Caleb Joseph: From Maternity Room to the Baseball Diamond

Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Caleb Joseph is back with the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota, Florida for spring training after missing the last two days. His absence was not injury-related at all, but rather to be with his wife for the birth of their first son, Walker Joseph.

Joseph joked about the his wife and the birth. “She did it the Oriole way. She grinded it out for a long time.”

With the birth of his first child, Joseph has some added motivation this spring as he tries to lock up the backup catcher role for the Orioles.

When Matt Wieters had to have season-ending Tommy John Surgery last season, Caleb Joseph stepped up and filled the void left by Wieters. He not only filled a roster spot, but he also performed rather well for it being his first season in the major leagues.

In 82 games played, Joseph batted .207/.264/.354 with nine doubles, nine home runs, and 28 RBIs. He became the first catcher in Orioles history to hit a home run in five straight games.

It was his defense that kept him in the starting lineup for much of the remainder of the 2014 season and it will be his defense that can secure his spot on the Baltimore Orioles’ 40-man roster on Opening Day.

Last season, Joseph owned a .993 fielding percentage behind home plate. What was even more impressive was his caught stealing percentage. Joseph threw out 40.4 percent of the base runners attempting to steal a base. He led the American League with this percentage and this statistic made him a defensive commodity in the eyes of many Orioles fans.