Yadier Molina is considered one of the best defensive catchers in baseball history. He played his entire career for the St. Louis Cardinals, from 2004 to 2022, and was one of the most successful catchers in the National League.
Molina became the Cardinals' starting catcher in 2005, after debuting the year before. However, he really broke out in 2008, with his first season batting over .300. At this point, he was already a World Series Champion (2006). Molina went on a streak of seven consecutive All-Star appearances from 2009, all of which were Gold Glove-winning. Although he was never a great power hitter (he hit 176 home runs, with only two years of at least 20), he had five seasons batting over .300 and a lifetime batting average of .277. His overall play was respected enough that he finished fourth in MVP voting in 2012 (the year after he anchored the Cardinals to another World Series win), with an .874 OPS and 7.2 bWAR. He finished third in the same voting the year after, with an .836 OPS and 6.2 bWAR. Molina won the Silver Slugger that year, his only one.
Molina retired as the all-time leader among catchers in putouts (15,122) and second in Total Zone Runs (163), and is 14th among all players in Defensive bWAR (28.0), second only to Ivan Rodriguez among catchers. He won nine Gold Gloves, four Platinum Gloves, and two Wilson Defensive Player Awards in his career.
While Molina's overall offensive statistics (2,168 hits, 176 home runs, 1,022 RBIs) might fall short for the Baseball Hall of Fame, his leadership, All-Star appearances, defense, and association with one team could put him over the top.