Where Does José Herrera Fit in the D-backs' 2025 Roster?

The veteran backstop will need to compete to keep his roster spot in 2025.

Sep 4, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Jose Herrera (11) signals during the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Next up in our 2025 Diamondbacks projections is Arizona's backup catcher José Herrera. The veteran backstop has a lot to prove this season, and will be fighting to keep his spot on the roster.

José Herrera 2025 projections | Aaron Hughes

Why José Herrera could surpass projections

Herrera is now entering his 4th season with the Diamondbacks, and has been a sturdy backup catcher thus far. While he has struggled mightily at the plate, his ability to post when the team needs him has been commendable.

His projections see him doing very little in 2025, but do show some potential for the backstop to earn his keep. The D-backs have quite the assortment of catching options on their 40 man roster.

Gold Glove winner and young star Gabriel Moreno highlights the group, but young phenom Adrian Del Castillo has also made a name for himself in his short time with the team. Arizona also acquired René Pinto earlier this winter to serve as depth.

With this group in place, Herrera has quite a task ahead to earn his spot. One of the switch-hitter's best assets is his relationship with the pitching staff. Pitchers often rave about his job behind the plate, and he has made himself a staple in the clubhouse.

If things go well for Herrera, or in turn go poorly for young Adrian Del Castillo who will need to improve his defense significantly, he could easily surpass his projected playtime.

And considering how low these projections are, if Herrera plays a limited role and puts together a hot streak, his numbers could be inflated enough to surpass the projections.

Why José Herrera may underperform projections

Something that has been talked about often throughout his career is Herrera's significant lack of power. While he may hit a clutch extra base hit from time to time, it was only at the end of last year in Miluwaukee that he finally ran into his first career home run.

Projections have him lined up to match this total in 2025 in far fewer at bats. Where it took him over 350 plate appearances to hit his first longball it would be impressive to see his second come within the next 76.

Another area of weakness in Herrera's game has been reaching base. His OBP numbers have been consistently at .290 or below. His walk rate has never eclipsed 11% and in 2024 was below 8%. Still, projections see him defying both of these rates and reaching more often.

Granted this is in a far lower sample size, but an improvement of any size would be a big boost. Projections have Herrera reaching a .299 OBP, still slightly below average, but far better than before.

This could miss completely, particularly if his walks don't pick up. Projected for a 9.4% BB rate and 22.3% K rate these numbers don't look stellar.

However, it could be far worse. In two of Herrera's three seasons he has seen walk rates below 8%, and a repeated performance of this level would also certainly tank his projected on-base rate.

Summary

José Herrera is a serviceable backup catcher for the Diamondbacks. He is a beloved figure, and he works well with pitchers. While his offensive numbers aren't great, and the power is nearly non-existent, he will see time behind the plate in 2025.

The future for the D-backs' catcher position is bright, but the present has a good option in Herrera who is the first to step up when the team needs him.

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