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Just Starting Out
The wait is over; the 2015 fantasy baseball season has officially begun. How did Week One go? Not exactly confident in the catcher you drafted? Looking for a reliable backup? RotoBaller has got you covered with analysis on three catchers who may be free agents in your league who you can target off the waiver wire.
With the recent news that Yan Gomes will be on the DL for about 6-8 weeks, fantasy owners might be feeling some pain, especially for those who own him in two-catcher formats. You can also take a look at my catcher recommendations from last week, in case any of those players are available in your leeagues.
Editor’s Note: to read about even more waiver wire options for catchers, be sure to check out our famous waiver wire pickups list which is a running list that is updated daily.
Waiver Wire Adds for Catchers
Travis d’Arnaud, New York Mets
Owned in 40% of Yahoo Leagues, Owned in 24% of FleaFlicker Leagues
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Formats
ANALYSIS: Some folks are pegging d’Arnaud as this year’s breakout backstop, comparing him to Devin Mesoraco from 2014. And while there are some similarities in plate discipline and ISO through their minor league careers, I’m not exactly willing to say d’Arnaud will finish 2015 as a top five catcher like Mesoraco did the year prior. It’s an interesting comparison though: both are 26, had a lot of success through the minors, and lost some of their prospect luster when they didn’t immediately mash big league pitching.
His 2014 line isn't all that enticing (.242/.302/.416). He did come back from a Triple-A stint in June and closed out the second half of the season as one of the most valuable catchers, upgrading his line to .265/.313/.479. Durability is a bit of a concern – as it is for most catchers – but this year the Met’s lineup will be better because Citi Field’s fences have been bumped in a tad. All of this leads to 20+ HR upside, with 75 RBI and .270 AVG as a best case scenario.
Stephen Vogt, Oakland Athletics
Owned in 51% of Yahoo Leagues, Owned in 21% of FleaFlicker Leagues
BALLER MOVE: Add in Most Formats
ANALYSIS: Vogt was an above average hitter in 2014 and is set to see a big increase in playing time in 2015, so why was he criminally overlooked in this year’s drafts? Last season, as a utility player, Vogt hit .279/.321/.431 with nine home runs, 26 runs, 35 RBI and he even threw in a steal during his 287 plate appearances.
Vogt’s an intriguing hitter; he puts a lot of balls in the air, his 33 percent ground ball rate last season was more than ten percent under the league average of 45 percent. He also makes a lot of contact; his 88 percent contact rate was almost nine percent better than the league average of 79 percent. He’s capable of hitting to every part of the field, and he does, as shown by this graphic below from brooksbaseball.net:
The graph shows us that he’s got the traditional pull power your look for in a left handed hitter, but he’s not trying to force the issue at the plate. Most people have him projected in the range of .260/.310/.405 with 11 HR, 50 Runs, and 50 RBI. I see him easily out-producing this and finishing out the year as a top 10 catcher.
Derek Norris, San Diego Padres
Owned in 20% of Yahoo Leagues, Owned in 13% of FleaFlicker Leagues
BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Formats
ANALYSIS: Norris is off to a quick start to the season through his first four games, racking up 6 hits, 3 runs, and 2 RBI. It's a nice change of pace for Norris, who began spring training in a 3-for-31 slump prior to going 10 for 17 over his final six spring games.
"I had a lot on my plate early in the spring, trying to learn a pitching staff, a coaching staff. Not that I'm complaining, but it's a lot to learn," he said, per MLB.com. "Once I got on the ground with everyone, I focused on my hitting a little more. For me, it's a matter of getting that timing."
Norris is coming off of an efficient 2014 season when he was sharing time behind the plate in Oakland. He finished with 10 HR, 55 RBI, and a .270 AVG in 385 PA last year. He will be getting more reps this season with Wil Nieves as his backup. He’s not going to finish the year as a top five backstop, but I could easily see him finishing in the top 10 with a line somewhere around 15 HR, 60 RBI, 50 R, and a .265 AVG.
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