The first and only active player on this list is current Yankee backstop Gary Sanchez. Going on his fifth season with the club, Sanchez has already made a mark on what could be another legendary Yankee catcher career. Unlike the rest of this list, McCann only got a sniff of playoff baseball in the Bronx, as he went 0-for-4 in the 2015 Wild Card game. Although McCann’s deal ran through 2018, he was traded to the Astros following the 2016 season for Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman. Despite winning no World Series championships with the Yankees, Cerone managed to put together decent playoff numbers in his time with the club. In 17 games, Cerone had three HR, three doubles and 10 RBI.
In fact, when he came up to the big leagues in 1974, he was good enough to beat out future Hall-of-Famer, Gary Carter for Montreal’s starting catcher’s position. That season he hit 11 home runs, drove in 60, averaged .262 plus displayed a strong arm and great defensive ability behind home plate. The following year, however, Foote pretty much stopped hitting and his putrid .194 batting average in 1975, opened the door for Carter to begin his legendary career as one of the best backstops of his era. Even if he does eclipse the all-time mark for homers by a second baseman , the current record-holder has not fared well in Hall of Fame voting.
By 2011, Yankees great Jorge Posada simply couldn’t catch anymore at 39 years old. He was relegated to the designated hitter spot when the team signed Russell Martin, a then-two-time All-Star who had recently hit a wall playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Paired with injuries, Nokes’ ineffectiveness made him fall out of favor in New York.
The Indians, Expos, Orioles, and Reds also passed on Jeter, so he fell to #6 and the Yankees. No one would know how good Jeter would be for about five more years, but Newhouser quit scouting for the Astros a few weeks after that draft. Ford was a breaking ball pitcher who loved to throw his curve, almost loved it too much. He once threw a complete game victory over the White Sox and told reporters after it that he’d only thrown five fastballs the entire game. In addition to his curveball, he probably threw a few scuffed balls in that one. Ford liked to cut the ball more than putting a substance on it, though he would do both.
His contract expired in 1994 and he was out of the majors a year later. He finished his career playing independent ball and also played in Mexico. Today, like the aforementioned Don Slaught, he has a YouTube channel that features instructional videos. Unfortunately, Wynegar’s Yankees tenure included some issues. Though he re-signed with the team for the 1986 season, the stress of playing under Steinbrenner and manager Billy Martin overwhelmed him. Wynegar was also dealing with arthritis in his toe, which affected his overall performance at the plate.
Keep in mind you’re voting on the best player and not the best team, so even if a player never won a World Series with the New York Yankees they can still be considered their best catcher. Playing on a one-year deal, Martin did his best Buzz Lightyear and came to the rescue. He 2 seam vs 4 seam grip only hit .237, but possessed reliable power and hit 18 home runs with 65 RBIs. Martin inked another one-year contract with the Yankees for 2012, and despite a .211 batting average, hit a then-career-high 21 homers. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in free agency thereafter.
His Yankee number 8 was retired by the Yankees, and a plaque hung in Monument Park in his honor in 1988. Berra grew up in the Italian district of St. Louis, Missouri, where he played softball, baseball, soccer, football, and roller hockey. He first played organized baseball with a YMCA team, and he later played American Legion baseball.