The catcher position continues to be one of the most difficult to navigate in fantasy baseball. Given the lack of reliable options at the position, some advocate that you reach a bit to ensure that you get one of the top options. Others essentially take what is offered to them based on how the draft progresses with the expectation that they may simply need to stream the position throughout the season.
You’ll see both options discussed below when we look at how our writers are targeting catchers in their fantasy baseball drafts.
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Q: Which catcher are you targeting most in fantasy baseball drafts?
Wilson Ramos (NYM): Overall 217 – C7
Ramos is kind of a forgotten man in drafts this year, and other than the fact that he just turned 32 years old, I can’t really understand why. Ramos had the fourth-most RBIs among catchers last year, and his .288 batting average ranked first at the position. He also set career-best marks in his walk rate and strikeout rate and will continue to bat in the middle of a strong lineup. At pick 180 as the eighth catcher off the board and with little sign of decline? I’ll take that all day.
– Dan Harris (@danharris80)
It is extremely close for me between Salvador Perez and Ramos but I’ll go with Ramos, the Mets’ backstop. He isn’t coming off a season-long injury like Perez, and while the power might not quite be the same, you are definitely getting a batting average around the .294 mark we’ve seen from him over the last four years combined. And don’t think about it as just .290, considering the replacement level at the position is 30 points lower than most positions. Essentially, he is a .320 hitter in the 16th round of drafts.
– Bobby Sylvester (@bobbyfantasypro)
Carson Kelly (ARI): Overall 279 – C10
Catcher is dead last on the priority list for me for a number of reasons, so I am gravitating towards Kelly here who you can probably get in the final few rounds of your draft (No. 223 average ADP right now, No. 272 on our consensus rankings). Kelly is probably your run of the mill batting average drain that won’t play nearly every day, but he did show some real plate skills last year with a 13.2% walk rate and a lower than average 21.6% strikeout rate. He hit 18 homers in just 365 plate appearances. I can see him becoming a 25-homer guy with a .260 batting average and a strong on-base percentage given the plate discipline he has shown.
– Jon Anderson (@JonPGH)
In a 12-team league with one starting spot, the honest answer is whichever one falls to me. Christian Vazquez and Carson Kelly round out my top 10. Both showed great promise last year, but both faded down the stretch while doing far more of their damage against southpaws. Each of those struggles was more noticeable for Kelly, making Vazquez a safer placeholder. Yet Kelly is younger (25) and boasts prospect pedigree, as well as more walks and hard hits in 2019. This makes Arizona’s backstop a better upside play to take at the end of a standard draft.
– Andrew Gould (@AndrewGould4)
Salvador Perez (KC): Overall 198 – C6
If five catchers have come off the board, and Salvador Perez is still out there, I’m extremely likely to take him with my next pick. While he was injured all of last year, we can bank on at least 450 plate appearances if he is completely healthy. Can we say that about Gary Sanchez, Willson Contreras, or Mitch Garver? I’m expecting a batting average in the .250s, 20+ homers, and a combined 130 runs and RBIs hitting in the middle of the Royals’ lineup. This stat line projects him to be a top-five catcher, but you can typically draft him 40 picks later after the first five backstops go off the board.
– Carmen Maiorano (@carmsclubhouse)
Willson Contreras (CHC): Overall 155 – C4
It wasn’t long ago that Willson Contreras was considered one of the best fantasy baseball catchers in the league. Unfortunately, the catching position is not stable, and Contreras’ stock has subsequently plummeted. But, if we’re surveying the landscape of this barren position, Contreras remains one of the better options. Of the catchers with at least 400 plate appearances in 2019, Contreras ranked sixth in batting average, second in ISO, and first in offensive WAR — according to FanGraphs. I’m not making it a point to draft any catcher early unless the value is too good to pass up, but Contreras stands out among the remainder of catcher options after Gary Sanchez and J.T. Realmuto.
– Mario Mergola (@MarioMergola)
Will Smith (LAD): Overall 236 – C8
I don’t believe last year was a fluke. He hits in a very solid lineup and has everything going for himself at this point in his career. I look for big numbers and a consistent season. I would take .265 from my catcher, and I think he can hit 15 homers or more.
– Bernie Pleskoff (@BerniePleskoff)
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