The 8 Best Catchers in MLB of all time

Catchers play a significant role in any baseball squad. To be an excellent catcher, a player has to stay concentrated and closely observe each hitter on the other squad. There are indeed many players who are outstanding at catching the ball but there are only a few that made it to the list.

Here are the 8 best catchers in Major League Baseball (MLB) of all time.

• Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra played nineteenth seasons in MLB for the New York Yankees (1946–1963) and New York Mets (1965). Berra was an eighteen-time All-Star and a ten-time World Series champ as a player recording the most wins by a player in Major League history. He also received 3 American League Most Valuable Player awards in 1951, 1954, and 1955.

Berra completed his established career with the New York Yankees with 358 home runs and struck out 414 times. He is most popularly considered one of the greatest catchers in the baseballing world and also had his name inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

• Johnny Bench

Johnny Bench played his whole MLB career for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 mainly as a catcher. He was the leader of the Reds squad and widely recognized as the Big Red Machine that conquered the NL during the 1970s. Some of his outstanding accomplishments include fourteenth-time All-Star (1968–1980, 1983), two-time World Series champion (1975, 1976), and two-time National League MVP (1970, 1972).

Bench is famously recognized as the greatest catcher of all time.

• Ivan Rodriguez

Ivan Rodriguez famously known as “Pudge” and “I-Rod”, played his MLB career as a catcher from 1991 to 2011 for Texas Rangers (1991–2002, 2008); Florida Marlins (2003); Detroit Tigers (2004–2008); New York Yankees (2008); Houston Astros (2009); and Washington Nationals. Rodriguez is a fourteenth-time All-Star (1992–2001, 2004–2007), World Series champion (2003), American League MVP (1999), NLCS MVP (2003), and thirteenth-time Gold Glove Award (1992–2001, 2004, 2006, 2007) to name a few.  He is widely known as one of the best catches in Major League Baseball (MLB) history.

• Mike Piazza

Mike Piazza played his MLB career for 16 seasons from 1992 to 2007. Piazza notably played for the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, while he also played briefly for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and Oakland Athletics. He is a twelfth-time All-Star and ten-time Silver Slugger Award. He was also a great hitter during his time with the Mets and Dodgers.

Piazza’s best season was in 1997 when the catcher batted .362 and scored 40 home runs and a total of 124 RBIs.

• Yadier Molina

Yadier Molina, popularly known by his nickname “Yadi”, played his whole MLB career with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2004 to 2022. He is highly regarded as one of the greatest catchers of all time for his insane blocking skills and his caught-stealing rate. Molina is a nine-time recipient of the Gold Glove Award, a ten-time All-Star, and a two-time World Series. 

• Roy Campanella

Roy Campanella made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 20, 1948. Before joining the MLB, Campanella played in the Negro leagues and Mexican League for nine years and substantially joined the minor leagues in 1946. He played his final game for the Dodgers on September 29, 1957, and eventually, his career came to an end after an accident in January 1957 which left him paralyzed. Campanella is regarded as one of the greatest catchers in MLB history.

• Gary Carter

Gary Carter was nicknamed “the Kid” for his youthful energy on the field. Carter made his MLB debut on September 16, 1974, for the Montreal Expos till 1984 and officially returned in 1992. He also played for the team New York Mets from 1985–1989 and had a brief stint with San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Throughout his career, he is widely recognized for his hitting, outstanding defense, capacity to handle pitchers, and excellent on-field leadership. Carter was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003 in Cooperstown, New York.

• Mickey Cochrane

Mickey Cochrane played his Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers from 1925 to 1937. Cochrane was highly regarded as one of the greatest catchers in the history of baseball. He was a two-time All-Star (1934, 1935), three-time World Series champ (1929, 1930, 1935), and two-time AL MVP (1928, 1934). He is also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame with his induction in 1947. 

Also, here’s a list of the Richest Baseball Players in the World.