X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Dynasty Catchers - Top MLB Prospects for Dynasty Baseball

Edward Sutelan's top 10 dynasty catcher prospect rankings. Longer-term fantasy baseball dynasty rankings for MLB prospects to make impacts in 2018 and beyond.

Welcome back, RotoBallers. I'll be breaking down impact prospects in dynasty leagues by position over the next several weeks. Today I'm bringing you my top 10 catchers - dynasty prospect rankings for 2018 dynasty baseball leagues.

Catchers are often a challenging position to find star prospects. It seems the best hitters are the worst defensively and the best defenders are the worst hitters behind the dish. But sometimes dynasty owners get lucky and stumble upon the perfect catching prospect who can hit well and defend well enough to avoid the shift out to another position.

So without any further ado, here is the first dynasty positional prospect rankings.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Top 10 Catcher Prospects for 2017 Dynasty Baseball Leagues

1. Francisco Mejia (CLE, MLB)
Stats: (from AA) 383 PA, .297/.346/.490, 14 HR, 7 SB, 6.3% BB%, 13.8% K%
ETA: 2018
Putting Mejia as the top name on the list was an easy decision. The 22-year-old backstop has one of the highest regarded bats in the nation and is considered one of the purest hitters in the minors, let alone at his position. Evaluators consistently give him a 60-plus grade with the bat, and last season his 14 homers in 92 games showed the switch-hitter could be starting to tap into some of his raw power. Defensively he still has some work left to do, and he played some third base last season. But the Cleveland Indians still view their top prospect as a catcher long-term. And with just Roberto Perez and Yan Gomes standing in his way, Mejia could be starting behind the dish early next season.

2. Carson Kelly (STL, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 280 PA, .283/.375/.459, 10 HR, 0 SB, 11.8% BB%, 14.3% K%
ETA: 2018
Kelly is another pure-hitter, much like Mejia, but he does not have the same path to playing time in 2018. As long as Yadier Molina is with the St. Louis Cardinals, Kelly will have to look towards more of a backup role. However, he could slowly start to force the Cardinals to make something happen with Kelly. Last season, he showed that he makes enough solid, loud contact to be a starter at the big-league level while also blasting 10 homers in just 68 games in the minors. The power has long been said to be budding in his bat and it finally started to emerge in 2017. Molina is starting to climb in age, and could benefit from some more rest days. Kelly is a potent enough hitter behind the dish that even if he starts in just 35 percent of games in 2018, he would have value in dynasty leagues.

3. Zack Collins (CWS, AA)
Stats: (from A+) 428 PA, .223/.365/.443, 17 HR, 17.8% BB%, 27.7% K%
ETA: 2018
Remember when I said the great hitting catchers can’t play defense? Collins fits that mold. Collins’ bat is incredibly potent and very highly regarded. Scouts believe in his prime he will be able to hit 20-plus home runs and could post .260-plus batting averages with even higher OBPs due to his patience at the plate. However, his defense could prevent him from sticking behind the dish. If he has to slide over to first base, there is no doubt his value will be severely damaged. His bat can still profile solid over there at least reasonably well, however. The Chicago White Sox don’t have many other catchers in the pipeline, so they have plenty of incentive to keep him back there as long as possible. But he is certainly a risk to move out from behind the plate.

4. Jorge Alfaro (PHI, MLB)
Stats: 114 PA, .318/.360/.514, 5 HR, 0 SB, 2.6% BB%, 28.9% K%
ETA: 2018
Perhaps no one’s fantasy value was damaged more than Alfaro by the 2017 season. Alfaro struggled mightily at Triple-A, demonstrating poor plate discipline and little to no power output. But when he arrived in the majors, he put together a solid 29-game stretch, batting .318 with five home runs. Alfaro’s profile is incredibly similar to Gary Sanchez in that both were power-first catchers with incredible arms and questionable receiving skills. Sanchez too was a guy who many questioned for a while if he would ever turn into a big-league catcher before he reached the majors and started lighting it up. While Alfaro is unlikely to reach the lofty ceiling Sanchez has started to climb towards, it is still too early to give up on Alfaro lest he makes another comeback like Sanchez made. He is still only 24 years old, and still has plenty of upside. But patience in Alfaro is likely starting to wear thin among owners. The 2018 campaign will probably be the most telling season for his value.

5. Chance Sisco (BAL, AAA)
Stats: (from AAA) 388 PA, .267/.340/.395, 7 HR, 2 SB, 8.2% BB%, 25.5% K%
ETA: 2018
Sisco is like a poor man’s Mejia. The left-handed swinging backstop has questionable receiving skills behind the dish, but his 60-grade hit tool and potential raw power upside makes him an intriguing bat in dynasty leagues. He started most of last season at Triple-A before briefly shining in the majors, and there’s a chance he opens 2018 as the starting catcher for Baltimore. The defense behind the plate is the only concern in his game, but scouts believe he has what it takes to at least become average back there. He is far from the most exciting catching prospect in the game, but he will stick behind the plate and post a respectable batting average with slightly below-average power numbers. That has value in dynasty leagues.

6. Keibert Ruiz (LAD, A+)
Stats: 160 PA, .315/.344/.497, 6 HR, 0 SB, 4.4% BB%, 14.4% K%
ETA: 2020
Catchers generally take the longest to develop, but that has not been the case for Ruiz. The 19-year-old catcher flew began the season as an 18-year-old at Class-A and finished the season at Advanced Class-A. Ruiz is a switch-hitter with plenty of raw power from both sides and the ability to make consistent, solid contact. Scouts have praised his bat overall and think he has a chance to be a well above-average batter in the majors. His defense stands out as above-average already, although his arm leaves a little bit left to be desired. Ruiz has some of the most upside of any catcher on this list and could start to rise fast in the next year-and-a-half.

7. Victor Caratini (CHC, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 326 PA, .342/.393/.558, 10 HR, 1 SB, 8.3% BB%, 14.7% K%
ETA: 2018
If a player hits enough, he will eventually get noticed. Such was the case for Caratini who hit well in Double-A in 2016, but really turned it up to a new level in 2017 at Triple-A. The numbers he posted put him into the conversation of best hitting catchers in the minors and prompted a promotion to the majors. His power is slightly below-average, but he makes plenty of contact and does not swing and miss much. Caratini’s defense leaves a lot to be desired, but the biggest concern is playing time where he is unlikely to steal the starting gig from Willson Contreras any time soon. He could enter 2018 as Contreras’ backup though, and could eventually be a starter if traded by the Chicago Cubs at any point.

8. Sean Murphy (OAK, AA)
Stats: 217 PA, .209/.288/.309, 4 HR, 0 SB, 9.7% BB%, 15.7% K%
ETA: 2019
Murphy was a defense-first catcher who started to hit in 2017. He has an absolute cannon of an arm and receives behind the dish well, leaving no room for concerns about his ability to stick behind the plate. But what stood out most about his 2017 season was the increased power where he blasted 13 home runs between High- and Double-A. He kept the walk rates moderately high and made enough contact to post very low strikeout rates at both levels. The batting average at Double-A took a bit of a dip from the .297 number he posted in High-A, but he has the tools to get that up moving forward. Murphy still has offensive progress left to be made before he is ready to be a true budding fantasy impact player, but his stock is progressively on the rise. It could be a good time to buy-low.

9. Tyler Stephenson (CIN, A)
Stats: 348 PA, .278/.374/.414, 6 HR, 2 SB, 12.6% BB%, 16.7% K%
ETA: 2020
The biggest catcher to crack this list, Stephenson’s only questions stem from his ability to stick behind the plate. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound backstop is large for a catcher and thus has a lot to work on in terms of his receiving skills, but the other raw tools all jump out. He has a potentially explosive bat that could make him a 15-20 homer bat with the ability to post high on-base percentages. He also has a strong arm that could help him stick behind the plate. Stephenson is filled with upside, and if he can stay healthy for a whole season and continue to make some progressive improvements, his bat should give him plenty of fantasy value.

10. Jake Rogers (DET, A+)
Stats: 367 PA, .265/.357/.457, 12 HR, 13 SB, 12.0% BB%, 19.6% K%
ETA: 2020
Rogers is another prospect who made a name for himself with a strong 2017 campaign. He shined in the Houston Astros’ High-A Buies Creek before being traded to the Detroit Tigers in the Justin Verlander trade as he had hit 12 homers with a .814 OPS in 83 games. He is a strong defender behind the plate, one of the best to make this list, and the only question is really just how much he will hit. His bat and power did not receive favorable grades from evaluators, but the raw potential is there for him to become a better hitter as he demonstrated at Buies Creek. He will stick at the position and has the potential to become a starter. His bat will determine if he is a must-own starter in fantasy leagues or just another glove-first player with limited value.

 

More 2018 Dynasty Baseball Strategy




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Bradley Beal

Suns Discussing Potential Buyout
Los Angeles Lakers

Jaxson Hayes Staying with the Lakers
NBA

Damian Lillard "Open" to Signing With a Team This Offseason
Max Muncy

Out at Least Six Weeks
Clarke Schmidt

Leaves Start with Forearm Tightness
Colson Montgomery

Promoted to the Major Leagues
Pittsburgh Steelers

Omar Khan, Steelers Agree to Three-Year Contract
Max Muncy

Goes on Injured List With Knee Bruise
Max Muncy

Out of Thursday's Lineup
James Wood

Joining Home Run Derby
SJ

Sharks Claim Nick Leddy Off Waivers
Max Scherzer

Cleared to Start on Saturday
SJ

Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov to Two-Year, $13 Million Contract
CAR

Nikolaj Ehlers Joins Hurricanes on Six-Year Contract
Kodai Senga

Could be "in Play" to Return Before All-Star Break
Ha-Seong Kim

Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim From Injured List
Christian Moore

Placed on Injured List With Thumb Sprain
Luis L. Ortiz

the Subject of Gambling Investigation
Jordan Lawlar

to Miss Multiple Weeks With Hamstring Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Receives Encouraging News on his Hand
Chau Smith-Wade

Having Stellar Offseason
Ace Bailey

Inks Rookie Contract With Jazz
Divine Deablo

Could be the Quarterback of the Defense
Isaiah Rodgers

a Likely Starter for the Vikings
Jacob Monk

Sees Plenty of Work With Starters
Avonte Maddox

has Impressed Dan Campbell
Boston Celtics

Josh Minott Inks Deal With Celtics
Chicago Bears

Ruben Hyppolite Shows Notable Improvement
Toronto Raptors

Sandro Mamukelashvili Heading to Toronto
Daron Payne

Commanders Coaches Impressed With Daron Payne
Danny Gray

Makes Impression During Offseason Workouts
Jared McCain

Not on 76ers Summer League Roster
Dane Belton

Should Have a Role in 2025
Kaiir Elam

Flashes During Offseason Workouts
Dylan Harper

Unavailable for California Classic
COL

Brent Burns Inks One-Year Deal with Avalanche
STL

Blues Land Pius Suter on Two-Year Deal
Morgan Frost

Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
WPG

Gustav Nyquist Moves to Winnipeg
Cody Glass

Devils Re-Sign Cody Glass to Two-Year Deal
PIT

Anthony Mantha Joins Penguins
Riley Greene

Homers Twice, Drives in Six on Wednesday
Max Muncy

Exits With Apparent Knee Injury
Christian Moore

Exits Early with Thumb Irritation
Cleveland Cavaliers

Larry Nance Jr. Headed Back to Cavaliers
Josh Naylor

Returning to Diamondbacks Lineup
Eric Gordon

Remaining with 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers

Deandre Ayton Joining Lakers
Oronde Gadsden

an Active Pass-Catcher This Offseason
Brashard Smith

Speed Could be Put to Use
Emil Heineman

Signs Two-Year Deal with Islanders
Pat Bryant

Off to a Good Start
Simon Holmstrom

Re-Signs with Islanders for Two Years
Cody Barton

Quickly Becoming a Leader With his New Team
UTA

Nate Schmidt Signs Three-Year Deal with Mammoth
Montaric Brown

has Worked With Starters
UTA

Brandon Tanev Moves to Utah on Three-Year Contract
NJ

Evgenii Dadonov Joins Devils on One-Year Deal
BUF

Sabres Snap Up Alex Lyon on Two-Year Contract
Dallas Mavericks

Dante Exum Returning to Dallas
Ryan McLeod

Inks Four-Year Extension with Sabres
NAS

Predators Bring in Nick Perbix on Two-Year Deal
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Has Surgery to Repair a Turf Toe Injury
LA

Cody Ceci Moves to Los Angeles
DET

James van Riemsdyk Joins Red Wings on One-Year Contract
Viktor Arvidsson

Traded to Boston
Charlotte Hornets

Spencer Dinwiddie Lands With Charlotte
Josh Jung

Sent to Triple-A
Jurickson Profar

Officially Reinstated and Hitting in Five-Hole on Wednesday
Spencer Schwellenbach

Going on Injured List With Fractured Elbow
Maxwell Hairston

Facing Sexual-Assault Lawsuit
Tai Felton

Rookie Season Likely to be Spent on Special Teams
LeQuint Allen Jr.

to Have Receiving Role for Jaguars?
Justin Walley

Turning Heads Going into Rookie Season
Bud Cauley

in Great Form Ahead of John Deere Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

a Player to Avoid at John Deere Classic
Jake Knapp

Riding Momentum Ahead of John Deere Classic
Jamari Thrash

Establishing Himself as Reliable Option
PGA

Sungjae Im Looking for Consistency at John Deere Classic
Ryan Gerard

a Solid Option at John Deere Classic
Rickie Fowler

Looking to Rebound at John Deere Classic
Cameron Champ

a Volatile Option at John Deere Classic
Brandon Woodruff

Likely to Pitch on Sunday in Miami
Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success for Jackson Suber
Kevin Roy

Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
Justin Lower

Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
Ben Kohles

a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Attempts to Stop Roller-Coaster Ride
Beau Hossler

Needs a Challenge in Illinois
Harry Higgs

Has Potential at John Deere Classic
Nick Dunlap

Keeps Plugging Through Tough 2025 Season
PHI

Dan Vladar Links Up With Flyers on Two-Year Deal
Milwaukee Bucks

Taurean Prince Staying in Milwaukee
Jeff Green

Signs One-Year Deal to Remain in Houston
Los Angeles Lakers

Jake LaRavia Lands with Lakers
Orlando Magic

Tyus Jones Signs One-Year Deal With Magic
Golden State Warriors

Kevon Looney Heads to New Orleans
Milwaukee Bucks

Jericho Sims Staying in Milwaukee
Denver Nuggets

Tim Hardaway Jr. Joins Nuggets
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
Daniel Suarez

and Trackhouse Racing Parting Ways After 2025 Season
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF