Diamondbacks 2023 Player Reviews: Gabriel Moreno

The Diamondbacks knew exactly what kind of player they were getting in Gabriel Moreno when they traded for him by dealing Daulton Varsho to the Toronto Blue Jays. They knew they couldn't wait any longer before going out and acquiring him as his price would only become unattainable had they waited. Instead, now he's unattainable for the 29 other teams as the D-backs have him for the long haul. Moreno has established himself as the Diamondbacks franchise catcher for the foreseeable future coming off of an impressive first full MLB season. 

Moreno was expected to start the 2023 season in a backup role to Carson Kelly. Unfortunately, due to Kelly's injury in Spring Training, that never happened, however. Instead, Moreno started the season as the everyday catcher. Moreno started the season hot. He hit .301 with a .709 OPS and 22 hits to 14 RBI in April and 22 games.

In May, Moreno continued to hit for a higher average, but he was not hitting for any power. He hit for a .279 average over 22 games, but his OPS was just .697. Still, this was an above-average season at the plate when compared to the average catcher.

It was suspected that Moreno being the everyday catcher at so young, just 23 years old, in a season that he wasn't expected to be began to wear on him. When combined with the daily struggles and toll of being a catcher and having to learn a new organization, pitchers, and league, one could understand why he began to fade at the plate as the season went on. In June, over 19 games, he hit just .190 with a .480 OPS. He struck out 18 times to only four walks.

Once Carson Kelly came back, the catcher was able to rest more and catch his breath. This allowed Moreno to get back to the strong-hitting catcher that he is. In 11 games, he hit .348 with a .986 OPS and eight hits. He walked four times to seven strikeouts, showcasing his strong eye. Despite his success, he injured his left shoulder in early July and was forced to go on the Injured List for a few weeks on July 23rd. During this time, his impact on the D-backs was felt as the team struggled badly without him. This was the time that the team went on a nine-game losing streak.

Once Moreno returned from his brief stay on the IL, he played like a top-five catcher in the MLB. He showcased the talented defense to go along with his All-Star caliber bat as he helped lead the D-backs to the playoffs. From August 13th to the end of the season, in 37 games, Moreno hit .311/.382/.496/.878 with 37 hits, eight doubles, a triple, four home runs, 22 RBI, 13 walks, and 21 strikeouts. He even stole two bases. 

This was the player that the Diamondbacks knew Moreno could be all along when they traded for him. They knew they wouldn't be able to acquire him after he put up these kinds of numbers this offseason too.

In the playoffs, Moreno continued to be an impactful hitter while showcasing his elite defense. Moreno hit .250 in the first two rounds of the playoffs but slugged .813. He had three home runs and six RBI in his first five games. In the NLCS, Moreno strung together a six-game hitting streak. He had eight hits, a double, and three RBI to go with three walks. He batted to a .700 OPS. 

He struggled in the World Series as he managed just three hits, a home run, and three RBI in the five-game series with a .527 OPS. Still, overall in the playoffs, Moreno hit for a .749 OPS while still playing terrific defense. He did all of this while twice leaving two different games for separate injuries though he avoided anything being long-term hurt.

Digging Deeper into the Statistics

Let's discuss just how superb Moreno was on defense. He led the entire MLB in defensive WAR according to Baseball Reference. His 3.1 dWAR was higher than every other player by 0.2. The next closest was Andres Gimenez who had 2.9. Moreno was credited with preventing two runs from scoring due solely to his blocking this season along with allowing just 22 passed balls or wild pitches. It was rare that any runner could advance while Moreno was behind the plate.

Speaking of runners advancing, no one was better than Moreno at catching potential base stealers. He led the Catcher's Caught Stealing Above Average (9) by three with the next closest being Patrick Bailey who had six. Moreno caught 39% of potential base-stealers, which was the best in all of MLB. (Minimum 20 attempts)

Moreno led all of MLB backstops in defensive runs saved with 20. Any way you look at it, Moreno was by far the best defender at the catcher position. Perhaps then, it was no surprise that Moreno won the Gold Glove for NL Catchers in 2023. He became the first D-backs catcher to win a Gold Glove Award.

As for his offense. While the league average OPS+ is 100. The actual average for catchers was 90 for the 2023 season. Moreno's OPS+ was 104. This indicates that he was 4% better than the average MLB hitter and 14% better than the average catcher. That's an impressive season for a player who had played in only 25 games entering the 2023 season. His wRC+ was a strong 103 while his wOBA was a good .325. 

He had a good Hard Hit% of 41.8 and an above-average 23.4% line drive rate. He struck out at a below-average 19.7% of the time. One area of concern was his 7.6% walk rate, but that improved by over 2% from 2022 to 2023. All around, his 2023 season was an impressive one, especially for a 23-year-old catcher.

2024 Status and Outlook:

Gabriel Moreno is entering his age-24 season. He's only had just over one year of service time. This means that he won't be arbitration-eligible until after the 2025 season. He won't reach free agency until after the 2028 season. That means the Diamondbacks have their franchise catcher for at least the next five seasons. Although, he's a prime extension candidate for the team. They've spent six seasons searching for a long-term answer at catcher. One can't imagine they will not pursue a long-term deal that extends their time of control over Moreno and gives them cost certainty.

Still, Diamondbacks fans can take solace that they have one of MLB's top five or so catchers for most of this decade. He will be their starting catcher, likely to catch 110 to 120 games. He's going to hit around the middle of the order and be a likely multi-year All-Star. Enjoy Gabriel Moreno as he continues to be one of the franchise pieces that will enable the Diamondbacks to continue to be a playoff contender for the years to come.