ESPN’s Buster Olney ranked Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler as the sixth-best backstop in Major League Baseball heading into the 2026 season.
In 2025, Dingler had a solid year at the plate (.752 OPS, 13 HR) and won his first Gold Glove Award.
At just 27, he should have many more seasons of above-average production on both sides of the ball before age catches up to him.
Evaluators from around baseball are amazed by his throwing arm and blocking ability, which ranked in the 95th percentile among qualified MLB catchers. Olney heard from one person who compared Dingler to a Hall of Fame catcher who won 13 Gold Gloves.
Dingler compared to Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez
“That kid has a hose,” one evaluator told Olney about Dingler’s throwing ability. “His arm is great, but when you couple that with the quickness in his feet, he reminds me of Pudge Rodriguez. He’s a bigger Pudge. I just love watching him.”
It’s safe to say Dingler would be happy with that comparison. Rodriguez is widely considered one of the best defensive catchers in baseball history.
If Dingler can continue on his recent trajectory, he should be able to crack Olney’s top five Major League catchers by the start of next spring training.
