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
2Josh Gibson1930194672.856.830.544.2
3Gary Carter1974199270.148.223.135.8
4Carlton Fisk1969199368.437.720.323.2
5Joe Mauer2004201855.339.019.528.9
6Yogi Berra1946196559.536.817.427.5
7Buster Posey2009202144.936.718.829.2
8Ivan Rodriguez1991201168.739.619.330.3
9Thurman Munson1969197946.037.019.327.0
10Ted Simmons1968198850.334.816.222.9
11Bill Dickey1928194657.335.918.126.3
12Mike Piazza1992200759.642.221.930.9
13Bill Freehan1961197644.733.718.322.5
14Jorge Posada1995201142.732.916.823.2
15Roy Campanella1937195735.634.318.926.9
16Mickey Cochrane1925193749.136.217.627.0
17Yadier Molina2004202242.228.716.522.4
18Joe Torre1960197757.637.217.825.7
19Gene Tenace1969198346.834.916.325.4
20Jim Sundberg1974198940.528.614.321.3
21Gabby Hartnett1922194156.931.015.120.6
22Jason Kendall1996201041.730.414.620.0
23Darrell Porter1971198740.929.015.718.3
24J.T. Realmuto2014202229.728.415.520.3
25Lance Parrish1977199539.528.414.319.5
26Russell Martin2006201938.826.715.016.7
27Biz Mackey1920194748.329.916.520.4
28Salvador Perez2011202232.324.113.115.2
29Brian McCann2005201931.924.513.417.6
30Mickey Tettleton1984199729.424.714.920.7
31Roger Bresnahan1897191542.130.516.022.9
32Elston Howard1955196827.126.616.020.7
33Wally Schang1913193147.925.212.317.5
34Manny Sanguillen1967198027.626.413.718.9
35Tony Pena1980199724.724.713.820.7
36Javy Lopez1992200629.724.815.115.3
37Ernie Lombardi1931194739.525.012.317.7
38Louis Santop1910192640.325.814.116.0
39Victor Martinez2002201831.928.315.017.1
40Del Crandall1949196628.224.613.617.3
41Tom Haller1961197229.324.012.217.6
42Chris Hoiles1989199823.522.313.318.6
43Tim McCarver1959198028.321.512.817.3
44Terry Steinbach1986199928.021.510.915.6
45Darren Daulton1983199723.022.215.818.3
46Smoky Burgess1949196733.323.010.614.6
47Ed Bailey1953196627.223.012.217.4
48Mike Scioscia1980199226.121.712.115.7
49Butch Wynegar1976198826.522.811.815.4
50Willson Contreras2016202220.820.911.915.3
51Walker Cooper1940195727.323.012.415.0
52Sherm Lollar1946196330.121.910.815.7
53Ray Schalk1912192933.022.010.518.0
54Terry Kennedy1978199121.619.311.617.0
55Jonathan Lucroy2010202117.719.213.717.6
56Charles Johnson1994200522.620.412.616.1
57Bob Boone1972199027.420.210.512.2
58Mike Stanley1986200020.919.411.315.4
59Mike Napoli2006201726.322.712.716.6
60Jason Varitek1997201124.218.710.914.4
61Johnny Bassler1913192721.319.710.918.8
62Ramon Hernandez1999201322.118.810.614.9
63Rick Dempsey1969199225.117.49.412.7
64Rick Ferrell1929194729.819.79.116.6
65John Stearns1974198419.719.512.514.7
66John Romano1958196720.920.011.815.0
67Matt Wieters2009202018.317.311.914.5
68John Roseboro1957197022.519.410.313.6
69A.J. Pierzynski1998201623.818.09.911.5
70Johnny Kling1900191329.022.411.415.5
71Steve O'Neill1911192826.120.612.116.8
72Chief Meyers1909191725.221.311.918.1
73Spud Davis1928194523.021.212.015.6
74Carlos Ruiz2006201722.520.911.816.2
75Kurt Suzuki2007202219.518.310.011.4
76Joe Ferguson1970198321.019.713.29.9
77Andy Seminick1943195721.518.710.815.0
78Earl Battey1955196718.818.710.613.9
79Ernie Whitt1976199118.318.38.913.1
80Quincy Trouppe1930195221.117.012.016.0
81Bob O'Farrell1915193521.317.112.416.2
82Jody Davis1981199015.816.99.814.4
83Muddy Ruel1915193420.516.49.816.8
84Alex Avila2009202116.815.510.210.2
85Miguel Montero2006201814.315.311.513.4
86Hank Gowdy1910193023.713.77.114.1
87Paul LoDuca1998200817.918.711.616.0
88Steve Yeager1972198617.914.78.112.2
89Benito Santiago1986200527.418.69.413.1
90Clay Dalrymple1960197116.814.810.513.0
91Don Slaught1982199719.314.77.211.1
92Brad Ausmus1993201016.515.09.711.2
93Bubbles Hargrave1913193016.417.912.313.9
94Harry Danning1933194214.715.710.713.9
95Hank Severeid1911192618.616.78.114.2
96Stan Lopata1948196015.316.29.913.3
97Yasmani Grandal2012202220.219.210.512.1
98Mike Lieberthal1994200715.314.79.111.7
99Ray Fosse1967197912.915.210.712.7
100Chris Iannetta2006201915.015.38.79.1
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.