Source: Andy Lyons/Getty Images North America
After seeing the stats of Pujols, Beltre, and Cabrera, it is hard to imagine there is a place in Cooperstown for a guy with only 100 home runs and 645 RBIs, but Yadier Molina’s career is one that cannot be quantified simply by looking through his stat lines. Molina has been widely known as the best defensive catcher in baseball for close to the entirety of his 12-year career, as evidenced by his eight Gold Glove awards.
In his career, Molina has thrown out 44% of would-be thieves, the best among all active catchers with at least 500 games played. Molina is certainly no slouch with the bat either, with a career .283 batting average. While he has never displayed a lot of power, Molina has always excelled at putting the ball in play, with a career high of 59 strikeouts in a season. Molina’s greatest asset to the Cardinals during his career may be his leadership and ability to handle the pitching staff. He has always excelled at making his own pitchers better, and has been a keystone member of one of the most successful franchises in professional sports.
What “Yadi” brings to the table might not jump off the page for voters, but his body of work as as catcher, a hitter, a leader, and a two-time World Series champion could be enough to merit induction into the Hall of Fame.
Career Statistics:
Average- .283
Home Runs- 100
RBI- 645
On-Base Pct.- .336
Slugging Pct.- .397
WAR- 30.4
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