Tucker Barnhart

Barnhart has the reputation of being a great defensive catcher and the hardware to back it up (two Gold Gloves), but he has never been a major threat with the bat. His batting average (career .248) can sometimes be a drag and he provides little power (career high is 11 homers). He's stolen one base in the last four seasons. Once a switch hitter, Barnhart now bats exclusively from the left side. Age might be catching up to him with his strikeout rate getting worse for four straight seasons (16.1% to 25.8%). Additionally, he had the lowest walk rate since his rookie season, which can't be attributed to fewer intentional walks in front of the pitcher. Now with the Tigers following an offseason trade, Barnhart will likely continue to contribute modestly in the counting stats. If Barnhart is your No. 1 catcher, you've messed up somewhere along the way.

In a regular-length season, Barnhart might have already lost his starting job to Tyler Stephenson, but the combination of the shorter season and his good defense behind the plate kept him as the Reds primary catcher. Year 2 of abandoning switch-hitting didn't go any better, as his .204/.291/.388 line translated into a wRC+ of 80. Behind the plate he rates better - Baseball Savant rates him in the 77th percentile as a pitch-framer, which explains the Reds' resistance to fully shelve him. If he continues in a platoon with Stephenson, he'll be on the left-hand side of the plate, which works in his favor, but the platoon might instead turn into an offense/defense platoon. If baseball ever transitions into using an automated strike zone, his advantage will be further diluted. As it stands, he's not anything more than a third catcher in fantasy leagues, with very little palpable ceiling.

Barnhart is consistent, but consistently below average. His wRC+ has ranged from 81-90 over the last four seasons, meaning he's been 10%-to-19% worse than league average, offensively. He walked at a career-high rate last season (12.1%) but also struck out at the highest rate of his career (22.8%) while the quality of his connections diminished. The expected statistics from Statcast are downright ugly. Formerly a switch hitter, Barnhart abandoned hitting from the right side and also changed his batting stance to be more upright in the box amidst his struggles. Those adjustments paid off, as Barnhart cut his K-rate back down and hit .273/.367/.448 after the break. Barnhart's defense rebounded, grading out as a plus after a big dip in 2018. Even as the primary option, Barnhart is borderline in two-catcher leagues, and there's a real chance he's supplanted from the No. 1 spot by Tyler Stephenson in 2020.

Barnhart saw more work than ever behind the plate in 2018, and produced at a slightly lower rate than he did in 2017. Nearly all of his rate stats dropped as a function of a lower BABIP -- going from .312 in 2017 to .291 last season. Barnhart both walked and struck out slightly more as well, which tracks perfectly with his lower swing percentage (47.6% in 2017, 45.3% in 2018). The Reds moved him up to second in the order in the middle of the season in order to take advantage of his batting eye, but he had his worst output there, hitting just .245/.318/.309 in that slot. He'll likely move back down in the order in 2019, away from Joey Votto and Eugenio Suarez, returning to the commons pile of fantasy catchers.

Barnhart was slated to operate as the Reds' secondary catching option in 2017, but was quickly thrust into the starting role when the oft-injured Devin Mesoraco was placed on the disabled list prior to Opening Day. Mesoraco was able to return in late April, but he continued to battle a myriad of injuries throughout the campaign, which allowed Barnhart to appear in a career-high 121 contests. The 26-year-old held his own in the batter's box, slashing .270/.347/.403 with seven home runs and 44 RBI, but provided a majority of his value behind the plate as one of the National League's premier defensive backstops. Impressed with his performance, the Reds inked Barnhart to a four-year, $16 million extension during the season. Barnhart will enter 2018 as the primary option ahead of Mesoraco, but the modest pop limits his appeal.

Though he was initially expected to serve in a backup capacity, Barnhart was pushed to the primary role behind the plate following another injury to Devin Mesoraco. Barnhart ended up starting 106 games behind the dish for the Reds in 2016, doing a serviceable job at the plate with career-best marks in average, home runs and RBI. True to his career form, the switch-hitter was much better hitting from the left side, as he hit .271 against righties compared to just .207 against southpaws. Mesoraco is expected to return to full-time catching duties in 2017, but Barnhart will be waiting in the wings in case Mesoraco's injury issues rear their ugly head yet again.

Barnhart is perfectly acceptable as a backup catcher. He'll draw a walk, he's very good at calling a game and has a great arm. However, he got exposed as a part-time starter splitting duties with Brayan Pena last season, slugging just .326 in 274 plate appearances. Devin Mesoraco will return in 2016, relegating Barnhart back to a caddy role, with Pena having moved on. Even if Mesoraco were to get hurt again and Barnhart takes on more of a role, it's unlikely he will gain even NL-only relevance given the lack of power in his profile.

Barnhart gets high marks for his defensive skills, particularly in his throwing ability, but provides no palpable power. He's your standard backup catcher, only less likely to play as much in 2015 as he did in 2014. He's behind both Devin Mesoraco and Brayan Pena on the Reds' depth chart.