Rewarded: Yan Gomes
Washington has had issues behind the plate since Wilson Ramos left in free agency after the 2016 season. Matt Wieters was signed to replace Ramos, but he failed to fill the void and the front office was left scrambling. After the 2018 season, the Nats made an underrated trade, acquiring Yan Gomes from the Cleveland Indians.
From 2019-2020, Gomes platooned with Kurt Suzuki to form a solid duo behind the plate. Known for his defensive prowess, Gomes took a step back during his first year in D.C. His framing took a hit and he only threw out 18 runners in 59 attempts. Offensively, he hit .223, with 12 homers, 43 RBIs, and a .704 OPS.
Despite Gomes’s down year, Washington re-signed him to a two-year deal to start the 2020 season and have been immediately rewarded. Last year the veteran became the team’s best hitter not named Juan Soto or Trea Turner, hitting .284, with four homers, 13 RBIs, and an OPS of .787. His defense was still inconsistent, posting -3 DRS and a -1.5 framerate (FRM).
This year, Gomes is the team’s starter and he is having one of the best seasons of his career. At the plate, he is hitting .255, with five homers, and 18 RBIs. Defensively, Gomes leads all catchers (min 200 innings) in runners caught stealing with 12. While his framing has continued to degrade, he has two DRS. Despite the Nationals losing record, the 33-year-old is a major reason the Nationals have one of the best defenses in baseball