Update on the Ford vs. Ferrari trade

[Sibelius Hindemith]

Hes got a number of examples of catchers following up great seasons with clunkers

Every situation is different, of course, but in 1986 Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk had -1.7 WAR for the White Sox (491 plate appearances, 14 HR, 63 RBI). The year before, Pudge had a 3.3 WAR while hitting 37 HR, 107 RBI for the ChiSox. And the year after, Fisk rebounded with a 23 HR season and a 3.1 WAR in 1987.

Pudge?

Cal likely played too many games at catcher last year, but didn't he catch a lot of games in 2024 as well?

[D-train]

Hes got a number of examples of catchers following up great seasons with clunkers

Every situation is different, of course, but in 1986 Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk had -1.7 WAR for the White Sox (491 plate appearances, 14 HR, 63 RBI). The year before, Pudge had a 3.3 WAR while hitting 37 HR, 107 RBI for the ChiSox. And the year after, Fisk rebounded with a 23 HR season and a 3.1 WAR in 1987.

Pudge?

Cal likely played too many games at catcher last year, but didn't he catch a lot of games in 2024 as well?

Caught 131 in 2024 and 120 in 2025. Beside then notion that after taking MONTHS off he is still going to been tired and worn down from the prior season is absurd.

[Donn Beach]

Hes got a number of examples of catchers following up great seasons with clunkers

Every situation is different, of course, but in 1986 Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk had -1.7 WAR for the White Sox (491 plate appearances, 14 HR, 63 RBI). The year before, Pudge had a 3.3 WAR while hitting 37 HR, 107 RBI for the ChiSox. And the year after, Fisk rebounded with a 23 HR season and a 3.1 WAR in 1987.

Pudge?

Cal likely played too many games at catcher last year, but didn't he catch a lot of games in 2024 as well?

Hes not really equating it that way, its not being tired. I think its a more a general thing. Its like Ohtani trying to pitch and hit. It is pretty rare to find a catcher that produces offense in the first place. And even the ones that do could be very erradict at it

[Donn Beach]

Hes got a number of examples of catchers following up great seasons with clunkers

Pudge?

Cal likely played too many games at catcher last year, but indidn't he catch a lot of games in 2024 as well?

Caught 131 in 2024 and 120 in 2025. Beside then notion that after taking MONTHS off he is still going to been tired and worn down from the prior season is absurd.

Its not about being tired, its more about it being an outlier

[D-train]

Pudge?

Cal likely played too many games at catcher last year, but indidn't he catch a lot of games in 2024 as well?

Caught 131 in 2024 and 120 in 2025. Beside then notion that after taking MONTHS off he is still going to been tired and worn down from the prior season is absurd.

Its not about being tired, its more about it being an outlier

OPS
2022-24 .760
2025 .948
2022- 2025 .816
2026 .556

2026 is far more of an outlier than 2025

[Donn Beach]

Caught 131 in 2024 and 120 in 2025. Beside then notion that after taking MONTHS off he is still going to been tired and worn down from the prior season is absurd.

Its not about being tired, its more about it being an outlier

OPS
2022-24 .760
2025 .948
2022- 2025 .816
2026 .556

2026 is far more of an outlier than 2025

That was the season i meant, or look at them as a pair of outliers. Cal followed up his greatest season with his worst. The aricle is pointing out that might not be really unusual for a catcher

One of the greatest backstops ever, Hall of Famer Roy Campanella, was a three-time MVP, but never put back-to-back great years together.

Campanella WAR
1951: 6.9 (MVP)
1952: 4.0
1953: 6.8 (MVP)
1954: 0.1
1955: 5.2 (MVP)
1956: 0.6

In 1954, Campy went from 41 HR to 19. He went from a .312 batting average to .207. He went from 142 RBI to 51.

In 1956, Campy went from a .318 batting average to .219.

[GL_Storm]

I think Cal started the season injured and likely is carrying a number of minor aches and pains from catching for so many years, and there's probably a certain amount of mental exhaustion from dealing with this pitching staff. But the main thing is that pitchers are attacking him differently than they did last year and he hasn't been able to adjust in response. He's talked about the high heat being a problem. I'm sure he understands what it is that they're doing. That he can't seem to adjust in-season should be an indicator of how hard it is.

I wonder if what we're seeing with Cal is just something we will see from time to time in the game now, where opposing pitching staffs spend an offseason figuring out how to get you out. In Cal's case, because he was always more of an all or nothing hitter, the impact of that offseason adjustment is simply more profound than what we see with, for example, Julio and Naylor. You could also look at players like Tatis Jr., who is still productive but the year over year trend seems kind of relentless in trying to neutralize his power. I'm also curious about the Baltimore hitters. A couple of years ago, that group looked like the next great young group of hitters, but the league seems to have worn them all down.

[DanielVogelbach]

I think Cal started the season injured and likely is carrying a number of minor aches and pains from catching for so many years, and there's probably a certain amount of mental exhaustion from dealing with this pitching staff. But the main thing is that pitchers are attacking him differently than they did last year and he hasn't been able to adjust in response. He's talked about the high heat being a problem. I'm sure he understands what it is that they're doing. That he can't seem to adjust in-season should be an indicator of how hard it is.

I wonder if what we're seeing with Cal is just something we will see from time to time in the game now, where opposing pitching staffs spend an offseason figuring out how to get you out. In Cal's case, because he was always more of an all or nothing hitter, the impact of that offseason adjustment is simply more profound than what we see with, for example, Julio and Naylor. You could also look at players like Tatis Jr., who is still productive but the year over year trend seems kind of relentless in trying to neutralize his power. I'm also curious about the Baltimore hitters. A couple of years ago, that group looked like the next great young group of hitters, but the league seems to have worn them all down.

They do this in season. it's a cat and mouse game. a cat and mouse game that Cal is losing bad. cat keeps getting the mouse, or mouse keeps escaping... take your pick.

[D-train]

I think Cal started the season injured and likely is carrying a number of minor aches and pains from catching for so many years, and there's probably a certain amount of mental exhaustion from dealing with this pitching staff. But the main thing is that pitchers are attacking him differently than they did last year and he hasn't been able to adjust in response. He's talked about the high heat being a problem. I'm sure he understands what it is that they're doing. That he can't seem to adjust in-season should be an indicator of how hard it is.

I wonder if what we're seeing with Cal is just something we will see from time to time in the game now, where opposing pitching staffs spend an offseason figuring out how to get you out. In Cal's case, because he was always more of an all or nothing hitter, the impact of that offseason adjustment is simply more profound than what we see with, for example, Julio and Naylor. You could also look at players like Tatis Jr., who is still productive but the year over year trend seems kind of relentless in trying to neutralize his power. I'm also curious about the Baltimore hitters. A couple of years ago, that group looked like the next great young group of hitters, but the league seems to have worn them all down.

2
Good assessment and you are probably right. A lot of things have to go wrong for this type of implosion. Scary thing is he turns 30 in 3 months and is officially past his prime. And with today pitching hitters fall off cliffs for younger than in the past.

[D-train]

I think Cal started the season injured and likely is carrying a number of minor aches and pains from catching for so many years, and there's probably a certain amount of mental exhaustion from dealing with this pitching staff. But the main thing is that pitchers are attacking him differently than they did last year and he hasn't been able to adjust in response. He's talked about the high heat being a problem. I'm sure he understands what it is that they're doing. That he can't seem to adjust in-season should be an indicator of how hard it is.

I wonder if what we're seeing with Cal is just something we will see from time to time in the game now, where opposing pitching staffs spend an offseason figuring out how to get you out. In Cal's case, because he was always more of an all or nothing hitter, the impact of that offseason adjustment is simply more profound than what we see with, for example, Julio and Naylor. You could also look at players like Tatis Jr., who is still productive but the year over year trend seems kind of relentless in trying to neutralize his power. I'm also curious about the Baltimore hitters. A couple of years ago, that group looked like the next great young group of hitters, but the league seems to have worn them all down.

They do this in season. it's a cat and mouse game. a cat and mouse game that Cal is losing bad. cat keeps getting the mouse, or mouse keeps escaping... take your pick.

Yep and there doesn't seem to be any end in sight...