The Dodgers Have Found Another Gem
The surprise stars just keep on coming for the Dodgers, and it looks like they’ve got another one.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are on a historic pace for the 2017 season. We’re not even halfway through August, and they already have 81 wins.
You know about Cody Bellinger, you know about Corey Seager, you know about Justin Turner, and Chris Taylor is finally starting to get some national recognition.
But the player I want to talk about has gone under the radar this whole season, yet has been one of the most productive players for LA. Attached is a chart of the top five Dodgers in wRC+, entering Wednesday.
As you can see, all the big names aforementioned are listed, but there is one outcast. His name is Austin Barnes, and he has quietly been one of the most productive catchers in baseball. So quiet, in fact, he hasn’t been mentioned in a Fangraphs’ article since March.
Austin Barnes was originally drafted in the ninth round by the Miami Marlins, and after four years in their system, was traded to the Dodgers in the Dee Gordon deal. Barnes brings many things to the table, but we’ll start with his offense.
Just looking at his standard stats, Barnes does not look too impressive. A .284 batting average, with six home runs and 26 RBIs. But when you dig deeper into the numbers, you start to appreciate his value.
Barnes’ wRC+, as noted earlier, is as high as any other catcher in the big leagues. It’s not driven by an insanely high BABIP, .336, either. His walk and strikeout percentages are both well above average, as well, at 15 and 17 percent, respectively. This mix of quality contact, not striking out at a high rate, and being patient at the plate has led to a breakout year with the bat for the Dodgers’ backup catcher.
Barnes doesn’t quite have the sample size of other catchers, so I’m not going to sit here and tell you he’s been the best offensive catcher this year just because he has the best raw numbers. However, he has given more value than most catchers, in half the at-bats.
You now know what Barnes has done in the batter’s box, but how has he helped behind the plate? According to Baseball Prospectus FRAA_ADJ statistic, which accounts for Framing Runs, Throwing Runs, Blocking Runs, and Fielding Runs, Barnes ranks eighth in all of baseball. Just looking at Framing Runs, which may be the most important attribute of all, Barnes grades as the fifth best catcher.
Another part of Austin Barnes’ game that doesn’t go noticed is his speed. Using Baseball Savant’s Sprint Speed Leaderboard, which is attached below, we see that Barnes is the third fastest catcher in the big leagues. Speed in catchers is a rare commodity, so having this tool adds extra value onto Barnes’ resume.
The most impressive thing to note about Austin Barnes is how in terms of fWAR, which is a cumulative statistic, he ranks sixth among all catchers. Not only does he rank this high, but he has done it in only 176 plate appearances. Looking at the top 13 catchers in fWAR, every single other catcher has at least 100 more plate appearances than Barnes. Should Barnes keep this pace and get a full season of work, he would be worth roughly five wins above replacement.
Barnes’ impressive hitting tools, catcher ability, and speed on the base paths will put the Los Angeles Dodgers in a tough spot this winter. Yasmani Grandal, their starting catcher, is a free agent after next season and will most likely want a huge paycheck. Grandal has been an elite pitch framer for years, and with that skill in so high demand, it is very possible the Dodgers look to cash him in while they can.
This is a very good problem for the Dodgers to have. Only eight catchers have an fWAR of at least 1.9, and LA has two of them. They have the flexibility of moving one of them, and with Barnes having an extra four years of control, it makes sense for Grandal to be the odd man out. Of course, Barnes doesn’t have the sample size yet to justify a big move, but he sure is giving Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi something to think about this offseason.
