Who Is the 'Canes Best Catcher Ever?

Our friend Jorge Milian over at the Palm Beach Post makes his case for current UM catcher Yasmani Grandal over Charles Johnson (above) and Jorge Fabregas as the Hurricanes' best all-time catcher. It also gives us an excuse to run a photo of CJ from our soon to be released scan project from the 1992 season. Read Milian's latest blog here.

Grandal Leads Hurricanes in Rout of Manhattan

Junior catcher Yasmani Grandal drove in five runs as the #10 Hurricanes picked up their fifth straight win to open the 2010 season with a 18-1 blowout victory over Manhattan Saturday night at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.

The 5-0 start is the 'Canes best start since the 2003 team opened the season 8-0. The 'Canes have now scored 56 runs through their first five games - the highest total for a Miami team since the 1992 team scored 72 runs through five games.

Yasmani Grandal

Miami Hurricanes Baseball earned its second Top 20 ranking of the 2010 preseason on Wednesday, as Baseball America ranks the 'Canes #16 in their preseason poll.

The 'Canes will be led by preseason All-America catcher Yasmani Grandal. Grandal emerged last season as one of the top power hitters in the ACC, leading Miami and all ACC catchers with 16 home runs. The Miami native led the 'Canes with a 1.081 OPS in 2009 en route to earning All-ACC second team honors. He finished his sophomore season ranking second on the team in slugging percentage (.599) and total bases (118), while collecting 45 RBI and 48 runs scored in 59 games.

In his two seasons in Coral Gables, Grandal has 23 home runs, 73 RBI and a .978 fielding percentage in 97 career games. After hitting .234 as a freshman in 2008, he improved his average by 65 points last year to .299. Over the summer, Grandal was a key member of Team USA during its championship run at the 2009 World Baseball Challenge.