Nationals Opinions: Best Catcher in Nats History

Jul 11, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Nationals catcher

(24) throws to first base during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies defeated the Nationals 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

No. 5: Kurt Suzuki

There are several players who very easily could have come in at No. 5 on our list, but for the sake of this ranking we will consider Kurt Suzuki as the fifth-best catcher in Nationals history.

The Nationals acquired Suzuki from the Oakland Athletics during the second half of the 2012 season, when they were trying to fend off the braves en route to their first NL East title. The Nationals needed Suzuki badly since Wilson Ramos was out for the season with a torn ACL and the team’s backups were not getting the job done.

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After joining the Nationals in August, Suzuki hit .267 with five home runs and 25 RBIs in 43 games. With Suzuki on board, the Nationals finally had a consistent player who could man the ship until Ramos returned, which wouldn’t happen until 2013. While his numbers weren’t crazy good, the Nationals needed Suzuki to succeed both behind the plate and in the batter’s box while helping the team down the stretch –  which is exactly what he did.

Suzuki began the 2013 season sharing starting catching duties with Ramos. He would soon take over as starter, however, as Ramos continued to deal with injuries that forced him to linger on the DL for most of the first half of the season. In 79 games with the Nationals in 2013, Suzuki batted .222 with three home runs and 35 RBIs.

Once Ramos was healthy and once again a force in the lineup, the Nationals traded Suzuki back to Oakland in late-August – almost exactly a year after they acquired him.

Next: Number 4