Although some feel as if the catcher position is an ugly and boring position, there are a lot of quality options in the catcher pool, and a few players with some diverse skillsets to add to our fantasy teams. Personal philosophy is key when deciding how you want to attack the catcher landscape for 2-catcher formats, and I prefer to spend up for the top guys because they provide a huge playing-time edge over the middle and bottom of the pool. Only 5 backstops provided north of 500 PAs in 2022, showing how rare it is to get the massive playing time..
Only 2 catchers provided north of $20 in terms of Earned Auction Values based on Rotowire’s tool, with Realmuto, and Varsho leading the charge, thus showing the scarcity of the position. There were plenty of decent options beyond those 3, but those were the top dogs in terms of lighting it up for roto.
There have been a lot of discussions that catcher is becoming deeper and deeper, and that it is undergoing a Renaissance of sorts. That is due to the flood of young catchers and prospects that have established themselves as legitimate options behind the dish. There are two things I would like to point out, however, the first is that catchers often peak later in their careers due to having to learn the pitching staff’s habits and having to call a game. They also have diminished peaks in comparison to other positions due to wear and tear, as well as less playing time. That isn’t to say that we aren’t experiencing a great influx of catcher talent, but be wary of some of the catcher prospects since they do bust plenty often (like other positions.)
Tier-based drafting is a very useful exercise and I will be deploying it for all my position preview articles. I do think it is important to under the statistical shape of the production the player you are looking for provides, as well as the risk/reward that could fit your particular format. I will be much more likely to take a chance on one of those rookie catchers in a 12-team FAAB league than I would be in a Draft Champions format due to the fact I cannot make changes if they don’t play as soon as I would like. Also knowing that your team cannot handle an AVG sink is a good reason to avoid a player in a tier such as a Cal Raleigh, if you are AVG-deficient. Additionally, if you already took a prospect or a risky player due to injury risk, perhaps passing on the prospect class for catchers is wise.
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Tier 1 – Diamond Tier 💎
| 1 | J.T. Realmuto | PHI | C |
Elite athlete, who provides a huge edge with his steals, put him on your team and enjoy the power/speed/good avg blend with maximum at-bats. Rare breed.
| 2 | Daulton Varsho | TOR | C/OF |
In terms of roto, this is the profile you dream of. Power/speed option with OF at-bats and the catcher tag. His .201 ISO over 2021-2022 as well as Gold Glove CF defense firmly cements his full-time PT.
| 3 | Will Smith | LAD | C |
Career 132 wRC+ hitter slotted in the heart of LAD order. His profile would play at any other position, premium lineup, extremely steady profile, he’s worth every cent of investment.
Tier 2 – Platinum Tier 👑
| 4 | Adley Rutschman | BAL | C |
While a quantum leap in value is possible, a lot of his value comes from OBP, making him less of a priority in NFBC formats. His positives are his safe floor, high runs scored upside, and a potential strong AVG. PT should be very high volume as well.
| 5 | Salvador Perez | KC | C |
There is a possible risk of fall-off due to the advanced age combined with a higher chase rate, but I am not overly concerned. There is a solid potential for 25 HR and 80 RBI with maximum at-bats due to DH. His counting stats are muted due to injury but a drop-off shouldn’t come in 2023.
| 6 | Alejandro Kirk | TOR | C |
Tremendous AVG floor due to a great hit tool and elite approach, Kirk needs to avoid hitting as many GBs as he does. Even as is, he’s a very valuable player, but there is top-5 catcher upside here.
| 7 | Willson Contreras | STL | C |
Very safe hitter going to a good lineup in STL, excellent power metrics. A safe floor of 23+ HR’s over 475 at-bats is fair, and the Cardinals could help raise his counting stats with a better lineup. AVG hit is real, as he’s been under .245 for 3 consecutive years.
| 8 | MJ Melendez | KC | C/OF |
Similar to Sal. P, Melendez should benefit from elite volume, given his leadoff potential. The shift ban will give him some benefit, as well as natural regression. A beautiful profile that is plenty affordable. I don’t see a huge downgrade from Willson to Melendez.
Tier 3 – Gold Tier 🥇
| 9 | Sean Murphy | ATL | C |
Moving to Atlanta will hurt PT some, and raise his counting stats and HR on a per AB basis. The profile is rock-solid and the ability to DH occasionally will help quell injury-risk concerns that Murphy has carried. A good buy.
| 10 | William Contreras | MIL | C |
The younger Contreras murders baseballs with a career 12.6% barrel rate, however, his high GB rate and elevated K rate give me some pause. There is a risk his AVG is poor but the volume and power will be there come to the end of the year.
| 11 | Cal Raleigh | SEA | C |
My last exciting C1 option. Heavy pull and flyball approach make Raleigh click, as he will be an AVG sinkhole with strong HR outputs.
Tier 4 – Silver Tier 🥈
| 12 | Tyler Stephenson | CIN | C/1B |
A lot of enticing elements to Stephenson, but his health track record is poor, and the power has yet to show up. Riding a career .358 BABIP that will likely drop. A solid compiler with a solid AVG in a good park, but health issues perturb me.
| 13 | Danny Jansen | TOR | C |
Good power, strong patience, and a Toronto lineup are the selling points for Jansen. A very good C2 option and a serviceable C1 if you missed out to this point.
| 14 | Travis d’Arnaud | ATL | C |
On a per-plate appearance basis, this ranking is low, given d’Arnaud’s 109 wRC+ since 2019. TDA can rake no doubt, but there are still some lingering health concerns for me. In a 12-team or a FAAB league with decent replacement value, he could be ranked ahead of Jansen.
| 15 | Keibert Ruiz | WAS | C |
Hit for a lot of power in AAA in ’21, but that has disappeared since, with poor power metrics to boot. A decent AVG floor, a trickle of SB’s, and everyday AB are the main selling points. Prospect pedigree would lead to believe growth is coming, but metrics disagree.
| 16 | Gabriel Moreno | ARI | C |
It’s still too early to be harsh on Moreno after just 73 MLB PAs, and a big trade to Arizona solidifies his at-bats and opportunity. Wheels up for the former high-end prospect.
| 17 | Christian Vazquez | MIN | C |
Strong defense will ensure the playing time, Vazquez is not splashy but his solid AVG will benefit you, he has the potential to sneakily steal a few bases and can score a decent amount of runs. Will leak HR power. Safe but very boring.
| 18 | Jonah Heim | TEX | C |
A tale of 2 halves hurt Heim, as his 2H performance tamped down a big 1H breakout. Core skills are solid with a better-than-advertised hit tool, paired with solid strike zone recognition and non-zero power. A quality C2.
Tier 5 – Bronze Tier 🥉
| 19 | Yasmani Grandal | CWS | C |
He might be cooked but he is cheap enough to take some stabs at. The talent is there but if he’s done then the floor is abhorrent. Cheap power if he’s healthy, but there is some risk.
| 20 | Shea Langeliers | OAK | UT-only |
Langeliers has thunderous raw power, but a poor approach could totally undermine him. For an AVG liability who has the risk of washing out entirely, the upside is 25+ HR, while the downside is more MiLB development time.
| 21 | Francisco Alvarez | NYM | C |
A key part of the team’s future, Alvarez’s position is in the batter’s box, which will provide him with more PAs if he can secure some DH opportunities. The fact he was fast-tracked up to AAA as a 20-year-old shows the org is ready for him to seize an opportunity. I am willing to get aggressive with him.
| 22 | Bo Naylor | CLE | C |
Coming off a monster 20-steal MILB campaign (only 118 games), Naylor will captivate drafters with his legs, but his bat will play too, as he posted a .889 OPS in AA/AAA in 2022. Will Cleveland trust him with the pitching staff is the question, and I am not sure, but in certain formats, I am comfortable with the gamble.
| 23 | Logan O’Hoppe | LAA | C |
A hot prospect coming over in the Brandon Marsh trade, O’Hoppe provides walks and power and could seize a starting job in LAA. The question is when, and I am not sure exactly when that will occur, however, there is a lot to like here. Playing time risk without the steals upside of Naylor.
| 24 | Christian Bethancourt | TB | C/1B |
As a journeyman backstop, Bethancourt found some modest success in 2022, and playing multiple positions for the Rays will allow him extra opportunities. His acceptable AVG and a pinch of power are fine as a very cheap C2.
| 25 | Nick Fortes | MIA | C |
Despite a somewhat underwhelming Minor League career, Fortes has provided bouts of goodness in roto as a part-time backstop. The chip-in steals and bounty of runs scored are nice, but his lack of impact stats in the minors has me questioning his true talent. Won’t be aggressive here, but may take some falling shares of Fortes.
Tier 6 – Copper Tier 🪙
| 26 | Jose Trevino | NYY | C |
Last year, I was too okay drafting blah talents with no upside and that is what Trevino is. You can do better.
| 27 | Joey Bart | SF | C |
Bart has flashed very brief runs of solid play but is at risk of losing at-bats given his inability to secure a FT role. There is some power upside, but more risk than anything else. The 65-grade raw power could appear.
| 28 | Gary Sanchez | FA | C |
Very sloppy power. The landing spot will determine my ultimate interest, and he might nip away at some DH at-bats. Barrel rate was still elite at 13.5%, however, his AVG will be a big negative.
| 29 | Eric Haase | DET | C |
Sloppy power at catcher. In NFBC he has more appeal to me because you can slot him in against LHP (which he crushes) if you have him as a C3 to supplement a weaker C2.
| 30 | Endy Rodriguez | PIT | C |
Endy established himself with a monster 3-level campaign where he hit 68 XBHs in 125 games, good for a .996 OPS. Many think he is the top prospect for the Pirates, and he has the ability to play OF to give him more paths to ABs. Well worth a dart in DCs, but Pirates could choose to slow-roast him more than we like.
| 31 | Elias Diaz | COL | C |
As a home-streamer in Coors, you can do much worse. The issue is he will hurt you badly on the road, so only ideal in NFBC where you can make semi-weekly adjustments.
| 32 | Mike Zunino | CLE | C |
Coming off of Thoracic Outlet Surgery, Zunino landed a one-year pillow contract with Cleveland, and is primed to seize a regular role. He has been a plus defender with the power to boot. As a very cheap C3, he is an interesting target in DCs.
Tier 7 – Fool’s Gold Tier 🙍
| 33 | Ryan Jeffers | MIN | C |
Crazy elite barrel rates despite few other positive traits. Cheap power even though he is a backup.
| 34 | Carson Kelly | ARI | C |
Following a disaster in 2022, the price has fallen a lot for Kelly who hit too many GBs in 2022. There should be a decent AVG with a little pop here, but Kelly is looking to be in a timeshare with Moreno.
| 35 | Martin Maldonado | HOU | C |
As a very, very late DC C3 or C4, he works since his defense is premium, and he is swinging for the fences more. Career best .166 ISO in 2022 shows that he has a little bit of thunder in the bat.
| 36 | Omar Narvaez | MIL | C |
Despite the fact that Narvaez makes a lot of contact, he doesn’t hit the ball with much authority and he is just a part-time player. No need to reach for him since he won’t move the needle.
| 37 | Luis Campusano | SD | C |
Prospect pedigree remains here with Campusano, but will the Padres trust him with a healthy share of playing time? He’s not a bad dart to throw but not my favorite.
| 38 | Francisco Mejia | TB | C |
Empty AVG guy with very little ability to hit the ball with impact. Doesn’t play enough to be interested in him.