Inside The Dodgers

Former Dodgers Catcher Suddenly Retiring From MLB

Gabe Smallson|
May 1, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor (3) scores a run ahead of Detroit Tigers catcher Tucker Barnhart (15) during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
May 1, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor (3) scores a run ahead of Detroit Tigers catcher Tucker Barnhart (15) during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Dodgers

Two-time Gold Glove award-winning catcher Tucker Barnhart is retiring after 12 major league seasons, per Robert Murray.

Although Barnhart never made an MLB appearance with the Dodgers, he spent time with Triple-A Oklahoma City during the 2023 campaign.

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Barnhart first appeared in an MLB uniform in 2014 with the Cincinnati Reds. He hit just .185 across 54 at-bats, but the best was still yet to come across what eventually became an eight-year union with the Reds.

During his first Gold Glove award winning season in2017, Barnhart had a slashline of .270/.347/.403 with an OPS of .750. He added seven home runs and 44 RBIs during this time, while ranking in the 100th percentile — the best in the league — in terms of catching opposing runners stealing.

His next Gold Glove-worthy campaign in 2020 featured similar rankings when it came to catching those attempting to steal (ranking in the 96th percentile), but he also ranked in the 97th percentile of Blocks Above Average by qualified backstops in MLB.

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Towards the end of the 2023 campaign, Barnhart inked a minor league deal with the Dodgers in September, but would only spend about two months with the team, electing free agency in November.

During the 27 total plate appearances in Triple-A Oklahoma City, Barnhart hit .227, adding an RBI and five hits.

The backstop would stay in the National League West, however, heading to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a minor league deal that offseason. He was designated for assignment and subsequently released by the Snakes that summer.

After reuniting with the Reds organization in the minor leagues, he had major league stints with the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Diamondbacks, and most recently the Texas Rangers. Now, Barnhart has called it as a career and will move to the next chapter of his life.

The 34-year-old from Indianapolis, IN has a career .241 batting average, 53 home runs, and 292 RBIs across his time in The Show.

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For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.

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Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles. His focus is sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at DodgersNation and Newsweek. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and is a Masters Candidate at the University of Southern California. You can get in touch with Gabe by emailing gabe.smallson@lasportsreport.com. You can find him on X @gabesmallson

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