The Most Important Skill for Catchers? You Won't Believe the Answer!

What’s the most important skill for catchers?

It’s likely not what you think it is…

When we look at the number of times things happen in a game, we’ll know what is really most important.

In the third episode of the Catching Made Simple Podcast, we’re diving into what catching skill is really most important.

If you don’t know who I am, my name is Anj Bourgeois and I’m the founder of Catching Made Simple. I transitioned from infield to catcher my Junior year of college, having never caught before, and now have a passion for teaching other catchers the fundamentals of the game.

I’ve helped hundreds of catchers get into a better stance, learn the fundamentals of the game, and get their mindset right.

By the end of this article, you’ll learn why catchers are mismeasured, what skill is most important, and why your success is highly dependent on focusing on the fundamentals.

The Mismeasurement of Catchers

One of the biggest problems in evaluating catchers is the issue of mismeasurement.

Frequently, catchers are evaluated on a single statistic: pop time.

Pop time refers to the time it takes for a catcher to receive a pitch and throw it to second base in an attempt to get a runner out.

For years, pop time has been seen as a key indicator of a catcher's ability, with catchers often practicing for hours to improve their pop time.

However, Anj argues that pop time is actually the least important skill for catchers.

The reason for this is simple: pop time occurs the least number of times in a game.

In fact, the frequency of other catcher actions, such as blocking and receiving, far outweigh the frequency of pop time situations.

For example, catchers may only attempt to throw out a runner a few times per game, while they may block or receive the ball dozens of times.

Frequency - How Often Does It Happen?

To determine the most important skill for catchers, it's important to understand the frequency of different catcher actions in a game.

Anj breaks down the numbers: catchers may attempt to throw out a runner only a few times per game, while they may block or receive the ball dozens of times.

Rough data from asking this questions to hundreds of catchers:

• # Throws in a game: 3-8
• # Blocks in a game: 10-30
• # Pitches Receiving in a game: 80-140
• # Stances used in a game: 180-300

Given this data, it becomes clear that the most important skills for catchers are good stances, receiving, and blocking.

A good stance is critical because it sets the foundation for all other catcher actions.

Without a good stance, catchers will struggle to execute other skills effectively.

Receiving is also crucial because it occurs so frequently in games.

Good receiving skills can make a huge difference in a game, as catchers who can receive effectively can help their pitchers get more strikes called.

Finally, blocking is important because it can prevent runners from advancing and help keep the score low.

Importance of Fundamentals

While catchers may be tempted to focus on the more "sexy" aspects of catching, such as throwing out runners, Anj emphasizes the importance of mastering the fundamentals before moving on to advanced skills.

Catchers who don't have a good stance or who struggle with receiving or blocking will never be able to execute more advanced skills effectively.

In fact, Anj argues that catchers who focus on advanced skills before mastering the fundamentals will actually be less effective overall.

To be successful as a catcher, it's important to allocate practice time appropriately.

Coaches and players should focus on practicing the skills that occur most frequently in games, such as receiving and blocking.

These skills are the foundation of catching and must be mastered before moving on to more advanced skills.

Why John Wooden’s Coaching Philosophy Applies to Catching

Anj's coaching philosophy is inspired by the legendary coach John Wooden, who won 10 national championships as the basketball coach for UCLA.

Wooden believed that his championship college basketball team players did the same drills as 14-year-old basketball players who did the same drills as seven-year-old basketball players.

The difference was not the drill itself, but the attention to detail in the drill.

Yadier Molina is doing the same drills as you as a catcher, but he just does them so much better, with so much more precision, with so much more attention to detail.

Catchers who want to be great must focus on mastering the fundamentals with incredible attention to detail.

Your Next Steps to Becoming a Better Catcher

In conclusion, while pop time has long been considered the key indicator of catcher ability, data analysis reveals that it is actually the least important skill for catchers.

Good stances, receiving, and blocking are the most important skills for catchers to master, as they occur most frequently in games.

Catchers who don't have a good stance or who struggle with receiving or blocking will never be able to execute more advanced skills effectively.

By mastering the fundamentals and allocating practice time appropriately, catchers can set themselves up for success at any level.

If you're a catcher looking to improve your skills, be sure to check out the 7 Day Stance Challenge. This challenge provides a five-minute video each day with teaching on a stance and a mobility drill that you can do at home. By improving your stance and flexibility, you can set the foundation for all other catcher actions and become a more effective catcher overall.

Remember, the path to greatness is by doing the more boring, fundamental things exceptionally well. Don't get distracted by the sexy stuff. Work on the things that will happen the most and dominate there. Be the best in the world at those things, and then earn the right to also be the best in the world at the more fun, sexy stuff.

At Catching Made Simple, I create content, courses, and coaching programs to help thousands of catchers increase their mobility, strengthen their mental game, and develop the physical skills they need to catch at a high level.

Tune in to the Catching Made Simple Podcast for more tips, insights, and stories from Anj.

Interested in getting coaching from Catching Made Simple? Book a free 15-min Catching Consultation.

Or check out the store for other courses and coaching.

You may also be interested in these other helpful resources:

• Top 5 catching stances every catcher needs!
• 8 best mobility drills for baseball catchers (do every day!)
• Top 5 Catcher Blocking Drills (Turn Passed Balls into Brick Walls)