FORT MYERS, Fla. — Mark Kolozsvary is approximately five inches shorter than the average MLB catcher. MLB.com lists him at 5-foot-7 but he might be a tad bit taller.
“I think I’m like 5-7 ½, maybe,” Kolozsvary told MassLive on Monday at JetBlue Park. “Something right in there.”
The Red Sox signed Kolozsvary in December to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to big league camp. The average MLB catcher in 2023 stood at 6-0 ½ feet, according to Jomboy Media and strength coach Ryan Horton.
The 28-year-old Kolozsvary went from an undersized preferred walk-on with the Florida Gators baseball program to a major leaguer. But he doesn’t feel he has an underdog story.
“Maybe, I guess you could say that but I’ve never kind of looked at it like that,” said Kolozsvary who made his debut for the Reds in 2022 and has appeared in 11 major league games. “I’ve always felt like I belong there. I feel like I’ve never thought of it that way. But some people might say that.”
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Kolozsvary said being shorter doesn’t put him at a disadvantage as a catcher.
“Honestly, I feel it’s more of an advantage than it is a disadvantage a lot of times,” Kolozsvary said. “Just because a lot of times big guys have trouble getting up and down all the time. For me, I feel like it’s a little bit easier. I also feel like for low pitches, I’m already down there so I don’t have to work as hard to get underneath.”
Kolozsvary grew up playing baseball, football and golf.
“I played football and then I was a little too small to keep going,” he said. “So I kind of realized I was getting a little beat up too much. I think I was in eighth grade when I stopped playing just because everybody else kept growing and I kind of just stayed where I was at.”
He never questioned whether he was too short for baseball though.
“It honestly didn’t really cross my mind,” he said. “I always knew I was smaller. All my friends were like pitchers and they were all really tall. I was always hanging around with them. But honestly, I didn’t really think about it. I’ve always been able to keep up with everybody else so it’s never been a big issue for me.”
Kolozsvary grew up a Florida Gators fan. He attended some football games as a kid, seeing quarterback Tim Tebow. So it was definitely a dream come true for him to play baseball for three years at Florida where he had a .811 OPS in 78 games from 2015-17.
“I was a preferred walk-on when I first got to Florida,” he said. “I was fortunate. It was always where I wanted to go. So when I got the opportunity, I was getting in.”
He grew up admiring Cardinals star catcher Yadier Molina.
“I definitely always really liked Yadi,” he said. “He was my favorite to watch. I really liked Buster Posey. My first start in the big leagues was against the Cardinals. And Yadi and (Adam) Wainwright were starting. So it was a pretty cool moment for me.”
The 2017 Reds seventh round pick called a terrific game for Cincy pitchers who allowed just one run, seven hits and one walk while striking out 10 in a 4-1 victory over the Cardinals on April 24, 2022.
“Unbelievable (experience), especially being with the Reds and going all the way through their system there,” he said. “So I got to see a bunch of my friends and to share that moment with them was pretty cool.”
Kolozsvary feels his top strength as a catcher is working with pitchers.
“Just being able to work with pitchers and kind of understand their needs and try to give them the best targets. And just kind of pick their brains and know what they are going for.”
Manager Alex Cora called the veteran catchers in camp “really good receivers.” The Red Sox added two other veterans in addition to Kolozsvary. They signed two-time Gold Glove winner Roberto Pérez to a minor league deal and acquired Tyler Heineman (104 major league games) from the White Sox.
Their defensive abilities should greatly benefit a young (and relatively inexperienced) Red Sox staff that includes Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford as well as Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock and Josh Winckowski who are competing for rotation spots.
“Defensive-minded guys that I think they’re going to help the group (of pitchers),” Cora said. “We’ll see what happens the rest of spring training. But I do believe we’re in a great spot pitching-wise, structure-wise. And I think behind the plate it is very important to continue to do that. We have some veteran guys that are here fighting for jobs. If it doesn’t happen, some of them are going to go to Triple A and there’s development to do down there in Triple A (helping prospect pitchers).”
Kolozsvary said Red Sox camp has been “amazing so far.” He wants to learn as much as possible from teammates and catching coach Jason Varitek.
“Those guys have such a vast knowledge with how long they’ve been around the game, especially guys like Tek,” he said. “Those guys are able to give you so much information you’ve just gotta be able to sit there and soak it in. Maybe not even me digging for it, but they’ll say something and you’re like, ‘Wow, I never looked at it that way.’ Just their time around the game, they have so many little things to share with you.”
