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Houston Astros: Evan Gattis should get more playing time at catcher

By James Zeankowski

SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 18: Brian McCann #16 of the Houston Astros and Evan Gattis #11 of the Houston Astros are congratulated by Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros after scoring runs two-run double by George Springer #4 of the Houston Astros off of relief pitcher Nick Vincent #50 of the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning of a game at Safeco Field on April 18, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 18: Brian McCann #16 of the Houston Astros and Evan Gattis #11 of the Houston Astros are congratulated by Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros after scoring runs two-run double by George Springer #4 of the Houston Astros off of relief pitcher Nick Vincent #50 of the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning of a game at Safeco Field on April 18, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /
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Now that the Houston Astros are back in first place in the American League West, some things can afford to be shifted around. Namely, Evan Gattis catching!

Both Max Stassi and Brian McCann have now caught every single starting and relief pitcher for the Houston Astros. This is a prime opportunity to get Evan Gattis behind the plate now!

It’s no secret that the bat of El Oso Blanco has been as frigid as a polar bear’s natural habitat. In fact, this is his worst start to a season since 2015. Ironically, that was his first season with the Astros.

Serving as primary DH then also, he had an 0-for-23 start while trying to adjust from National League to American League pitching. Believe it or not, players actually do have a hard time adjusting to different leagues. Don’t believe me, just ask players like Jon Lester or Giancarlo Stanton.

All that aside, I implored fans to be civil when it comes to the bear. However, at this point, I can understand the frustrations. Having an OPS of over .900 as a catcher and below .700 as a DH has to raise some eyebrows.

Sure, Gattis himself will tell you in TV interviews that he doesn’t personally believe his hitting and position on the field to be related. Regardless, actions speak louder than words. And clearly, he does hit better when he catches.

CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 20: Evan Gattis #11 and Ken Giles #53 of the Houston Astros celebrate a win over the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on April 20, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.The Astros defeated the White Sox 10-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 20: Evan Gattis #11 and Ken Giles #53 of the Houston Astros celebrate a win over the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on April 20, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.The Astros defeated the White Sox 10-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Often, players that have played a fielding position their whole lives find it difficult to just go up in the batter’s box 3-5 times a game. So what can possibly be made of all this?

Mauling with the Mitt

Gattis does not have the best defensive numbers over his career. At the same time, he also isn’t a complete crap shoot as backstop, either. Many signs actually point to him being an incredibly serviceable catcher over the years.

Baseball Prospectus has some real in-depth charts looking at the advanced metrics of catchers. According to the specific charts on Gattis, the only areas that he really struggles with our blocking runs saved and throwing/stolen runs saved. There are a good number of wild pitches that

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get by him and his arm is not as much of a cannon.

However, if you look a little deeper, his framing runs are either at, or slightly above, average. Add to that, he also has some of the fewest passed balls as a catcher since his career began in 2013. The same report also projects that, if given enough starts,

Gattis can be 1.2 WAR as a catcher.

Granted, he wouldn’t be anywhere near the defensive level of our main two catchers. Still, you have to wonder if suiting up in the proverbial “tools of ignorance” may not be such a dumb idea after all.

It’s Morphin Time!

Gattis brings a sheer presence to this stacked team. I mention it often in my fan blog on him, The White Bear Chronicles. He is in his sixth season, and while still fairly new to the game of baseball, brings his own unique brand of veteran leadership.

All of us fans have a desire to trust the process that Hinch, the team’s skipper, has created for this team over the years. After all, he did get the team it’s very first world championship just last season. Even with that, offering up fresh ideas and approaches is not necessarily a referendum on his coaching style.

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Far from it, expressing said things actually shows proof of how much we all care as fans for this team. Plenty of folks will deny it because of the early struggles. But like it or not, Gattis is still a big part of this team and will continue to be for as long as H-Town will let him.

The time feels right to, as The Beatles would say, get back to where you once belonged. In the case of El Oso Blanco, that means getting back behind the plate. Free the bear from his cage and let us fans really hear him roar!

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