Nationals Opinions: Best Catcher in Nats History

Mar 17, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher

(70) puts his cap back on in the dugout after striking out in the eighth inning during a spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Hilderbrand-USA TODAY Sports

No. 4: Jesus Flores

Most Nationals fans remember Jesus Flores as a promising young catcher who never really lived up to his full potential with the Nationals due to injuries.

Nevertheless, Flores is the third-longest tenured catcher in team history and, when healthy, he was a solid contributor behind the plate and to the Nationals’ lineup. For this reason, Flores is the fourth-best catcher in Nationals history in our ranking.

The Nationals acquired Flores from the New York Mets in the 2006 Rule 5 draft. Flores, who had never played above Class-A with the Mets, made his big league debut with the Nationals on April 4, 2007, and made his first big league start a couple of days later.

In 79 games with the Nationals in 2007, Flores hit .244 with four home runs and 25 RBIs.

The young catcher was the Nationals’ starting catcher on Opening Day in 2008 and went on to have the best season of his career. In 90 games with the Nationals, Flores batted .256 with eight home runs and 59 RBIs. There were many memorable moments for Flores that year, such as his five-hit performance in the Nationals’ 15-6 victory over the Braves July 20.

The 2008 season was huge for Flores. Unfortunately, it was also when the young catcher’s career started to derail itself with injuries. Flores suffered a season-ending injury in a collision at home plate with Phillies second baseman Chase Utley in September. A few weeks into the 2009 season, Flores suffered a stress fracture in his shoulder that forced him to miss the remainder of the season and all of 2010.

Flores would play 30 games in 2011 and 83 in games in 2012 when Ramos was injured. In those 83 games, he hit a mere .213 with six home runs and 23 RBIs. Flores has not played in a major league game since 2012, but signed a minor league deal with an invite to major league Spring Training with the Braves earlier this year.

Next: Number 3