Boston Red Sox 2019 report card: Catcher Christian Vazquez shines
There was no return to the playoffs in 2019 for the Boston Red Sox, but there were plenty of excellent individual performances to speak of, including Christian Vazquez.
The World Series is over and individual awards have been handed out. And though the Boston Red Sox sat out the postseason in 2019, one thing is certain: Christian Vazquez had an outstanding season.
On a team full of sluggers, it could be easy to overlook the contributions Vazquez made to the Red Sox in 2019. Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts were busy winning Silver Slugger Awards. Rafael Devers emerged with a MVP-caliber year and J.D. Martinez was solid yet again. But the production of Vazquez at the plate deserves special mention as well.
Years of Boston waiting for a catcher to cement their spot in the lineup finally happened in 2019. It was Vazquez who eventually pulled ahead of the pack. Given the opportunity to play on a regular basis, Vazquez responded with his best season to date.
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Vazquez played in 138 games, seeing time in the field as well as behind the plate. In his fifth season, Vazquez surpassed expectations. He had career-highs in multiple categories at the plate, including hits (133), doubles (26), runs scored (66), home runs (23) and RBI (72).
He was so good at the plate that his 23 home runs were 13 more than he had hit in his entire career. And his RBI total in 2019 was only eight short of his career total.
Vazquez posted a .276 batting average, second only to the .290 he hit in 2017, and he finished with an OPS of .798.
Steady and productive
A strong start for Vazquez turned into a steady and productive season. In terms of average, May was the best month for the catcher. Vazquez hit .373 and had an OPS of .957.
The average dipped over the ensuing months, hitting only .250 in July and .264 from July until the end of the season. But Vazquez kept producing, knocking 12 home runs and 38 RBI during this same span.
Consistency was a huge part of his game in 2019. Vazquez drove in at least 10 runs for the Red Sox in the every month except for March and May. He also had 39 multi-hit games on the season, including five games with three or more.
The bat of Vazquez was important enough that Boston manager Alex Cora also used him at other spots in the lineup, making appearances at first base, second base, and designated hitter.
Behind the plate, Vazquez continued to be above average. His caught-stealing rate remained steady — 38 percent — but he only committed one error. He was first in the American League at the catcher position in assists (71).
2019 grade and 2020 outlook
Vazquez had been the better defensive catcher in the Boston organization the past four seasons. And in 2019 he finally reached the level of production on offense that he’d provided glimpses of in 2017. Final grade for 2019: A-
Why not an A+? Simply because of the drop-off he had toward the later part of the season. And this isn’t a knock or to take anything away from Vazquez. The fifth-year catcher carried this team at times and continued to hit well against AL East opponents.
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The lineup for 2020 is still being shaped, but part of what is up in the air is in the outfield. Vazquez is signed through 2021 (with a club option in 2022). Vazquez is an important cornerstone of this team. Defense and handling a staff will continue to be a focus, but if his offensive numbers stay similar to those he put up in 2019, Vazquez will be the Boston Red Sox catcher for many years to come.