in those 5 seasons. Meanwhile, J.T. Realmuto and Brain McCann each had 80+ home runs.
Moreover, let’s look at runs batted in. Yadier Molina collected 332 RBI from 2015 to 2019, most among MLB catchers. In the meantime, Wilson Ramos had 326 RBI. Grandals’ 322 RBI ranked 3rd among MLB catchers. Meanwhile, Buster Posey and J.T. Realmuto each collected 300+ RBI.
In addition, let’s look at the walk rate. Alex Avila spent 13 seasons in the majors, from 2015 to 2019, he had a 17.2% walk rate. Yasmani Grandal’s walk rate was over 13% in those 5 seasons. At the same time, Russell Martin and Chris Iannetta each had a walk rate over 12%.
Furthermore, let’s look at OPS. Gary Sanchez owned an OPS of .846 from 2015 to 2019. Willson Contreras made his MLB debut in 2016. From 2016 to 2019, his OPS was over .800. Yasmani Grandal had an .804 OPS from 2015 to 2019. During the same period, Buster Posey’s OPS was .795 and Robinson Chirinos’ OPS was over .790 as well.
Finally, let’s look at wins above replacement. Yasmani Grandal’s fWAR was over 26 from 2015 to 2019. In the meantime, Buster Posey’s fWAR was over 20 as well. Additionally, J.T. Realmuto had a 17.6 fWAR in those 5 seasons. Yadier Molina’s fWAR was 14.1. Tyler Flowers and Russell Martin each had an fWAR over 12.
Yasmani Grandal played 72 games in 2024, hitting .228/.304/.400 with 9 home runs and 27 RBI. It wasn’t a great season. He hasn’t signed a contract yet. However, from 2015 to 2019, Yasmani Grandal’s stats were actually good. He can draw walks, blast home runs and collect RBI. Furthermore, his OPS and WAR were both higher than Buster Posey’s. He was one of the best catchers in the majors. Nonetheless, he already turned 36 and those 5 seasons might be the best moments in his career. I’m glad that I can witness some of those moments.
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