100 Greatest Catchers of All-Time

ALL-TIME TOP 100 LISTS

Baseball's All-Time Greatest Catchers Ranked From 1 to 100

RANKNAMEFROMTOCAREERLONG PEAKSHORT PEAKPRIME
1Johnny Bench1967198375.247.223.932.7
2Gary Carter1974199270.148.223.135.8
3Josh Gibson1930194672.856.830.544.2
4Carlton Fisk1969199368.437.720.323.2
5Ivan Rodriguez1991201168.739.619.330.3
6Yogi Berra1946196559.536.817.427.5
7Joe Mauer2004201855.339.019.528.9
8Buster Posey2009202144.936.718.829.2
9Thurman Munson1969197946.037.019.327.0
10Joe Torre1960197757.637.217.825.7
11Ted Simmons1968198850.334.816.222.9
12Bill Dickey1928194657.335.918.126.3
13Roy Campanella1937195735.634.318.926.9
14Mike Piazza1992200759.642.221.930.9
15Bill Freehan1961197644.733.718.322.5
16Jorge Posada1995201142.732.916.823.2
17Jason Kendall1996201041.730.414.620.0
18Jim Sundberg1974198940.528.614.321.3
19Yadier Molina2004202242.228.716.522.4
20Gene Tenace1969198346.834.916.325.4
21Mickey Cochrane1925193749.136.217.627.0
22Gabby Hartnett1922194156.931.015.120.6
23Lance Parrish1977199539.528.414.319.5
24Darrell Porter1971198740.929.015.718.3
25Russell Martin2006201938.826.715.016.7
26J.T. Realmuto2014202333.329.615.520.3
27Brian McCann2005201931.924.513.417.6
28Salvador Perez2011202333.024.113.115.2
29Tony Pena1980199724.724.713.820.7
30Wally Schang1913193147.925.212.317.5
31Biz Mackey1920194748.329.916.520.4
32Elston Howard1955196827.126.616.020.7
33Victor Martinez2002201831.928.315.017.1
34Ernie Lombardi1931194739.525.012.317.7
35Roger Bresnahan1897191542.130.516.022.9
36Del Crandall1949196628.224.613.617.3
37Javy Lopez1992200629.724.815.115.3
38Mickey Tettleton1984199729.424.714.920.7
39Bob Boone1972199027.420.210.512.2
40Manny Sanguillen1967198027.626.413.718.9
41Tim McCarver1959198028.321.512.817.3
42Terry Steinbach1986199928.021.510.915.6
43Tom Haller1961197229.324.012.217.6
44Ray Schalk1912192933.022.010.518.0
45Sherm Lollar1946196330.121.910.815.7
46Mike Scioscia1980199226.121.712.115.7
47Smoky Burgess1949196733.323.010.614.6
48Butch Wynegar1976198826.522.811.815.4
49Darren Daulton1983199723.022.215.818.3
50A.J. Pierzynski1998201623.818.09.911.5
51Rick Ferrell1929194729.819.79.116.6
52Louis Santop1910192640.325.814.116.0
53Chris Hoiles1989199823.522.313.318.6
54Walker Cooper1940195727.323.012.415.0
55Ed Bailey1953196627.223.012.217.4
56Willson Contreras2016202324.223.311.915.3
57Terry Kennedy1978199121.619.311.617.0
58Jason Varitek1997201124.218.710.914.4
59Mike Napoli2006201726.322.712.716.6
60Rick Dempsey1969199225.117.49.412.7
61Ramon Hernandez1999201322.118.810.614.9
62Charles Johnson1994200522.620.412.616.1
63Jonathan Lucroy2010202117.719.213.717.6
64Steve O'Neill1911192826.120.612.116.8
65John Roseboro1957197022.519.410.313.6
66Kurt Suzuki2007202219.518.310.011.4
67Johnny Kling1900191329.022.411.415.5
68Benito Santiago1986200527.418.69.413.1
69Matt Wieters2009202018.317.311.914.5
70Mike Stanley1986200020.919.411.315.4
71Brad Ausmus1993201016.515.09.711.2
72Spud Davis1928194523.021.212.015.6
73Carlos Ruiz2006201722.520.911.816.2
74Andy Seminick1943195721.518.710.815.0
75Johnny Bassler1913192721.319.710.918.8
76Yan Gomes2012202319.317.911.09.7
77Chief Meyers1909191725.221.311.918.1
78John Romano1958196720.920.011.815.0
79John Stearns1974198419.719.512.514.7
80Muddy Ruel1915193420.516.49.816.8
81Earl Battey1955196718.818.710.613.9
82Bob O'Farrell1915193521.317.112.416.2
83Ernie Whitt1976199118.318.38.913.1
84Quincy Trouppe1930195221.117.012.016.0
85Joe Ferguson1970198321.019.713.29.9
86Hank Gowdy1910193023.713.77.114.1
87Jody Davis1981199015.816.99.814.4
88Miguel Montero2006201814.315.311.513.4
89Steve Yeager1972198617.914.78.112.2
90Don Slaught1982199719.314.77.211.1
91Hank Severeid1911192618.616.78.114.2
92Alex Avila2009202116.815.510.210.2
93Paul LoDuca1998200817.918.711.616.0
94Johnny Edwards1961197414.815.49.110.1
95Mike Lieberthal1994200715.314.79.111.7
96Clay Dalrymple1960197116.814.810.513.0
97Sandy Alomar Jr.1988200713.713.28.49.2
98Al Lopez1928194717.711.96.19.2
99Chris Iannetta2006201915.015.38.79.1
100Jerry Grote1963198115.114.28.58.9
EXPLANATION OF TABLE DATA
CAREER = Career Wins Above Replacement (WAR).
We use bWAR.
LONG PEAK = WAR in best seven seasons.
SHORT PEAK = WAR in best three seasons.
PRIME = WAR in best five consecutive seasons.

How Do We Rank The Players?

That's a Great Question. In short, it isn't Simple.

We have gone to great lengths to make our All-Time Baseball Player Rankings as thorough as possible. We believe our rankings are the most comprehensive, fair, and accurate.

Players are evaluated on five criteria as the foundation of our rankings: 

  • Career Value
  • Long Peak
  • Short Peak
  • Career Prime Value
  • Contribution to Championship Teams

We use Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a basis for these calculations. However, we also adjust for era, integration and level of competition, and missed playing time due to factors beyond the control of the player.

Generally, a player’s Career Value is worth about 50-60% of the ranking score we assign him. That leaves half or just under half from his long peak (seven best seasons), short peak (three best seasons), and prime (five best consecutive seasons). The contribution to championship teams (player performance in seasons where his team wins the pennant) is a small factor in most cases.

Because we adjust for timeline and era, our rankings have fewer players from before 1941 than many other baseball player lists.

We feel it’s important to acknowledge that baseball is harder to play today than it was 25 years ago, and 50 years ago, and so on. It doesn’t make sense, in our opinion, for most of the great baseball players to have played prior to World War II, when MLB was segregated.