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Now that the first few weeks of the MLB and fantasy baseball season have come and gone, where does your team stand? Need to replace an injured or underperforming catcher? Looking for a reliable backup?
RotoBaller has you covered with analysis on three catchers who may be free agents in your league, guy that you can target off the waiver wire in Week 8 of the fantasy baseball season.
Editor’s Note: for other waiver wire options, check out RotoBaller’s fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups list. It’s updated every single day. Our awesome writers bring you analysis on hot or emerging NL-only options, and also all other fantasy positions. You can also download our waiver wire iPhone app for free, and easily stay updated.
Waiver Wire Adds for Catchers
Wilson Ramos, Washington Nationals – Owned in 71% of FleaFlicker Leagues
BALLER MOVE: Add in All Formats
How many times must I write about Wilson Ramos needing to be owned in all leagues before more people start to take notice and follow suit? Since I last wrote about Ramos two weeks ago, his ownership has "skyrocketed" from 68% to his current 71% ownership in leagues. May 20th was the first game that Ramos started in and didn't record a hit since April 24th. During that time he only has one home run, but has raked in 27 hits, nine runs, and 12 RBI.
The Nationals rank in the top five of nearly every offensive category, and with Wilson batting sixth behind Bryce Harper (leading the league in walks) and Ryan Zimmerman, the opportunities should continue to present themselves. While his lack of power thus far is a bit concerning, all of the advanced statistics point to him returning to form. He has hit at least eleven home runs in three of the past four seasons, and I would still expect for him to end the season with double digits bombs.
James McCann, Detroit Tigers – Owned in 3% of FleaFlicker Leagues
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Formats, Most Two-Catcher Leagues
James McCann has taken over primary catching duties for the Tigers since Alex Avila has been injured, and after coming out of the gates slowly has started to pick up the pace bringing his season slash line to .289/.322/.434. McCann has a .302 average in May and just hit a walk-off home run on Thursday. He's also racked up nine hits in his past six games, including three multi-hit games. McCann now sits at two home runs, nine runs, and eight RBI in his 83 plate appearances.
As the 76th overall pick in the 2011 draft, McCann still has some of that prospect luster that fantasy managers go nuts over. He came out of Arkansas as a glove first backstop. He had his best offensive season last year in Triple-A, earning a quick big league look, further portraying that catchers take longer to develop than other positions, due to the wear and tear and the idiosyncrasies of calling a game and being a catcher taking away from time to focus on hitting. He doesn't have a lot of power in his bat, but continues to put the ball in play and should continue to be useful in deeper mixed leagues while Avila is out.
Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia Phillies – Owned in 8% of FleaFlicker Leagues
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Formats, Most Two-Catcher Leagues
Currently riding an eight game hitting streak, Carlos Ruiz is showing that he's still got gas in the tank. Ruiz has just eight RBI on the season, but four in his last six games. He also has hit four of his six doubles on the season during that span. The Phillies do rank towards the bottom of most offensive categories, but they have been playing better as of late winning five of their last six games.
Martin does get one or two nights off per week, and manager Ryne Sandberg has Cameron Rupp behind the plate those nights. But Rupp has been abysmal at the plate in his opportunities, so Ruiz should start as often as he can without risking injury. In short, Ruiz has picked up the pace of late and now has a respectable .336 on-base percentage. While he's slugging only .317, Ruiz is a capable fantasy producer behind the plate in deeper leagues.
