Erik Kratz

Erik Floyd Kratz (born June 15, 1980) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball. He stands 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) and weighs 240 pounds (110 kg). Kratz played baseball at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School and Eastern Mennonite University until he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 29th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft.

After playing for seven years with minor-league affiliates of the Toronto Blue Jays, from 2002 through 2008, Kratz signed a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates to play for the Indianapolis Indians in 2009. He made his Major League Baseball debut on July 17, 2010 to replace Jason Jaramillo. Before the 2011 season, Kratz signed a minor-league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies and played with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, appearing several times in 2011 and 2012 at the Major-League level and ultimately winning the backup catcher job on the Phillies' 2013 roster. He was dealt back to the Toronto Blue Jays organization prior to the 2014 season, dividing his playing time between Toronto and the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons before being traded to the Kansas City Royals in July.