It was the biggest goal of Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo in the offseason: Find a way to get better defensively. Usually, that means subtracting liabilities in the field (Josh Willingham, Adam Dunn), upgrading the athleticism of position players (Jayson Werth, Danny Espinosa) and finding ones who can help in more subtle ways — like first baseman Adam LaRoche. Unfortunately, that last move won’t pay dividends after LaRoche undergoes season-ending shoulder surgery Thursday.
One overlooked defensive upgrade? Adding catcher Wilson Ramos last summer at the trade deadline. We only saw a glimpse of his abilities behind the plate in 15 games with Washington in 2010. But Ramos and veteran teammate Ivan Rodriguez together give the Nats a distinct advantage. Teams can’t run on them.
“Their catchers are probably the best we’ve seen,” Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said during a series with Washington this month. “Probably the best in the major leagues.”
The numbers support him. Ramos has thrown out 12 of 24 runners attempting to steal. Rodriguez, one of the top defensive catchers in baseball history, still shows off his strong arm even at age 39. He has caught seven of 17 runners this season. Combined, the Nats catchers are 19-for-41 (46.3 percent). No other duo — or trio — is even close. Texas’ catchers rank second at 38 percent. Baltimore is third at 36.5 percent. Only the Diamondbacks (37) have seen fewer attempted steals than the Nats (41), but they have thrown out just 32.4 percent of those runners. In all, 19 teams can’t even break the 30 percent barrier.
