Tyler Stephenson Is the Ideal Red Sox Catching Partner for Adley Rutschman

[Yirsandy Rodríguez]

The catcher position for the Boston Red Sox could undergo another change before the start of the 2027 season, as Connor Wong is arbitration eligible and his continued presence on the roster is not guaranteed heading into the November 20 non-tender deadline. Wong turned 30 in 2026 and is coming off a quiet season with the bat, in which he posted a .233/.308/.348 slash line, with four home runs, 25 RBIs and an 84 wRC+ in 238 plate appearances. Over the last two seasons, he has recorded -0.9 fWAR, but the big problem here is that his familiar slumps at the plate have been only one part of the problem, as his defense also continues to be terrible.

Wong recorded his fourth season with a negative value in catching runs (totaling -29 over that span), and his main weakness has been framing, with -23 runs, after finishing 2026 with -8 and in the 4th percentile across the entire league. His work blocking pitches was more acceptable, but he was deficient in his ability to control the running game.

That instability also factored into the reasons why the Red Sox went all-in on Adley Rutschman at the trade deadline, and this time Boston could decide that it is time to look for a backup catcher with experience and greater offensive ability to take over as the starter if Rutschman has health problems again.

Thus, if the Red Sox decide not to offer Wong a contract, Tyler Stephenson could be an interesting alternative in the conversation.

His weaknesses are, unfortunately, similar to Wong's. Stephenson finished this season in the 7th percentile in fielding value, with deficiencies in framing and throws to the bases, although he once again stood out at blocking pitches, finishing in the 95th percentile in 2025 and the 97th this year. Still, most of his value comes from his bat, where he usually makes up for some of his defensive limitations.

In 2026, his seventh big-league season since making his debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2020, he finished in the 90th percentile in Chase%, combining his plate discipline with a high production of hard-hit balls that led him to qualify in the 82nd percentile in Barrel% and the 64th in xSLG. At the same time, Stephenson had the ability to reduce his strikeout rate from 33.9% in 2025 to 27.4%, while posting a 10.5% walk rate, very close to his career-high 10.8% mark last year.

If there are doubts about Stephenson's bat, it comes in the form of his uneven power production.

Perhaps he feels too comfortable with his swing and prefers to maintain his contact approach rather than try his luck by sacrificing a little more batting average for power. His career Pull AIR% rate is just 14.6%, below the league average of 16.9%, which is something he'd have to adjust if he opts to ply his trade in Fenway Park going forward.

In particular, I don’t think I’m the only one who thinks it would make sense to see Stephenson being more aggressive at the plate and avoiding giving away so many balls put in play toward the opposite field. Perhaps that evolution could be in progress; Stephenson has hit at least 13 home runs in every season since 2023, with a high of 19 in 2024. This year, he hit 15 balls out of the park, but the most interesting thing was that he managed nine pulled home runs, the highest total of his career in a single season.

Perhaps it is not visible enough in his percentages, but the increase to 19.1% in Pull AIR% in 2026—his highest since 2022—is beginning to sound interesting, as Stephenson’s production when he pulled the ball ended up producing career highs in almost all his power indicators this year.

Stephenson will turn 31 in August 2027, and it is likely that some adjustments will make him an even more complete hitter and capable of generating much more power with the tools he possesses. He may still want a starting gig after playing in 130 or more games in four out of the past six seasons, but if the Red Sox can convince him to team up with Rutschman (even if just for a year), they'll have one of the most dynamic catching groups in the league.

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