Yadier Molina

At 41 years old, Yadier Molina has this physical status:

Yadier Benjamn Molina (Spanish pronunciation: [adje molina]; born July 13, 1982), nicknamed "Yadi") is a Puerto Rican professional baseball catcher for Major League Baseball (MLB). Molina, who is widely recognized as one of the best defensive catchers of all time, has been recognized for his blocking skills as well as his caught stealing percentage. He appeared on twelve playoff appearances and four National League pennant winners, as a two-time World Series champion. Molina also competed for the Puerto Rican national team in four World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournaments, winning two silver medals.

At the time of his retirement, Molina ranked first among catchers in putouts, second all-time among catchers with 130 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), and second all-time among catchers with 845 assists, 40.2 percent of runners caught stealing, and 55 pickoffs. Molina, a hitter, has collected more than 2,100 hits, 150 home runs, and 1,000 runs batted in (RBIs), while still batting over.300 in five seasons. Several other distinctions include: selection to ten MLB All-Star Games, four Platinum Glove Awards, and one Silver Slugger Award. He was a two-time selection to the All-WBC Tournament Team and a member of the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series.

Molina was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and was the product of a baseball family. His father, an amateur second baseman and the all-time hits leader in Puerto Rican baseball, and his two older brothers, Bengie and José, also developed into outstanding defensive catchers with long careers. Molina's pitch-handling and throwing skills caught the attention of scouts long before playing professionally. Since being drafted in the major leagues, the Cardinals' fourth-round pick in the 2000 MLB draft displayed one of the game's most accurate and strong arms. Molina developed fielder positioning plans and complete pitching plans against hitters who had a reputation as a team leader throughout his career.

Molina placed fifth on five NL Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) ballots, including placing fourth in 2012 and third in 2013. When Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico's island of Puerto Rico in September 2017, Molina launched relief efforts for victims of the tragedy and earned the Roberto Clemente Award in 2018.

Early life

Yadier Benjamn Molina was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, on July 13, 1982, as the youngest of three boys to Gladys Matta and Benjamn Molina, Sr. He attended Maestro Ladislao Martnez High School in Vega Alta. Molina's father played second base as an amateur and worked as a tools technician in a Westinghouse factory 10 hours per day as part of the island's history. The all-time hits leader in Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (or Doble-A Besbol) history, Molina, earned the election to the Puerto Rican baseball hall of fame in 2002. Bengie and José, Molina's older brothers, both developed into outstanding defensive catchers with lengthy careers in Major League Baseball (MLB), and all three of them have won at least one World Series title.

Each day as he completed work, Molina's father walked straight home, ate dinner with his family, and then followed the street from his family's home with his sons and his son's friend Carlos Diaz to Jes' Mambe Kuilan Park, exhausting them with countless evening hours of instruction. He remained optimistic that his sons would become professional baseball players.

Molina's catching ability was evident as early as age five and increased quickly. Nevertheless, he acquired a wealth of experience in playing all over the baseball field, and older brother Bengie said he "was the first player to be called in the youth league draft." Molina continued to work in field until about age 16, when he began to build the recognizable Molina physique: he stood 5'11" and weighed 220 pounds as of 2013.

Molina's father was also attempting to get him off the diamond track. Following Yadier's suspension from a youth league around age 15, he feared that his growth would stagnate, so he looked for a substitute. He scheduled Yadier for a workout with the Hatillo Tigres, an amateur league team, in defiance of coaches, relatives, and friends. After a single workout, Molina joined the team and became the starting catcher right away. Lus Rosario, the Tigres' first baseman, was the one who recommended him to the team. The Tigres were in a league dominated by players ten or more years old than Molina, well before he was eligible for the MLB draft.

Personal life

Molina grew up in Vega Alta and spent time in Caseyville, Illinois, during the baseball season from 2015 to 2015. He then purchased a home in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Molina also owned a home in Jupiter, Florida, where the Cardinals' spring training facility is located, but decided against it in 2020.

In 2007, Molina married Wanda Torres, and the couple has three children together. They had a boy on September 4, 2008, a daughter on July 4, 2010, and then another son on February 6, 2016. Molina bought a house on a four-acre lot in Jupiter, Florida, for $7.15 million after signing his $75 million deal in 2012. Melvin Roman of MDR Sports Management, who has been representing him since being drafted in 2000, has been his agent. Foundation 4, Molina's charitable group, has helped to raise funds for childhood cancer patients in Puerto Rico. Molina is a huge fan of the St. Louis Blues and attends games regularly. He is close friends with Vladimir Tarasenko.

Bengie and José Molina, Molina's two older brothers, played in the major leagues for a combined 28 seasons. Each of the three brothers has earned at least one World Series ring, making them the only three brothers to do so (Bengie and José, respectively, won their first time with the Anaheim Angels in 2002). They are also the first trio of brothers to play as catchers in the major leagues. Of a total of nineteen trios of brothers who have played in the Major Leagues, including the DiMaggios and the Cruzes, only one other trio of brothers has appeared in a World Series: Matty, Félipe, Jess Alou.

And though the Molina brothers were still playing competitive baseball in the United States, their parents stayed in the same house near the park where they grew up playing baseball, Jes' Rivera Park. Benjamn Molina's youth teams were divided into youth teams. Molina's father died of a heart attack on October 11, 2008. He was tending to a baseball field that he had fabricated for the youth in Bayamón at the time.

Steiner Sports Marketing filed a lawsuit against Molina in the New York state supreme court in Manhattan on October 2, 2009, owing to his absences from autograph shows for which he was paid to appear. When Steiner Sports renewed their deal with him in July 2008, they allegedly paid him $90,640 in advance. The firm said he ignored their commitment to make public and private appearances to sign autographs and did not return the money.

After Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico's island of Puerto Rico in September 2017, Molina and Wanda launched a GoFundMe page for the victims on September 21 with a target of $1 million. In the first seven hours, it raised $20,000. More than three million Puerto Ricans were left homeless, and The New York Times announced that over 95% of cell service was out of service. Bayamon appeared to be "like a war zone," according to Drone's coverage on The Weather Channel. Molina was later named recipient of the annual Roberto Clemente Award on October 24, 2018, as part of relief efforts.

Source

Professional career

Matheny, the Cardinals' incumbent catcher, went on the disabled list (DL) with a strained rib in the Cardinals' pennant-winning season of 2004. Molina's first chance in the Major Leagues came when he was on the disabled list (DL) with a strained rib. On June 3, Molina made his Major League debut. On August 7, one of his first game-winning hits occurred. In the ninth inning against the New York Mets, he stroked a broken-bat single to shallow center field. Mike Cameron, the center fielder of Molina's full swing, began working toward the outfield wall, not realizing that he had only made partial contact due to the broken bat. By the time Cameron charged the ball, it was too late; it fell in for a hit; Jim Edmonds was able to score. The Cardinals won 6–4 over the Pittsburgh Pirates in part of two separate plays in which Molina tagged out the runner at home plate, including a collision with Ty Wigginton.

In 151 plate appearances, Molina appeared in 51 regular-season games and batted.267 with two home runs and 15 RBIs. He made an immediate impact with his arm by throwing out more than half of potential base-stealers (nine of 17). In Game 4 of the World Series against the Boston Red Sox, manager Tony La Russa ordered Molina to start over Matheny. The Red Sox swept the Cardinals and won the title the game was played for for the first time in 86 years. Matheny's following offseason, Matheny signed a three-year, $10.5 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, paving the way for Molina to be the Cardinals' starting catcher.

Molina's rookie season was poor due to injuries, and he saw a drop off in the offensive results. In a June 12 victory over the New York Yankees, he doubled and scored on David Eckstein's go-ahead single on his way to three hits. Molina returned from a 33-game absence on August 19 after a hairline fractured his left fifth metacarpal bone that had been struck by a pitch on July 7. Starting pitcher Chris Carpenter, who was attempting to stretch his winning streak to ten games against the San Francisco Giants on August 19, found himself in a 4–0 deficit in the ninth inning. The Cardinals rallied and defeated 5–4 in the ninth, capped by Molina's three-run home run. Molina's suicide squeeze bunt scored Mark Grudzielanek, tying the game and allowing the Cardinals to win 4–2. After winning their second division title on the season, St. Louis secured their second division championship in just two wins out of 100.

Molina had a.252 batting average in 114 games with eight home runs and 49 RBIs with just 30 strikeouts in 421 plate appearances. He had career-highs of nine pickoffs and a 64 percent collection percentage from throwing out 25 of the 39 potential base-stealers. According to Baseball-Reference.com, the 26th highest all-time season-single caught theft percentage stood at 26th place. Mike LaValliere's 1993 figure of 72.7% was the highest since 1957.

Molina was involved in the inaugural World Baseball Classic (WBC) for Puerto Rico before the 2006 season began. He went from 41 to four as he returned to the Cardinals. However, the regular season brought him some of his most frustrating offensive challenges, as he attempted to post a career-worst.216 batting average in 461 regular-season plate appearances. It was the culmination of a slump over the past three seasons; Molina's on-base plus slugging percentages stood at.684 in 2005 and.595 in 2006. The low batting average was due in part to a deflated batting average on balls in play (BABIP) of.226 (normal is around.300), which was a career low.

With the Cardinals holding a 4–3 lead in the bottom of the ninth, Molina pulled Brian Giles off first to end a major league game in almost four years in May 27 in Petco Park in San Diego. In a national League Division Series (NLDS) playoff game in the playoffs, the Cardinals faced the Padres for the second time, this time Mike Piazza, while bailing pitcher Jeff Suppan out of a jam. He caught 41% of all base-stealing attempts and cut off seven runners for the season.

Even as his bats were slashed, Molina's defense was instrumental in the Cardinals' victory over the National League Central division crown in a season plagued by injuries. However, the following playoffs marked a turning point in his career's offensive output. As the Cardinals reached the World Series, he had a.358 composite batting average,.424 on-base percentage (OBP), two home runs, and eight RBIs in 16 games. In the National League Division Series (NLDS), he batted.308 (NLDS) and.412 in the World Series.

In Game 7 of the NLCS against the New York Mets, one of Molina's finest playoff appearances came in Game 7 of the season, with a tie of three games each. He batted with a 1–1 score starting in the top of the ninth. Endy Chávez, a left fielder for the Mets, had to stop the Cardinals from winning by leaping to intercept Scott Rolen's near-miss home run over the left field fence in the sixth inning. This time, Molina ran off Aaron Heilman over a left field that was too high for Chávez to see, giving the Cardinals a 3–1 advantage.

Adam Wainwright, a rookie pitcher who had been assisting in an emergency, found himself in a two-out, bases-loaded situation against center fielder Carlos Beltrán, who had already homered three times in the NLCS. Molina has called for a mound conference. He had intended a sinker from Wainwright at first, but he changed his mind after Wainwright was worried that Wainwright would overthrowrown it and give Beltrán a quick pitch to strike. Molina made an unexpected move by requesting a changeup to begin the sequence against Beltrán. It was called for a strike. If Beltrán's base hit, it may have tense for the third-year catcher with La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan, since throwing a first-pitch changeup went against Duncan's instruction. Molina's next call was for two curveballs. Beltrán fouled off the first, but Wainwright struck him out looking for a "bender that started up and away and a bit tough to the low inside corner" for the final out of the game. After two years, the Cardinals' conquest of the NLCS gave them a return trip to the World Series. They defeated the Detroit Tigers in five games, giving Molina his first championship ring. His mask was on sale at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

On Opening Day, 2007, Molina hit the number one spot in the batting order for the first time in his career. Prince Fielder was tipped off first base by Molina, a Milwaukee Brewers game against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 15, tipping Molina and first baseman Albert Pujols to a hit and run. For the first time in a game against the San Francisco Giants, four days later, Molina met his brother Bengie. It was also the first time they had seen each other in about three and a half years.

Molina thrashed his first-career record by playing.373 on May 1, 24, 2013, a good run on the former star of a high 15-game hitting streak during which he batted.373 runs. It was the longest streak for a Cardinals catcher since Erik Pappas' 1996-game streak. Molina was out for the majority of the month of June due to a fractured left wrist. He took a foul tip off the right fielder Brad Hawpe's bat in the third inning of the May 29 game against Colorado. The Cardinals activated him from the disabled list on June 28 after missing 26 games.

On a catch and throw basis, Molina's first multi-error game of his career was played against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 13. He played for 11 games from August 2nd to 16, a series of 11 starts from August 2-16. For his first career multi-homer game, he hit two home runs against the Brewers on August 16. In an August 22 victory over Florida, Molina dominated and stroked the go-ahead double. He homered against the Cincinnati Reds in back-to-back games; Edmonds and Rick Ankiel all scored in three runs in an 11–3 victory on September 2. He stroked three hits, including the game-winning single in the tenth inning on Yadier Molina Bobblehead Night, September 19 versus Philadelphia.

In September, Molina contracted a concussion and underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee. On September 24, the knee surgery ended his season early. He had 49 hits in 158 AB for a.310 AVG in Molina's final 50 games. Twelve of his final 35 games were multi-hit games. After the All-Star break, his.281 batting average ranked fifth among NL catchers. He finished the season with a new career-best batting average, six home runs, and 40 RBIs in 111 games. He cut out 50% (23 of 46) baserunners attempting to steal, the highest percentage in the majors. With a 47% catch-stealing rate and 18 pick-offs, he led all MLB from 2005-07 with a 47 percent catch-stealing percentage and 18 pick-offs.

Molina and the Cardinals agreed to a four-year, $15.5 million contract with a club option for a fifth on January 14, 2008, solidifying his position as their starting catcher. He returned to spring training after losing 15 pounds and in improved physical shape after knee surgery. He started the season with a home run on Opening Day and a seven-game streak. Molina sustained head and neck injury while standing on a stretcher after a home plate collision against Eric Bruntlett on June 15 in the ninth inning. There were no signs of a concussion. He played on the ball to help the Cardinals win. He did not appear in the next four games. Molina was batting.295 with three home runs and 24 RBIs. He had taken out 10 of 32 baserunners (31.3%), well below his career average of 45%, but an Associated Press reporter attributed the decrease to an inexperienced pitching staff.

As the designated hitter, Molina returned to the field against Boston at Fenway Park. In that game, his solo home run made the difference in a 5–4 Cardinals victory. It was also the first game of the season's first two 13-game hitting streaks. He made his first appearance at first base, also against Boston, two days later. He hit 47 runs in 47 at-bats for a.362 batting average during this stretch. In August 16, he batted 19 times in 50 at bats for a.380 average, during the second hitting streak. En route to an 8–2 victory on September 2, he and Felipe López hit consecutive home runs against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Overall, Molina had a breakout offensive season, peaking at.304 batting average and first over.300), SLG (.392), runs (37) and RBIs (56). Simmons was only the second most catchers in franchise history with at least 450 PA in a season; after Simmons, it was the second highest season batting average; and, his 29 strikeouts were the fewest since Simmons fanned 20 times in 1976. Molina commanded the team and finished sixth in the Netherlands with a 3.4 batting average among runners in scoring position. He caught 35% of opposing base runners this season, much better than the league average of 27 percent. With seven pickoffs, he led all MLB. After Tom Pagnozzi and Matheny, Molina earned his first Gold Glove Award in November, making him the third Cardinal catcher to win the award.

In his second WBC debut, Molina played with Puerto Rico in his second season. He returned to the Cardinals after the game ended. In a 12–7 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in April 16, he reached base in all five of his plate appearances. Joel Pieiro, the starting pitcher who was struggling with his fastball skills in previous starts, experimented with a sinker and eventually shutting down the New York Mets on June 24 with just two hits. Luis Castillo was thrown out of a Mets runner when trying to steal second base. Through July 5, 2009, Molina was batting.278 with five home runs and 25 RBIs. He was chosen by a fan vote to represent the Cardinals in the All-Star Game in Busch Stadium in St. Louis, his first All-Star Game. Molina was named the NL's starting catcher after being the top vote-getter with 2,641,467 votes. He was out for eight wickets and ran home a run.

Chris Carpenter's 6–1 win over the Diamondbacks after the All-Star break on July 18, Molina's four hits and Albert Pujols' two home runs helped cap Chris Carpenter's 6–1 victory over the Diamondbacks, who had only eight runners on base in eight innings. On August 15, Molina congratulated Kevin Kouzmanoff of San Diego for his first victory, his 33rd appearance of his career. Bill James Online rated Molina's team's fifteen total runs from pickoffs alone in his career.

On September 26, Molina was unable to function after suffering a sore left knee injury after taking a foul ball of his kneecap. He was back in action against Cincinnati on October 1st, but he had to be forced to leave the game due to a "tweaked" knee. He finished the season with a.293 batting average, six home runs, 54 RBIs, and a record-breaking 136 games played, the first franchise total since Ted Simmons' 1977 total. He had a strikeout rate of just over 13.9 percent in the Netherlands, which was the second lowest in the country. The Cardinals won 27 of them, accumulating 39 multi-hit games. With eight pickoffs and second in the National League in innings caught, he led the major leagues and was second in the NL in innings caught. He also received his second Gold Glove award after the season. Molina had been selected for the magazine's end-of-season All-Star award, according to Sporting News. Molina received the Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) for the first time in his career. With one percent of the vote share, he tied for 23rd with Miguel Tejada.

Following Mark McGwire and Scott Rolen, Molina connected for a grand slam on Opening Day, April 5, 2010. He was batting all 20 innings of a game against the Mets on April 17. Molina had a fruitful April, bringing in 15 runners, the most for a Cardinals catcher since Ted Simmons drove in 1977. He also increased his output with the bases loaded that month, hitting four hits and 11 RBIs in five at bats.

Molina batted just.223. However, he was voted to start his second straight game and second overall, as well as his second in total, with four innings. His hitting improved after the All-Star break, with 63 hits in 200 at bats for.315 batting average. Brandon Phillips, second baseman, began to bat against the Cincinnati Reds on August 10, exchanging terms with Molina that escalated to a bench-clearing brawl, although no one was injured. He registered a career-high five RBIs and a career-tying four hits against San Diego on September 17, including two doubles. Following an examination on his sore right knee on September 23, Molina was suspended for the remainder of the season, missing 12 games.

Molina's 2010 season featured a.262 batting average, six home runs, and 62 RBIs. With 10.2 at bats per strikeout, he came out as the fourth toughest in the NL to strike out with 10.2 at bats per strikeout. He led all NL catchers in at-bats (465) and robbed bases (eight), and his 122 hits ranked second, only behind Brian McCann's 123. He had 24 bases-loaded RBIs and was the best in the NL, with eight hits in 15 AB for a.533 average in those situations. He was also first in the Majors with a.455 batting average (10–22) on 0–2 counts. He led all MLB catchers in innings (1138.0), launched (130) and assists (79), and led the NL for the third time in caught-stealing percentage at 49 percent. He received his fourth straight Fielding Bible Award as the sole catcher on November 1, 2009. In addition,, Molina became the first person in any position to win the award unanimously with a flawless score of 100. He was given his third Gold Glove Award in a row nine days.

Molina continued to help anchor the middle of the Cardinals lineup, in addition to the pitching staff and defense. He played with three games from May 15 to 18, on a series of hit games. He was called to his third consecutive All-Star Game, McCann, who played four innings and doubled in his first at-bat. From July 21 to August 11, Molina played safely in 14 games in a row, with one less than his career high. He homered in three straight games from July 22-25, the second time he had done so in his career.

On August 2, Molina was suspended from a game against the Milwaukee Brewers for protesting a called strike. Rob Drake was bumped in the chest several times and spit on him. Molina later apologised, claiming that he did not intend to spit on the umpire and that he was "trapped in the moment." That's what happens when you're involved in the game and trying to win. "I didn't do it the right way" at the beginning. He was banned from playing contact with umpire Rob Drake multiple times and spraying him with spit twice while arguing" during a five-game suspension.

Although the Cardinals stayed competitive, they were still on the fringes of making the playoffs until August. They were down by a 10+1 game to the Braves for the wild card playoff championship berth with 28 games remaining as of August 28, a 70–64 record. Molina gave the team a boost in the season's close by hitting.342 in August and.341 in September. He became the fourth catcher in Cardinals history to reach that milestone on September 21, with his 30th double.

St. Louis played 20 of the 28 games to close the season, allowing them to tie the Braves for the wild card lead going into the final day. In the Astros' last game of the regular season, Molina was able to beat Carpenter's 8–0 shutout. Meanwhile, the Phillies beat the Braves 4-3 in 13 innings, denying the Cardinals the wild card championship and excluding the Braves from the playoffs. With 28 left to play in MLB history, the 10+1 games-won deficit became the largest lead surrendered to play in MLB history, emphasizing what St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriter Bernie Miklasz called a "good comeback" and one of the best sports ever. In 2011, it was the first in a line of improvable comebacks for the Cardinals.

During the 2011 regular season, Molina had a.305 batting average, 32 doubles, 14 home runs, and 65 RBIs. His batting average led the Cardinals and was eighth in the NL. However, he had a career-low 29% caught-stealing percentage. His OPS+ (126), batting average, and totals led NL catchers, with doubles ranked second and RBIs third. Following the All-Star Break, he finished seventh in the NL with a.337 batting average. He also provided 12 three-hit games to all NL catchers, as well as 13 multi-RBI games.

Molina made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history by being the first catcher to appear in five consecutive seasons for the Cardinals. In the NLCS against Milwaukee, he batted.333, with five hits in eight AB in the final two games. Molina threw out Ian Kinsler attempting to steal in the first inning of the World Series against the Texas Rangers in Game 1 of the World Series, a 3–2 victory. It was the Rangers' first attempt at stealing of the game. Molina had five out of seven chances in the 2011 season, at that point; the Rangers had tied for the most steals in the 2011 season; the Cardinals had tied for the most in the 2011 offseason. The Rangers attempted to rob four bases for the series but were only successful on one occasion. In Game 3, Molina had four RBI and two more in Games 6 and 7.

The Cardinals captured the Series in seven games, giving Molina his second championship ring. He batted.333 runs, setting a new World Series record of nine RBIs. In 1997, it was the highest World Series RBI total among catchers since Sandy Alomar Jr. drove in ten. In the 2011 playoff run, Molina started all 18 games and played every inning, with one of them at first. He batted.299 with five doubles and 12 RBIs. Iván Rodrs 20 hits were the most by a catcher in the postseason since Iván Rodrn in 2003. Molina earned his fourth Gold Glove Award on November 1st consecutive year, becoming only the fifth catcher on a pennant-winning team to lead his OPS+ in his division while winning a Gold Glove. He also received the first-ever National League Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, which is given to one player in each league. For the second time in his career, he received MVP awards; he finished tied for 21st in the NL MVP polling.

Molina signed a five-year contract with the Cardinals worth $75 million through 2017. The deal included a $1 million signing bonus, no-trade clause, and a mutual option for 2018 worth another $60 million. He was the second-highest-paid catcher in the majors after the deal. On April 29, he played in his tenth game against the Brewers in his career, leading to a 7-3 victory. Molina played the first two-stolen base games of the season on May 1; the other took place on August 3.

Molina blasted Roy Halladay in his third grand slam against him on May 27 against the Phillies. On June 12, he made his 1,000th appearance in an MLB game against the Chicago White Sox. He had a record-breaking 11-game hitting streak from July 25 to August 7, in which he batted.413. Josh Harrison sustained head, neck, and back pains in a second-inning home plate collision against Pittsburgh at PNC Park on August 28, but no concussion was present. He batted.403 with a.453 OBP in August, putting them second in the NL, tied for third place. He received a lot of praise for the National League MVP award as the season progressed. Molina's 1,000th career hit, an infield single against the Mets at home in the second inning, on September 4th.

The 2012 season was one of Molina's finest performances as a hitter, particularly considering that early pro scouting reports did not anticipate his bat being a factor in the major leagues. He set new career records in various offensive categories, including a.315 batting average, 22 home runs, 65 RBI, 65 runs scored,.370 slugging percentage, and 12 stolen bases. He led the team in batting average for the second straight season, becoming the first catcher in franchise history to do so.

Panning Molina's results nationally ranked him fourth in batting average, tenth in on-base percentage, 14th in slugging percentage, and tied for 18th with 46 multihit games. He led NL catchers in stolen bases and set a Cardinals single-season record for catchers, and ranked second among NL catchers in HR and third in RBIs and batting average. He batted.380 with seven home runs on the first pitch; his home run total on first pitches ranked eighth in the NL. His 32 baserunners caught stealing led to a second-place finish in MLB, with 47.9 percent ranked second, and three pickoffs tied for second in the NL and second in MLB.

Molina's combination of offensive efficiency and interception of base runners in 2012, according to Fangraphs' Dave Cameron, was one of the rarest performances in history. He was the ninth MLB catcher to complete a season with a weighted run factor of 140 percent or more runners caught stealing. His WRC+ was tied for eighth all-time among catchers with at least half of base runners caught stealing at 143. In addition, the figures were linked to peak seasons of other catchers, including Johnny Bench, Elston Howard, Carlton Fisk, and Rick Wilkins.

Molina ended fourth after being the subject of a lot of rumors about the MVP award throughout the season. Nevertheless, he did win the LatinoMVP award, the oldest and most coveted award given to Latino players, the Latino Sports Writers & Broadcasters Association. Buster Posey and his father were the first two catchers to finish in the top four in the award's 88-year history. However, other awards were also on the way in years past. He claimed his fifth straight Gold Glove award in November, making him the first Cardinal since Jim Edmonds to win this many consecutively, as Edmonds did in 2004. He received his first GIBBY Award for Defensive Player of the Year on December 4, when he was pictured on December 4 in Deception, England. He was named the St. Louis Baseball Man of the Year for 2012 by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), a St. Louis chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). In a Los Angeles Times article that revealed the top MLB jersey sales from the All-Star break to October 1, his jersey ranked 18th.

With his increased fame in connection with his offensive debut a year ago, Molina's game fame among fans also increased. According to a July 11 article, his 2013 in-season jersey sales increased to third place after Posey and retiring New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera's 2012 fourth-place MVP finish. Clint Fagan, a 1st base umpire, was banned from throwing his helmet on June 2nd. In a three-hit game on June 12, Molina earned 21 doubles for the season, a pre-All-Star break record high. Following Ted Simmons' 29 thirty-five years as CEO, it was also the second-highest pre-All-Star break total in franchise history. Molina earned 78 for his career, his highest career, and tied for 43 on the all-time list for catchers.

Molina led the NL with a.341 (110 runs in 323 at-bats) batting average through July 15. Molina (6,883,258 votes) won the final All-Star Game balloting, beating Posey (6,474,088) for the role of the NL's starting catcher in the game held at Citi Field in Queens, New York City. Molina was put on the 15-day disabled list by the Cardinals on July 31 due to a right knee sprain. Molina was batting.330, with eight home runs, thirty doubles, and 54 RBIs when he went on the DL. Anatomic resonance image (MRI) showed inflammation but no structural damage, so the knee was drained of excess fluid buildup, and Molina was given a cortisone injection.

The knee injury hampered his batting average, contributing to a late-season slump. Molina took the Cardinals to a 12–2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on September 16, raising his batting average to.317. In a 2–0 victory over the Washington Nationals, Molina was behind the plate to call rookie Michael Wacha's one-hit, 8 2/3 innings of shutout service. Through that point, it was actually a no-hitter until Ryan Zimmerman broke it up with a high-bouncing ground ball that peeked off Wacha's glove for the Nationals' only hit of the game.

Molina hit new career highs in batting average (.319), doubles (44), runs scored (68), and RBIs (80). In a season in which the Cardinals set the all-team team record for batting average with RISP at.330, he also hit.373 with runners in scoring position (RISP). He came in fourth in batting average, second in doubles, and sixth in batting average with RISP. His 44 doubles were the most in the Major Leagues for catchers since Iván Rodrrel's 47 in 1996.

Molina's service was also praised for his treatment of the pitching employees. The Cardinals defeated key pitchers Chris Carpenter, Jason Motte, and Jaime Garca – among others – early in the season by bringing back twelve rookie pitchers en route to a national championship title over the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds (each team won with at least 90 wins). With 52 games kicking in, 36 victories, five saves, and five saves, Molina was credited in large part due to his pitch-calling skills and aptness to lead. The rookies' 36 victories were the most in franchise history since 1941.

In the NLDS, the Cardinals face the Pirates. Wacha nearly completed the feat two weeks after losing a no-hitter in an elimination game, Game 4. Josh Harrison was knocked out of second base in the eighth inning by Molina to help the Cardinals hold a 2–1 lead. Molina made the World Series against the Boston Red Sox for the ninth time – and the first in franchise history – and the first to play in four World Series with the club, as well as against the Red Sox. Following the season, Molina earned more awards, including his first Silver Slugger Award, sixth Gold Glove, and a third-place finish in MVP voting. Molina, a co-winner, was named BBWAA St. Louis Baseball Man of the Year alongside Wainwright and Matt Carpenter.

Sports Illustrated featured Molina on the front of their March 31 issue, as well as three other players each separately on display, complementing the 2014 MLB season preview article. On the 2014 Opening Day, he stroked his second season-entry home run and the 90th of his career, accounting for the difference in Cincinnati's 1–0 loss to the Reds. Adam Wainwright, a batterymate, won their 100th match. Molina had a single for two of the Cardinals' five hits.

In a May 4 game, the batter foul tipped the pitch with a one-ball, two strike pitch from relief pitcher Randy Choate incoming to Cubs outfielder Nate Schierholtz. Instead of Molina being able to grab it with his glove, the ball struck the thigh. Molina hunched over the ball, trapping it between the thigh and rib cage. He kept on, referring to it as a third strike.

Jonathan Lucroy, a Brewers catcher, aired Archived July 15, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, a satirical television commercial made in the style of a political advertisement campaign, outrank Molina in the All-Star voting totals with the All-Star Game approaching. "Do you want another St. Louis Cardinals catcher to play in an All Star game?" the voice-over narrator asked.

Isn’t there a better way?

Change is on the ballot. Fans of the Cardinals must understand that enough is enough. At that time, Molina led the vote total for NL catchers with more than two million, while Posey came in second at 1.4 million and Lucroy third with 1.1 million.

Matheny, for example, took the message literally. Brad Weimer, the advertisement's creator, claimed that the parody was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. In the All-Star Game at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Molina stayed in the lead and received the vote as the starting catcher. This was his sixth appearance in all-Star Game at Target Field.

On July 9, his season was suspended against the Pirates. He tried to grab the bag to hold on as he passed through third base. Nevertheless, he injurred his right thumb during the game. An MRI revealed torn ligaments, requiring surgery and requiring him to miss the next eight to 12 weeks. "Losing the best catcher in the country for the next 8 to 12 weeks with a torn thumb ligament is a horrific, demoralizing setback for the Cardinals," St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports writer Bernie Miklasz said. This could be a season-ending injury." He was batting.287 with a.381 OBP, 409 SLG, 16 doubles, seven homers, and 30 RBIs in 83 games. He also led MLB with a 49 percent catch-stealing percentage.

He recovered from the DL ahead of schedule, with seven weeks and 40 games missed following his recovery, and he was activated on August 29 against the Cubs in a series. However, he had not fully recovered when he batted.250 in September, despite a dramatic decrease in power production. His 110 appearances were his few since his rookie season in 2004. He ended the season with a.282 batting average, seven RBIs, 21 doubles, a.333 OBP, and a.386 SLG, all lower than 2013, some since 2010. Molina's 48 percent caught stealing and 3.20 catcher's ERA were among players with at least 90 games played.

Both benches were cleared during Game 1 of the NLDS against the Dodgers. Jerry Meals, the Umpire, attempted to get between González and Molina, but Meals was briefly blocked by Molina. Molina was fined $5,000 by the MLB without suspending him. Molina's 89th game in the NLCS against the Giants in Game 2 was his 89th appearance in the postseason, beating Pujols for the franchise record. However, he sustained his second major injury of the season in that same game, putting his left abdominal oblique muscle to the test during another at bat, due in part to his compensation in his swing for lost power after his thumb injury earlier this year.

His streak of 83 consecutive playoff games began after missing the next game, which was a major league record. Game 3 of the 2004 World Series was the last playoff game he had not started. Molina claimed to win his seventh Gold Glove in a row on November 4, tying Boone for third-most Gold Gloves among catchers. Bench and Rodrez had won more than ten consecutive games as catchers in major league history. On November 8, he received the National League Platinum Glove award for the third time in the award's first four years.

Molina became the first catcher in club history to start on April 5, 2015 against the Cubs in his 11th straight Opening Day appearance. He was on the verge of losing a piece of MLB history against the Pirates on May 10: lining out for the first "4–5–4" triple play in MLB history. Neil Walker, a second baseman, ran his line drive with two runners up, then threw third baseman Jung-ho Kang to double up Jhonny Perez for the second out. Kang briefly pirouetted the ball in his hand, but eventually threw the ball back to Walker to tag Jason Heyward for the third time. On June 15, Molina's first home run of the season and first in 95 games were against the Minnesota Twins; his previous home run dates back to June 27, 2014.

He was selected to his seventh consecutive All-Star Game at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on July 7. Brandon Phillips, the Reds' second baseman, displayed a locker with the Reds' All-Star Game in the Reds' clubhouse. Since the 2010 brawl between the Cardinals and Reds, the two teams mended their feud, and Molina has a snapshot of their families together. When asked which locker he was using, Molina replied, "This is Phillips' locker."

How about that?

"I'll have to write something to him." Although the pregame rosters were announced, Reds fans booed all six Cardinals players voted, as well as former Cardinal Albert Pujols. When Molina was introduced, he smiled and waved his thumbs toward the back of his jacket. Pujols injected levy when he later joined the booing. "If you're going to Cincinnati for 12 years and you beat them so many times, they're going to boo you," Molina said to reporters. In 270 career at-bats at Great American Ball Park, he hit.319 on-base percentage and.500 slugging percentage.

With the bases loaded, Molina made the decisive run in a 3–2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on July 22, hitting his first triple in more than four years and 2,000 at bats. Molina was rated as both the "Best hit and run artist" and "Best defensive catcher" in the National League's annual Baseball America Toolbox Awards. In a 4–3 victory over San Francisco, his 100th home run was timed, making the game-winning bid in the eighth inning. An MRI revealed a partial ligament tear after suffering a left thumb injury during a September 20 game against the Cubs, effectively ending him from playing. In 2015, Molina received his eighth consecutive Gold Glove Award and his fourth Platinum Glove Award. It was revealed in December that Molina had second surgery on his left thumb, putting him back to late in 2016 spring training. He was the recipient of the Darryl Kile Good Guy Award.

In his 1,440th game, Molina tied a record set by age 33, beating Ted Simmons (1968–80). His 1,343 games started in the 2005 season, his highest figure in the major leagues. In a 5–3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 14, he made his 1,500th major league appearance in his career. Stephen Drew struck a high infield fly that remained over the pitcher's mound while playing the Washington Nationals in the seventh inning of a 2–1 loss at Nationals Park on May 26, the sixth infield run. With both Aledmys D'az and Mike Leake struggling to catch the ball, Molina posited himself and waited. As the ball deflected off D'az' glove, he almost collided with Leake, but Molina stabbed the ball before it struck the ground, but Molina fortunately reached it. On July 2 against Milwaukee, he made his 1,500th career appearance and second for the Cardinals since Simmons, making him the 34th catcher in MLB history and the second in the city.

At 4 p.m., Molina's ninth-inning, RBI double tied the game against the New York Mets on July 27, snaping Jeurys Familia's streak of 52, the third longest in major league history. On August 30, his tenth-inning double against Milwaukee, his 30th on the season and 300th of his career, led to the Cardinals' 2–1 victory. He played in 146 games for the first time in his career. Molina batted.365 from July 8 to the end of the season, with eight home runs, 58 RBIs, and led all major league catchers with 164 hits and 38 doubles. His hit total was also a career-high, leading the club, and he ranked eighth in batting and ninth in doubles.

The Cardinals began to talk to Molina about a contract extension before the 2017 season, which was Molina's last year. For a reported $60 million, he has committed to a three-year deal extension, making him baseball's highest-paid catcher. He was not interested in exercising his 2018 mutual option, which would have cost him $60 million. Molina was promised that he would remain in St. Louis through 2020, but it raises the likelihood that he will finish his career after playing for just one company, the one that drafted him. Both teams understood the importance of Molina's departure as a Cardinal during the talks, but the Cardinals had to leave this information.

On June 26, Molina became the ninth catcher with a career putout record of 11,000 at the position. He was chosen by fellow voters for the eighth time in his career, as a result of a vote. He homered, making him the first Cardinal to homer in an All-Star Game since Reggie Smith in 1974.

Molina came out with two outs and the bases loaded on August 9, against the Kansas City Royals. After drawing a 1–0 number against Peter Moylan, a brief halt ensued when a stray kitten made its way into the outfield. On the very next pitch to Molina, he slammed it 387 feet into the left field seats for a go-ahead grand slam. This was his fifth grand slam of his career, tying him with Tim McCarver for second-most grand slams by a Cardinals catcher. This was also the deciding shot in this game, as the Cardinals held up to win, 8–5.

Molina claimed 10th position in Cardinals history on September 19, 1922-1932) for the 10th spot in the Cardinals' history, with 1,727 hits. Molina led the team in 2017 with 134 hits and 78 RBIs, as well as all NL catchers in both directions who have joined the team on that date. On September 20, he tied for his ninth appearance with Bottomley in his 1,728th appearance, and tied his own career-high RBI total for a season with 80. On September 21, he reached his 80th birthday and 82nd RBI. He was named the recipient of the Missouri Athletic Club's Sports Personality of the Year Award in 2017.

Molina revealed in January 2018 that he intends to retire following the 2020 season, when his deal will come to an end. Wainwright and Molina had more starts together than any other franchise had. He met Bench for two milestones early in the season, finishing third in major league innings against 15,494-13 on April 14 while playing the Cincinnati Reds and 16th in games caught versus 1,743 against the Chicago White Sox on May 2nd. On April 22, Molina regained 338 for his career while tying Ozzie Smith for the tenth position in Cardinal history. After a foul tip struck Molina in the groin on May 5, he halted the game. On May 6, Molina underwent emergency surgery for a pelvic fracture with traumatic hematoma.

On June 5, the Cardinals activated Molina from the DL. With 1,757, he tied for most games caught with one team, surpassing Gabby Hartnett, who had previously been a member of the Cubs. Molina lost to Philadelphia on June 20 for his fifth multihomer game in his career. On June 23, he home ran against Milwaukee a 3–2 victory, giving him five home runs in his previous six games.

Molina was selected to the 2018 MLB All-Star Game to replace Buster Posey's injured Buster Posey, batting.279 with 13 home runs. With twenty home runs and 74 RBIs in 123 games, he ended his 2018 campaign batting.261. At.998, he had the highest fielding percentage among major league catchers at.998. He captured his ninth Gold Glove.

With 15 points against the Brewers on Opening Day 2019, Molina extended his team-record for Opening Day. In extra innings of a 65 win over the Pirates on April 1, he made his first appearance in his career. Due to an injury to regular utility infielder Jedd Gyorko, the Cardinals were in need of infield depth. On May 31, he was put on the injured list with a thumb tendon strain.

Molina batted.270/.399 with ten home runs and 57 RBIs in over 113 games for the 2019 season. In the NLCS and.167 in the NLDS, he batted.143 runs and.167 in the NLDS. He had the slowest sprint speed of all National League players at 22.8 feet/second. At ninety-four games on October 9, Molina set the most appearances by a National League player in post-season MLB play. He had been nominated for a Gold Glove.

Molina's 16th straight Opening Day appearance in 2020 marked his 16th appearance. Molina had tested positive for COVID-19 on August 4, and was later added to the wounded list. Molina will recover from the disease in the future. For his 2,000th career appearance against the Milwaukee Brewers on September 24, he singled him out right-center field.

He batted a slash line of.303/.359 for the season, with four home runs and 16 RBIs. He was the second-oldest player in the United Kingdom and had the lowest sprint speed of all major league catchers at 23.0 feet per second. He led all NL catchers in mistakes, five of whom were defense.

For the first time in his career, Molina went into free agency at the end of the 2020 season.

In 2021, Molina returned to Puerto Rico to compete in the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente, as a back-up with the Ateniens de Manat in the semifinals. However, his participation was marred by the team's poor results, resulting in a sweeping 4-0 series with the Indios de Mayagüez.

The Cardinals announced on February 8, 2021, that they had signed Molina to a one-year contract for $900. "This is my home" and "I'm excited to be back" when it comes to the signing. Molina played his 2,000th game with the Cardinals on April 14, the most by a catcher on one team. Molina signed a one-year contract worth $10 million on August 24, and announced that 2022 would be his last season.

Molina's record in 2021 was.272/.370 with 11 home runs and 66 RBIs in 121 games, but she had the slowest sprint speed of all major league catchers at 22.6 feet per second. He was nominated for a Gold Glove, making him one of six Cardinals to be nominated in the major leagues.

Molina and Adam Wainwright won their 203rd game as a starting battery on May 15, 2022, a MLB record. Molina won by 18–4 over the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 22, his first appearance in his career as a pitcher. On four hits and two home runs, he gave up all four of the Pirates' runs. In the ninth inning, he made his pitching debut one week after his colleague Albert Pujols' death. For the third time in MLB history, Wainwright and Molina started together for the third time, beating Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan of the Detroit Tigers for the most starts by a battery. The Cardinals lost 2–0 in the 2022 Wild Card Series by the Philadelphia Phillies on October 8, 2022. He went one for four and left two runners on base, leaving two runners on base.

He batted.214/.302 in 262 at bats in 2022, his fastest player in major league baseball, with a sprint speed of 21.8 feet per second.

International career

Molina has participated in four World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournaments, including 2006, 2009, 2013, and 2017 – and the Puerto Rican team has participated in all of them. He was also a backup for the 2013 and 2017 squads, and was a fellow defensive standout Iván Rodrán Rodr's backup in 2006 and 2009.

Molina played four games and gained three hits in five at-bats in his first classic in 2006. Molina's eighth-inning double keyed a victory in which Puerto Rico defeated 3–1. In Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, Molina said that the previous night's double had been more exciting than his two-run homer to defeat the Mets.

Puerto Rico won the silver medal in 2013 with Molina as the starting catcher. Edwin Rodrez, who had scouted Molina in Puerto Rico before the Cardinals signed him, has been the team's manager for the 2013 team. Rodrnez, who had been expecting he'd be the 2013 boss, contacted Molina for assistance in assembling the roster. Molina qualified for the Classic by playing 14 games for the winter league team in Puerto Rico Rodrez's Puerto Rico Rodr. For the first time, Molina was selected on the All-World Baseball Classic team.

Molina profitably exploited a baserunning mistake to score an unusual putout in a 2013 semifinal game against Japan. J. C. Romero was pitching for Puerto Rico with Shinnosuke Abe batting for Japan in the top of the eighth inning, Hirokazu Ibata on second, and Seiichi Uchikawa on first. As the runners began to move, Abe took a pitch from Romero inside for a ball. However, Ibata retreated to second place after Uchikawa charged against him. Molina didn't throw and risking an error, rather than throwing and risking an error, she kept the ball rolling. He then chased Uchikawa, tied him down, and tagged out Uchikawa, who was unassisted from stealing. Later, the Japanese announced that they were attempting to profit from Romero's sluggish supply.

Puerto Rico advanced to the finals again in 2017, defeating the United States 8-0 for their second straight silver medal and their second in a row. Molina made a convincing argument to be named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the entire tournament, batting.333 with two home runs and a.583 slugging percentage in six games. He was named the team's MVP after accumulating three hits and a home run in eight at bats over two games in Pool F competition. He picked two runners off base in one inning in the semifinal game against the Netherlands. He was named catcher of the 2017 All-World Baseball Classic team, his second All-WBC honor. In addition, the coaching staff were often allowed to conduct the preparations, took his advice on how to build the starting rotation, and when to ban tiring pitchers.

On September 10, 2018, he was selected to be a member of the MLB All-Star Series for the 2018 Japan All-Star Games.

Managerial career

In both the qualifiers for and actual tournament of the 2018 U-23 Baseball World Cup, Molina's first managerial experience was with Puerto Rico's U-23 baseball team. Puerto Rico's first three games to the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and South Korea, thus preventing it from progressing in the tournament. However, Molina led the team to four more victories in the group stage and consolation round.

After being recruited by former major leaguer Pablo Sandoval, Molina revealed that he would be heading the Navegantes del Magallanes in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League in 2022. According to Molina, the possibility could lead to the management of a baseball team, Navegantes was "something new," and he wants to see how it goes. "I'll then decide if I want to do it [in the United States]" is what I'm thinking about.

Molina was also named as the head of the Puerto Rico national team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic in 2022. Following Eduardo Pérez's departure, who had reportedly tried to schedule Astros bench coach Joe Espada to the position, there was some controversy in Puerto Rico.

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