Our 2021 Brewers season report card series continues with catcher Manny Piña and his performance this season.
Piña split time behind the plate this season with All-Star Omar Narvaez. Despite not being a consistent presence for much of the season, “Pineapple’s” status as a fan favorite skyrocketed this season.
August 12 was a statement game for the catcher, who hit his first career grand slam and then followed it with a two-run homer in the Brewers’ definitive 17-4 victory over the Cubs.
Have a day, Manny Piña! First career grand slam and follows it with 2R home run. Two pairs of batting gloves given to kids sitting in the front row. 13-1 lead for the Brewers. pic.twitter.com/u4qTk4fqcM
— Sophia Minnaert (@SophiaMinnaert) August 12, 2021
2021 Offensive Grade: B+
Piña had 180 at-bats across 75 games, earning 34 hits and 27 runs. He had a career-best season for home runs with 13. His batting average was .189, a fair drop from recent seasons. His OBP dropped as well, but his SLG jumped to .439. This shows that when Piña was good, he was really good- he just wasn’t the most consistent. Piña’s plate appearances were scattered, as he wasn’t Milwaukee’s primary catcher this season.
2021 Defensive Grade: A
In terms of defense, Piña earned a .994 fielding percentage across 452.1 innings in the regular season and a 1.000 across 10.2 postseason innings. Piña’s defensive work this season was pretty much textbook. He was quick on his feet and with the throw.
Looking Ahead:
Piña’s five-year tenure with the Brewers has come to an end, as he signed with the reigning World Series champions, the Atlanta Braves, in free agency. Piña’s new contract ties him to the Braves for two years and 8-million dollars. This contract is a much better deal for the catcher than Milwaukee could or would have offered. Omar Narvaez is expected to remain the starting catcher for Milwaukee.
Piña helped the Crew in clutch moments this season. Atlanta is gaining a valuable MLB veteran and Milwaukee will have to bolster its veteran presence with the loss.
For More Wisconsin Sports Content:
Check out the rest of our Brewers’ season report cards this season here.
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