What is the greatest catcher/pitcher combination in baseball history? The best duo to ever form a battery?
How do we answer that question? Where do we start?
First we must define what we mean by a great battery. The battery should be as balanced as possible. We don’t want a great pitcher with a merely good catcher. We don’t want the greatest catchers paired with a “pretty decent” pitcher.
We also want a duo that played together for a good amount of time. No one or two season teammates, we want catchers who caught a pitcher a lot. For that reason I looked at the great pitchers and who their primary catcher was. The guy who squatted behind the plate for the most games.
That’s why you don’t see Johnny Bench on the list with Don Gullett. Bench is the greatest catcher ever, while Gullett was pretty good for a few seasons, but not a Top 100 Pitcher. And you won’t see Tom Seaver and Bench on this list, because Bench didn’t catch Seaver that long and they weren’t at their peak together. Those two are probably the best battery ever, in regards to where they stand all-time at their positions, but they weren’t a great battery in Cincinnati, they just happened to play together in the second half of their careers. Bench caught Seaver 94 times, but Jerry Grote caught Tom Terrific 242 times. Heck, Carlton Fisk formed a battery with Seaver 56 times, but they aren’t one of the great batteries in baseball history.
We’re looking for two really good players who played catch between the mound and home plate a lot in their prime. Who had great success together. With that criteria we were able to identify a group of 12 batteries that stand out from the rest.
12. Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada
No catcher caught more games for one pitcher than Posada’s 598 with Rivera. But that’s not why this duo is on our list. Rivera is the greatest relief pitcher in history, hands down. He was so exceptional that he makes the list of Top 100 Pitchers of all-time. For his part, Posada was an All-Star catcher who spent his entire 17-year career with the Yankees, where he was the starting catcher on six pennant winners and four World Series champions. He fell off the Hall of Fame ballot after one season, which is absurd, because he ranks well among the all-time catchers.
11. Jack Morris and Lance Parrish
These two were together for a decade in Detroit, where they helped the Tigers to the World Series title in 1984. Neither is elite, but they’re both in the group of near-greats, and were among the best at their position in the 1980s. Morris was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2018, and Parrish rates among the 25 best catchers ever.
10. Warren Spahn and Del Crandall
Of the players on this list, Crandall is the weakest, but he was still a very good catcher, ranking 35th all-time at his position. He was a large, agile catcher with a strong arm, and he could hit some too. Spahn is one of the dozen best pitchers ever, an all-time great. No catcher caught the lefty more than Crandall.
9. Catfish Hunter and Thurman Munson
They weren’t together very long, but Munson ended up catching Hunter more than any other catcher. Munson won an MVP Award the second season the two were together, and the duo combined to start four games in the World Series from 1976-78 too.
8. Christy Mathewson and Roger Bresnahan
This early 20th century duo helped the Giants to three pennants. Christy Mathewson was the best pitcher in baseball for a decade, one of the greatest of all-time. Bresnahan was the best athlete on the team, so much so that when manager John McGraw didn’t use him behind the plate, Roger played center field. Both Matty and Bresnahan are in the Hall of Fame, one of three batteries on this list so enshrined.
7. Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan
This combo holds the record for most games together as a starting pitcher/catcher duo, 324 total*. Freehan caught 70.6 percent of Lolich’s career starts from 1963 to 1975 when they were teammates on the Tigers. The two of them, arm in arm, formed one of the most iconic photos in Detroit sports history after the final out of the 1968 World Series.
Lolich and Freehan are on the edge of the Hall of Fame, both are excellent candidates for Cooperstown, though neither will probably ever get in.
*Note that Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina, who deserve to be on this list, are close to breaking Freehan and Lolich’s record, as of 2022.
6. Roger Clemens and Jorge Posada
The Rocket and Georgie spent six years together in The Bronx, helping the Yankees to four pennants. Clemens’ record with Posada as his battery mate was 59-29, and 7-4 in the postseason.
5. Dwight Gooden and Gary Carter
A fantastic battery, Gooden was just as talented as a pitcher as Carter was behind the plate, but drugs and off-field problems stopped Dr. K from reaching elite status. Still, the two men helped the Mets to great success in the 1980s. Together they were 74-20 as a battery.
4. Tom Glavine and Javy Lopez
Lopez was the most common battery mate for both Glavine and Smoltz, but Glavine was a smidge better. By the way, the most common catcher for Greg Maddux was Eddie Perez.
3. Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra
The second of the three Hall of Fame batteries on the list, Ford and Berra had the most success, playing together in 11 World Series. Ford ranks among the 70 greatest pitchers and Berra is #6 at catcher as of this writing.
2. Luis Tiant and Carlton Fisk
For eight years, Tiant and Fisk were both in their prime as teammates on the Red Sox. From 1972 to 1976, El Tiant was 96-58, finished in Cy Young voting and MVP voting three times, and Fisk was Rookie of the Year and a four-time All-Star.
1. Lefty Grove and Mickey Cochrane
On April 14, 1925, at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Lefty Grove and Mickey Cochrane not only formed a battery, they both made their major league debut. It was the first of 224 games together for the future Hall of Famers in nine years on the Athletics.
No other battery approaches the combined greatness of these two. Grove is one of the five best pitchers in history, arguably the greatest southpaw ever. Cochrane rates as one of the ten best catchers of all-time.
Lefty and Mickey led the A’s to three straight pennants from 1929 to 1931, and the championship in 1929 and 1930. Both players are in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
How is the Gibson/McCarver duo not on your list? But Posada/Clemens is number 6? This list is a total joke. By not having Gibson/McCarver on the list and having a clown like Jorge Posada on the list twice, you demonstrated two things 1) You have absolutely no clue about baseball history 2) You must be from the east coast. Total clown list…thanks for demonstrating your stupidity.
Nowhere does the article say “most games as a battery”. Unless you count “the guy who squatted behind the plate for the most games”. That again is a different list. And seeing as it does not look at statistics in the analysis (with a few exceptions of records), I’d say very much subjective. If that were the case, then you got number one, Lolich and Freehan, but omitted Spahn & Crandall, Faber & Schalk, Wainwright & Molina, and the rest of the top nine starters.
I see Dan’s original reply is no longer here that your comment is referencing. I am looking back at this list after some time to see if there was a newer version or a due correction to his erroneous reply to Brett. Alas, just a deleted reply. Credit where credit is due, Dan, you have acknowledged you would add Waino/Yadi who are set to become the most active (in games played) battery in MLB history by season’s end.
Hey Ben, thanks for commenting. We don’t always update lists like this that were accurate when they were published. We don’t consider ourselves a statistical website.
Looks like Wainwright and Molina may not surpass Lolich and Freehan after all…
Hey thanks for being respectful in your comment! (Sarcasm)
McCarver doesn’t match up with the other catchers on this list, not really close. If you read the intro, I explicitly mention that the battery must have balance. It can’t be a great pitcher and a pretty good catcher. McCarver was a skilled defender, but he wasn’t at the level of other receivers overall on this list. I would put Gibby/McCarver in the top 20, and possibly Carlton/McCarver (though that later pair did not combine as a battery as much as many think.
Holmes, you MUST be an AL fan to leave Molina and Wainwright off. Both Silver Sluggers (Yadi multible Platinums) Waino a Cy Young or two. Yadi the undisputed best defensive catcher of the era and batted over .300 Five times.
4 WS appearances together. How many batteries have done THAT? Just Yogi/Ford. Waino a Cy Young or two and they can’t make your list???
Both came in in 2004 and still going.
You’re the second Cardinals fan to suggest Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina. I admit they are close to making the list. I don’t see them as quite the same level as these batteries, all of which include a great, great pitcher. Wainwright was very good for a few years, but not a Hall of Famer or even a near-Hall of Fame caliber player, in my opinion.
I might change my mind on this now, in 2021, as Wainwright is having another excellent season, and Yadier is at least still breathing, though he’s not much offensively anymore. Molina is still among the best defensive catchers.
The Hall of Fame case for Molina will be interesting.
Glad you revisited this after a couple of years. They both should be on the list of batteries, top 5. Molina is having a slight below average year, but still an all star. His Season was amazing until he got hurt. Wainwright can pitch until he gets to 200 plus wins because he does not rely on velocity. Molina was a first ballot HOF catcher 3 years ago.
Scratch the “Cy Young or two” That Was Chris Carpenter. Adam was screwed out of the Cy. 2009 and 2010 Licecum combined for 31 wins. Waino 39
WAINWRIGHT AND MOLINA
For Morris/Parrish you say “neither was elite”? I’d say A Hall of Famer (Morris) is the definition of elite.
Also, didn’t Pudge Rodriguez catch Nolan Ryan and Justin Verlander?
Yes, Pudge Rodriguez caught Nolan Ryan, but only in 46 games. He was behind the plate for Verlander only 62 times. Not enough to make this list.
Morris was an elite pitcher, no question. He was made to wait on his hall of fame induction because he didn’t always treat fans, media, and teammates with great respect. His ERA was on the high side because he threw so many inning. It seemed he was always pitching into the late innings in the 1980s
Parrish was a great catcher! He was every bit as good and even better than Carter and Fisk in the 80s. Freehan!!!! Not a HOFAMER???? Joke! What player do you know that was considered the best at their position in the American League for over a decade, made 11 All Star Teams, six Gold Gloves, and ranks at the top or near the top in several offensive and defensive catagories!!! Look it Up! Freehan, Whitaker, Miggy, Verlander, Tramm, Morris should be the next five or last 5 hall of famers for Detroit
I appreciate your love for the Tigers, and for Morris, Trammell, and Whitaker etc.
I saw Morris pitch his entire career, and grew up in Michigan, had a chance to see him. I wouldn’t put Morris in elite status, despite his election to the Hall. He was a very good pitcher, at times great. But he was never at the dominant level of Roger Clemens, or even David Cone and Mike Mussina later.
I support the Morris HOF election, but I put him in a category with Don Sutton and Catfish Hunter, as excellent pitchers who were very important for their teams and in baseball history. But in my opinion, the “elite” level is for guys like Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver, Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, and so on.
Time to revisit this list. Wino and Yadi still at it!
Carvo, yes if I updated this list I would include Wainwright and Yadier Molina.
I know that they were only together for two years, but how about at least an honorable mention for Johnny Bench and Tom Seaver? SMH!
Probably the most famous battery I didn’t mention.
Bench was at the tail end of his productivity when Seaver was in Cincinnati. While they did pair together for success, Bench actually switched to third base and caught fewer games during the Seaver era with the Reds. I think I would put them in the top 20 or 25.
Ahem, Bench/Seaver? How did this not make the list?
As the article explains, the batteries were chosen for their greatness TOGETHER. Neither Bench or Seaver were in their primes from 1977 to 1982, when they played together. They were excellent, though. Thanks for reading.
Where is Yadi (Molina) and Adam Wainwright. I don’t mean to be rude, it was a great article, but Yadi and Waino are up there. They have played 300 games together (the most in history), and have won over 50% of them.
Hi Noah. This article was written years ago, and Wainwright/Molina should be added if it was updated. FYI: Bill Freehan and Mickey Lolich hold the record for most games together as a battery (324). Molina and Wainwright actually rank fourth, also behind Del Crandall/Warren Spahn and Red Faber/Ray Schalk.
Thanks for reading.
If you made a list of the very best Pitcher/catcher combo for even one game, the greatest two to ever cross the white lines it would have to be Tom Seaver and Johnny Bench.
Noah thoughtful article. I thought I read that the criteria was descent or good talent by pitcher and catcher, who played a lot of games together. Oh well, I don’t understand Gooden and Carter, and especially Clemens and Posada. Last, I saw what you wrote about Morris not being elite. It’s funny in just about every other sport we measure one’s greatness by winning, and winning chips! Pitchers with win loss stats and championship s make more sense to have vs quarterbacks or individual players in the nba. Noah, how many pitchers do you know of, throughout the 120 yr history of baseball, that have won 4 WS rings, in 8 years, with three different teams and was the ace of each of those pitching staffs? Plus he was the mvp of the 91 series and could of been the mvp in 84 series!!! Stats are important and I know what Morris ERA was…but stats can be misleading. Stats do NOT always tell the complete story. I feel his late election to the hall, along with Trams,Whitaker is so ridiculous. Throw in Lolich, Freehan, and wow. That’s ok Miggy and Verlander will get in and that will still put Detroit near the top as far as most hall of famers.