Atlanta Braves: who are the team’s best pitch-framing catchers?

ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 20: Tyler Flowers
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 20: Tyler Flowers /
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ATLANTA, GA – AUGUST 20: Tyler Flowers #25 of the Atlanta Braves hits a fifth inning grand slam against the Cincinnati Reds at SunTrust Park on August 20, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – AUGUST 20: Tyler Flowers #25 of the Atlanta Braves hits a fifth inning grand slam against the Cincinnati Reds at SunTrust Park on August 20, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Tyler Flowers: rankings in framing from 2011 to 2017 w/ CWS and ATL:

  • 2011 – #69 in zBall% (11.9), #20 in oStr% (8.4), #20 in +Calls (41), #14 in PerGame (1.43), #20 in RAA (5.5).
  • 2012 – #48 in zBall% (14.0), #19 in oStr% (7.9), #29 in +Calls (11), #30 in PerGame (0.27), #29 in RAA (1.5).
  • 2013 – #36 in zBall% (14.5), #19 in oStr% (7.7), #25 in +Calls (16), #30 in PerGame (0.20), #25 in RAA (2.1).
  • 2014 – #46 in zBall% (12.7), #46 in oStr% (7.0), #57 in +Calls (-42), #44 in PerGame (-0.34), #57 in RAA (-5.6).
  • 2015 – #57 in zBall% (11.7), #2 in oStr% (9.9), #2 in +Calls (169), #1 in PerGame (1.79), #2 in RAA (22.5).
  • 2016 – #70 in zBall% (12.1), #6 in oStr% (9.1), #4 in +Calls (100), #7 in PerGame (1.30), #4 in RAA (13.3).
  • 2017 – #65 in zBall% (13.5), #1 in oStr% (12.4), #1 in +Calls (211), #1 in PerGame (2.56), #1 in RAA (28.1).

With Flowers’ rankings, I started at 2011 with the Chicago White Sox because this was the first year that he caught over 1,000 pitches in the major leagues.

I also wanted the reader to see how Flowers’ framing abilities have progressed throughout his years in the MLB. Through reviewing the statistics, you can see that Flowers’ rise into the top of the framing statistics leaderboards happened at little later in his career as compared to McCann, and much earlier than Ross.

Flowers did not join the Braves until their last season at Turner Field in 2016, and based off of his statistics from both of his years in a Braves uniform, he is near the top of the list for being one of the best pitch-framing catchers in Atlanta (since Statcast measurements in 2007).