Of the teams I've been featuring in this series, the Brewers may have the most accomplished duo of hitters that pitch. Not the most, but the most accomplished- both Erik Kratz and Hernan Perez have had three appearances each on the mound, and have both notched two strikeouts, which is more than I can say for most people in this series. Since Perez is currently dealing with a 13.00 ERA, I figure I'll talk about the other guy, possibly a stranger case.
Erik Kratz, pre-2018, was best known (at least to me) for being the Phillies' backup catcher during the 2012-13 seasons, when Carlos Ruiz had some suspensions and DL stints. He wasn't bad at it either, posting some good numbers in his games behind the plate, but after that season, he bopped around, and became a go-to backup-backup catcher. We're talking a borderline Sal Fasano type here, just with less stability.
Kratz landed in Milwaukee in a year that Stephen Vogt would be out for the season, and the starting option was Manny Pina, so needless to say he's gotten a bit of playing time as backup, and is arguably a better catching choice than Pina, with a .260 average, though Pina has improved in the last month or so.
Kratz, in three games on the mound, has also impressed, with only 3 earned runs to his name, three hits, and a 1.3 WHIP. Not bad at all, but it's some interesting stats from a 38-year-old catcher, who's not the fleetest of baserunners. This is also not his first season on the mound- during a 2016 season split between Houston and Pittsburgh, he notched 2 appearances, getting a strikeout with Pitt, but leaving with a 9.00 ERA in Houston.
I hope Kratz keeps up the good work, and I hope maybe he can pitch an inning in the postseason, just for the hell of it.
Next time I post one of these, expect a San Francisco legend.
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