Max Stassi

In his 10th season as a big-leaguer, Stassi was as close to being the top option behind the plate in 2022 as he's ever been, logging career highs with 102 games and 375 plate appearances. However, after two strong campaigns to get to that point, the veteran cratered as a hitter, posting a 63 wRC+ and recording a 29.9% strikeout rate. Stassi still has two years left on his contract and has likely earned some grace due to the strong start to his tenure as an Angel. Kurt Suzuki, whom Stassi had become accustomed to sharing time with, announced his plans to retire following the 2022 campaign, but a more imposing threat to Stassi's playing time looms in Logan O'Hoppe, whom Los Angeles acquired from the Phillies last season. O'Hoppe crushed Double-A pitching -- especially after joining the Angels organization -- and held his own during a brief cup of coffee with the big club. Odds are that Stassi will open 2023 as the team's primary catcher, but O'Hoppe is waiting in the wings and could win the Opening Day nod with a strong spring training.

Stassi has posted 136 and 107 wRC+ marks in the last two seasons, respectively, so he has some offensive punch relative to the position. He'll likely split playing time with Kurt Suzuki. Stassi hit .241/.326/.426 with 13 homers in 87 games last season, though his 31.7 percent strikeout rate creates some risk.

Stassi and Jason Castro began the year sharing catching duties in Anaheim, with Stassi starting against southpaws. His hot start along with a Castro injury tipped the scale in Stassi's favor until Stassi himself was placed on the IL with a knee contusion. After a two-week stay, Stassi returned as the primary backstop with Castro having been dealt to San Diego. Stassi posted a career-high .885 OPS, which he credited to an alteration to his stance and swing. However, for the second straight offseason, Stassi needed hip surgery, this time on a torn left labrum. He was able to recover in a timely manner from the 2019 procedure on his right hip, though Opening Day is still in doubt. Assuming full recovery, Stassi should be in line for significant playing time while serving in a catching tandem alongside Kurt Suzuki.

Stassi was exactly league average at the plate by wRC+ in 2018, and when factoring in defense, was worth 2.7 wins above replacement that year (by FanGraphs' WAR). However, his offense slid down the stretch in 2018 and those issues carried over to 2019. He posted a .460 OPS in 18 games before going down with a knee injury, and the Astros eventually dumped him off to the Angels after acquiring an upgrade in Martin Maldonado. Things only got worse in Anaheim, with Stassi going 3-for-42 before being shut down and sent for right hip surgery. His recovery time was estimated at 4-to-6 months, putting Opening Day in question. While Stassi remains a significant plus behind the plate, and his abilities as a backstop should keep him around when healthy, his bat is extremely limited. He will always have those first few months of 2018, but it was a flash in the pan.

Finally given an Opening Day roster spot after playing a total of 44 big-league games over the previous five seasons, Stassi proved to be an adequate backup catcher. He hit .226/.316/.394 (good for a league-average 100 wRC+) with eight homers in 250 plate appearances, spending stretches as the primary catcher while Brian McCann battled knee injuries. The Astros were hesitant to trust Stassi with a starting job, however, and brought in Martin Maldonado for the stretch run. After both McCann and Maldonado left in free agency, the team signed Robinson Chirinos. Stassi's excellent framing metrics will likely afford him a few starts per week, but that's it.

Those looking to fill the second catcher spot on the cheap in 15-team leagues should consider Stassi. He displayed improved patience with Triple-A Fresno last season, lifting his walk rate from 7.5 percent to 13.2 percent. Stassi also flashed more power, hitting 12 homers with a .207 ISO in 287 plate appearances with Fresno and adding two more long balls in just 31 trips with the big club. He hit .338/.430/.613 against left-handed pitching with Fresno, and got on base at a .361 clip against right-handers. Brian McCann has been durable throughout his career, but McCann made two trips to the DL last season (concussion, knee) and is now entering his age-34 season. With Evan Gattis likely to serve as the primary designated hitter, Stassi has a clear path to semi-regular at-bats, and he's one injury away from a primary role in an elite American League offense.

Stassi was once again a September call-up for the Astros, making it four years in a row. Although Stassi hit well in his extremely limited big league action from 2013-2015, he got just one hit in 13 at-bats in 2016 after hitting .230 with seven home runs for Triple-A Fresno. While he flashed average power at lower levels, Stassi has averaged just 10 home runs while walking at a rate of well under 10 percent the last three years. He's never hit above .280 in any full season, and at just 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, there's little to suggest the potential for major improvements in the power department. Jason Castro is gone, but the Astros traded for 32-year-old catcher Brian McCann in the offseason as a replacement. It's clear the Astros don't think much of Stassi's chances to become a viable starting catcher.

Stassi, who has been a September callup for the Astros each of the past three seasons, hit .211/.279/.384 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI over 84 games for Triple-A Fresno last season. It was the fourth time he's posted 13 or more homers during a season in the minors, but it also marked the second consecutive season in which he posted an OBP below .300. Hank Conger was traded to Tampa Bay in the offseason, creating an opening for the backup job behind Jason Castro, Stassi has shown little to suggest he's worthy of anything more than sporadic opportunities.

The Astros have a logjam at the catcher position and Stassi currently has the least big league experience of the backstops on their 40-man roster. Known for his bat as opposed to his arm and defense behind the plate, the soon-to-be 24-year-old struggled last season for Triple-A Oklahoma City, hitting .247/.296/.378 with nine home runs and 45 RBI in 101 games. While it was his first full season with fewer than 13 long balls, Stassi remained healthy for the most part, logging 425 plate appearances. It's possible that he'll repeat Triple-A again, but his future in Houston is currently undecided. His clearest path at playing time would likely come as the backup to Hank Conger if Jason Castro is traded. Then again, Stassi could be a trade candidate himself if the Astros choose experience over youth and upside.

Stassi, a right-handed hitting catcher known for his excellent bat and average defense behind the plate, put together a fine offensive campaign for Double-A Corpus Christi after undergoing sports hernia surgery last offseason. In 76 games, the soon-to-be 23-year-old slashed .277/.333/.529 with 17 home runs and 60 RBI before an injury to Astros backup catcher, Carlos Corporan, opened the door for him in Houston. Stassi's time in the majors was short-lived, however, after he was forced to the disabled list with a concussion. Stassi has been hampered by a number of injuries throughout his career, but if he can stay healthy and keep hitting like he has in the minors, he could easily overtake Corporan as the backup behind Jason Castro. He will most likely return to Triple-A for the start of the 2014 campaign, but there's a good chance he will spend more time in Houston next season.

The A's selected Stassi in the fourth round of the June draft, but he's considered to be first-round talent and signability concerns led to his slide down the draft board. The track record for high school catchers isn't great, and we won't have a feel for Stassi's pro prospects for several more seasons, but the scouting report on him is pretty favorable.