Houston Astros: FOUR Evan Gattis Myths Debunked

Myth #1: Evan Gattis is a “one-dimensional” player.

It’s frustrating to hear this idea come out of the mouths of any baseball fan, let alone Houston Astros fans and critics. This is incredibly FALSE, and here’s why:

Evan Gattis can play up to 4 positions, giving him and the team a lot of versatility. Though he is naturally a catcher, he also has experience playing first base, left field, and can/will DH in the upcoming season.

Being a designated hitter may not be his strong suit, but he will still be given some starts there in 2017. After all, Beltran and McCann can’t play every day, and won’t get much more than 120 games each.

Critics will then try to say, “Yeah, but he can’t field any of his positions well.” Not true.

His catching stats for 2016 were actually serviceable, to above average in some cases. His framing was solid and his stolen base runs above average (SRAA) was among some of the top in the league.

Only blocking was his real weakness, having some of the most wild pitches thrown while he was behind the plate. But a full spring training when pitchers and catchers report can quickly turn said weakness into a real strength.

Left field is actually the only position he really struggles mightily at, with a fielding percentage below .950 and a DRS in the outfield of -6. So of course, that position you will want to avoid putting the Big White Bear into. Anywhere else, it’s fair game for Gattis.