Matt Chavez

The game of baseball has continued to evolve over the years. While the game itself is still played the same way, one area that has changed a lot is receiving behind the plate. To play at a high level, catchers have to adapt with the game. You can’t keep doing things the way they were done years ago if they are no longer effective.

In the past, catchers were taught to simply catch the ball and stick it. Today, receiving is much more than that. Catchers need good posture, a strong pre-pitch load, and the ability to work underneath the baseball and attack it with intent. The goal is to present every pitch as a strike and give the umpire the best look possible for that.

In clip one, you see Yadier Molina, one of the greatest catchers in baseball, receive a low-and-away pitch that is called a ball due to just catching and sticking. In clip two, you see Patrick Bailey work up and through that same low-and-away pitch with intent, presenting it back into the strike zone and earning a strike call.

As catchers, our job is to help our pitchers get as many strikes as possible. Every pitch near the zone should be presented as a strike. The better we can present the baseball, the better chance we give our pitcher to get the call.

Now let me ask you this: what’s better for your pitcher—a strike call or a ball call?