Who Are the Five Greatest Catchers in Atlanta Braves History?
With marquee names such as Yogi Berra and Johnny Bench floating around, one might think catchers traditionally carry big bats. Historically, however, the catcher’s position has been one of the most difficult from which to consistently garner offensive statistics. The Atlanta Braves franchise has had about as much luck out of the signal caller’s spot as most other teams in Major League Baseball, but a few stars have made stops at the Braves’ parks through the years. Five Braves backstops can be identified as the best Atlanta has seen.
5. Eddie Perez – Serving most of his Major League time as a backup to Javy Lopez might make it difficult for some to understand why he is the fifth-best catcher in Atlanta’s history. But consider this: For his career, Perez carries a 29 percent CS. Perez was one of the better defensive catchers in the game during his career.
4. Johnny Estrada – Though his time in Atlanta was limited, he served as a capable bridge between two of Atlanta’s best ever: Javy Lopez and Brian McCann. Estrada put up a .291 BA during his three years with the Braves.
3. Joe Torre – Until Javy Lopez happened along, Torre was almost universally considered the best catcher Atlanta had seen. Torre was a driving force on the Braves offense throughout the 60′s.
2. Brian McCann – The current leader of the Braves is undoubtedly the young star, Brian McCann. Having made it to the All-Star game in every full season he has played, McCann is considered by most to be the best offensive catcher in the MLB.
1. Javy Lopez – Lopez played at a time when Atlanta was the dominant force in the NL East. The talented catcher had multiple huge campaigns for the Atlanta fans, and was a hero for the Braves in the postseason. In 2003, the best season of his career, Javy Lopez blasted 43 homeruns. Of his 43 bombs, 42 came out of the catcher’s position – a current major league record for backstops.