Indians' Yan Gomes: Defensive prowess hiding offensive deficiencies

Gomes' defensive prowess behind the plate has impressed manager Terry Francona, who had high praise for the veteran before Sunday's game, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Analysis:

Gomes' exchange times (length between catch and throw) against attempted base stealers have been elite early in the 2017 campaign. Francona called one of Gomes' recent gun-downs "Santiago-esque," a reference to former MLB standout Benito Santiago. The backstop's eye-popping defense should buy him plenty of time to overcome a slow start at the plate. Gomes is slashing a paltry .171/261/.268 through 47 plate appearances.