Examining the San Francisco Giants’ Depth Chart: Catcher

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to take you on an in-depth journey through the San Francisco Giants‘ depth chart at every position as we head into the 2015 season. At some positions, there will be competition for a starting spot, but that is not the case at catcher.

Starter: Buster Posey

The unopposed starting catcher is Gerald Dempsey Posey III. No matter how highly regarded a prospect the backup is, Posey is the backstop until he says so. Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy loves having the ever-reliable Posey behind the plate. Offensively, not many backstops in the game can match the type of production Posey posts year in and year out.

In his career, Posey is a .308 hitter with 82 home runs and 352 RBI’s. He’s a former Rookie of the Year, National league MVP, Comeback Player of the Year, 2-time All-Star, batting champion, 3-time World Series Champion. I could sit here all day and rattle off Posey’s laundry list of accomplishments, but there’s just not enough time in a given day.

In 2014, Posey continued his dominance, mainly as a catcher, but also playing first base every now and again. He finished the regular season hitting .311 with 22 home runs and 89 RBI’s. He led all major league catchers with a .305 average, 68 RBI’s, and finished second to Brian McCann with 18 dingers.

He really turned up his game after the All-Star break. In 62 games, he hit an astounding .354 with 12 of his home runs and 43 RBI’s.

Defensively, Posey has never won a Gold Glove, but he is very good behind the dish. He brings an added comfort to his pitching staff, and is considered one of the best pitch framers in the game. He can be seen as something of a second coach on the field, because he and his pitching staff have such great rapport. He also throws out base-stealers at a 32 percent clip, which is pretty solid.

Backup: Andrew Susac

Susac was called up in late July when there was a vacancy behind Posey. The 24-year old immediately proved himself as a viable backup, and earned the admiration of Giants’ fans. He is considered a top prospect, and that stock skyrocketed after his short stint in the major leagues. He was named the number-three Giants’ prospect by MLB.com, and number-one by minorleagueball.com, overtaking the popular favorite Kyle Crick.

Teams have reportedly inquired about a possible trade involving the stud catcher, but the Giants are, as they should be, hesitant to move Susac.

Sep 17, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Andrew Susac against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The Giants defeated the Diamondbacks 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

In his short time in 2014, the Oregon State-product proved himself capable with a bat in his hands. He hit .273 (24-88) with eight doubles, three home runs and 19 RBI’s. Over his three years in the Giants’ minor league system, Susac hit .254 with 31 homers, 42 doubles and 130 RBI’s. The fact that Susac spent just three years on the farm is impressive in itself.

Defensively, Susac also showed that he is no slouch with the glove on his left hand. He made it known that he can block breaking balls in the dirt, frame pitches fairly well, and handle a pitching staff with a couple pitchers who, quite frankly, are difficult to work with. He also threw out runners out at a 32 percent rate, matching Buster Posey‘s career mark. As he gets more acclimated to his pitchers, and the hitters they face, his defense is sure to improve.

Susac will most likely be the one to take over for Posey when the starter needs a breather. But against tough left-handed starter matchups (Clayton Kershaw, anyone?), Posey could move to first to make way for Susac to give the lineup some extra right-handed pop. And if you need another reason to like Susac, he’s 3-7 to start his career against Kershaw.

Added depth: Hector Sanchez, Guillermo Quiroz

Sanchez has spent most of the last four seasons as Posey’s backup, and has held that job admirably. However, last season was rough for Sanchez. He struggled with the bat, as he hit just .196 in his 163 at-bats. He also battled concussions, as all the foul balls that always seem to find their mark in Sanchez’s mask finally took their toll. He went on the disabled list in late-July, and would not suit up for the big league club again. He would make rehab starts in the minor leagues, but as is Sanchez’s luck, he was hit with another foul ball in the mask, and his season would essentially end right there.

Jul 23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Hector Sanchez (29) walks back to the dugout prior to a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Sanchez does have a knack for coming up with big hits late in games, as evidenced by a walk-of single in the 12th inning against the arch-rival Los Angeles Dodgers on Jackie Robinson Day. Even though he struggled for most of the 2014 season, he does have a career .246 average with nine home runs, 29 doubles and 82 RBI’s.

Defensively, Sanchez is awkward behind the dish. He’s clunky for the most part, but he is good enough to get the job done. He was also the man behind the plate when Tim Lincecum made it known that he loves pitching against the San Diego Padres by throwing his second-career no-hitter against them. Maybe someone can figure out how to take the ball magnet out of Sanchez’s mask as well.

He has mainly played the part of Lincecum’s personal catcher, a relationship much like the famed duo of Hall of Famer Greg Maddux and Henry Blanco in the early 2000’s. Because of that responsibility, Sanchez has only thrown out 26 percent of attempted base thieves. That isn’t all the catcher’s fault, as Lincecum is slower than an octogenarian with ankle weights out of the stretch.

Quiroz added some extra depth by signing a minor league contract in November, but he only played in two games with the Giants in 2014. He is mostly a defensive specialist, although who can forget his walk-off home run against the Dodgers in 2013?

There’s no question that Posey is gonna be the guy wearing the chest protector on most nights. But behind him, the Giants have some very good options.