Houston Astros catcher Martín Maldonado has been one of the best defensive backstops in Major League Baseball for many years.
But what, exactly, makes him so special?
Many things, according to Astros closer Ryan Pressly.
“We’ll be on the plane and literally the entire plane is dark, but you see one light on,” Pressly told ESPN 97.5 Houston on Monday. “He’s got a computer on one side, he’s got another laptop on this side and he’s got his notes right in front of him.
“And he’s looking at your OPS. He’s looking at what you do in this situation, in that situation. Are you more aggressive with guys on second? Not just that but he can read your swing when he’s behind the plate.
“So we can have this entire scouting report but then you get on the mound and he can change it like that. There are just certain things that he can see that we can’t.”
Dusty Baker and the Astros should definitely feel blessed to have Maldonado behind the plate, for both the reasons mentioned by Pressly and the fact that he’s a phenomenal mentor to Houston’s two young catchers in Yainer Diaz and Cesar Salazar.
One thing is certain: Maldonado is one of a kind, and he’s Houston’s primary backstop for a reason.
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