Catchers are an integral part of the game of baseball, they always stand behind home plate. While the catcher position remains the most mentally and physically demanding position in the game, Brian McCann has what it takes to be Major League Baseball’s best catcher. Following his exceptional style, the player was named an All-Star seven times while receiving the Silver Slugger Award six times. Brian is currently associated with the Houston Astros of MLB. Prior to his Astros career, he played for the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves. Let’s take a look at his biography, family and other interesting facts below
Brief biography
The baseball star was born as Brian MichaelMcCann on February 20, 1984, to American parents Howard McCann and his wife Sherry. He attended Duluth High School located in Duluth, Georgia where he started his youth career. While there, Brian was ranked the 26th best baseball player in the nation by Baseball America.
Brian McCann MLB Career
At the end of his high school career, Brian enlisted at the University of Alabama for his college career. He was also selected by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the 2002 MLB Draft. The player had decided to forfeit his college eligibility and join the pro league. He stayed with the minor league affiliated Rome Braves for three seasons before making his MLB debut.
The outstanding receiver made his professional appearance for the Braves in June 2005 and was named personal catcher for their pitcher John Smoltz. He was also named the team’s starter for the remainder of the 2005 season and the following season; he signed a six-year contract worth $27.8 million.
Brian was selected to the 2006 All-Star Team after his brilliant performance. He was also selected to the All-Star for more than six consecutive times. He won All-Star MVP in 2010. Brian’s eight-year career with the Braves ended in 2013 and throughout his career; Brain has received the Silver Slugger Award for Best Offensive Player six times.
In November 2013, Brian McCann signed with the New York Yankees on a five-year contract worth $85 million. Upon joining the Yankees, Brian had limited options as a starting receiver for the team. He made his first career start with the team in their 7-4 win over the St Loius Cardinals on May 28, 2014. He also had a significant impact for the Yankees in September, helping the team clinch victory over the Boston Red Sox. Brian led the team in home runs with a season-high 23 home runs and 75 RBIs.
The star player was named the starting catcher for the Yankees in the 2016 season and he finished the season with a total of 20 homers with 58 RBIs in 130 games. Subsequently, he was traded to the Houston Astros in November 2016 in exchange for Jorge Guzman and Albert Abreu. During the 2017 season, Brian became the 14th receiver to get over 10,000 scraps. He led the Astros to earn a spot in the 2017 American League Championship Series while hitting 18 homers in 97 games. The Astros triumphed over the Los Angeles Dodgers to become World Series champions in 2017. In 2018, Brian recorded his 11,000 career strikeouts, making him the 10th receiver in MLB history to achieve the feat.
Family: brother and wife
The baseball catcher was born into an athletic family, his parents attended Oswego High School where they participated in different sporting events organized by the school. The pair were also inducted into the Oswego High Athletics Hall of Fame. His father, Howard, finished his college baseball career with the Mississippi State University baseball team. He then served as an assistant baseball coach under coach Steve Webber of the Georgia Bulldogs baseball team. Howard also coached the Marshall Thundering Herd baseball team.
Brian McCann is not the only child of his parents; he has an older brother named Brad McCann. Just like Brian, Brad also played baseball professionally before his retirement in 2007. Brad finished his college career with the Clemson Tigers baseball team and was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the sixth round of the MLB Draft of 2004. He played for the Marlins for three seasons and finally left the game in 2007.
Just as he is successful in his baseball career, Brain is also successful in his love life. He is happily married to his childhood sweetheart Ashley Jarusinski in December 2007. Five years after the wedding, the couple welcomed their first child, a son named Colt Michael in July 2012. The following year they also had a Colbie girl. She was born in September 2013.