For a long stretch, catcher was a Yankees calling card in the Silver Slugger race.
When the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Awards began in 1980, New York wasn’t always a factor at that spot right away, but once Mike Stanley won in 1993, the Yankees started piling up hardware behind the plate. Jorge Posada led the way with five wins from 2000-2003 and 2007, while Stanley, Brian McCann in 2015 and Gary Sánchez in 2017 each added one more. That gave the Yankees eight catcher Silver Sluggers overall, just enough to edge Ivan Rodriguez on his own, 8-7.
Sánchez’s win, though, now stands as the last time the Yankees claimed the award at catcher, and it feels like a turning point in hindsight. His 2016 arrival hinted at something bigger, and his age-24 season in 2017 backed that up with 33 home runs and 90 RBIs.
Instead, what followed was a strange and steady slide. His defense deteriorated, his offense dipped in 2018 to 18 homers in 89 games with an 89 OPS+, and even his 2019 All-Star nod didn’t restore the old version of him.
By the end of the 2021 season, Sánchez was out of New York, and he never reestablished himself as a clear starter after that. The Yankees’ hopes of another catcher Silver Slugger took a hit with that decline, and 2019 was another reminder of how quickly the position can change hands when Mitch Garver beat him out.
Since then, the names at the top have been the expected ones: Salvador Pérez, Adley Rutschman, Alejandro Kirk and Cal Raleigh. Austin Wells looked like the next Yankee who might break through after a full 2024 season, but since his pre-September '24 peak, the trajectory has looked too familiar to ignore.
Even the broader catching landscape seems to be shifting again, with the Tigers back in the picture and Dillon Dingler positioned to chase the kind of early dominance Detroit once had at the position.
Maybe, someday, Jorge Posada Jr. will be the one to end the drought in the Bronx.
In Other News...
Yankees Have A New Rays Problem In The AL East Race
The Rays have found another useful piece in catcher Liam Hicks, a low-profile trade pickup from Miami that cost Tampa Bay only a deal built around three players outside the Marlins top 10 prospects. Since arriving in Tampa Bay, Hicks has immediately looked like the kind of quietly effective add that can change the tone of a division race, giving the Rays more production behind the plate and another bat that fits their usual knack for squeezing value out of under-the-radar moves.
For the Yankees, the concern is less about the trade itself and more about what it says about a rival that keeps finding ways to stay in the mix. Hicks has hit .328/.425/.522 in 23 games with 13 RBIs and three homers, and he comes with club control through the 2030 season, which gives Tampa Bay a longer runway than a typical deadline-style pickup. In a crowded AL East, those are the kinds of additions that can matter in September, and the Rays have another one on their hands. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Volpes Yankees Return Just Got More Complicated
Anthony Volpes road back to the Yankees took an unwelcome turn over the weekend when he was hit by a pitch in a Triple-A game and left with a right forearm contusion, according to ESPNs Jorge Castillo. Volpe had initially stayed in the game, even stealing a base and taking another at-bat before exiting in the sixth inning, a sequence that suggested he might have avoided anything serious at first glance.
Now the bigger concern is whether the injury slows the timeline for his return to the Major Leagues. The Yankees have been waiting for Volpe to work his way back into their plans, and any setback in Triple-A adds another layer of uncertainty to a process that already requires careful timing. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Face A Brutal Stretch To Keep Their AL East Hope Alive
With 24 games left, the Yankees are staring at a finish line that still offers a path in the AL East, even if the odds are long. Injuries and roster turnover have made the season harder to navigate than expected, but the pitching staff has helped steady the group and keep New York in second place while holding the top Wild Card spot.
The coming stretch will decide whether the division race stays alive or shifts fully toward the playoff safety net. The Yankees need the kind of strong run that can make up ground quickly, and there is at least some hope that key players could return from injury in time to give the roster a late boost. [Read more 🡒]