Since the start of the offseason — truly, even, since last winter — the catcher position has been at the forefront of pretty much every conversation about the New York Yankees. In particular, fans and analysts alike have hyper-focused on everything Gary Sánchez does, arguing about every swing, every ball in the dirt, and every sideways glance to a point that it borders on an unhealthy obsession. Many have called for the Yankees to jettison the Kraken, and instead hand the starting job over to backup Kyle Higashioka.
The 31-year-old arbitration-eligible catcher has gained somewhat of a cult following beyond his performance, with many fans latching on to a strong 16-game stretch in 2020 and a strong April 2021, both of which were powered in part by multi-homer games against the Toronto Blue Jays.