Milwaukee All-Time Positional Rankings: Catchers

The Brewers are a team with a rich history and some all-time fan-favorite players. Catcher has been a tough position for the Brewers to fill historically, with probably the most impactful catcher of all time for the club being their radio announcer. Let’s start by setting up some parameters for the list.

The players will be ranked based on how well they played in Milwaukee, not on longevity. Players included will also be players that played in Milwaukee, whether that be for the Braves or the Brewers. No Seattle Pilots will be ranked because they were in Seattle at the time. The players will also be judged on both the defensive and offensive sides and the overall impact on the franchise. Every other Friday there will be a new position until we have named the 10 greatest Brewers at each position.

Honorable Mentions:

Jason Kendall 2008-09

Kendall only played for the Crew for two years but had an interesting stint with the team. He hit four home runs in two seasons but was the leadoff hitter for the team as a catcher while hitting .244. He also had 15 stolen bases for the team in two seasons while providing veteran leadership at the end of his career.

Bob Uecker 1962-63, 1971-2024

Uecker is commonly known as one of the worst-hitting catchers of all time, with a .200 career batting average and only 14 career home runs in six seasons in the majors. Uecker, however, is special for a different reason. He has been the play-by-play radio voice of the Brewers since 1971 and has continued to be a representative of the organization into his 90s. Uecker is special in Milwaukee and has impacted many people who have grown up a fan of the Brewers. He deserves to be on the list simply due to his broadcasting career.

10. William Contreras 2023-present

Contreras has only played one full season for the team so far in his young career, but wow was it a good one. Contreras hit .289 with 17 home runs for the Brewers while leading the team in doubles with 38. He also greatly improved behind the plate and showed some real potential for this team. As a cornerstone for the franchise going forward, Contreras should be flying up this list.

9. Darrell Porter 1971-76

Porter played for the Brewers for a while and was an All-Star for the team in 1974 when he hit .241 with 12 home runs and 56 RBIs. Porter went on to have a long career in the majors, and his success in Milwaukee was good enough to get him on the list.

8. Charlie Moore 1973-86

Moore probably has the most longevity on the list playing 14 seasons in Milwaukee. He was a very good contact hitter, posting a .300-plus batting average in two seasons. Moore never hit double-digit home runs in a season in his career, but he managed to get on base, with a .320 OBP across his time with Milwaukee. He also Moore had decent speed for a catcher, with double-digit steals in 1980 and 1983.

7. Yasmani Grandal 2019

Grandal decided to opt out of the second year of his two-year contract after his All-Star season in Milwaukee. He blasted 28 home runs, the most in franchise history for a catcher, while also driving in 77 RBI and hitting .246. The switch hitter was also helpful in Milwaukee’s lone playoff game that season, as he hit a home run despite the loss. Grandal’s one season in Milwaukee was good enough to cement him on the list.

6. B.J. Surhoff 1987-95

Drafted as the only No. 1 pick in franchise history, Surhoff quickly became an everyday starter behind the plate. His final season in Milwaukee was his best one, posting a .320 batting average while hitting 13 home runs. Early in his career, he was one of the faster catchers in the league as well, stealing 21 bases in 1988 and 18 bases in 1990. Surhoff then went to the Baltimore Orioles where he would become an All-Star in 1999 while also receiving MVP votes as he hit .308/.347/.492 with a career-high 28 homers.

5. Dave Nilsson 1992-99

Nilsson took over for Surhoff after he left and was one of the best catchers in the major leagues for a short stint. Nilsson was an All-Star for the Brewers in 1999 when he posted a .309 batting average and 21 homers. The 29-year-old was on track to being a superstar but went back home to Australia for the Olympics and never returned to the United States. Even though Nilsson surprisingly left the sport, his eight-year stretch in Milwaukee earns him a spot on the list.

4. Del Crandall 1953-63

A member of the Milwaukee Braves, Crandall was a stalwart for the Braves in his 13 seasons with the franchise, 11 of which came in Milwaukee. The eight-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner was part of the 1957 Milwaukee Braves team that won the World Series, the only World Series victory in Milwaukee’s history. In his 13 seasons as a Brave, Crandall posted a .257/.313/.412 batting line and hit 170 home runs. He also finished second in Rookie of the Year voting at 19 years old. Crandall may be one of the better offensive catchers in Milwaukee’s history, and the numbers and longevity show it.

3. Joe Torre 1960-65

Joe Torre is famously known as a manager and one of the best catchers of all time, and he just so happened to start his career in Milwaukee. Torre hit .294 during his nine years with the Braves, six of which came in Milwaukee. He also collected 76 home runs and 328 RBIs during his time in Milwaukee, making him a three-time All-Star. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1961 and came fifth in American League MVP voting in 1964 when he hit .321 with 20 home runs. Torre wasn’t here for a ton of time, but he was extremely impactful and was a good defensive catcher behind the plate as well.

2. Ted Simmons 1981-85

Ted Simmons is best known for his time as a legendary St. Louis Cardinal, but Simmons had some really good seasons in Milwaukee, with two All-Star campaigns in 1981 and 1983. In his five seasons with the club, Simmons hit .262/.311/.399 while smashing 66 home runs. His best season with the Brewers was in 1983, when Simmons hit .308 with 13 home runs and 108 RBIs coming off a World Series appearance against his former team. Simmons, Crandall, and Torre all have a solid claim at being at the top of this list.

1. Jonathan Lucroy 2010-15

Lucroy was a fan favorite in Milwaukee during his six seasons with the team. He burst onto the scene in 2011 after having a solid partial season in 2010. The Brewers third-round pick in 2007 had a great start to his career, hitting .320 in 2012 and .301 in 2014. He was an All-Star in 2014 and led the league in doubles with 53. He finished fourth in National League MVP voting that season, batting in the heart of the order during the middle of the Brewers’ rebuild. He was traded in 2016 to the Rangers for prospect Lewis Brinson, who was then shipped to the Marlins in 2018 for MVP Christian Yelich. Nearly 10 years after Lucroy left the team, fans are still feeling his impact in Milwaukee a decade later.