MLB's top 10 catchers in 2020

1. J.T. Realmuto, Phillies

Over  the past three seasons, Realmuto has been the top catcher in the game  by WAR by over three games. And 2019 was no exception as he posted a 4.4  WAR during a campaign where he posted a .275/.328/.820 split, while  leading all catchers in doubles (36), RBIs (83), hits (148) and extra-base hits (64). He continued to shine behind the plate as well, throwing out an MLB-best 46.7 percent of potential base-stealers, posting the third-best dWAR behind the plate and remaining an elite pitch framer as well. Realmuto created 50.1 percent strike rate in 2019, which accounts for the number of extra strikes he created from keeping  pitches in the strike zone. This is the fourth-best total for catchers  that saw 3,000 pitches on the year.

Realmuto, 29, is in line for a substantial pay bump as he approaches his final year before free agency. He is sure to surpass the $73 million that his closest contemporary, Yasmani Grandal, reached over the winter and should join Buster Posey as the second catcher to see a nine-digit deal.

2. Yasmani Grandal, White Sox

Grandal has steadily increased his presence at the plate over the past four years, seeing his OPS increase in three of the past four seasons. He set a career-best of .848 in 2019. His overall .813 OPS since 2017 is second-best in the game, and his 221 walks over that time frame  lead all catchers by far.

His decision to bet on himself with a one-year deal with the Brewers paid off as Grandal enters the new year with a four-year, $73 million deal that is the largest ever given by the White Sox. A highly regarded leader behind the plate, Grandal will head to the American League in a position to help one of the most promising young rosters in the game round into shape.

3. Willson Contreras, Cubs

Contreras is one of the most talented young catchers in the game. The 27-year-old has topped a .270 average, 20 home runs and a .850 OPS in two of the past three seasons, culminating with the second-best WAR among catchers over that span (10.1). Contreras has been an All-Star in each of the past two seasons and shows all the signs of having a higher ceiling.

However, his biggest  challenge is consistency. His 2018 season was a disappointment as he hit just .163 from August through the end of the year. Last season, he walked only 15 times from June through the end of the season.

4. Christian Vazquez, Red Sox

After years of having a turnstile behind the plate, Vazquez’s emergence finally gives the Red Sox a dependable everyday option at catcher. In his fifth season, Vazquez's power broke out with 23 home runs and a .798 OPS, while playing in over 80 games for the first time in his career. Always a steady defender, Vazquez converted the fifth-most  strikes to runs saved behind the plate and threw out 37 percent of would-be base stealers, third-best in the game.

More importantly for the Red Sox, Vazquez has become a leader and clutch performer.

5. Gary Sanchez, Yankees

Sanchez possesses one of the best power bats the position has ever seen. He hit a career-best 34 home runs in 2019, the second time he has topped 30 homers despite playing in fewer than 125 games. Sanchez is currently averaging a home run once every 13.3 plate appearances, the best among active players and a rate that would place him between Barry Bonds and Jim Thome as fourth-best of all-time.

However, Sanchez has limitations behind the plate. If he was strictly a designated hitter, his value would skyrocket. He has posted the most errors and passed balls by a catcher twice in the past two seasons, while seeing his caught stealing rate drop to 23 percent last season.

6. Roberto Perez, Indians

While his offense is still coming together, Perez is making the biggest impact with his defense. He made the most of the departure of Yan Gomes, emerging as one of the top defensive catchers in the game. A year after posting a -0.5 WAR over 62 games, he led AL catchers with a 4 Win season, led by his outstanding glove-first breakout. Perez led the AL by throwing out 40.8 percent of stolen base attempts and led four other defensive metrics.

7. Mitch Garver, Twins

Garver was an offensive shooting star last year, joining the Twins' home run party with 31 of his own. His .995 OPS and .630 slugging percentage ranked first among all players at the position. The fact he earned a Silver Slugger nod last year is more than enough proof that Garver needs to be taken seriously headed into 2020.

8. Yadier Molina, Cardinals

The future Hall of Famer (a topic questioned far too much) has taken a turn backward at age 37, but he is still an irreplaceable part of the Cardinals attack. While his counting stats and percentages have turned south some, Molina still is capable of solid contribution (.711 OPS, 34 extra-base hits in 2019). He is also pulling up on some significant career marks, including 2,000 career hits and becoming the third catcher in National League history to catch 2,000 games (he is at 1,983 entering 2020).

Molina’s  greatest value is being something of a player/coach/sage for the cadre of young talent emerging from the St. Louis system. And at a position where intangibles still account for a lot, his prowess and experience still carry significant weight.

9. Wilson Ramos, Mets

The addition of the 26^th roster slot could really benefit the Mets. Ramos is an offense-first catcher who must be offset by a more defensively inclined backup (or two) on the roster. He allowed 94 stolen bases last year and accounted for minus-11 defensive runs saved, a clear hindrance on the Mets run-limiting capabilities.

However, he does offset these issues with a bat that has been among the most dependable at the position in recent years. Ramos hit .288 with 14 home runs and has been responsible for the eighth-most runs created among catchers since 2017, despite only playing above 120 games once.

10. Buster Posey, Giants

Although injuries have cut into his once MVP-caliber presence at the plate, Posey is still a great player. The 33-year-old was an All-Star as recently as two years ago and rallied impressively from a significant hip surgery in 2019 to produce a respectable .254/.320/.688 split.

Where he remained unquestionably strong was behind the plate, where he played a game above replacement level defensive, cut down 32.4 percent percent of stolen base attempts and was one of the top pitch framers in the game. This season is a turning point for Posey, who has only one guaranteed season left in 2021, but he is showing he’s still got some tread left on the  tires.

Left on deck: Carson Kelly (Diamondbacks), Robinson Chirinos (Rangers), Jorge Alfaro (Marlins).

Top prospects: Adley Rutschman (Orioles, No. 4), Joey Bart (Giants, No. 14), Sean Murphy (A’s No. 33).