Dodgers: Who is the best catcher in franchise history?

Ranking the top five catchers in Los Angeles Dodgers history.

There are certain positions in Dodger history that carry more significance than others. You think of pitching. You think of the middle of the infield. And you think of behind home plate. The Dodgers have had some great catchers over the years, dating back to their time in Brooklyn, as well as in more recent memory in Los Angeles.

This was a tough list to put together, most in terms of deciding how to rank everyone. I tried to consider longevity, consistency, along with superlative performances. I didn’t want to exclude players who weren’t long-standing catchers with the team, but a player needed to serve enough time to make an impact beyond just a few seasons. I also didn’t want to discount catchers who never rose to the top of their profession, but proved reliable for a multitude of seasons.

Before we get into the list, let’s run through a few honorable mentions.

: A strong case could be made for the Dodger catcher who squatted behind the plate for most of the seventies and early eighties. The 1981 World Series MVP appeared in four World Series with the Dodgers in 1974, 1977, 1978, and 1981. From 1974-1977, he was at his best, hitting double digit home runs, adding power to make up for a low batting average. While he was a consistent force behind the plate for the Dodgers, his performance doesn’t quite measure up to the players ranked on this list.

Yasmani Grandal: Grandal’s time with the Dodgers was a bit short, only four seasons, but he proved to be the most powerful catcher since Mike Piazza. He smacked 89 home runs for the Dodgers in those four years he was in Los Angeles. Had he served a little more time with the team, he might have cracked the top five.

Paul Lo Duca: Lo Duca is another case of a modern catcher who had some strong seasons with the Dodgers, but just didn’t play long enough, only three full seasons with the team, to prove worthy of top five consideration.

Now that we know who just missed the list, let’s break down the five best catchers in Dodger history.

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5) Russell Martin

Russell Martin‘s tenure with the Dodgers wasn’t long, only six seasons, but his work behind the plate earns him the fifth spot on this list. When you think of modern Dodger catchers, Martin’s name rises to the top in considering who has been the best over the past few decades.

The Canadian catcher batted .268 with an impressive .362 on-base-percentage while playing for the Dodgers. He appeared in two All-Star games and won both the Silver Slugger Award and Gold Glove Award in 2007, proving his value from both sides of the plate.

During that 2007 campaign, Martin clubbed 19 home runs and drove in 87 baserunners, while batting .293/.374/.469. He led catchers in games played, putouts, assists, runners caught stealing, and range factor per nine innings on his way to his Gold Glove honor.

Martin’s 23.1 wins above replacement level with the Dodgers ranks fourth highest among Dodger backstops. In 750 games, he produced value on par with long-time catchers, such as Johnny Roseboro and Mike Scioscia.

4) John Roseboro

Unfortunately, John Roseboro might be most remembered for something you wish never happened. One of the most intense moments of the Dodgers-Giants rivalry ended with Juan Marichal clubbing Roseboro over the head with a bat. Roseboro somehow returned the lineup only three days later, eventually suing Marichal for the incident.

Focusing on things he accomplished as a ballplayer, Roseboro’s place in Dodger history fits perfectly with the team’s arrival to Los Angeles. After Roy Campanella was paralyzed in a car accident in the months before the team debuted out west, Rosoboro essentially became the first everyday catcher in “LA” Dodgers history.

Between 1958-1967, Roseboro made five All-Star appearances and won two Gold Glove Awards. He has caught the second most games in Dodger history, while batting .251/.327/.382 for the Boys in Blue.

Roseboro was a defensive wiz behind the plate. He could gun down runners (he led the league in caught stealing percentage twice, and finished in the top-ten seven times), and used his arm to start double plays, in which he turned the most as a catcher in three seasons. His range factor, which measures the amount of ground he covered on balls in play, led the National League among catchers six times.

When you think of the Dodgers in the 1960s, you think of Roseboro as a steady presence behind the plate.

3) Mike Scioscia

Before Kirk Gibson limped around the bases in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, it was Mike Scioscia’s home run against the Mets in Game 4 of the NLCS that miraculously saved the season. The Mets were on the verge of taking a commanding 3-1 series lead, with Doc Gooden ready to retire the final three batters, and Scioscia, who had hit three home runs all season, shocked the baseball world with a game-tying long ball.

You could put Scioscia as an honorable mention just for this one swing.

When you think of Mike Scioscia, you also think of loyalty. He played all 13 of his seasons in the majors with one team. And followed up his playing days with 18 consecutive seasons managing down the freeway with the Angels.

The Pennsylvania native made two All-Star games in his career, his performance measured in consistency more than superlatives. Between 1980-1991, his batting average barely ever deviated in a negative direction from his career .259 batting average. He appeared in 1394 games as a Dodger catcher, most in franchise history. Scioscia gets the lifetime achievement award for Dodger backstops.

1) Roy Campanella

It’s unfortunate that Roy Campanella never got the chance to play with the Dodgers in Los Angeles. A horrific car accident injured the Hall-of-Fame catcher in the months preceding the team’s opener out West.

For the ten seasons before the Dodgers left Brooklyn, Campanella became one of the greatest catchers to ever play the sport. An eight-time All Star, three-time MVP, and 1955 World Series champion, you can’t argue with the hardware the catcher, nicknamed “Campy,” accumulated over the years.

His 242 career home runs still ranks fourth among players who played at least 90 percent of their games at the catcher position. His 1953 season remains one of the greatest seasons by a catcher, when he set a long-standing record for a backstop with 41 home runs, along with 142 RBIs, and a .312 batting average.

Dodgers: 5 greatest seasons by a catcher

Who had the greatest season as a Dodger catcher, and what season was it?

The Dodgers have a rich history of backstops who transformed the catching role from a defensive-minded position to one packed with power. From Roy Campanella to Mike Piazza to Russell Martin, the franchise has built a lineage of catchers that hopefully continues to to Will Smith on the current-day Dodgers.

For now, the best ever designation remains with Roy Campanella.