Top 10 Catcher Prospect Rankings for Fantasy Baseball (2026)

Eric's top 10 catcher prospects for fantasy baseball and how they project long-term along with some names to buy or sell at this position in dynasty leagues. His top prospects include Samuel Basallo, Carter Jensen, more

The catcher position has been on the rise over the last couple of years, and the next few years should be no different.

Even with plenty of catcher prospects like Drake Baldwin, Agustin Ramirez, and Dalton Rushing graduating to the Major Leagues in 2025, the catcher position is still loaded with talent in the minor leagues, with many of the names below likely playing in the Majors at some point in 2026.

For my entire Top 40 and additional writeups, check out my Patreon. Make sure to continue checking RotoBaller as I'm going to be going through all positions in the coming weeks!

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Catcher Prospect Rankings for Fantasy Baseball

Age and highest level in parentheses

1. Samuel Basallo, BAL (21/MLB)

After emerging as one of the best catching prospects in the game in 2023 and 2024, Samuel Basallo cemented his status as the top dog at this position in 2025. In 76 Triple-A games before his promotion, Basallo slashed .270/.377/.589 with 17 doubles and 23 home runs. He smacked four more home runs in 31 games with Baltimore down the stretch, but slashed just .165/.229/.330 in 118 plate appearances.

SAMUEL BASALLO SMASHES A WALK-OFF TANK 😤 pic.twitter.com/tCVhxahc9r

— MLB (@MLB) September 6, 2025

As we've come to expect from Basallo, his quality of contact metrics was top-notch in 2025, posting a 94.2 mph AVG EV, 57.4% hard-hit rate, and a 21% barrel rate in Triple-A before recording an 8.9% barrel rate and 43% hard-hit rate with Baltimore. However, his contact rates were a bit below average, with a 69.4% contact rate in Triple-A and 70.6% in the Majors. However, Basallo's 81.7% zone contact rate in Triple-A was decent.

Even if he's more of a .260 hitter long-term than a .280 hitter, that average should come with plenty of home runs, potentially including some 30-homer seasons. With Rutschman set to return in 2026, Basallo could see himself splitting time between catcher, first base, and designated hitter.

2. Josue Briceno, DET (21/AA)

Those who have followed my content should know that I'm pretty darn high on Josue Briceño. After winning the 2024 Arizona Fall League MVP award last November, Briceño fully broke out in 2025. In 100 games between High-A and Double-A, Briceño picked up 19 doubles and 20 home runs with a .266/.383/.500 slash line. Yes, most of that damage was done in High-A, and Briceño slashed just .232/.335/.381 in Double-A, but I'm not worried about that Double-A production dip at all.

Briceño features plus or better raw power from the left side and is a better pure hitter than many give him credit for. Even though the average dropped in Double-A, Briceño still had a contact rate around 76% at both levels with a 10.2% SwStr rate for the whole season. His approach is rock solid as well, with a 14.9% walk rate and 19.7% strikeout rate overall this season.

If you want to nitpick, the one area of concern is that he didn't hit for a ton of power against left-handed pitchers, posting a .374 SLG, .121 ISO, and three home runs in 118 plate appearances against them. However, Briceño also hit .253 with a .347 OBP and 13/18 BB/K ratio against southpaws this season, so it's not a major concern.

There are questions about whether Briceño will stick behind the plate long-term or have to move to first base. Obviously, we want to see him keep that catcher eligibility, but Briceño's bat would play just fine at first base as well. Long-term, Briceño has the looks of a hitter who hits north of .260 and flirts with or exceeds 25 home runs annually. In my eyes, he's not that far off from Basallo moving forward.

3, Rainiel Rodriguez, STL (18/A)

What a season for Rainiel Rodriguez. After impressing in the DSL in 2024, Rodriguez carried that success over state-side and reached High-A as an 18-year-old. In 84 games total, Rodriguez slashed .276/.399/.555 with 22 doubles, 20 home runs, and nearly as many walks (54) as strikeouts (65). To put his season in perspective, he was one of just two prospects to have an OBP above .390 and an ISO above .275. The other is some fellow named Kevin McGonigle.

Rainiel Rodriguez's final 24 games of the season:

109 PA
.302/.385/.573
5 2B, 7 HR
9.2% BB, 15.1% K#ForTheLoupic.twitter.com/xI3Gp6BEsG

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) September 16, 2025

Rodriguez is a good but not great power bat at present, who can really get to that power pull-side. In Low-A, Rodriguez posted an 88.6 mph AVG EV, 39.2% hard-hit rate, and a 10.5% barrel rate. Those might not stand out in general, but remember, he's 18 and was very young for the level. Rodriguez has also shown solid contact skills (74% in 2025) and a good approach at the plate, finishing the season with a 14.7% walk rate and a 17.7% strikeout rate.

The long-term upside is notable, but he's a bit pull-happy right now, which could really be exploited by more advanced pitching as he continues to move up levels. It's not a major concern, but just something to monitor.

4. Moises Ballesteros, CHC (21/MLB)

It was quietly a very solid season for Moises Ballesteros, who hit well in Triple-A all season and made his Major League debut with the Cubs, playing in 20 games and smacking two home runs with a .298/.394/.474 slash line. In 114 Triple-A games, Ballesteros slashed .316/.385/.473 with 29 doubles and 13 home runs.

Ballesteros is a hitting machine. With Triple-A Iowa, he posted an 85.8% zone and 79.8% overall contact rate while only striking out 13.2% of the time. He also walked at a solid 9.6% clip, which increased to 13.6% in the Majors. It's easy to throw at least a 55-grade on his contact skills and approach, and Ballesteros has shown that he's a decent power bat as well.

While he doesn't have as much power projection as guys like Basallo or Briceño, Ballesteros is an above-average power bat in his own right, recording a 90.2 mph AVG EV and 42.9% hard-hit rate in Triple-A this season. However, a higher 62.2% groundball rate in the Majors and 49.6% in Triple-A is a bit concerning. That groundball rate jumped more than 10% from 2024's 39.2% mark.

Even if he's not a 25-homer bat long-term, Ballesteros could settle in as a .270 hitter with 15-20 home runs annually. I'm just not entirely sure if he'll receive 500 plate appearances in the Majors next season. What the Cubs do in free agency will play a factor here, especially with the DH spot.

5. Alfredo Duno, CIN (19/A)

While the breakout of Rodriguez garnered the most attention among catching prospects, Alfredo Duno enjoyed a nice breakout season as well. In 113 games for Low-A Daytona, Duno racked up 32 doubles and 18 home runs with a .287/.430/.518 slash line. His bat was especially potent down the stretch, slashing .333/.486/.695 with eight doubles and 10 home runs over his final 33 games. You might say, he could do no wrong.

Notable raw power is Duno's calling card. Posting a 91.2 mph AVG EV, 48.6% hard-hit rate, and 14.6% barrel rate as a 19-year-old is highly impressive, and given his home ballpark, it's not unreasonable to say that Duno could wind up as one of the best power-hitting backstops in the game down the road.

But at the same time, his contact skills need some work as Duno had a 72.7% zone and 68.2% overall contact rate this season. The approach, on the other hand, is top-notch. Duno walked at a 19.2% clip in 2025 while trimming his strikeout rate from 28.8% in 2024 to 18.4% in 2025.

6. Ike Irish, BAL (21/A)

If you've read or listened to any of my FYPD content this summer, you should already know that I'm pretty high on Ike Irish. That was the case before the draft, and his landing in Baltimore at the 19th overall pick was just an added bonus.

While Irish didn't do much in his 81 plate appearances after the draft, he was a beast in his final season at Auburn, slashing .364/.469/.710 with 19 home runs, 11 steals, and nearly as many walks (33) as strikeouts (27) in 258 plate appearances.

2025 first-rounder Ike Irish drills pro homer No. 1!

The 19th overall pick (@AuburnBaseball) and @Orioles No. 2 prospect is off to a blistering .391/.462/.565 start to his career for the Single-A @shorebirds: pic.twitter.com/FzLYnmJkcr

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 21, 2025

Irish possesses three above-average to plus tools in his contact skills, approach, and raw power. I'd even be fine throwing 60 grades on his power and approach. And even though he's not the fastest guy around, there's close to average speed here, and I think he'll be able to provide at least some speed moving forward in the 8-12 SB range.

But honestly, that would just be the cherry on top, as Irish's blend of contact, power, and approach should carry him to Baltimore, and possibly make him an impact offensive bat at the Major League level. As for his position, he played both catcher and corner outfield in college. I'm honestly not sure which spot he winds up at long-term, but my money would be on the outfield.

7. Carter Jensen, KCR (22/MLB)

After a solid 2024 season, Carter Jensen took his game to another level in 2025. In 111 games, between Double-A and Triple-A, Jensen slashed .290/.377/.501 with 20 doubles, 20 home runs, and 10 steals. His power shone the brightest in Triple-A, where he smacked 14 home runs in 43 games with a .647 SLG and .359 ISO. Jensen then added a trio of taters in 20 games with the Royals down the stretch.

That raw power is Jensen's leading tool offensively, and the main reason to be excited if you roster him in dynasty leagues. In Triple-A, Jensen recorded an impressive 94 mph AVG EV, 59.4% hard-hit rate, and a 14.9% barrel rate. While his overall 69% contact rate was a little low, Jensen had an 84.6% zone contact rate, which is above-average. He's also shown the ability to work walks at a higher clip, walking at a 12.2% clip in the minors this season and 15.2% for his minor league career.

Jensen's power upside could make him one of the top home run hitting catchers in the league who has the contact skills to hit around .250-.260 with a good OBP to go with it.

8. Eduardo Tait, MIN (19/A+)

Eduardo Tait has been in the minor leagues for three seasons and is now with his second organization, and he is still barely 19 years old. After spending the last few years with the Phillies, Tait is now a member of the Minnesota Twins organization, where he finished the season in High-A. In 112 games overall this season, Tait cranked 32 doubles and 14 home runs with a .253/.311/.427 slash line. All while facing competition a couple years older than him for the most part.

Eduardo Tait and first-inning homers go together like peanut butter and jelly.

The @Phillies' No. 4 prospect clobbers a 110.9 mph 🚀 in the opening frame for a second straight game for the Single-A @Threshers. pic.twitter.com/rVly7nN2uX

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 30, 2025

With Tait, power is the name of the game. He posted an impressive 89.5 mph AVG EV, 41.4% hard-hit rate, and a 9.9% barrel rate in 75 Low-A games while having an 83% zone and 76% overall contact rate. Add in a 20.4% strikeout rate, and it's clear that Tait is far from an all-or-nothing hitter, even if he is on the aggressive side with a 56% swing rate.

Long-term, Tait projects as a 50-hit, 60-power backstop with .260/25 upside in my eyes.

9. Harry Ford, SEA (22/MLB)

While I've always been a Harry Ford supporter and still am, he's become a difficult one for me to rank. Part of the reason why is that Seattle has Cal Raleigh signed through 2030, leaving both the short-term and long-term playing time outlook for Ford a bit murky.

The Mariners have slow-played Ford's development, keeping him at one level per season for the last five years until promoting him from Triple-A to the Majors for a cup of coffee this season. In 97 Triple-A games before the promotion, Ford had 18 doubles, 16 home runs, seven steals, and a .283/.408/.460 slash line.

That looks nice overall, but Ford was running far less often this season after having 35 steals in 2024 and over 20 for three straight seasons entering 2025. Ford is more of an average power bat, so the potential for 20 steals really boosted his value. He could still be a solid stolen base threat, but the drop in steals this season is peculiar.

Outside of the power and speed, Ford is an above-average contact hitter who had a 76.9% contact rate this season. He's also an elite source of OBP and has a career .405 in the minors. There are plenty of intriguing tools here that could make Ford a solid fantasy contributor if he's given a chance to play regularly.

10. Marco Dinges, MIL (22/A+)

Given all the other big seasons from younger catching prospects, it feels like the 2025 season that Marco Dinges had flew under the radar a bit. In 317 plate appearances between Low-A and High-A, Dingles slashed an impressive .300/.416/.514 with 12 doubles and 13 home runs.

In his 26 Low-A games, Dinges had a ridiculous .500 OBP, proving he was way too advanced to be at that level. In High-A, the slash line was still solid at .273/.371/.483. However, Dinges' contact rate dipped from 80% in Low-A to 67% in High-A, which is a bit concerning. His SwStr rate also shot up from 8% to 14.9%. He was still walking at a 13.7% clip in High-A, but his strikeout rate ticked up from 12.5% to 22.9%. That High-A mark certainly isn't bad, though.

As for his power, Dinges is an above-average raw power bat who can really drive the ball to all fields. As long as he's able to keep the contact rates respectable moving forward, Dinges developing into a .250/20 type isn't out of the question.

If you enjoyed these rankings and want to see additional rankings, analysis, and more, check out Eric's Toolshed Fantasy Patreon.

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