Detroit Tigers 2014 Player Grades: Alex Avila continues to fall

Catcher. Detroit Tigers. ALEX AVILA. C-. Have you ever heard the expression “the blind pig finds the acorn every once in a while”? That expression sums up Alex Avila’s 2014 season. It’s sad to see a played decay like Avila is; it seems like it was yesterday he was the AL’s starting catcher for All Star Game. That was already three years ago, and since then almost every offensive aspect of Avila’s game has taken a downward spiral. His .218 BA was 22nd among catchers with a minimum 400 PA’s. Not to rub salt in the wound but guys like Tyler Flowers and Yasmani Grandal had better seasons at the plate than Avila. This season the strikeouts began to accumulate more than previous seasons as Alex whiffed a career high 151 times; the most he’s had since 2011. His HR and RBI totals are exactly the same as they were in 2013; hitting 11 HR’s in both 13′ and 14, and hitting 54 RBI in 13′ and 14′. One bright spot was that there was an increase in doubles (14 in 2013, 22 in 2014). The only thing that keeps Avila on the team is his incredible defense, having a .995 fielding percentage and only 3 passed balls in 2014. Avila also managed a 34% caught stealing rate. To put that in perspective, Caleb Joseph’s 40% led the AL. Overall, a cold bat haunted Avila the entire season, but his defense is a force to reckon with, garnering him a C-.