MINNEAPOLIS — Sometimes a player’s best qualities aren’t so easy to quantify. With that in mind, Astros catcher Martín Maldonado serves as a reminder that being a productive major league player isn’t just about stats.
That might sound counterintuitive, especially since Houston is in unfamiliar territory — a 1-1 tie with Minnesota heading into Game 3 of the American League Division Series at Target Field on Tuesday — and could use every advantage on offense and defense Disposal.
Maldonado did not have a strong year on the field in the regular season, hitting a career-high 15 home runs, but otherwise ranked below league average in most offensive categories. He slashed .191/.258/.348 with an OPS+ of 66 in 116 games.
However, these numbers do not reflect the true value that Maldonado brings to his team. The 37-year-old backstop is one of the best baseball minds in the game and has the ability to elevate the performance of his pitching staff, an intangible not reflected in the box score.
That’s why it’s a no-brainer for manager Dusty Baker to send Maldonado backstage, even though he’s aware that fans have been clamoring all season for rookie Yainer Diaz to get more playing time.
“You can only play nine guys at a time,” Baker said, noting that Diaz will start as the designated hitter in Game 3 because Twins starter Sonny Gray is tough on left-handed hitters. “When I had Michael [Brantley] back, it saved a lot [Diaz’s] Playing time in the DH role. And the fact that our three main starters are usually caught by Maldy and you want experience in the playoffs and the World Series.”
Diaz has the statistical edge over Maldonado and finished his first full season ranked second in wRC+ (127) among all primary catchers with at least 350 plate appearances and eighth in fWAR (2.0) among qualified AL rookies. He slashed .282/.308/.538 with 23 home runs and 22 doubles in 104 games.
He also excelled on defense, shutting out 30 percent of would-be base stealers and ranking in the top six above average in both blocks (eight) and average pop time to second base (1.90 seconds). ranked league backstops among all qualified big players.
Maldonado’s experience and Diaz’s rise have given the Astros a problem that many other teams might find enviable: They have two great everyday options at catcher, but for very different reasons.
What makes Maldonado such a special battery mate?
“When you have a good catcher, it makes your job as a pitcher a lot easier,” Twins left-hander and former Astro Dallas Keuchel said. “I felt like my job was very, very easy at times just because he was so good behind the plate. … Martín, also known as Machete, is special.”
His former and current teammates cite his high level of preparation as a standout quality, with Twins backstop Christian Vázquez noting that Maldonado would sometimes spend 30 minutes focusing on a single opposing hitter. Add that to his extensive knowledge of the game, and Maldonado can sometimes be more like an additional coach on the field.
“When you have someone else who does so much homework and is out there armed with a lot of information, but at the same time you can trust their baseball instincts, it’s really fun,” star Justin Verlander said a day before throwing six scoreless frames in Game 1. “You have this back-and-forth chess game with the batter. …
“I feel like in this analytical age of baseball, a lot of pitchers, teams and catchers get stuck in a certain way to approach certain hitters. … So to have someone who sees the game similarly and thinks similarly,” and I’ll adapt on the fly. I think that’s a big benefit for everyone, not just myself but the rest of our staff and in our bullpen.”
Diaz, who is expected to be Maldonado’s heir in 2024, has spent his first full season in the majors learning lessons from the starting lineup. It’s almost impossible not to take away something new from Maldonado – Vázquez, a nine-year veteran of the big leagues himself, said he learned a lot from how Maldonado prepared for games after being traded to the Astros at the Trade Deadline 22.
Vázquez also saw Diaz make his major league debut at the end of the 2022 season, and from afar he was impressed with how the standout rookie has developed into a big leaguer in the interim.
“I think he’s the future of this organization,” Vázquez said. “He’s a great boy. Very humble, calm and he likes to learn. He’s going to learn a lot with all the guys over there calling the shots. I think he will be a great player in the future.”