“Evan, it’s your turn to pick a player!”
Tick. Tick. Tick.
MORE: Fantasy Alarm's Seasonal Playbook Pro | Top 50 prospects
I stared at the timer in the right-hand corner of my computer screen like an inmate on death row. It was 2004, and I was in the midst of my first fantasy baseball draft. Truth be told, I had absolutely zero clue what I was doing, and the rest of the league clearly knew it.
I had selected three New York Yankees players in my first four picks (have to love that hometown bias, right?), and I was absolutely lost. With the timer counting down, I furiously typed into the chat window, “What position should I target next? What is really important?”. My brother-in-law quickly responded with “Catcher! Make sure you grab one early!”, so I selected Javy Lopez of the Baltimore Orioles, just as the clock reached zero. Needless to say, laughter followed quickly afterward. Sigh.
Catcher is the red-headed stepchild of the fantasy baseball world -- the black sheep that no one wants to write about or discuss -- yet, there they are. Long considered a toss-away pick similar to kickers or defenses in fantasy football, catchers are among the last slot filled on most rosters, with good reason. As a whole, they are incredibly susceptible to injuries, require routine rest days, and in some cases even lose starts at the hands of teammates being “personal catchers” to pitchers. The risk of investing heavily in a catcher isn’t worth the reward.
While the position is deeper than in years past, there is still a top-tier of options, followed by a rather dramatic drop off. The projected statistics for catchers ranked outside of the top 10 is virtually interchangeable, which raises the question – is it worth investing an early pick into the position to ensure a better return? Numerous articles have covered the topic with mixed outcomes, but my personal opinion on this is a resounding "no".
Sure, it is nice to have Buster Posey occupy your catcher slot, and his numbers will likely be better than the remainder at the position, but it isn’t worth losing out on a top-tier choice elsewhere.
My personal thoughts on the position aside, below I’ve included my personal rankings of the top 15 catchers, based upon their performance to date, and expected projections for the remainder of the season.
Fantasy baseball rankings: Catcher
1. Buster Posey
2. Jonathan Lucroy
3. Brian McCann
4. Salvador Perez
5. Welington Castillo
6. Wilson Ramos
7. J.T. Realmuto
8. Stephen Vogt
9. Yan Gomes
10. Yadier Molina
11. Matt Wieters
12. Russell Martin
13. Francisco Cervelli
14. Yasmani Grandal
15. Miguel Montero
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RISING
Welington Castillo, Diamondbacks. Castillo doesn’t possess the track record that others within the top five at the position do, but he has put together an extremely solid season-and-a-half for the Diamondbacks, demonstrating plus power. In 2014 he began to trade contact for power with his swing, resulting in a sharp decline in AVG but a spike in fly balls and home runs. His home run totals have increased each year since '12, and he already has seven dingers this season. His .356 BABIP suggests that his current .314 AVG is due for a decline, but don’t be surprised if he eclipses the 20-HR mark for the first time in his career while setting a new high in RBIs.
Wilson Ramos, Nationals. I’ve long considered Ramos to be the Troy Tulowitzki of the catcher position – a supremely talented hitter whose totals are perpetually diminished by his inability to stay healthy. The Nationals are keeping a close eye on his workload to start 2016, and he has rewarded them handsomely for it, batting .364 with three home runs and 13 RBIs through 24 games. Hitting in the midst of an extremely potent lineup will provide him plenty of opportunities to drive in and score runs, so if (and it is a major if) he can stay healthy, he has a strong chance to finish second at the position.
MORE: Top 50 prospects
FALLING
Russell Martin, Blue Jays. Step away from the cliff, Martin owners. I know that it hasn’t been pretty to watch him bat an appalling .160 with a horrific .221 OBP, but I’m preaching patience here. Similar to Chase Headley, Martin has a whopping one extra-base hit in 2016 through nearly 100 at-bats, and has been mired in a season-long slump. His early struggles have replicated last season, where he batted .197 during the month of April before eventually finishing at .240. Truth be told, Martin is a career .255 hitter, so don’t expect much change moving forward. The real surprise has been a power drought, as many owners expected him to finish with 20 or more home runs. He’s been battling neck stiffness, so I’m willing to give him a pass, but am exploring other options in mixed formats.
Matt Wieters, Orioles. Similar to Martin, Wieters was drafted as a top-six option at the position but has been dreadful to begin 2016. Although he received a positive diagnosis on his surgically repaired elbow in mid-March by Dr. James Andrews, it appears that it is still causing him discomfort, and it's certainly a main culprit of his sluggish start. Wieter’s backup Caleb Joseph hasn’t performed well enough to warrant him losing at-bats, but the team will need to strongly consider giving Wieters an extended period of rest if he doesn’t turn things around.
To see more rankings, stats, weekly league planners, live chats, and season-long tools, sign up for Fantasy Alarm's Seasonal Playbook Pro.
Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Catcher
PROSPECT TO WATCH
Willson Contreras, Cubs. Contreras makes this list since he is not only the top prospect at the position, but also has the most immediate path to playing time. The Cubs have been without starter Miguel Montero (back) since he was placed on the 15-day DL back on April 28, and 39-year-old backup David Ross can’t take the rigors of being an everyday player. Montero is no spring chicken himself at 32, and has self-admitted that he would be willing to mentor and groom Contreras. Contreras offers plus-power with decent batting average, and he's capable of drawing his fair share of walks. If Montero continues to deal with back issues, don’t be surprised if Contreras reaches the majors quickly.
PLAYER TO STASH
Kevin Plawecki, Mets. To be completely honest, unless you participate in a two-catcher league, I wouldn’t look to stash someone at the position (I’m sure you caught onto that judging from my introduction). That being said, I can see Plawecki providing owners with a sneaky amount of value for the remainder of the season, especially considering his very low ownership. Travis d’Arnaud is dealing with more discomfort due to a rotator cuff strain and has no timetable to return from the DL. With the rest of the Mets lineup hitting well, Plawecki offers potential in the counting statistics and can be picked up on the cheap.