The World of Baseball

The position of catcher is the toughest and most demanding position on the baseball diamond. As a catcher, you are involved with every single play of the game. You also have to handle a pitching staff with different personalities. You also have to hit. If you can hit as a catcher, that is a huge bonus. Few catchers hit better than Mike Piazza. Piazza played in MLB for 16 seasons (1992-2007).

Mike Piazza was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 62nd round of the 1988 June Amateur Draft. He made his MLB debut in 1992. In his rookie season in 1993, Piazza made an immediate impact. He hit .318 with 35 home runs and 112 runs batted in. Piazza won the 1993 National League (NL) Rookie of the Year award. He would continue to excel with the bat over the next decade.

Mike Piazza would hit for an average of .346 in 1995 and .336 in 1996. He had his best season in 1997. Piazza maybe had the greatest offensive season a catcher has ever had. He hit .362 with 40 home runs and 124 runs batted in. Piazza finished 2nd in the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) vote behind Larry Walker. He collected 201 hits.

Piazza was traded to the Florida Marlins in May 1998 and then traded to the New York Mets a week later. He gave the Mets the superstar they wanted. Piazza put up great numbers between 1998 and 2002. He finished 3rd in the NL MVP ballot in 2000. Piazza helped the Mets reach the World Series that same year.

Piazza retired after the 2007 season. He has the most home runs as a catcher with 396. Piazza was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016. He is regarded as the greatest hitting catcher in MLB history.