Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal was named to his first All-Star Game in 2015, which didn’t come as a surprise considering he was one of the best offensive catchers in baseball through the first half of that season.
However, a shoulder injury derailed the rest of his year even as Grandal attempted to play through the nagging pain. After the season ended he underwent shoulder surgery and came into Spring Training looking to return to the form he was in the first half of previous season.
Grandal dealt with a forearm injury during the spring that cost him the first couple weeks of the season before making his season debut on April 12.
He got off to a strong start, batting .295 in April, but cooled off tremendously in May and June. After having a .936 on-base plus slugging percentage in April, he had a .464 OPS in May and .639 OPS in June.
Grandal was again dealing with injuries — this time to his wrist and ankle. But as the weather heated up in the summer, so did Grandal. In 21 games (18 starts) during July, he batted .324/.439/.691 with eight home runs and 14 RBIs.
That power surge continued in August in September, as Grandal hit six home runs in each month. He finished the year batting .228/.339/.477 with 27 home runs and 72 RBIs in 126 games. The 27 home runs were the most among Major League catchers.
Grandal struggled in the postseason though, as he had just three hits in 28 at-bats combined between the National League Division and Championship Series.
2016 Highlight
Despite the postseason struggles, Grandal did have one big hit in Game 3 of the NLCS against the Chicago Cubs. With the Dodgers leading 1-0 in the fourth inning, Grandal launched a 3-2 pitch off Cubs starter Jake Arrieta into the right-center field bleachers for a two-run homer.
The home run helped secure a 6-0 win for the Dodgers, which ended up being their last win of the season. During the regular season, Grandal tormented his former team, hitting three home runs and finishing with six RBIs in a win against the San Diego Padres.
2017 Outlook
Grandal remains the unquestioned starter behind the plate heading into 2017. Unlike last offseason, he’s on track to enter Spring Training fully healthy and not recovering from surgery.
One thing Grandal needs to work on is his consistency at the plate, as has been a streaky hitter. That of course may be attributed to health, which requires some luck to avoid injury — particularly for catchers.
If Grandal plays at the level he is capable of in 2017 then he can establish himself as one of the best players at his position.
