RADIO
As we enter the second half of the season you may have already found a dependable catcher that you roll with week-in and week-out, but as we know, backstops are the most volatile position in fantasy baseball. With that being said, we should always be aware of the landscape of the position just in case a few too many foul tips off the mask start adding up as the year wears on.
If you are not one of those fortunate souls who are privileged with a high-caliber catcher, we'll go through a few tiers of backstops who will fit your specific league format. Every season the waiver wire is full of potential league-winning gems and to be a successful fantasy player you need to be an active fantasy player. Some people may believe that catchers are next to worthless for your team, but if you find an unowned superior performer in your league, you'll wind up with a massive advantage over your opponents.
The catching position has the least amount of volume of any other spot on the diamond with the number of platoons utilized by teams, so understand that a part-time backstop can still be productive at the position. Whether you plan to stream this spot on your roster weekly or if you're looking to find a long term option, we'll go through a vast range of backstops who'll hopefully take you to the fantasy promise land.
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Top-Priority Adds
This tier is targeted towards single-catcher mixed leagues as they are likely to only be available in these formats. These backstops are also particularly serviceable and could return top-10 value in their respective lineups, making it a mystery why they are unowned in the first place.
Will Smith (C, LAD) - 63% Owned
Since the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to send down Austin Barnes to Triple-A in favor of Will Smith, the 24-year-old has done nothing but rake at the major league level. Smith made a couple of brief stints earlier this season with the big league club and held his own, but he’s been on fire in his nine games since his promotion. Hitting .357 with three homers, five runs, and a whopping 13 RBI, it looks like it’s Smith’s job to lose for the duration of the season.
As a former first-round pick, Smith excelled in the minors becoming one of the top catching prospects in the game. He launched 20 long balls in 61 games for Oklahoma City this year and hasn’t skipped a beat in the bigs. His 47.1% Hard Hit% and 17.6% Barrel% with LA are likely to regress, but the drop off might not be as significant, making him a catcher you can ride down the stretch run.
Roberto Perez (C, CLE) - 28% Owned
After a slow start out of the All-Star break, Roberto Perez has started to return to the slugger that he was in the season’s first half. With three homers over his last seven games, the journeyman backstop has come back into the top-12 at the position in his breakout campaign. With 19 dingers, 34 runs, 45 RBI, and a .233/.317/.478 slash line in 82 games, Perez has come out of the fantasy darkness to become an offensive performer no one saw coming in 2019.
As a backup with the Indians throughout his career, the 30-year-old managed to hit just 13 round-trippers over the last three seasons while bottoming out with an abysmal .168 batting average in 2018. Perez has turned it all around with consistent playing time, upping his Hard Hit% and Barrel % to new highs (43.5%/13.3%) while lifting more fly balls than ever. He had only one year with a fly ball rate over 20% in his career (2018) and has impressed with a 25.8% rate this season, well above the league average (21.9%). With more offense that the Tribe added at the deadline, Perez’ counting stats should continue to climb handsomely the rest of the way.
Streamers/Players to Watch
The catchers in this group are either in waiver wire limbo as they are likely scooped up in two-catcher and league-specific formats or they are worth streaming for this week depending on your league size. They are not ideal single mixed league targets unless you have a deep bench to stash one of these backstops. These bats, however, have a shot at returning significant value if everything breaks right.
Buster Posey (C, SF) - 84% Owned
Buster Posey’s ownership is inflated with inactive managers holding on to him, but with many active owners giving up, it may be a good opportunity to take advantage. It’s clear the former MVP isn’t anywhere close to the offensive producer from season’s past, but his stats lately have him looking like he belongs back in the fantasy conversation. In 17 games since the break, Posey has slashed .273/.351/.455 with three homers, 10 runs, and 11 RBI giving him the fifth-best wRC+ among catchers in this span (115). He’s now looking closer to his former self than at any point this season.
The biggest gain that has transformed Posey so far in the second half is his ability to square up the baseball. Sporting a 34.4% Hard Hit% in the first half, he’s skyrocketed his mark to 48.9% since the break, hitting just as many homers as he had before the All-Star Game. Posey has racked up hits in 12 of his last 14 starts as well, and should be on the single catcher radar if he continues to produce. He may not return big numbers in the home run category, but he can still be a difference-maker in the average column.
Two-Catcher League Options
This tier meshes catchers that may still be available in two-catcher leagues, as well as league specific setups. They may carry some single-catcher mixed-league value at some point, but for now, they can stay on your watchlist. They aren’t necessarily going to win you a category, but they won’t hurt your overall production either.
Austin Romine (C, NYY) - 7% Owned
With Gary Sanchez sidelined for the rest of the week, Austin Romine has entered the two-catcher league discussion. Posting a respectable .255/.284/.397 slash line with five taters, 16 runs, and 25 RBI in 47 games for the Pinstripes, the floor is relatively high for the 30-year-old. Romine has also been locked in over his last 10 games batting a shiny .355 including launching three homers and seven RBI over the last week.
The Yanks also have a full slate of games this week with two more at the hitter-friendly Camden Yards followed by a four-game set in the bam box in Toronto. With five underwhelming right-handers scheduled to face the club, Romine’s .276 average against these types of hurlers bodes well for some continued production this week. With one of the league’s best supporting casts around him, Romine makes a terrific short-term fill in.
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