![]() ![]() ![]() He has nine, the same number as the American League leader, Oakland’s Sean Murphy. In the National League, no one has more runs from extra strikes than Narváez. In 2019, Piña had four runs from extra strikes, good for 14th in baseball. Eventually, Piña learned to master the art. They then used a machine and practiced it. They then watched how those guys caught arm-side fastballs versus glove-side fastballs, how they stayed underneath on breaking balls. They noticed who the best at the skill were. In the middle of 2018, Piña and McKinven sat at a computer together and scrolled through the leaderboards on framing metrics. In 2018, he improved to 27th with 0 runs from extra strikes. One pitch-framing metric on Baseball Savant is called “runs from extra strikes.” In 2017, Piña was 49th in baseball with -5 runs from extra strikes, which was not good. Piña, the longest-tenured Brewer, has been on the team since 2016 and has received mostly steady playing time since 2017. Sitting at that meeting, Piña was able to tell Narváez, “Hey, I was below-average at this skill, and this is how we did it.” One aspect was receiving or pitch framing. So they made Narváez aware of the steps it would take to improve defensively and which areas they’d target and how the process would work. ![]() For the Brewers, that was a big goal for the organization. They told Narváez they thought he could be a complete catcher (those are rare and important and get paid accordingly). Like everyone else, the Brewers salivated over Narváez’s offensive numbers while recognizing there was plenty of room for him to grow defensively. Piña’s presence in that meeting was essential. I don’t think there’s any question about it.” These are the things that can change careers. That’s the bottom line, how much ownership Omar took of it. “I thought that really just kicked it off,” Counsell said earlier this year. The evolution of Narváez, the complete catcher, had begun. There, he met with associate pitching, catching and strategy coach Walker McKinven, Counsell and Piña. In January 2020, Narváez traveled from Miami to Milwaukee for the Brewers’ annual fan fest event. It wasn’t always this way for both catchers, especially Narváez, who joined the Brewers after a trade from the Mariners in December 2019 as an offense-first catcher. It involves a lot of sacrifice and they wear that really well.” They’re so intersected with everybody on the team. And I think most catchers do, but they do it so well. Both Omar and Manny have this great understanding of their role on the team, as what the catcher’s job is. “When they talk about a game plan or when they see a pitcher struggling, there’s just more ability to make quicker changes. “It’s the first year for us with two years with the same two catchers, so that continuity allows you to always take things to a different level and their knowledge grows,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. Piña - despite appearing in 45 percent of the Brewers’ games - has caught four of them. The Brewers’ starting pitchers have had nine outings with a Game Score of at least 80. He was the catcher when Freddy Peralta in June carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning. He was the catcher last month when Corbin Burnes struck out 10 consecutive batters. He was the catcher two weeks ago in the Brewers’ combined no-hitter. Several have featured Narváez behind the plate. That start in Pittsburgh was a quality performance from Woodruff in a season overflowing with them for the Brewers’ starting pitchers. It’s an elite class no other team has a total fWAR at the position greater than 3.8. ![]() The team leaders in fWAR at catcher are the Dodgers (5.7), Brewers (5.3), Rays (5.0) and Giants (4.6). The Giants, Dodgers, Rays and Brewers have baseball’s best records. Narváez and Piña have developed into one of the most valuable catching duos in baseball and exactly the kind of backstops the playoff-bound Brewers needed for their optimum success. They’ve also hit: Narváez with more consistency, Piña with more power. They’ve excelled at other defensive duties like pitch-framing, too. Whether it’s Narváez or backup Manny Piña calling a game behind the plate, the Brewers’ catchers have earned their pitchers’ trust. As he set up behind left-handed batter Ka’ai Tom, Narváez moved his body and positioned his mitt low and away. ![]()
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