The catching position has vacillated between being shallow and deep over the last few seasons, with 2025 being somewhere in the middle of the two. It is a position that is rich at the top with massive drop-offs after the first two tiers.
The strategy with drafting catchers is simple but dependent on the depth of your league and roster structure. In a standard one catcher league, you can just wait. There are more than 15 usable catchers this season, so unless you have one you covet well above the rest, it is in your best interest to just wait and take one late.
The opposite is true in deeper two-catcher formats. The bottom end of the pool tends to give back negative value, so it is important to get catchers that can provide volume stats and won’t hurt you in a particular category. It is a lot more difficult in two-catcher formats to find usable players at the position, so I tend to want to grab at least one early catcher and then another one in the middle rounds, based on average draft position (ADP).
Here are my 2025 fantasy baseball catcher tiers.
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Fantasy Baseball Catchers Primer: Rankings & Tiers
Check out our latest fantasy baseball draft primer. This article dives into the catcher position. Here’s a rundown of the top backstops in fantasy baseball, including rankings, tiers, and player notes to help guide your fantasy baseball drafts.
Tier 1 & Notes
William Contreras improved all of his underlying power numbers while not sacrificing his contact skills to do so. His 118 max exit velocity was fourth in baseball and he hit 227 balls over 95 miles per hour (MPH), which was second among catchers. He volumes as a designated hitter on his days off from behind the plate, giving him a ton of value.
Adley Rutschman is coming off of a down year but he was pretty unlucky in the process. He should be able to get back on track and could be in line for more power this season with the fences in Baltimore being moved back in.
Tier 2 & Notes
- Willson Contreras (C, DH – STL)
- Cal Raleigh (C – SEA)
- Yainer Diaz (C, 1B, DH – HOU)
- Salvador Perez (C, 1B, DH – KC)
Willson Contreras broke his arm because of a poor coaching decision in St. Louis, but he is now no longer going to be behind the plate. That is good news for his fantasy value, as he will be able to get a full complement of plate appearances and volume in a way that is unusual at the catcher position.
Cal Raleigh is a massive power source from behind the plate, but it comes with a hit to your average. Because Raleigh is such a good defensive catcher he can volume at a nice rate, but that also means he adds a lot of at-bats to a poor batting average, which is something to keep in mind if you draft him.
A year after a power breakout for Yainer Diaz, he had a power outage. He makes a lot of contact and the average gives him a very safe floor, but unless he raises the launch angle, it is difficult to project if he is going to be a star, especially with Christian Walker now occupying first base and Yordan Alvarez at designated hitter, blocking Diaz off from volumizing the way he has previously.
Salvador Perez continues to be a stalwart at the position. He has racked up 580 plate appearances in three of the last four seasons and is a pretty good bet for mid-20s home runs and a boatload of RBI.
Tier 3 & Notes
Shea Langeliers is one of my favorite catchers to draft this season. You get power similar to Raleigh at a more affordable fantasy baseball ADP and better underlying skills. He is also moving to a better park this season, making him even more enticing. The A’s aren’t great around him but they are slowly getting better.
Will Smith has not lived up to the hype that surrounded him as a prospect, but he is about as safe as they come and is in the middle of a really good lineup in Los Angeles. With Shohei Ohtani at designated hitter, Smith doesn’t provide as much volume, but he won’t hurt you.
Tier 4 & Notes
- Logan O’Hoppe (C – LAA)
- J.T. Realmuto (C – PHI)
- Tyler Stephenson (C – CIN)
- Austin Wells (C – NYY)
- Ivan Herrera (C – STL)
- Keibert Ruiz (C – WSH)
Logan O’Hoppe is a fun gamble. He has shown flashes of being a potential stud, but he has also struggled with injuries. I prefer him as a catcher in one-catcher formats because of the availability on the waiver wire. His upside is intriguing.
J.T. Realmuto is another safe floor guy. However, the upside is probably a lot lower than it used to be considering his age, injuries and the fact the Phillies will look to manage him in-season.
Tyler Stephenson has not turned into the guy we hoped for when he was a top-50 prospect, but he has turned into a nice serviceable catcher. He makes a good amount of contact in the zone and there is more power that has yet to be unlocked.
Austin Wells struggled at times with the Yankees, but the bat is perfect for the short porch in right field and there is more power in the bat. If he can learn to hit lefties, watch out.
Ivan Herrera will take over catching duties with Contreras moving to first base. He is a better real-life guy than a fantasy one, but he has an opportunity and a good hit tool, which is enticing.
Keibert Ruiz struggled last season but was pretty unlucky in the batting average on balls in play (BABIP) department. He should be much better this season. That said, there isn’t a ton of upside despite the lineup around him improving.
Tier 5 & Notes
- Sean Murphy (C – ATL)
- Hunter Goodman (C, OF – COL)
- Francisco Alvarez (C – NYM)
- Patrick Bailey (C – SF)
- Gabriel Moreno (C – ARI)
- Connor Wong (C, 1B – BOS)
- Ryan Jeffers (C, DH – MIN)
- Joey Bart (C – PIT)
- Alejandro Kirk (C – TOR)
I don’t know what Sean Murphy is at this point in his career. He has been a disappointment since leaving Oakland and no longer volumes like he did there.
Hunter Goodman has a ton of power and the ability to play other positions, but it is hard to know how many opportunities he will get in Colorado. High risk, but high reward.
Francisco Alvarez has a ton of upside but has struggled with health and elevating the ball. He has reworked his swing this offseason. If he elevates more, watch out.
Gabriel Moreno has not lived up to his prospect hype and I think his massive performance in the 2023 playoffs gave people unrealistic expectations. He should be looked at as a safe C2 as opposed to an upside play.
Alejandro Kirk is reportedly in the best shape of his life. With Danny Jansen in Tampa, he finally has the role to himself.
Tier 6 & Notes
- Luis Campusano (C – SD)
- Bo Naylor (C – CLE)
- Miguel Amaya (C – CHC)
- Jonah Heim (C – TEX)
- Danny Jansen (C – TB)
- Freddy Fermin (C, DH – KC)
Luis Campusano has a ton of talent but has yet to make it work at the Major League level over a full season. His defensive woes can cost him time as well. The upside is still high, but so is the risk.
Bo Naylor is a similar player to Campusano, but he struggles with in-zone contact. He has power and speed upside, but the Guardians love a good defensive catcher, so he will continue to lose plate appearances to Austin Hedges, who is fantastic behind the plate.
Miguel Amaya is a good cheap catcher who won’t hurt you, but he doesn’t have much upside, making him boring outside of 15-team two-catcher formats.
Jonah Heim’s 2023 breakout now looks like a flash in the pan. He now has competition in the form of Kyle Higashioka for plate appearances.
Danny Jansen never had the breakout we expected in Toronto, but he is good behind the plate and the Rays will be playing in a great park for him to flex his muscles in.
Freddy Fermin would be an interesting catcher if not for Salvador Perez blocking him from playing time. If Perez were to go down, Fermin could have a good amount of value, but unless that happens, he is best served on the waiver wire.
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