Mets sign C James McCann

FLUSHING, N.Y., December 15**, 2020 –** The New York Mets announced today that the team has signed All-Star catcher James McCann to a four-year contract.

McCann, 30, played for the White Sox for the last two seasons and made the AL All-Star team in 2019. He posted career-best marks in batting average (.289), on-base percentage (.360) and slugging percentage (.536) in 31 games with Chicago during the 2020 season and was behind the plate for Lucas Giolito’s no-hitter on August 25.

Over the last two seasons, he ranks in the top-10 among all catchers in batting average (third, .276), OPS (fourth, .808), doubles (tied for fourth, 29), runs scored (fifth, 82), hits (sixth, 148), home runs (tied for seventh, 25) and RBI (ninth, 75).

“James has established himself as one of the best dual-threat catchers in the game,” Mets President Sandy Alderson said. “His leadership and presence in the clubhouse were instrumental in guiding a young pitching staff into the postseason in 2020.”

The Santa Barbara, California native is one of just three catchers who has caught over 100 baserunners stealing since 2015, his first full major league season. In that time, he’s thrown out 106 of 329 (32.2 percent) of attempted base-stealers, well above the league average of 27.8 percent during that period. Since 2019, McCann ranks ninth among catchers with +9 defensive runs saved and his 3.8 fWAR in that time is tied for fifth in that position group.

McCann is a career .249/.300/.394 hitter with 87 doubles, nine triples, 65 home runs and 252 RBI in 601 major league games. Before signing with Chicago, he spent the first five years of his major league career (2014-2018) in Detroit after the Tigers selected him in the second round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.

Off the field, McCann is active in the community and serves as an ambassador for JACK’S PLACE for Autism and a brand ambassador for the Taylor Hooton Foundation.