Editor’s note: Third of a series analyzing the Colorado Rockies and looking toward the off-season. Tuesday: The catchers

Tony Wolters’ 2016 season was a feel-good story. The former utility infielder with the Cleveland Indians’ organization was a dark-horse candidate to even make the Colorado’s 25-man roster, but he ended up being a trusted presence behind the plate, drawing praise from pitchers for his game-calling ability and solid receiving skills.

Now a major question looms. Will the Rockies’ trust Wolters and fellow rookie Tom Murphy as their primary catchers in 2017? Or do Rockies need to acquire a veteran? Nick Hundley, 33, is a free agent and it’s doubtful the Rockies will re-sign him. General manager Jeff Bridich was a catcher at Harvard and he knows how vital a quality catcher is to a team, especially one with a young starting pitching rotation. Surely Bridich will at least explore beefing up Colorado’s catching.

Following are snapshots of the catchers’ 2016 season and what lies ahead.

Key stat: According to Fangraphs, the Rockies’ overall WAR (Wins Above Replacement) at the catching position was 1.0, ranking 27th in the majors. The statistic attempts to judge the overall impact of the player (or position), based on his offense and defense.

Quotable: “It can be done with two young guys, but they’ll have to learn on the job. I think Tony got a lot of valuable experience this year and he’s a talented kid. Murphy, obviously, has all the makings of a good (catcher), but they’re going to need some on-the-job training. … They will need to learn some things on the fly — managing a game from behind the plate, managing a pitching staff, being able to slow the game down. Those types of things are next-level stuff, and that will take some time. But it can be done.” — Former Rockies manager Walt Weiss on whether the Rockies can count on Wolters and Murphy as their primary catchers.

Big hitter: In 21 games after getting called up from Triple-A Albuquerque in September, Murphy hit .273 (12-for-44) with five homers, 13 RBIs and a 1.006 OPS.

Second-half surge: Wolters was a non-factor at the plate in the first half of the season, batting .215 with a .296 on-base percentage. After the all-star break he hit .321 with a .374 OBP.

Stolen moments: The Rockies, particularly Hundley, were not very good throwing out base stealers. Colorado’s caught-stealing percentage was 24 percent, 10th in the National League. Hundley threw out just nine, while giving up 57 steals (a 13.6 caught-stealing percentage). However, Rockies pitchers have to shoulder some blame for not effectively holding runners on base. For example, in a 4-3 loss at Cincinnati on April 19, the Reds stole five bases off left-hander Jorge De La Rosa in a four-run second inning. It was the most stolen bases ever against the Rockies in one inning, and afterward, De La Rosa took the blame for losing his concentration.

Heavy burden: Wolters, generously listed at 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, is not big for a catcher. Yet he got better as the 2016 season progressed and ended up playing in 71 games. But can he handle the load of playing 100-plus game as Colorado’s primary catcher?

“I can handle it. Yes, I’m light and that’s a good thing,” he said on the final day of the season. “I haven’t felt this good since 2012 before I started having knee problems. My (left ) knee feels really good. Mentally, yeah, I’m a little bit tired, but physically I’m in a really good spot. I honestly believe I could catch 110 games in a season.”

Coming Wednesday: The outfield.