Cleveland Indians: How the catchers stack up in 2018

The Cleveland Indians have three options to use at catcher in 2018. Should the team look to use them the same way they did in 2017?

The Cleveland Indians have some decisions to make behind the plate before the 2018 season.

Their active roster features Yan Gomes, Roberto Perez and Francisco Mejia. Last season we saw the Indians utilize a healthy Gomes and Perez, using each of them equally.

Each of these catchers will likely start multiple games next year. They also each have some questions attached to them.

Both Gomes and Perez have established themselves as forces behind the plate, but they’ve struggled when it came to batting down the stretch. Mejia is far more unknown, but his position as the team’s top prospect and his performance come February will be a heavy factor.

With all of that said let’s take a deeper look at each player’s attributes and their roles in 2018.

Yan Gomes

Gomes should be considered the primary starter. His defensive play is unparalleled by anyone else on the roster. He caught 24 runners stealing in 2017, good for second in the AL. He also had a fantastic 42.1 caught stealing percentage.

So if his defensive numbers are so great why should we question his starting role? His offensive numbers? His numbers at the plate don’t exactly jump off the page. The biggest issue people have with his batting is his 99 strikeouts in 341 at-bats which is at about 30 percent.

Despite that, his offensive numbers actually trended upward in 2017. His .309 OBP is much better than the .201 OBP he posted in 2016. The 56 RBIs he posted are also his best since 2014.

Yan helped save a few games in 2017 as well. He hit the walk-off home run against Colorado to give Corey Kluber a complete game win. His pick-off of Ronald Torreyes and walk-off single gave the Indians their last win of 2017. While the Indians have not used a primary starter in recent years, Gomes will likely the team’s go-to guy getting a majority of the starts.

Roberto Perez

Perez boasts some strong defensive play himself. He boasts a 43 percent caught stealing percentage, far above the league average 27 percent. He and Gomes can be looked at as more of a 1A and 1B based on their play behind the plate. They often rotate depending on who is on the mound.

Robo had a career high eight home runs and 38 RBIs in 2017. It was a great season to his credit, but .291 OBP was below what is expected of him. That said, the heavy rotation between him and Gomes tends to alter their offensive numbers.

Perhaps the brightest spot on Perez’s resume would be his playoff numbers. In 2017 he slugged .600 and had a .300 batting average with a home run that kept the Indians alive in Game 4 of the ALDS. Fans should expect a continuation of last season’s rotation between Gomes and Perez and based on how well they play in that rotation, that is the way it should be.

Francisco Mejia

We can’t forget to mention the Indians’ top prospect. Mejia hasn’t had very much major league experience, but he continues to shine in the minor league pipeline.

He spent a majority of 2017 with the Akron RubberDucks where he hit the ball pretty well, batting .297; good for second best on the team.

Mejia had a particularly good run in the Arizona Fall League this fall. He started 10 games at third base and had a .365 batting average in 15 total games while slugging .500.

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Mejia will likely have to wait a while before he becomes the Indians top catcher. But he could see more action this season; especially if he plays well at Goodyear during Spring Training. His time will come but the Indians have a luxury of not needing to rush him.