Atlanta Braves Catchers off to Remarkable Start, But Can It Last?
By Tyler Wilson
Although neither qualifies as a league leader, Suzuki and Flowers have proved to be an exciting, productive tandem behind the plate. The Atlanta Braves have used SEVEN catchers since the start of the 2015 season, and don’t look to settle for one guy this year. After all, as the old saying goes, two is in fact, better than one.
One thing Atlanta Braves fans weren’t expecting for the 2017 season? How about their catchers collectively batting .309? That’s good for first place among National League catchers.
Tyler Flowers and Kurt Suzuki have been much better than expected, and although Flowers’ .349 average may suggest that he’s doing all of the work, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Kurt Suzuki, now 33, has three home runs and 14 RBI on the young season, and while it’s fair to say that he’s made the most out of his 14 hits, his .233 average can hardly touch Flowers’ mark.
Suzuki’s managed to match Flowers’ 14 RBI (and best his two homers) in 23 fewer at-bats. This, along with his dauntless efforts to catch the knuckleball in each of R.A. Dickey’s 8 starts are keeping him in the lineup.
Legend has it that these two can come together to form Kurtler Flowzuki, one of the best catchers in baseball.
They’re how good??
Atlanta Braves catchers rank 8th in the MLB in hits (42), 3rd in RBI (27), 2nd in average (.309) and 1st in on-base percentage (.422). I should mention that Anthony Recker’s 1-for-5 mark as a catcher is factored into these numbers, but he is otherwise dismissed in this post.
For whatever reason, Braves catchers also lead the league in HBP, being plunked a whopping 12 times in 40 games.
It’s not all offense for the Flowzuki tandem. The Atlanta Braves have absolutely no reason to be disappointed, as the two have combined for just two errors, and have thrown out 31% of guys trying to steal a base.
Reminiscent of the Evan Gattis/Brian McCann days in Atlanta, Tyler Flowers and Kurt Suzuki will likely continue to see split time in Atlanta for the remainder of the year. The idea of having two starting catchers is becoming increasingly popular in the MLB, and is proving to be just as effective has having one primary backstop.
I don’t know that Tyler Flowers will finish the season batting anywhere close to .349, but stranger things have certainly happened. One thing is certain: Braves fans definitely want this level of production to continue from the Backstop Boys (we’re still taking name suggestions).