Austin Nola, Seattle Mariners.
Austin Nola, Seattle Mariners. (Photo by Dinur, via Flickr)
In sports, the best-laid plans usually go astray due to unforeseen circumstances. For example, Tom Murphy was slated to be the Seattle Mariners primary catcher in 2020. A broken bone in his foot just days before the start of the season derailed that plan and forced the M’s into plan B.
Austin Nola received a battlefield promotion from Murphy’s back up to his replacement. His ability at the dish isn’t in question, behind it is a different story. Nola is an excellent second option, but he isn’t an everyday Major League backstop.
After a third of the 2020 season, Nola ranks 36th out of 38 American League catchers in Defensive Wins Above Replacement. dWAR is an advanced metric that compares a player to the value of a replacement at the major league average. With -0.2 dWAR, he is well below the average.
That should come as no surprise to the Seattle Mariners faithful. They’ve seen the four wild pitches; two passed balls, as well as his failure to throw out any of the 10 base-stealers, he’s attempted. The problems go deeper.
With Nola behind the plate, opponents have a slash line of .240/337/.424/.761. For reference, only five Seattle Mariners have an OPS over .761 (including Nola). The M’s team offensive slash line is .226/.304/.366/.671.
Additionally, Mariners pitchers have a 5.80 ERA with Nola as their catcher. That number kills a team that scores an average (earned and unearned) of 4.1 runs per game. Because the M’s struggle with hitting as a team, they can’t afford to give away runs on the other side. There is an alternative.
Joe Hudson. (Photo by Minda Haas Kuhlmann, via Flickr)
Murphy’s status is still up in the air, so a return to action any time soon is highly unlikely. Until Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto decides to go out and get a catcher, with a decent amount of experience and can call a game from behind the plate, the team should go with current number two Joe Hudson as the primary starter.
Hudson ranks ninth in dWAR. When he catches, Seattle Mariners opponents have a .211/.307/.352/.659 slash line. Better still, M’s pitching has a 4.17 ERA. That’s a huge difference.
The Tampa, Florida native, will never be confused with Mike Piazza as an offensive weapon. His 29 career at-bats against big-league pitching so far are uninspiring. However, his current .125 batting average won’t hurt the team any further, considering how it stacks up against other players on the team.
Evan White (.105), Dee Gordon (.152), Mallex Smith (.146), and Daniel Vogelbach (.119) have all struggled to make regular contact with the ball. Seattle loses almost nothing offensively with Hudson in the lineup.
Sound personnel management principles include putting people in areas where they can not only help the organization but also into places where they can succeed personally. It’s time for DiPoto and manager Scott Servais to start applying those principles. The M’s are a young team with a young pitching staff. To help them develop, they need a defense-first catcher.
Austin Nola, Seattle Mariners.
The Seattle Mariners can take advantage of both Nola’s offense and Hudson’s defense. Nola is a very versatile player; Servais can play him in left field, first base, or as the designated hitter in addition to giving Hudson a day off.
Nola can also audition for a game or two at third base. If DiPoto can find a taker for Kyle Seager‘s contact, someone will need to fill in at the hot corner until the team finds a permanent replacement. Nola might even be able to win the job outright.
Austin Nola didn’t come through the minor leagues as a catcher. It wasn’t until his career change to catching that the LSU product finally broke through. That doesn’t mean he should be stuck there.
As mentioned before, Nola is a fantastic backup option and spot starter behind the plate. The problem is he doesn’t have the talent or experience to handle a pitching staff on an everyday basis. By playing him in the field, it gives him a better chance to succeed, reduces wear and tear on his body, and using Hudson behind the plate, gives the team a better chance to win
How do you feel about the Seattle Mariners moving Austin Nola out from behind the plate to another position? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.