Yadier Molina Is Third Among Catchers In Hitting

Yadier Molina is generally known for his defensive abilities.
 But this season, he is providing the Cardinals with a nice
 offensive boost. - Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Yadier Molina is a three-time Gold Glove Award winning catcher.  He is known nationally among casual baseball fans as one of the best defensive catchers in baseball.  But the St. Louis Cardinals catcher is doing more than just playing defense this season.

Molina is third in batting average among all catchers in Major League Baseball, trailing just Brian McCann of the Atlanta Braves and Miguel Montero of the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

Both McCann and Montero are known as two of the elite offensive catchers in the game, so Molina has positioned himself as a top all-around catcher in baseball.

Molina is hitting .280 this season with two home runs and 14 RBI's.  He has a .321 on base percentage and six doubles and nine runs scored on the season. While Molina's power numbers are not overly impressive, he is doing all of the little things, such as getting on base, that allow the Cardinals powerful offense to thrive.

With a lineup that features Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Lance Berkman, and Colby Rasmus, any offensive production the Cardinals can get from Molina is generally seen as a bonus.  This season, Molina's offensive productions has been like the bonuses that executives receiver at Goldman Sachs for manager Tony La Russa. 

Its obvious that La Russa loves his catcher.

"He's amazing," La Russa recently said.  "Night in, night out, he's amazing."

Who wouldn't love a catcher that is hitting, playing some of the best defense in baseball, and guiding a young pitching staff deep into ball games?

Sources:

• MLB Catcher Hitting Stats
• Yadier Molina 2011 stats
• Tony La Russa quote on loving Yadier Molina

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