Cubs' catcher Michael Barrett has never had two good offensive seasons in a row (defined as providing league average offense, which is good for a catcher). If he keeps up this year's performance, he will do just that. It will also be the first time since Jody Davis in 1982-84 that a Cubs catcher provided league average offense in consecutive seasons.

Last year, Barrett had a .272 EqA (.260 is league average). He ranked 9th in the majors among catchers in Marginal Lineup Value rating (MLVr) out of 18 catchers who had at least 400 plate appearances. This year, Barrett's EqA is down a bit at .261, but offensive performance among backstops is down across the major leagues.

Last year there were 9 catchers (including Barrett) who had a MLVr of at least .100, meaning they contributed at least .1 run per game more than an average offensive player. This year, there are only two among those with at least 200 plate appearances: Jason Varitek and Joe Mauer. Barrett is currently tied for 6th in the majors at .026 with Ivan Rodriguez.

Unconventional numbers aside, we can make this statement: The Cubs are getting above average offensive performance out of the catcher position, and they are doing so for the second year in a row. As much as we would all like Barrett's walk rate to inch back up near last year's level, I would add Barrett's overall consistency with last year to the list of positives about the first half of this year.