For most of the franchise’s existence, the Houston Astros have been, shall we say, offensively challenged at the catcher position. Aside from some brief flashes in the pan, finding above-average production at the plate from their backstops has been difficult. That fact has been compounded by the curious case of Mitch Meluskey.
The Astros traded for Meluskey when he was still a minor leaguer in April 1995. As he rose through the system, his offensive profile continued to improve. He torched Triple-A pitching in 1998 to the tune of a .353 average, 41 doubles and 17 homers in 121 games.