Tucker Barnhart has worked his way up from being a 10th round draft pick as a high school catcher, no less to a respectable position.
He caught at least half of the Cincinnati Reds’ games for the sixth straight season, and he ranks third among active Reds in games played with the team.
He’s won two Gold Glove trophies behind the plate during that time, establishing himself as one of the game’s hardest-working catchers while hitting just enough to keep his lineup position from becoming a black hole.
Barnhart’s days as Cincinnati’s primary catcher, on the other hand, have always had an expiration date, and that day is Tyler Stephenson.
The Reds selected Stephenson, a high school catcher, in the first round of the draft in 2015, the first year Barnhart saw meaningful action in the big leagues.
Since then, it’s been assumed that he’d be the catcher of the future until his gradual development path finally led him to the big leagues.
Stephenson is finally scheduled to break spring training with the big league team, nearly six years after initially turning pro.
Curt Casali, Barnhart’s backup since 2018, was not re-signed this offseason, and neither of the Reds’ two catchers, Deivy Grullon and Rocky Gale, were brought in to fight for a spot in the major leagues.
Is Tucker Barnhart A Switch Hitter?
Yes. Barnhart is a Switcher. Tucker Barnhart has returned to the Detroit Tigers as a switch-hitter. Early in his career, the former Reds backstop was a switch-hitter. Recording plate appearances from the right-side over six seasons