Catcher Safety Under Threat: Consequences of Creeping Home Plate Proximity

Following Willson Contreras’ fractured left forearm caused by a swing from J.D. Martinez during a game against the New York Mets, there has been increased concern among former and current catchers regarding the growing danger faced by catchers due to their creeping proximity to home plate. This danger arises as hitters with longer swings leave little room for manoeuvring when standing at the back of the batter’s box, leading to incidents such as Contreras’. The increase in catcher interference calls in recent years, with 33 occurring through Tuesday’s games, has prompted discussions within Major League Baseball about the issue and catcher positioning. Managers and teams have begun adjusting their strategies, with some backing off slightly to avoid the potential for head injuries. While the trend may be brought before the competition committee for further consideration, players and teams are currently identifying hitters who pose a higher risk, such as Esteury Ruiz and Kyle Tucker, who both drew seven catcher interference calls in 2023. As catchers attempt to steal strike calls at the bottom of the zone, they must find a balance between getting too close and being too far away to avoid making pitches at the bottom of the zone look lower.