Cincinnati Reds should start Tucker Barnhart over Devin Mesoraco

Devin Mesoraco can’t stay healthy as the Cincinnati Reds starting catcher.

Every year Cincinnati Reds’ fans get their hopes up that Devin Mesoraco will somehow avoid the injury bug, and have the season everyone has been waiting for him to have since he arrived in Cincinnati. For years fans have been waiting for him to bust out of his shell, but he ends up crawling deeper back into it than he was before. I am not saying Devin is a bad baseball player by any means, he can actually be quite good when there’s not an injury nagging at his back heels. In 2014 he played 114 games, a career high, and boasted a .273 batting average, 80 RBI’s, and 25 home runs. Pretty solid numbers, especially for a catcher. Here comes the kicker, the next two seasons he played a combined 39 games.

The relationships between pitchers and their catchers is vital to both parties’ success. The offseason is spent catching and throwing a countless number of bullpens, learning each other’s tendencies, knowing the other person’s style, and what they like. It’s incredibly important. That’s why you need to have a catcher you can count on behind the plate. That catcher is Tucker Barnhart.

The Cincinnati Reds need consistency behind the plate for the young pitchers in 2017.

The Reds have been anything but consistent the past few years. They need someone young who can be an everyday player who gives you the output you expect nearly every time they go on the field. Tucker has been in the league since 2014, and Devin has been in the league since 2011. Tucker has only 344 less at bats than Devin. Surprisingly, Tucker has the higher career batting average, .250 to .237. Catchers aren’t expected to produce as much as an outfielder or another position player, but offensive output isn’t something you can overlook. Overall Tucker brings a more consistent feel to the offense, as he won’t hit a lot of home runs. He will get you a lot of hits, and a lot of good at-bats.

Defense is key when deciding who the Reds should start behind the plate.

When it comes down to it most catchers in the MLB get to start because of doing just enough on the offensive side, but controlling the game on the defense. Devin Mesoraco is a very solid defensive catcher, but Tucker is just better. Speed kills on offense and defense. While Tucker may not fly around the bases, he flies around home plate blocking and picking balls out of the dirt.  He moves in ways we have never seen Devin do. Tucker brings a .992 fielding percentage to the table, which just barely edges out Devin’s .990. In Devin’s All-Star year he threw out 18 of 51 potential base stealers.  In 2016, Tucker threw out 34 of 68. That’s roughly 15% better.

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The Reds need young, developing, and consistent players. Tucker is the man for the job.