Matt Wieters, Catcher


Date of Birth: 5/21/1986
Birthplace: Charleston, South Carolina
College: Georgia Tech

Matt Wieters, catcher, was a star baseball player at Georgia Tech. The Baltimore Orioles drafted him in 2007 and after just one year in the minor leagues, Wieters was catching for Baltimore in 2009.

Known as a good defensive catcher, Wieters has won two Gold Gloves (2011, 2012). In addition to his fielding talents, Wieters brings some power to the plate. In 2013, he batted .235 with 123 hits, a career high of 29 doubles, 22 home runs, and 79 RBIs in 148 games.

Wieters missed all of the 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery. He started the 2015 season on the DL, still recovering from his 2014 surgery. He returned to the Orioles in the first week of June. He finished the season with 69 hits, 14 doubles, and a .267 batting average in 75 games.

In 2016, Wieters batted .243 in 124 games. He had 103 hits, 17 doubles, 17 home runs, and 66 RBIs. He batted just .125 in 4 at-bats in the Wild Card game. Defensively, as the Orioles' catcher, he made 50 assists, 871 putouts, and a career high 11 errors in 117 games. He caught players trying to steal 34.8% of the time and he had a .988 fielding percentage.

Wieters became a free agent on November 3, 2016. He signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Washington Nationals on February 24, 2017. The contract includes a player option for 2018.

In 2017, his first season with the Nationals, Wieters batted a career low .225 in 123 games. He had 95 hits, 20 doubles, 10 home runs, and 94 strikeouts to 38 walks. Defensively, as the Nationals' catcher in 118 games, he made 43 assists, 1,023 putouts, and 8 errors. He caught players trying to steal 25% of the time. In the postseason, he batted .143 in 14 at-bats in 5 games. He had just 2 hits and he walked twice and struck out 4 times.

Wieters spent a good part of the 2018 season on the DL, playing in just 76 games. He finished with a .238 batting average. Defensively, as the Nationals' catcher in 73 games, he made 24 assists, 579 putouts, and 3 errors. He caught players trying to steal 37% of the time.

Wieters became a free agent on October 29, 2018. He signed a minor league contract with the St. Louis Cardinals on February 27, 2019. He played in 67 games with the Cardinals in 2019, and he had 36 hits and a .214 batting average. As a catcher in 54 games, he made 379 putouts and 2 errors. He had a .421 caught stealing percentage and a .995 fielding percentage. In the postseason, he had 3 at-bats in 3 games and no hits.

Wieters elected free agency on October 31, 2019. He re-signed with the Cardinals on January 22, 2020. He played in 19 games in 2020. He finished the season with 7 hits and a .200 batting average in 35 at-bats.

Wieters became a free agent on October 28, 2020. He didn't play professional baseball in 2021.

Career batting statistics for Wieters through 2020 include:

  • 1,167 games played
  • 996 hits
  • 190 doubles
  • 146 home runs
  • 550 RBIs
  • 847 strikeouts to 368 walks
  • .249 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Wieters as a catcher through 2020 include:

  • 1,075 games played
  • 428 assists
  • 7,697 putouts
  • .320 caught stealing percentage
  • .993 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Matt Wieters
ESPN Sports - Matt Wieters