Pittsburgh Pirates: Grading the 2013 catchers
By Matt Shetler
Tony Sanchez- .233 AVG/ .288 OBP/ .400 SLG, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Sep 19, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Tony Sanchez (59) reacts after tumbling into the San Diego Padres dugout to record an out during the eighth inning at PNC Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates won 10-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Sanchez tore up Triple-A pitching and forced his way into a mid-season call-up. While here, Sanchez did some good things and by the end of the season you were very confident when the rookie got some starts behind the plate.
By the end of the season Sanchez started to get more comfortable at the plate and even though he had only 60 at bats he put up an OPS of close to .700, which is something that will likely increase within time as he has the ability to be a solid gap-to-gap hitter in the big leagues.
Defensively there were some concerns about Sanchez when he got the call, but he answered all of those right off the bat and already looks like a solid MLB catcher.
We got our first look at the former first-round pick this season and Sanchez performed admirably in the middle of a pennant race, which is not an easy thing for a rookie. His future could be a bright one. Grade: C+
John Buck- .333/.333/.333, 0 HR, 2 RBI
Buck was acquired in the Marlon Byrd trade and really didn’t get much of a look, playing in only nine games as a Pirate. He likely won’t be around next season. Grade: Incomplete