Colorado Rockies: Analyzing and Grading the 2016 Catchers

NICK HUNDLEY: 2016 GRADE C-, fWAR 0.3

Now that Nick Hundley is drawing interest from other clubs in free agency, the Colorado Rockies are comfortable that their up-and-coming catching corps are capable of replacing him.

A 33-year-old Hundley put more up a .260/.320/.439 line in 83 games in 2016. Considering that most catchers in the league hit in the bottom of the lineup, Hundley’s offensive prowess doesn’t look as bad as it felt writing it. To his credit, Hundley’s average and power place him firmly among the average Joes of Major League catchers.

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If Hundley established himself as an average hitter, his defense left something to be desired. Hundley committed seven errors, had eight passed balls, and only managed to throw out a meager 14% of base stealers in 2016. An unexceptional defensive performance to say the least. Now as a free agent, Hundley’s tenure in Colorado was short and not all that sweet.

Going forward, Hundley’s days as a starter are most likely behind him, defensive ability being the major factor. Given the current catcher climate, Hundley could be a very solid back-up or emergency plan for teams that are looking for catching depth this winter.

Looking back at the Rockies signing of Hundley, it was clear that his only role for the team was to provide a veteran presence, handle a young pitching staff, and serve as a stop gap until prospects established themselves. If we take his role into context, Hundley handled his role competently but poor defensive earned him a C- performance in 2016.