Appreciating Buster Posey’s Greatness

Buster Posey is one of the best players in baseball, and he will play under the brightest lights once again in the 2014 World Series as the San Francisco Giants take on the Kansas City Royals.

“What kind of name is Buster, anyway?”

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Those were the taunts yelled by an intoxicated fan at a Colorado Sky Sox game some years ago. As that woman yelled those and countless other witty taunts, I remember turning to my family and saying: “It’s the kind of name of a guy who is going to terrorize the Rockies for a long time.”

Five years later, that is exactly the case. But it’s not just the Rockies who have been victimized by Posey, a 27-year-old who already has one heck of a career resume. As Posey’s Giants prepare for their third World Series appearance in the last five years, let’s take a moment to appreciate Buster Posey’s greatness.

1. Kills the Rockies

Posey recently earned the fine distinction of co-captain of the fictional team called the “Rockies Killers.” Freddie Freeman is the other captain, of course.

In his career, Posey is batting .385/.452/.635 against the Rockies. He has 16 of his 83 career home runs against the Rockies, the most against any opponent. Those who watch the NL West might be more familiar with Posey’s greatness than most, and Rockies’ fans get to see it on display as much as anybody.

2. All-Around Player

Besides being one of the best pure hitters going, Posey plays excellent defense behind the plate. The Giants might eventually move him and his $164 million deal out to first base full time to save his legs, but for now Posey offers tremendous value catching and with his bat.

3. Postseason Success

Posey has already played 41 postseason games in his career. His overall playoff numbers are not overwhelmingly great, due mostly to an oddity in his NLCS statistics. When parsed out, however, you can see that Posey is still a guy you want up there for a key at-bat, even if his overall postseason numbers don’t jump off the page:

Career NLDS: .321/.400/.453
Career NLCS: .188/.278/.217
Career World Series: .286/.324/.457

If you’re asking me, I would surprised if Posey doesn’t have a big hit or two in this World Series, regardless of whether the Giants win or not.

4. Career Accolades

As we mentioned, Posey is just 27 years old. He just finished his fifth full big-league season, and already he has been Rookie of the Year, National League MVP, won three NL Pennants and two World Series rings. He will be a serious candidate for another MVP award this season and the Giants might win a third ring in a five year span.

That is some all-time great stuff already for a guy who is just approaching the years that are considered a position player’s “prime.”

Put it this way: if Posey played for the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox, the hot takes would be flying about where he belongs among the all-time greats, fruitless though those conversations can be.

Maybe it’s best that he’s out west, playing for a fan base that loves him and for a team that just keeps freaking winning.