What to Expect from Yan Gomes in 2017
The 2016 Indians may have surpassed all expectations, but their catcher did anything but.
Yan Gomes became the everyday catcher for the Cleveland Indians in 2014 after a year of coming off the bench as a part of “the Goon Squad.” As the ring leader of the loveable bench, Gomes came in with an average of just under .300 in 88 at bats. The team was looking to transition Carlos Santana to a 1B/DH role to save his arm, so they gave Gomes to promotion to everyday catcher in 2015.
Gomes bolstered the lineup with high production from the start. The Indians ultimately missed the playoffs in 2014, but Gomes had a standout year batting .278 with 74 RBIs and 21 HRs. His performance earned him the Silver Slugger award for American League catchers. He also had a great year defensively leading the league in putouts and double plays as a catcher and finishing second in assists and runners caught stealing.
It appeared that the Tribe had found a young star as Gomes produced these stellar numbers at the age of 26. He was a fan favorite, a young performer, and a good locker room presence to boot. They gave him a huge six-year extension and locked him up for the foreseeable future. However, it’s very possible that Cleveland acted too soon.
In 2015 Gomes’ numbers dipped significantly, but he remained the everyday starter for the year. Instead of rebounding from a down year, Gomes had the worst year of his career by far in 2016 and finished his injury riddled season with a .167 batting average.
After a World Series in 2016 and signing Edwin Encarnacion in the off-season, Cleveland has high hopes for this upcoming season. Many have called them the favorites in the American League, and the Indians are looking to end the longest active World Series drought in baseball. How much can the team expect from their catcher?
Despite his awful season last year, Gomes will retain the everyday catching job. Roberto Perez handled himself extremely well in the playoffs for Cleveland but it’s pretty clear what kind of player he is. What isn’t clear is what kind of player Gomes is. Can teams expect a 2014 Silver Slugging season, or a 2016 collapse?
The answer is almost definitely “somewhere in the middle.” It’s certainly possible that Gomes has another down-in-the-dumps season, but looking at his career averages it isn’t likely. It’s also possible that Gomes has a comeback-player-of-the-year-award type of season, but coming back from a sub-.200 year makes that a tall task.
No, instead Gomes will likely have a decidedly average season. The Tribe committed to Gomes when they gave him that long extension in 2014. They know he has the potential to play like a star so they’ll be looking to give him every opportunity to play at a high level.
We know Gomes will produce defensively. He’s been a top defensive catcher since he joined Cleveland in 2013. Last year, Gomes focused on his defense and finished the season with a 99.5 fielding percentage. The question is all about his batting.
With a lineup including Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley, Carlos Santanna, Edwin Encarnacion, and Jose Ramirez the Indians won’t need Gomes to produce much offensively. Even at his peak Gomes wasn’t a better hitter than any of the guys who will be batting in front of him now. However, that release of pressure to produce will enable him to take the game as it comes to him and hopefully bring his bat up to speed.
Barring more injury problems Gomes’ numbers will rise significantly from his last campaign, but the question is how much. He isn’t a defensive specialist with no offense to speak of, but he probably isn’t a perennial Silver Slugger either. All the Indians need from him are solid numbers on par with other players of his position. If they can get that sort of performance the Tribe will be in good shape for another deep playoff run.
A solid prediction for Gomes’ 2017 season would put him batting around .250 with 50+ RBIs and double digit home runs. His on-base percentage should hover around .300 and he’ll be looking to push that slugging percentage around .420. We know he’ll produce defensively, and you can expect a fielding percentage around 99%.
Gomes should look at this season as an opportunity to gain a foundation he can build on in the future. These are rather average numbers, but a start to getting back to the level he played at two years ago. If he can just get average production he’ll be the starter on what looks to be a great team and help contend for a championship.
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