The Minnesota Twins catching tandem may have a “last dance” of sorts this year. Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vázquez have been the 1-A and 1-B options for the team since the start of the 2023 season.
Vázquez is entering the last year of his contract. Despite the offseason trade rumors, he will finish out his contract in Minnesota. Jeffers won’t be a free agent until 2027. Still, the catching room will look much different next season without Vázquez. Is there a way that the Twins catching battery can make the most of their final season together?
Minnesota has been fond of using a two-catcher system to help keep both catchers fresh over the season. On the surface, it has allowed the Twins to become one of the better teams in offensive production from its veteran catchers. Minnesota’s catchers have had a 20.9 fWAR that’s top nine in baseball since 2017.
Offensive production isn’t always the best way to properly evaluate a catcher’s worth because the defensive expectations traditionally outweigh the offensive demands. Not everyone is prime Joe Mauer. Still, the Twins believe their system gives catchers enough rest to allow for more offensive output.
Over the last two seasons, the Twins have sat just above the league median in offensive production from catchers. Their 20.9 fWAR from Minnesota catchers ranks 12th in baseball over the last two seasons, same for their 88.3 MPH average exit velocity.
In some cases, Jeffers and Vázquez have cracked the top 10 as a duo. A .712 OPS is 8th-best, their 95wRC+ clip (100 is league average) is top seven, and the 189 home runs hit by Twins catchers is 6th-best in baseball over that same span. Vázquez and Jeffers have flaws, including a 25.7 percent strikeout rate that’s bottom-7 in the league since 2023.
Still, Jeffers is the biggest contributor to Minnesota’s catching production offensively. Where Vázquez is entering his age-34 season, Jeffers is in the prime of his career entering his age-27 season. He has a .737 career OPS and put out All-Star-level production at the plate in the early months of the 2024 season. In his first 51 games in 2024, Jeffers slashed .256/.345/.547 with 12 home runs and a 150 wRC+. However, from June 1 on, his production sank to a .615 OPS and a 74 wRC+.
Defensively, Baseball Savant gave Jeffers a minus-7 run value, and his framing numbers have gotten worse in each of the last three seasons. He has improved his ability to slow down opponent’s running games by throwing out 25 base stealers since 2023. The Twins have been waiting for Jeffers to assume that full-time primary catcher role. Still, he must find a way to avoid bottoming out in terms of production to reach his full potential.
During the winter, the Twins reportedly dangled Vázquez and his $10 million salary, but there were no takers. Vázquez has had a disappointing tenure in Minnesota, given he’s won two World Series and signed a $30 million deal. Since signing with the Twins, he’s only lashed .222/.265/.322 with a 63 wRC+.
However, pitchers like working with Vázquez. Baseball Savant has his ability to frame pitches in the 84th percentile. Vázquez likely won’t significantly improve as a hitter at age 34. All he needs to do is keep hovering around a .600 OPS and avoid letting his fielding numbers fall off drastically. If we look at his production compared to his contract, it will be a letdown. However, Vázquez can still make an impact if he stays sharp defensively.
Jeffers and Vázquez could offer more at the plate. However, defensively, they are the most consistent tandem in baseball since Vázquez signed. Over the last two seasons, Jeffers or Vázquez have made every start at catcher for the Twins since the start of the 2023 season. It’s a remarkable stretch for two players in one of the most physically demanding positions. However, it will be difficult to continue that in 2025. Someone will likely get hurt and miss time, even briefly.
Health will need to be on Minnesota’s side again to get production from their backstops. Jair Camargo waits behind Jeffers and Vázquez on the depth chart. He has been Minnesota’s third catcher in the last two seasons.
However, Camargo has yet to make his first big league start behind the plate. That could be a sign that the Twins are concerned about him defensively. Like Jeffers, Camargo must be a much better hitter to get consistent playing time at Target Field. He’ll likely need to improve his .693 OPS in Triple-A last season to earn a major-league role.
Minnesota also signed Mickey Gasper as a minor league free agent over the winter. Gasper is a nice depth signing as a first baseman and catcher, two positions where the Twins lack depth. He has a .970 OPS in nine games this spring but has yet to record his first major league.
Gasper played 13 games last year, his first big-league season. Defensively, Gasper played 36 games at catcher between Double-A and Triple-A in the Boston Red Sox organization but none in the majors. He’s an option, but it seems unlikely he will get consistent time behind the plate.
Diego Cartaya is a buy-low prospect the Twins received in a minor-league trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. While he’s a good defensive catcher, nobody should assume the former top prospect could provide consistent big-league help in 2025, considering he posted a .643 OPS in Triple-A last season.
Unless injuries pile up, the Vázquez-Jeffers duo will take all the catching opportunities in 2025. The Twins haven’t shown confidence in Camargo, Gasper hasn’t played at catcher in the big leagues, and Cartaya must reclaim his top-prospect status. Vázquez is a 34-year-old playing a physically demanding position. Whether Minnesota’s catching room takes a step up from the season before rests solely on whether Jeffers makes another stride. He must find a way to contribute at a high level without having his bat disappear through big stretches of the season.
Christian Vázquez is heading into the final year of his deal in Minnesota, while Jeffers has only two more years on his contract before free agency. This will be the last year the two will wear Twins uniforms together. It feels like the Twins may have maxed out the production level these catchers provide as a tandem.
Help could be on the way, but there are question marks with each backup-catching option. The duo must find a way to maximize their potential, with Vázquez anchoring the defense and Jeffers finding consistency at the plate. Then, the unit can become a consistent top-10 catching force in baseball.
