The broken-nose moment solidified his reputation, but he was a critical part of the roster all year.
Unlike with most players, it is possible to pinpoint the exact moment when James McCann cemented himself in team folklore forever. It was July 29, a home game against Toronto, and the Blue Jays’ command-challenged starter had already given up three runs in the first inning. James McCann stepped to the plate, and took a 95-mph fastball right to the face. He dropped to the ground, his nose streaming with blood.
A horrified Oriole Park watched in silence for ten minutes while trainer Brian Ebel try to stop McCann’s nosebleed. Then, the O’s catcher got up, jersey spattered with blood, tapped first base, went to the dugout for a change, and took his place on first as if everything were normal. Announcer Kevin Brown went, “Oh my god, is this dude going to stay in the game?” Fellow broadcaster Ben McDonald went, “This is some Rocky stuff.” McCann went on to catch the full nine innings. The legend of James McCann was born.
McCann is not the guy who flashes in the MLB Sunday Night Baseball promos or the signs lining Eutaw Street. You won’t find his jersey selling out at Oriole Park. A former All-Star with the White Sox in 2019, McCann’s career had taken a downturn thanks to injuries, and when the O’s traded for him in 2022, he was slotted to be not much more than a slight step-up on the offensively-challenged Robinson Chirinos and mentor to Adley Rutschman. The New York Mets were so eager to get rid of him that they agreed to pay $9.5 million of his $12,150,000 salary in 2023 and 2024 while he played for the Orioles.
James McCann was solid in ’23, but he revived his career in 2024. He caught 65 games, drove in 31 runs, and became the catcher of choice for O’s ace Corbin Burnes. With a 94 OPS+, he was not an automatic out at the plate, and that made him extremely useful to allow manager Brandon Hyde to craft balanced lineups. He was also a clubhouse leader.
Was this actually a better season for the 34-year-old backstop than 2023, or does it just seem that way?
On offense, the difference is admittedly subtle. Last season, he hit .222 with a .646 OPS, including 14 doubles and six home runs in 69 games. This season, he hit .234 with a .667 OPS. However, that came amidst a league-wide downturn in offense, so it’s comparatively a bigger deal, which explains the 94 OPS+. A 94 OPS+ from your backup catcher is quite impressive.
At 34, McCann is not likely to reach the ceiling he hit in his All-Star 2019, when he hit .273 with a .789 OPS and 18 home runs and 60 RBI in 118 games. In a shortened 2020, he looked almost even better, hitting .289 and OPS’ing .896. Those were his two best offensive seasons, and as a Met in ’21-‘22, he was derailed by a broken hand and lower back spasms and never came close.
But it’s important to remember that McCann also adds value to the lineup in a different way: by allowing manager Brandon Hyde the flexibility to use Adley Rutschman as a DH. Rutschman notoriously struggled at the plate this year, especially down the stretch, and especially when he was catching. In 2024, Adley Rutschman caught 99 games and served as DH in 45. When he DH’d, he hit .298 with an .854 OPS. When he caught, he hit .231 with a .650 OPS. That’s a problem for the Orioles to figure out next season, but it’s not James McCann’s problem.
As for his work as a catcher, McCann is not threatening for a Gold Glove, but he’s certainly a very good defender. In 2023, he had made just three errors and threw out an AL-best 34% of basestealers, better than the eventual Gold Glove winner Jonah Heim. This year, those numbers got worse, as McCann made eight errors and threw out just 24% of batters.
But his work behind the dish also has to be appreciated in terms of what he brings his pitchers. Corbin Burnes had a 2.65 ERA in the fifteen starts caught by McCann and a 3.16 ERA in the 17 starts with Rutschman behind the plate. McCann also caught Burnes’ excellent eight-inning, one run-start in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series. Albert Suárez had a 2.96 ERA in the 14 games McCann started and a 4.52 ERA in 18 games caught by Rutschman.
In fairness, Cade Povich and Grayson Rodriguez had the opposite results, Povich with a two-run ERA gap between the two catchers in favor of Rutschman and Rodriguez nearly a three-run gap. Stuff and injuries might explain Povich and Rodriguez’s results, too. Dean Kremer and Zach Eflin had nearly identical ERA’s with both.
But it’s also true that Zach Eflin was not exaggerating when he expressed to the press his respect for McCann as a person, a player, and a leader. After all, it was Eflin’s very first game with the Orioles when McCann was hit in the face with the fastball, then stayed to catch all nine innings with a broken nose and his eye swelling up. McCann never went on the injured list, either, briefly leaving the team during a road trip to have his nose surgically repaired. That day, Eflin told the press, “What a leader James McCann is. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that on a baseball field. I just probably became his No 1 fan.”
Rich Dubroff wrote earlier this offseason that resigning McCann had to be a priority for these Orioles, and urged that they do so before he hits free agency after the World Series ends. So far, no deal. It’ll be hard if McCann asks for money close to his $12 million annual salary with the Mets, but if he’s willing to take a paycut, the deal will get done. There are better hitters at catcher, but it might be hard to find one willing to accept decreased playing time. And while 20-year-old Samuel Basallo is an excellent prospect, he’s played just ten games at Triple-A Norfolk so he’d be a stretch for next season.
James McCann is more than just a backup catcher. He’s a clubhouse leader, a solid fielder, and was an important part of the 2024 roster.