The Athletics solidified not only their starting catcher position in 2024 with Shea Langeliers taking significant steps forward, both as a hitter and a defender. They also found their backup catcher of the present and future in Kyle McCann.
How was he acquired?
The A’s took McCann with their fourth-round pick back in 2019, which was a bit of a steal as MLB Pipeline had him ranked 88th in the draft. Known as a power-first guy with a bit of work to do on defense, that profile proved itself out in his professional debut as he hit .192/.289/.343 at Low-A that year. After losing the 2020 season to the pandemic, the A’s challenged the older prospect with a Double-A assignment. It didn’t turn out well as he slashed an even worse .166/.283/.275 with just 8 homeruns in 375 plate appearances, calling into his question his future as a prospect.
What were the expectations?
Following those first couple of dismal seasons, McCann turned it all around in 2022. His defense was improving, his power was starting to show up with 21 homers, and he got his average over the Mendoza Line. Though he still struck out a ton, his K% did drop from an untenable 37.1% to a still poor but workable 33.5% rate. He carried that new approach into Triple-A in 2023, where the southpaw put up a .270/.351/.474 line. The hitter-friendly confines of Las Vegas Ballpark certainly helped but it was starting to become easy to envision a Langeliers/McCann tandem for years to come. With a wide-open competition for that backup catcher spot in 2024, it was arguably McCann’s job to lose.
2024 Results
Not only did McCann not lose that job, he ran with it and never looked back. From the start of the season to the end of July, the 26-year-old rookie put up a 137 wRC+ in 116 plate appearance in 39 games. He wasn’t anything special on defense, but he held his own. Most importantly, when Shea needed a rest, it didn’t feel like there was a hole in the lineup or on the field, which is all you can ask from a backup catcher. Although he cooled off significantly in August and September, he still ended the season with a slightly above-average .236/.318/.371 batting line and passable ratings on defense.
2025 Outlook
Athletics Nation will look for much of the same next year from McCann. It’s unlikely the A’s will make a significant addition at catcher; they might just stash Carlos Perez and/or Yohel Pozo at Triple-A again as injury insurance. Daniel Susac also might start the season in Las Vegas, so if he has a breakout of his own, McCann might have some healthy midseason competition to hold onto his spot. Nevertheless, as long as he keeps doing his job as well as he has, he’ll be the preferred lefty complement to Shea for the foreseeable future.