Chicago Cubs: Top five catchers in club history

Chicago Cubs: Jody Davis, 1981-1988

Throughout the 1980s, Jody Davis was the talk of the town in Wrigleyville. While Davis was never the guy to carry a crazy high average or even an above-average OPS+, he did make a significant impact for the Cubs as a whole in his time in Chicago.

Davis, initially drafted by the New York Mets in 1976, began his professional career in 1981 with the Cubs. Davis played in 56 games during his rookie season in which the 24-year-old slashed .256/.333/.361 with four home runs and 21 RBI. Nothing spectacular, but decent enough for a rookie catcher.

From 1982-1984, Davis excelled and began to carve out a significant role with the club. He stayed relatively healthy, playing in 150+ games in two of those three years. Davis slashed .263/.315/.437 with a .752 OPS and an above-average 105 OPS+.

In 1983, Davis mashed. He hit what would end up as a career-high 24 home runs, the most from a Cubs catcher at the time since 1930. He followed that year up with an all-star appearance in 1984. Davis was once again named an all-star in 1986 and ended with 21 home runs that season.

Regarding his fielding, Davis was solid. He averaged right around a .986 fielding percentage with the Cubs while winning the National League Gold Glove for catchers in 1986. Davis posted a career-high 48 percent caught-stealing rate that year. While he is not the flashiest pick, Davis did help to define the Cubs in the 1980s, which is why he is on this list.