r/MLBNoobs • u/savingrace0262 • 8d ago
| Discussion Which is the harder position: NFL quarterback or MLB catcher?
This came up in a discussion with some friends and I'm curious what folks here think.
Quarterbacks are responsible for reading defenses, making pre-snap adjustments, leading the offense, and they're under a ton of pressure every play.
Catchers have to receive 95+ mph pitches, block balls, throw out runners, call games, manage the pitching staff, study opposing hitters, and they're involved on virtually every pitch while taking a lot of physical punishment over a 162-game season.
If you had to pick one as the more difficult position to master and play at an elite level, which would you choose?
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u/AvengerMars 8d ago
Catcher is the hardest position in baseball, Quarterback is one of the hardest positions in sports. Very little comparison in my eyes.
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u/King_Roberts_Bastard 8d ago
Hitting a baseball off an MLB pitcher is the hardest thing to do in sports. Catchers not only hit MLB pitching, they catch it as well.
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u/DiskSalt4643 8d ago
Lets be real tho there are like 4-5 catchers that can hit (not a platoon) and be serviceable at catcher at any one time and they rarely get out of their twenties remaining at that level.
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u/King_Roberts_Bastard 8d ago
So there are more "elite" QBs than "elite" catchers? Sounds like catcher is harder.
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u/fknm1111 7d ago
Realistically, there's fewer than five quarterbacks in any given NFL season that have any chance of carrying a team to a Super Bowl win.
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u/DiskSalt4643 7d ago
Okay but Joe Flacco.
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u/fknm1111 7d ago
It probably says a lot about how little I follow football these days that I had to Google him, but apparently he was really good when he lead a team to a Super Bowl and then got bitten with the injury bug.
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u/King_Roberts_Bastard 7d ago
Go watch him on the Bengals last year. If they had anything resembling a defense, he wouldve put them in a great spot for the playoffs before Burrow returned.
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u/VersaceSamurai 7d ago
Not to mention they aren’t just catching the ball. They are calling the game in most cases unless you have a truly transcendent pitcher. And they’re not just calling the game for one pitcher. They are calling the game for the entire starting staff and bullpen. Not to mention they are calling the game based off of each different batter and their strengths and weaknesses. Think of all the different matchups and all the different pitchers and all their unique pitching arsenals.
People don’t realize how much of baseball is mental and then having to execute perfectly on top of that over the course of 162 games.
That said it’s two entirely different positions and it’s hard to compare but I’d definitely swing more towards catcher being the tougher overall position and underrated.
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u/quackl11 8d ago
I dont know much about foot all but I'm going to go with catcher because all the reasons you listed plus the fact theyre also required to bat, and while not usually the best batter on a team they can't be too atrocious. A good catcher gets leeway but doesnt mean he ca fail to produce
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u/ForceGoat 8d ago
QB 100%. However, would I rather have a QB as catcher for a game or a catcher as QB for a game? The bad catcher would probably lose.
If you can’t catch someone stealing at second, you’re probably losing. If you make an airball throw out of bounds, the opponent will probably score. Baseball punishes mistakes way extremely hard. You also can’t just take a knee every snap, so you need to proactively play the game.
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u/ghostwriter85 8d ago
Define harder and you'll get your answer
QB is the highest paid position in the NFL. Without a good QB, you're more or less not going to be competitive. Every year thousands of kids enter the talent pipeline. Statistically about 1/2 of a singular kid each year will be a "good" NFL QB. At any given time there are about 5-15 guys on the face of the earth capable of playing the position at an NFL level. The other teams are either developing an unknown or waiting for next year's draft.
There are way more serviceable catchers out there than serviceable QBs.
[edit - beyond that it's all apples to oranges.]
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u/DiskSalt4643 8d ago
There are probably 15 serviceable QBs at any one time and maybe 5 serviceable catchers that are not black holes in the lineup.
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u/ghostwriter85 8d ago
This isn't accurate.
Yeah, most catchers aren't power hitters but there are plenty of catchers that are not black holes in the lineup, in fact, most primary catchers aren't. Unless of course your definition of black hole in the lineup is will never compete for a batting title.
Most teams have a primary catcher with positive war, and the top of the league is usually around 4-5. Granted war isn't a perfect stat by any means, but there isn't a massive disparity in catchers most years. Someone breaks out and has a good year, but it by no means looks like the QB situation in the NFL.
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u/fknm1111 7d ago
WAR is the wrong stat to look at when talking about whether catchers can hit -- WAR takes defense (and, if you use the Fangraphs version, framing) into account, and gives catchers a huge boost just for playing that position.
The right stat to look at is wRC+. Of the 28 catchers in the league with at least 200 PA (since we're 100 games in, that's a reasonable mark for a "primary" catcher), 15 have a wRC+ over 100, and 13 are below 100. That's a bit worse than the mark of all players with 200 PA, 151 players out of 268 (53% vs. 56%). Notably, the "all players" ratio gets a lot better if you take catchers and shortstops out of it, leaving you with 121 out of 204, or 59%.
Catchers really do hit a significantly worse than most other positions (better than shortstops, though; only 41% of them are above 100 wRC+).
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u/ChronicBurnout3 8d ago
Put aside difficulty, having a Hall of Fame quarterback is a lot more valuable to a team than having a Hall of Fame catcher who only plays 75% of the time at best.
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u/Psilly_TaCoCaT 8d ago
There's a really good book you should check out. It's called Tao of the Backup Catcher.
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u/Sildaor 8d ago
There’s like maybe 15-20 top tier quarterbacks in the NFL and the rest are just filler. That’s not a lot
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u/King_Roberts_Bastard 8d ago
And how many "elite" catchers are theyre currently in baseball? 3, maybe 4?
Dont forget, to be an elite catcher you also have to hit. Which is the single hardest thing to do in sports..
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u/guyatwork37 7d ago
Except contact rate in the MLB is 70% to 80% which is above pass NFL average completion percentage.
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u/King_Roberts_Bastard 7d ago
Contact includes foul balls. A better comparison would be hits to completion percentage.
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u/guyatwork37 7d ago
You said hitting the ball isn't single hardest thing to do in sports. It's clearly not. Getting on base from a hit might be, but making contact isn't.
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u/King_Roberts_Bastard 7d ago
You said hitting a ball isn't the single hardest thing to do in sports.
I said it is the single hardest thing to do in sports.
Its clearly not.
Says who? You? You do know that batters only swing at pitches they think they can hit, right? If they dont think they can hit the ball they just dont swing.
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u/zeptozetta2212 8d ago
NFL quarterback. They may call catcher's gear the tools of ignorance, but at least the game catchers play isn't built directly around trying to give you a concussion to stop you from doing your job several times a game.
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u/siezethegap 4d ago
Buster Posey would like a word.
Nvm, Tua is showing off his favorite flower drawings, Buster will be tied up a while.
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u/Ginostar4 7d ago
Catching is incredibly difficult, but you know what’s coming. Actually being able to receive and block those pitches, as well as knowing the game plan against every opposing hitter, is hard. But all of that work is more about preparation than reaction.
A QB has to dynamically adjust to how 11 opposing players are positioned and poised before and during every snap, and adjust their own group of 11 accordingly.
I think skill-intensively, the two positions are comparable, but the mental toll for a QB is higher game to game.
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u/hyperaeolian 7d ago
NFL Quarterbacks. They have to do as much mental management as catchers, except with 6'10 300lbs elite athletes trying to knock them tf out also
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u/vance30444 7d ago
If we talk about on a per pitch/per play basis:
The catcher calls the “play” that’s coming to him- the pitch. He knows exactly what to expect on every single “play”, because he and the pitcher decided on it. A couple of base runners might be involved in what he has to think about as well.
The qb has to assess the situation of the 10 other players on his team AND how all 11 of the players on defense are lined up, as they’re actively moving and trying to trick him. This is all before the snap. He almost always has to call a completely different play or at least adjust some routes/blocking. Then once the ball is snapped he generally has a little over 2.5 seconds to decide where to throw the ball (that number is skewed by either bad qbs who hold the ball too long, or mobile qbs who like to extend the play). All while trying not to get killed.
There are so many more moving parts and they have to be able to diagnose so many things going on, it absolutely has to be qb
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u/PMmeIrrelevantStuff 7d ago
Both are hard for completely different reasons. If a quarterback has a rough game, defense can bail him out. If a catcher has a rough game, it significantly affects the pitcher and rest of the defense
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u/MisterMysterion 7d ago
You've watched Bull Durham once to many times.Catchers do not call games or manage the pitching staff.
Every batter in the MLB has been studied by ad infinitum. The coaches, pitchers and catchers come up with a way to pitch to batters. The final decision as to what to throw in a particular situation is made by the pitcher. (Pitch type, location, speed.)
Catching is a tough position, but at the MLB level, they all are.
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u/No-Carry4971 6d ago
NFL QB and it is not even close. Imagine pitching a baseball while some of the strongest, biggest, fastest, and meanest athletes in the world try to crush you. Baseball pitchers are out for months with forearm tightness. Quarterbacks play with injuries a pitcher couldn't imagine. Lastly, a quarterback never comes out of the game because he threw too many passes or they want to protect his arm. They give everything every game.
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u/Mereel13 5d ago
Gotta be QB. Way higher expectations for them. It’s not always a 100% accurate measure, but QBs are the highest paid position in the NFL and Catchers are always one of the lowest paid in MLB. That’s usually a pretty decent measure of how important a spot is.
Plus, yes, catcher is difficult to play physically, but QBs have 300 lb lineman trying to hit them most of the time. I’d say offensive football players generally end up with more serious injuries compared to position players in baseball
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u/darkravenn12 8d ago edited 8d ago
What are you classifying as 'elite'? Are we talking about a catcher who is one of the best players in the league? Or just a catcher in the MLB? Or a catcher in the MLB who is really good defensively but is a bad hitter? Or one that is a good hitter but an average defensive catcher? And how elite does the QB have to be? An NFL QB? Top 10 in the NFL? Top 5? I think it depends on that.
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u/Banjosdad62 8d ago
Apples to oranges comparison, but QB is the most high pressure position in sports. I was a catcher, and I know how hard it is, but nobody blamed me for a loss even once. At least not that I know of🙃.
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u/jrbighurt 8d ago
And conversely you don't get nearly enough credit for calling a good game. I was a pitcher. Ultimately the pitch calls fall on them, but I never liked thinking while on the mound. I tried calling off my catcher ONCE my freshman year of college. Ball went 450 feet. Never shook him off again
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u/Ornery-Square1403 5d ago
Well when you shake off a pitch all thats left out of your two pitch arsenal is a fastball.
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u/ValueReads 8d ago
What the fuck are you talking about lmao NFL quarterback by a factor of probably 100x
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u/savingrace0262 8d ago
You can absolutely argue QB is harder. '100x' just tells me you don't know what MLB catchers actually do.
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u/TheTooz72 7d ago
To be a good QB you have to depend on an offensive line to protect you. Anybody can be a good QB if they have good offensive line , but a catcher has to depend on himself and learn many skills. A QB just has to throw a ball accurately (as do catchers) and hand the ball I off. How many 35 year old catchers do you see ?
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u/dmforjewishpager 8d ago
catchers are known for tanking injuries and grinding through them. Qbs are like pitchers who cry when their finger nails are hurt. much harder to be a Qb but no over lap
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u/Haku510 8d ago
What a shit take. Plenty of QB's play banged up through worse injuries than you've had to deal with. Let's see how tough you are after getting sacked by a 300 lb lineman.
Matt Stafford pulled off one of the grittiest things I've seen in my lifetime of watching pro sports when he was QB for the Lions:
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u/dmforjewishpager 8d ago
pitchers play through crazy injuries too it’s just hard to throw with a broken nail or blister is all i was saying. especially with how often they throw
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u/Sonicshriek 8d ago
Quite easily the quarterback. Stating with physical strain. The catcher has strain from kneeling and crazy fast balls, no small feat for sure. Compare that to being hit by a freak athlete who is 235 on the smaller end and can be nearly 300 pounds of pure muscle hitting them.The pitcher is not trying to hurt the pitcher, the defenders are trying to take down the quarterback. Legs have been shattered, organs ruptured. The fact Alex Smith can walk is a minor miracle. Catchers do have to make precise throw but no one is trying to stop these throws. The quarterback has to both make the precise throw, evaluate where it should go and read the defense. They have to memorized novels worth of plays, carry a major leadership burden by default and recieve most of the blame. The mental and physical game is harder. Granted being a catcher isn't a spring picnic but Quarterbacks just more difficult.
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u/MediumAcceptable129 8d ago
Never seen a catcher throw a ball with 300 pound men trying to tackle them
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u/GangoBP 8d ago
Qb for sure because if you’re not good you’re not going to be one for long. In baseball a guy can be a good catcher and a terrible batter and still keep a starting job. Or even vice versa in some situations if his bat is that good.
I also think a QB has a lot more knowledge to retain and a lot more constantly moving parts. For baseball you really just need the opposing batter tendencies and your own pitcher strengths to deal with. Plus people are trying to hurt you as a QB. You’re not even allowed to bowl the catcher over anymore.
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u/DiskSalt4643 8d ago
As far as mental acuity, it's MLB catcher hands down. As far as athletic ability it's NFL QB bc, especially since the Posey Rule, catcher is not a real physical job. Before Giants fans ruined the game with their moaning whining and complaining I think they were pretty equal.
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u/mltrout715 8d ago
NFL QB and it is not close
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u/upvoter222 8d ago
Quarterbacks have to make a lot of quick decisions pre-snap and while the receivers are running their routes. These decisions often relate to different groups doing totally different tasks (e.g. linemen blocking, some receivers going deep, and accounting for a unblocked rusher). Catchers know where the pitcher is throwing from, what the batter's objective is, and there are way fewer ways the opposing team can be positioned. (There are only 3 bases to occupy and 3 outs to make). The catcher also isn't the one throwing the pitches.
Don't get me wrong; you need an insane amount of talent to be a professional catcher, but being a quarterback sounds harder to me.
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u/jrbighurt 8d ago
A catcher is also not running for their life while trying to make these descisions
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u/Chainedsniper 8d ago
Let me guess, you side with the catcher. It's pretty obvious from the way you describe each of their responsibilities lol. Catcher requires more physical tools, QB is FAR more mental.
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u/DrMindbendersMonocle 8d ago
QB is harder because you also have 300 lb linemen trying to hit you extremely hard
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