Chicago Cubs: A statistical analysis of the National League Central

Cubs dominate, lead division in catching value

Figure 1. Catcher Comparison

Unsurprisingly, the Cubs, who are led by a power-hitting catcher with great defensive skills and tremendous overall upside, rate highest on this list with the other four more closely matched with one another. Since this is a relative comparison, the conclusion should be that the Cubs grade out as a unit that is superior in all measured categories relative to the rest of the division.

Milwaukee, St. Louis have a ways to go

Beyond that initial insight, it is also apparent that the Brewers provide more offense than most of the rest of the division (aside from the Cubs) from their catcher spot. The Reds, meanwhile, have a superior defensive capability (again, when omitting the Cubs). It should also be noted that Pittsburgh, while considerably lacking in power potential, sports the second-highest wOBA of the group, which is to say they do get on base at a relatively high clip.

One additional noteworthy conclusion here. Even though Yadier Molina grades out as a top performer among NL Central catchers, the likelihood that he’ll play less than 130 games is a big factor. Add in the quality and production of the other St. Louis catchers and the Cardinals’ overall positional ranking suffers.

Again, it is critical to remember these lists do not predict the best individual players, but rather highlight the relative strength of each unit as compared to the others.

Next: Remembering Theo's best trades

That’s it for our first installment. Both Friday and Saturday at noon C.T., we’ll have the subsequent pieces. Friday will focus on infielders and outfielders, while Saturday delves into the pitching comparisons in the division.