Better Defensive Catcher: Yadi or Pudge
- GeddyWrox
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Better Defensive Catcher: Yadi or Pudge
Interesting question on a friend's facebook page. Is Yadi the best defensive catcher of all time? Pudge is the only one who is in the running against him with these guys. Pudge has more GGs but I tend to think GGs can be skewed by offensive up side.
Thoughts?? Was Pudge a better defensive catcher than Yadi, or nah.
Thoughts?? Was Pudge a better defensive catcher than Yadi, or nah.
- heyzeus
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Re: Better Defensive Catcher: Yadi or Pudge
Pudge had 320 dWAR over 20 seasons per fangraphs. Yadi has 371.7 dWAR over 17 seasons. It's far from an exact science but...
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Re: Better Defensive Catcher: Yadi or Pudge
And what about Yadi's freakish head for the game? He is so on top of things, you almost never see a brain fart. And every once in a while he does something wherre his head is so far into the game it catches everyone else by surprise. Have no idea if Pudge was the same because I didn't watch him day in and day out. Anybody know?
The only time I recall him not getting the right side of the rules in real time was that play a couple of years ago where the ball had gotten past the SS and hit him. He stopped thinking he was out but should have kept going. I'm sure there are others but none come to mind.
- heyzeus
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Re: Better Defensive Catcher: Yadi or Pudge
Yep, that's cumulative. Pudge actually played longer than Yadi has (so far), so that's even more impressive for Yadi to put up such defensive value.
- Big Amoco Sign
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Re: Better Defensive Catcher: Yadi or Pudge
Yadi got a framing boost Pudge never got, correct?
If so, I think that shows Pudge is better... unless you think he was bad at framing. Before framing was added, Yadi was way behind Pudge in WAR.
- heyzeus
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Re: Better Defensive Catcher: Yadi or Pudge
I can't easily tell, but it looks like Fangraphs' catcher framing data with the 2008 season. If that's the case, it definitely helps Yadi since Pudge was nearing retirement by then.Big Amoco Sign wrote: ↑February 9 21, 11:28 amYadi got a framing boost Pudge never got, correct?
If so, I think that shows Pudge is better... unless you think he was bad at framing. Before framing was added, Yadi was way behind Pudge in WAR.
- GeddyWrox
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Re: Better Defensive Catcher: Yadi or Pudge
Yeah, by years, but I wonder about innings caught. Yadi is like the terminator. LOL
Dunno if innings caught affect dWAR for catchers, or if it's more just years in service.
- CardsofSTL
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Re: Better Defensive Catcher: Yadi or Pudge
Yadi is the best because he gets a ++ for being a Cardinal. I'll fight you.
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Re: Better Defensive Catcher: Yadi or Pudge
Pudge played longer than Molina. I'm a huge Molina fan but Pudge was Yadi before Yadi was Yadi. People talk about Yadi's ability to pick runners off of first base. Ivan was good at that too.
Pickoffs: Pudge 90, Molina 66
Caught Runners Stealing Pudge 661, Molina 350
But this is a rather pointless argument since they were/are both amazing catchers. It's like arguing who was the better CF, Junior or Trout. Who cares they're both great at what they do.