Washington Nationals Editorial: Where Does Wilson Ramos Rank Among Catchers in the NL East?

Tyler Flowers – Atlanta Braves

Flowers appeared in 112 games for the Chicago White Sox in 2015, hitting .239/.295/.356 with 79 hits, twelve doubles, nine home runs, 21 runs, 39 RBIs, no stolen bases (one attempt), 21 walks, and 104 strikeouts with an OPS+ of 82 over 361 plate appearances.

After spending the first seven years of his career in the Windy City, Tyler Flowers signed a two-year, $5.3 million deal with a team option for a third season with the Atlanta Braves this offseason. He is widely considered one of the best pitch-framers in baseball, and is a good all-around defensive catcher.

He is expected to share catching duties with fellow former White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who played 104 games for the Braves in 2015. However, with the veteran catcher preparing for his age-39 season, Flowers is expected to handle a majority of the workload.

Flowers struggled at the plate in 2015, but is well-respected by the Atlanta organization for having a reputation of grooming talented young arms in Chicago. He won’t be trusted to achieve much on the offensive side of the ball, but rather assist in the development of their top prospects into major league stars over the next two years.

With the Braves still rebuilding and not looking to contend for at least two more years, no one is expecting Flowers to develop into the franchise catcher of the future. He will instead be looking to provide a consistent and veteran presence on a team full of promising young stars.

Next: #4 Catcher in the NL East

Carlos Ruiz – Philadelphia Phillies

Ruiz appeared in 86 games for the Phillies in 2015, hitting .211/.290/.285 with 60 hits, 13 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 23 runs, 22 RBIs, one stolen base (two attempts), 28 walks, and 43 strikeouts with an OPS+ of 59 over 320 plate appearances.

The former All-Star has struggled to stay on the field, playing in less than 114 games in four straight seasons. As the Phillies have fallen from grace as perennial division winners to the basement of the National League, so has Carlos Ruiz as one of the best offensive catchers in all of baseball to an old veteran past his prime.

At 37-years old, it is no sure bet that Ruiz will even be making a majority of the team’s starts at the catcher position. Teammate Cameron Rupp is ten years younger and has more potential with five more years of team control. However, Ruiz is still a .266 career hitter who makes a lot of contact and doesn’t strike out very often. His shoulder ailments that held him on the shelf for a majority of last year are reportedly fully healed, and he is ready to give another go at a full season.

Even if Ruiz doesn’t win the starting job out of spring training, he will be able to provide a much-needed veteran presence on a rebuilding ball club. He is one of two players left on the ballclub from the 2008 World Series championship team, and has enough knowledge in his head for rookies to pick his brain apart for years.

While Ruiz landed at the top of these rankings last season, he falls to the No. 4 spot very ungracefully. Perhaps he drinks from the Fountain of Youth this season and puts together a productive year. But if that were to happen, he would probably end up getting traded anyway.

Next: #3 Catcher in the NL East

Wilson Ramos – Washington Nationals

Ramos appeared in 128 games for the Nats in 2015, hitting .229/.258/.358 with 109 hits, 16 doubles, 15 home runs, 41 runs, 68 RBIs, 21 walks, and 101 strikeouts with an OPS+ of 64 over 504 plate appearances.

The common thinking regarding Wilson Ramos was that given a full season, he would be among the best offensive catchers in the league. Well, he got his full season, but the numbers just weren’t there. After playing reasonably well through June, he completely fell apart. His slash line in the month of July? .149/.171/.239. How about September? .180/.200/.303.

Now, this does not mean Ramos was not a key member of the team. He was a Gold Glove finalist and had the best caught stealing percentage (44 percent) in the major leagues. He even caught two no-hitters. However, his ceiling was always much higher, and he simply underperformed in 2015.

This season, Ramos is entering his walk year with one final go at boosting his value before entering free agency for the first time in his career. One final chance to show everyone what he can really do on a baseball field. In order to do that, he will have to show once again that he can stay healthy, hit for the power that he was expected to, and limit the ground balls up the middle.

At full strength, Ramos can be a very dangerous part of the Nationals’ lineup. He is the biggest player on the team, and could be an anchor in the bottom half of the order. Ramos is certainly capable of hitting 20 home runs, hitting .280, and catching throws from the outfield. While he has yet to display those factors thus far, it will be interesting to see if he puts it all together in 2016.

Next: #2 Catcher in the NL East

J.T. Realmuto – Miami Marlins

Realmuto appeared in 126 games for the Marlins in 2015, hitting .259/.290/.406 with 114 hits, 21 doubles, seven triples, ten home runs, 49 runs, 47 RBIs, eight stolen bases (twelve attempts), 19 walks, and 70 strikeouts with an OPS+ of 90 over 467 plate appearances.

Realmuto at No. 2? Now before you go criticizing my evaluation abilities, take a look at the numbers above. That’s a 24-year old catcher in his rookie season. Doesn’t look too bad now does it? J.T. Realmuto has the ceiling that Ramos was blessed with early in his career, and it would surprise no one if he became the Marlins’ every day catcher for the next five years.

His 21 doubles were tied for seventh-most among catchers, while his seven triples and eight stolen bases were the best among any backstop in the league. With the fences being moved in this season at Marlins Park, it would not be surprising to see some of those doubles and triples turn into homers. Not to mention Miami’s lineup will be getting some guy named Giancarlo Stanton back, and that can do nothing but good things for the rest of the team.

While looking to avoid a sophomore slump, Realmuto will be working closely with hitting coach and home run king Barry Bonds to keep his swing in top form. On the defensive side of the ball, he will be looking at a much better rotation than last season. A full season of Jose Fernandez in addition to newly signed Wei-Yin Chen should help Realmuto settle in defensively with his pitching staff.

So what should you expect out of Realmuto in 2016? A quality above average season that could even help push Miami into the playoff conversation come this September (given that a few other players have the years we’re expecting them to). But this is baseball, and anything can happen.

Next: #1 Catcher in the NL East

Travis d’Arnaud – New York Mets

d’Arnaud appeared in 67 games for the Mets in 2015, hitting .268/.340/.485 with 64 hits, 14 doubles, one triple, twelve home runs, 31 runs, 41 RBIs, 23 walks, and 49 strikeouts with an OPS+ of 128 over 268 plate appearances.

The former first round pick that was once traded alongside Michael Taylor in a deal for Roy Halladay, and then once again with Noah Syndergaard for R.A. Dickey, will enter the 2016 season as one of the most promising catchers in the league. Travis d’Arnaud has so much versatility, in fact, that the Mets are considering occasionally playing him at shortstop.

The best catcher in the NL East may have wrapped up 2015 only appearing in 67 games, but he is expected to have a bounce back season and will enter Spring Training fully healthy. With d’Arnaud currently slotting in right behind key hitters Yoenis Cespedes and Lucas Duda in the lineup according to Rotochamp’s projections. The Mets have built their lineup around producing runs out of the catcher position, and everyone on the managerial staff appears to be all in.

Some call to question d’Arnaud’s caught stealing percentage of only 21% over the past two seasons as a weakness, but the Mets will certainly deal with it if his bat proves to be everything they expect it to.

The National League has a very interesting set of catchers. Tyler Flowers and Carlos Ruiz will be looking to provide veteran presences for their respective rebuilding teams. Wilson Ramos is entering a contract year with his career at a crossroads, while J.T. Realmuto is hoping to build off an impressive rookie season. Travis d’Arnaud may be the best of them all, but all five players have very unique expectations for 2016.

Next: District Daily: Lucas Giolito Looks To Make The Major Leagues In 2016

We want to hear from you! How do you rank the catchers in the NL East and where does Wilson Ramos rank on your list?