Overthinking It: This Week in Catcher Framing, 7/14

We were off last week for the holiday, so this edition will cover the two weeks since last time.

2013 League Leaders (Out-of-zone strikes and in-zone balls, not adjusted for other factors)

The Best (min. 160 OZoneStrikes+ZoneBalls)

Ratio

The Worst (min. 160 OZoneStrikes+ZoneBalls)

Ratio

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This Week in Jose Molina, 6/27-7/10

Weekly Net Strikes: 8
Weekly Playing Time: 7 G, 7 GS, 62.0 innings
Yearly Playing Time: 58 G, 51 GS, 435.0 innings
Yearly Net Strikes: 33

I've always wondered how poorly Molina would have to hit for the Rays to reduce him to a backup role, but we haven't had a chance to find out. Molina's .250 TAv isn't far below league average at catcher, and qualifies as the second-best mark of his career (min. 100 plate appearances).

3. Date: 6/29
Batter: Brayan Pena
Pitcher: Chris Archer
Umpire: Dan Iassogna
Count: 0-1
Pitch type: 96-mph four-seam fastball
Distance from Strike Zone: 0.428 feet

Molina reaches out to catch this one before it can drop farther out of the zone. Pena isn't pleased.

2. Date: 6/29
Batter: Victor Martinez
Pitcher: Chris Archer
Umpire: Dan Iassogna
Count: 0-0
Pitch type: 95-mph four-seam fastball
Distance from Strike Zone: 0.438 feet

The more subtle the adjustment after the catch, the better.

1. Date: 6/29
Batter: Andy Dirks
Pitcher: Chris Archer
Umpire: Dan Iassogna
Count: 0-0
Pitch type: 93-mph four-seam fastball
Distance from Strike Zone: 0.499 feet

Like the previous pitch, but a little lower.

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This Week in Jonathan Lucroy, 6/27-7/10

Weekly Net Strikes: 25
Weekly Playing Time: 10 G, 10 GS, 86.0 innings
Yearly Playing Time: 72 G, 69 GS, 609.1 innings
Yearly Net Strikes: 137

3. Date: 7/3
Batter: Steve Lombardozzi
Pitcher: Kyle Lohse
Umpire: Dan Iassogna
Count: 0-0
Pitch type: 73-mph curveball
Distance from Strike Zone: 0.351 feet

This big-breaking curve finishes below the knees, and Lucroy has to reach for it, but it doesn't sink an inch more after it gets to his glove.

2. Date: 7/10
Batter: Mike Leake
Pitcher: Burke Badenhop
Umpire: Mike Everitt
Count: 0-0
Pitch type: 88-mph sinker
Distance from Strike Zone: 0.355 feet

The classic Lucroy low frame.

1. Date: 7/8
Batter: Derrick Robinson
Pitcher: Francisco Rodriguez
Umpire: Dan Bellino
Count: 1-1
Pitch type: 92-mph four-seam fastball
Distance from Strike Zone: 0.526 feet

Lucroy barely budges, but Rodriguez makes enough movements for both members of the battery.

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Best Frames of the Week

5. Date: 7/9
Catcher: Matt Wieters
Batter: Ian Kinsler
Pitcher: Kevin Gausman
Umpire: Fieldin Culbreth
Count: 2-0
Pitch type: 95-mph four-seam fastball
Distance from Strike Zone: 0.500 feet

Nice work by Wieters. The batter reaction tells us almost as much as PITCHf/x does.

4. Date: 7/8
Catcher: Jonathan Lucroy
Batter: Derrick Robinson
Pitcher: Francisco Rodriguez
Umpire: Dan Bellino
Count: 1-1
Pitch type: 92-mph four-seam fastball
Distance from Strike Zone: 0.526 feet

Same as the best Lucroy example above.

3. Date: 6/30
Catcher: Yasmani Grandal
Batter: Ed Lucas
Pitcher: Andrew Cashner
Umpire: Chris Conroy
Count: 1-0
Pitch type: 93-mph four-seam fastball
Distance from Strike Zone: 0.531 feet

Grandal's post-catch adjustment isn't quite as understated as Molina's, but it works just as well in this case.

2. Date: 7/8
Catcher: Josh Phegley
Batter: Darwin Barney
Pitcher: Addison Reed
Umpire: Jeff Kellogg
Count: 2-0
Pitch type: 94-mph four-seam fastball
Distance from Strike Zone: 0.543 feet

Phegley was called up to replace Hector Gimenez in the first week of July. He shows good stillness here, frustrating Darwin Barney.

1. Date: 7/2
Catcher: Ryan Hanigan
Batter: Hunter Pence
Pitcher: Homer Bailey
Umpire: Adrian Johnson
Count: 3-0
Pitch type: 92-mph four-seam fastball
Distance from Strike Zone: 0.558 feet

Hanigan hasn't shown up in the TWiF series often since I interviewed him, but he demonstrates the quietness and post-catch quickness he told me about here.

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Worst Frames of the Week

5. Date: 7/6
Catcher: Mike Zunino
Batter: Joey Votto
Pitcher: Carter Capps
Umpire: Alan Porter
Count: 0-1
Pitch type: 94-mph four-seam fastball
Distance from Center: 0.447 feet

Capps misses over the middle, Zunino is set up outside, and the fastball doesn't leave him enough time to adjust.

4. Date: 7/4
Catcher: Welington Castillo
Batter: Derek Norris
Pitcher: Matt Guerrier
Umpire: Brian Gorman
Count: 2-1
Pitch type: 90-mph four-seam fastball
Distance from Center: 0.445 feet

Castillo hasn't rated particularly well as a receiver, but we've seen the missed call on a catch-and-throw happen to a lot of backstops lately. On the bright side, the runner was out.

3. Date: 7/2
Catcher: Miguel Montero
Batter: Juan Lagares
Pitcher: Patrick Corbin
Umpire: Bruce Dreckman
Count: 0-0
Pitch type: 94-mph four-seam fastball
Distance from Center: 0.440 feet

Montero doesn't really stick this one and give Dreckman a longer look at it, maybe because he assumed he'd get the call.

2. Date: 7/7
Catcher: Miguel Montero
Batter: Todd Helton
Pitcher: Josh Collmenter
Umpire: Dale Scott
Count: 0-2
Pitch type: 86-mph four-seam fastball
Distance from Center: 0.440 feet

Montero might've had a better chance to get Collmenter a call if he'd caught the ball cleanly.

1. Date: 7/9
Catcher: A.J. Ellis
Batter: Gerardo Parra
Pitcher: J.P. Howell
Umpire: Marvin Hudson
Count: 1-1
Pitch type: 81-mph curveball
Distance from Center: 0.175 feet

Ellis seemed to be expected a pitch with a lot less break here.

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Bonus Worst Ryan Doumit Frame of the Week
Date: 7/7
Batter: Jose Bautista
Pitcher: Brian Duensing
Umpire: Paul Emmel
Count: 0-1
Pitch type: 76-mph curveball
Distance from Center: 0.700 feet

This was a borderline call, but Doumit's head dip, non-glove-hand movement, and shifting knees deprived Duensing of it, sparing us another Jose Bautista blowup.