St. Louis Cardinals fans know that Yadier Molina is not just any other catcher. Yes, his offensive stats don’t scream like he is the all-time great, but the stats don’t always reveal the entire story. Molina is a defensive star, throwing out baserunners like it’s second nature. Plus, his baseball IQ was extremely high, and he called games like no one. He owned the position he was at; he didn’t just play it.

Now here is when things get spicy. A list of the top 10 best catchers made the rounds in the baseball world. The ones topping that list were Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra. It’s hard to argue on that! Bench has 10 Gold Gloves, two MVPs, and two World Series. And Berra has 10 World Series rings. Hard to digest, but true! Plus, insane achievements like three MVPs, 358 home runs, and 1,430 RBIs. They are legends, no doubt. But that wasn’t shocking; the alarming thing was that Yadi didn’t even cut the top 10. And Adam Wainwright wasn’t having it.

Wainwright didn’t take long to straight up call out that list. He pitched Molina as the greatest catcher of all time. In his Twitter account, Wainwright shared, “Nobody will ever convince me that @yadimolina04 isn’t the best CATCHER of all time.” That’s not just high praise. Wainwright has been on the mound with Yadi, and he knows the impact of him in every game and every play.

Moreover, Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina together hold the MLB record for the most games started by a pitcher-catcher duo. It’s a testament to the connection they have with each other and the reason Adam will know better than anyone the worth of Yadier. Meanwhile, judging a catcher isn’t as simple as looking at the statistics like WAR. Catchers are the heartbeat of the game. Their value often lies in things far from the box score. Like working with pitches, reading the hitters, and the game prep.

Fans are shocked over Yadi not being acknowledged

An MLB fan on X said that Yadier Molina was greatly underrated. Well, they say one never knows how good someone or something is until it’s gone. And this is the classic case of what happened with the Cardinals, too. Yadi was taken for granted for the longest time. But when Molina retired, the harsh dose of reality hit the team. They thought Willson Contreras would pick up where Molina left off. But that didn’t happen! Well, the Cardinals noticed soon that Yadi wasn’t just a catcher. Yadi used to have detailed off-the-field prep work, and his leadership was spot on. He set the bar for the catcher so high on the team; that it was impossible for anyone further to reach there.

Another commenter mentioned it was weird seeing Molina not on the list. And it is, because how can a star who had 9 Gold Glove awards and 4 Platinum Glove awards not be on the list? These accolades are a testament to his power on and off the plate. He was crucial for the Cardinal’s two World Series championship wins, too. But sadly, he isn’t as celebrated as his peers, for example, Buster Posey or Jorge Posada. Strangely, they all have similar WARs. Posada has 42.7, Posey has 44.7, and Molina has 42.2.

A Yadi admirer mentioned that Molina was excellent at his position. And there’s no question, even if the detractors sigh and roll their eyes. From 2005 to 2022, the Cardinals allowed the fewest stolen bases and had the fewest stolen base attempts against them in MLB. That margin is substantial, and it speaks volumes of Molina’s impact. He has nine Rawlings Gold Gloves and won four National League pennants. When he retired after the 2022 season, he ranked first all-time among catchers in putouts and second in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) with a stellar 130.

Yadi’s backer bluntly deemed Molina as the GOAT. Well, Molina could control the game from behind. He had a career caught-stealing rate of 40.21% and 55 pickoffs. Plus, as a hitter, his numbers were great too. He had more than 2,100 hits and 150 home runs, plus 1000 RBIs and .300 in five seasons. Not just MLB, he was also a member of the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series. As far as being the GOAT goes, he might be one of the best, but the stats don’t place him as the best. His WAR places him not even in the Top 15 of the all-time best catchers. But then, his impact was greater off-field too.

Another user mentioned that Yadier Molina is high up on his list. Not surprising, because Molina’s longevity is rare in the game. He has played 19 seasons, and over the time he has delivered both on the offense and defense. The Cardinals made it to 12 playoff appearances during his tenure. But then Molina comes from a baseball pedigree too. His father was a second baseman in Puerto Rican baseball, and his brothers were also into baseball.

Yadier Molina might not earn the respect of others, but the Cardinals fans know what he means to them. He has kept the Cardinals humming for so long, and Wainwright just reminded everyone of this.