The catcher position in past seasons has been fill-in only. For real baseball teams, the defense a catcher provides is far more important than his offensive value. Since all we care about as fantasy baseball managers is offensive production, the catcher job has typically been a position that gets selected later in the draft. These are my level rankings for fantasy baseball catchers in 2009. Looking at this, the player predicted stats are in the following format: (HR/RBI/R/AVG/SB)
Tier one receivers are usually drafted in rounds 4-6. Fantasy managers who draft a receiver in these early rounds are usually managers using the position scarcity strategy. However, my suggestion is that even when using this strategy, wait until the second tier of fantasy baseball catchers to start drafting them. So, without further delay, here are my fantasy baseball level rankings for catchers:
Tier 1
1.Joe Mauer. (12/85/95/.330/5)
Joe lives on the base roads. He has an absolutely ridiculous on base percentage. He will help his team with the batting average and will score a lot of runs. If he’s looking for a catcher who plays almost every day and scores a lot of runs, Mr. Mauer is the man for him!
2. Brian McCann. (20/85/60/.290/2)
Look for McCann to step back from production. However, his numbers will still keep him in the top tier of fantasy baseball catchers. Don’t forget that Brian plays for a team in decline and could be traded at any time to a real competitor.
3. Russell Martin. (12/65/85/.280/20)
A receiver with 20-steal potential, that’s pretty unheard of. If you’re looking for a super-fast team and would like some speed at receiver, Russell is the receiver for you. He’s the only catcher in this year’s draft who has 20/20 potential, yet I don’t see him increasing his home runs over last year.
That sums up Tier 1 fantasy baseball catchers. The only reason anyone should draft these guys is if they’re using the position-scarce fantasy baseball strategy.
Level 2.
4. Victor Martinez. (20/100/80/.295/0)
If he’s healthy this year, he should hit at least 20 home runs. If you think the big V-Mart is going to get back into shape and can stay healthy all year, wait until the first tier of receivers have been taking, wait until around the seventh round and steal it because it’s going to be a steal so late in the recruit.
5. Geovany Soto. (20/80/70/.280/0)
After posting insane fantasy baseball numbers last year, I’d expect a little slump from him as a sophomore. He’ll still be a great receiver to have on any team, though, don’t look for a repeat of last year.
6. Ryan Doumit. (14/70/70/.310/2)
He plays for the pirates… With no one hitting around him, his RBIs could go down.
7. Chris Iannetta. (22/75/60/.265/0)
Play at the hitter-friendly park. However, the Rockies offense is okay, a bit rocky. they’ve lost Holiday, however, if this guy plays in 100+ games this year, look for him to be a HR factor on his team.
Level 3.
8. Matt Wieters. (no idea)
How can a guy who’s never played in a major league game get this kind of ranking? He deserves it. The question is no longer if they call it, it’s when. When he does, make sure he’s on his list.
9. Jorge Posada. (15/80/85/.280/2)
He is getting old. However, he plays for the Yankees. it’s more or less a guarantee that every time he comes to the plate there will be a man on base.
10. Bengie Molina. (18/85/45/.275/0)
His RBI totals last year were insane! look for them to fall back to earth.
Level 4.
11. Dioner Navarro. (8/60/45/.290/2)
He plays for the Rays. They have great offense and the hitting can be contagious.
12. Mike Naples. (20/70/50/.245/5)
Can you play a full season? This guy can hit if the Angels let him. It’s a risk, but the reward is a catcher who could conceivably hit 25-plus home runs. He is in the 4th level due to the risk factor.
13. AJ Pierzynski. (10/55/60/.280/1)
He is getting older and plays as Catcher. His numbers will drop. But he will get the job done, he certainly won’t hurt you in any category.
14. Pablo Sandoval. (10/75/70/.300/0)
This guy is the next Joe Mauer in the making. He gives you average and RBI. If he gets more playing time, his numbers should reach some nice heights. He also has 1st and 3rd base eligibility.
15. Ramon Hernandez. (10/60/50/.265/0)
These numbers are terrible, find someone else.
With the receiver position being so weak this year, it doesn’t really matter who you pick, just pick someone you think will play every day. That sums up my level ranking for Fantasy Catchers. Be sure to check out my other fantasy baseball level rankings here.
