Baseball Reference says that if Buster Posey retired today, he'd be the 15th-best catcher in baseball history. Considering he's won a National League MVP, made six All-Star teams and been part of three World Series teams, he'd have a compelling Hall of Fame case if he didn't play another inning.
It's strange, though, as pundits and fans appreciate the incredible longevity of Yadier Molina and how valuable J.T. Realmuto is in all facets of the game, it seems like Posey - arguably the best catcher of his era - has been forgotten.
Part of that is because Posey opted out of the 2020 season amid concerns about COVID-19. The year off seems to have rejuvenated Posey, who is slashing .327/.397/.654 with five home runs, seven RBIs and a 0.8 fWAR. Posey homered five times in 105 games in 2018 and just seven times in 114 games in 2019.
It's only one month, but another big season from Posey - even if not at the level of his peak - would be gigantic for his legacy.
Posey won a National League MVP and three World Series titles before his 28th birthday. Now 34, Posey has been out of site, out of mind over the last few years. Part of that, as mentioned above, is because he opted out last year. As with all catchers in their 30s, there's also been some decline. The biggest issue that Posey has faced the last few years, though, is that the Giants have been rebuilding. For someone that essentially won a World Series every other year for the first five years of his career, that's been a dramatic change. As wrong as it may be, it becomes much easier for for East Coast-dominated media to ignore players whose games start when many of them are getting ready for bed.
Posey and the Giants have jumped out to an improbable 15-8 start, putting them in a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the crowded National League West entering Tuesday's action. In a division with the defending World Series Champion Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, the Giants face more than an uphill battle to reach the postseason, but it would be a heck of a story if they did.
Making his seventh All-Star team would also be a very nice cherry on top of one of the great resumes in the sport currently. Posey seemingly has a chance to do that, as he currently has a 0.8 fWAR, the third-best mark among all catchers. The problem is that the top two - Realmuto and Molina - could keep him off the roster.
Make no mistake, though, a return to the national stage later in his career would do wonders for Posey's future Hall of Fame case. Posey has a WAR 7 - your top seven peak years of WAR, not necessarily in order - of 36.6, the ninth-best mark among catchers in MLB history. This is someone who is worthy of Cooperstown, and one more special season could help clinch it in the minds of some who don't fully appreciate what Posey has already accomplished.
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