astros4545 said:
Random...
Who is next catcher to get in HoF?
Molina? Mauer? Not born yet?
Posey
Good question.
Mauer hasn't caught since 2013, and like a running back, his numbers have really dropped off once he hit 30. At this point, he's a light hitting first baseman. He does have 6 All-Star games and 3 Gold Gloves as a catcher, but doubt that's enough to get him in. I'd say it's a "no" on him, unless he has a late career rebound. It's a shame, because those first 10 years were amazing. Perhaps that will be enough to get him in though.
Molina has 8 Gold Gloves and 7 All-Star games. He's not the hitter Mauer was, but he's also a far superior defensive catcher than Mauer. He's 33 right now, so for him it really depends on how long he can hold up. His dWAR is 21, compared to Pudge's 28.7, so he will likely end his career in Pudge's ballpark w/ regard to that stat. He's kind of the anti-Mauer....great defender, so-so hitter. I'd lean towards Molina eventually getting in, assuming he has 3-4 more really solid seasons, especially if he adds a couple more Gold Gloves.
Posey, as of right now, looks like he's on track to be a certain HOFer. Of course, it's a brutal position and a person can quickly break down (see Mauer). He's probably the most complete C of this bunch. He's going to be interesting to watch over the next few seasons. He has the rings. He has an MVP and ROY. He just got his first GG. If he starts stringing some GG together, I think he waltzes in.
I think Mauer is a great example of why it's so hard for a C to make the HOF. The position takes a toll on you. Catcher is such a tough position to evaluate because you can't really use the standard hitting milestones as a criteria, and quantifying defensive aspects is imperfect.
