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Dynasty Rankings at Catcher
After opening the series with third base, it's time time to rank the next position in my dynasty baseball series - catcher. This is not the most glamorous position to rank. Catchers don't play as many games as the other positions, but there is still something to be said for obtaining a top tier backstop. If you don't land a top tier catcher, there is an uncharacteristic amount of depth at the position these days, with the top 13 or so having solid potential.
Editor's Note: Be sure to check out all of RotoBaller's 2015 fantasy baseball rankings articles & rankings analysis to prepare for your drafts. Let's win some leagues!
Tier 1 - Dynasty / Keeper Catcher Rankings
1) Buster Posey, 27, SF
2) Jonathan Lucroy, 28, MIL
3) Salvador Perez, 24, KC
4) Devin Mesoraco, 26, CIN
5) Matt Wieters, 28, BAL
Any conversation about the top offensive catchers in the game has to begin with Posey. The Giants have considered moving Posey to a different position to save his valuable bat long-term, but for the foreseeable future he's the top dog.
I was honestly tempted to rank Perez over Lucroy, if only for the age factor. However, Lucroy has been so consistent the past few years. Also unlike Perez, Lucroy has the ability to throw a steal your way once in a blue moon.
That isn't meant to sway you against Perez though. In fact, due to his age and performance last year, I'm very bullish on his future prospects. His youth means he should be able to stay at catcher for awhile, and he's still developing. He could easily be my number one overall catcher in a few years.
Last year, Mesoraco finally lived up to his prospect status with the kind of the year we've expected since 2012. His 20 plus home run power is legitimate, but I do expect his average to decline. Still, big time home run power from a catcher is hard to find.
You all know the story of Wieters at this point. He was off to one of the best offensive years of his career before going down with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. I'm betting Wieters comes back and still provides good value at catcher. He's fifth on this list for a reason though. I much rather own the four listed ahead of them, especially since he could be moved off the catcher position in an attempt to prolong his career.
Tier 2 - Dynasty / Keeper Catcher Rankings
6) Yan Gomes, 27, CLE
7) Yadier Molina, 32, STL
8) Travis d'Arnaud, 25, NYM
9) Wilin Rosario, 25, COL
10) Evan Gattis, 28, ATL
Gomes was the reason the Indians felt comfortable moving former star catcher Carlos Santana over to third base last season. Gomes rewarded them by hitting .278/.313/.472 with 21 HR, 61 R, and 74 RBI. He has the potential to make the top tier, but he strikes out a bit too much for my taste.
Molina is a surprise candidate for the seventh spot. It's not that he isn't a great offense player (he is), but he's a bit old at 32. Molina is signed through the next two years, and he is a great choice if you're trying to win your league immediately. Just don't expect the power from his younger days.
I know some people think I must be crazy to have a Mets player in my top ten. Usually I'd agree with them, but the Mets are on the upswing and so is d'Arnaud. Sure, he only hit .242/.302/.412 with 13 HR, 48 R, and 41 RBI last year. However, I believe his stat line of .272/.319/.486 with 10 HR, 39 R, and 32 RBI after being re-called from the minors on the 24th of June is more representative of his talent.
Willin Rosario has youth and power on his side. The Coors Field effect shouldn't hurt his numbers either. It's unknown if Rosario will remain at catcher long-term. That's an issue he shares with many others listed here.
The only thing I'll say about Gattis - if he stays at the position he's one of the top offensive forces. However, the stars seem to be aligning for him to play more and more outfield. Watch out for his position eligibility, although for this upcoming year, the double eligibility will be a nice bonus.
Tier 3 - Dynasty / Keeper Catcher Rankings
11) Brian McCann, 30, NYY
12) Wilson Ramos, 27, WAS
13) Derek Norris, 25, SD
14) Mike Zunino, 23, SEA
15) Yasmani Grandal, 26, LAD
Note - This tier is a pretty big drop off after the top ten. There is still some upside value to be found here, but it's definitely dicier. Make sure to do your research if you're waiting to draft a catcher in this tier or below.
McCann is older, but he's under contract for at least the next three years. Taking a chance on a catcher who has 20 or more home runs in eight of his ten major league seasons isn't a huge risk either. He showed some signs of life in the second half of last season. I expect that to carry over as he gets more comfortable being a Yankee.
Ramos has a ton of potential, but a catcher who has never seen 400 at-bats in his major league career only has so much value. He's worth the risk if you think he can stay healthy the next few years.
Like many of the Athletics' All-Stars from last year, Norris finds himself on a new team. I love the move for him because it means he will now hit in the same line-up as fellow new Padres Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, and Wil Myers. It also means he should get more regular at-bats with Tim Federowicz not posing much of a challenge.
Zunino has a ton of power as evidenced by his 22 home runs this season despite playing the majority of his games at Safeco Field. In terms of my rankings, he isn't doing himself many favors by striking out over 30% of the time and hitting for a low average. He still has time to figure it out though. He is very young, and arguably was rushed to the majors.
Grandal was a highly regarded prospect who hit well in the Minors. He has yet to find consistency in the Majors. Maybe he'll finally put it all together hitting in a potent Dodgers lineup, or maybe he'll flame out as so many others have before him.
Tier 4 - Dynasty / Keeper Catcher Rankings
16) Josmil Pinto, 25, MIN
17) Blake Swihart, 22, BOS
18) Russell Martin, 31, TOR
19) Jason Castro, 27, HOU
20) Miguel Montero, 31, CHC
Pinto has the best chance to work his way out of this tier. He has hit across all levels of the minors, now it's just a matter of overcoming Kurt Suzuki. If he's not the regular catcher for the Twins in 2015, he will be in 2016.
I'm not confident in my placement of Swihart. It's not exactly like he's been blowing away the minor leagues, but scouts seem to be pretty high on him to the tune of a potential .280 hitter with 15 home run power. Ryan Hanigan may block him from being the primary catcher this year, but Swihart will be in Boston sooner rather than later. If he can live up to his projected ceiling, you'd be buying tier 2 value at a tier 4 draft position.
Moving from the Pirates to the Blue Jays should do Martin some good. Not only will he be hitting in a line-up featuring Jose Reyes, Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, and Jose Bautista, but he may be able to DH occasionally, leading to more at-bats. John Gibbons has also stated he expects Martin to bat second in the order, meaning you can expect a lot of runs scored this season. Just don't expect the average from last year to stick around going forward.
Castro was a huge disappointment last year after he showed a lot of potential in 2013. I have him ranked above Montero because I really like the direction the Astros are moving, and they don't have any catchers in the minors ready to challenge Castro for his job. However, Castro really needs to work on his strikeout rate if he wants to remain top dog for much longer. They did acquire Hank Conger earlier this offseason, who could steal some playing time.
I know some people will argue I'm too low on Montero. Don't get me wrong, I love what the Cubs have been doing this offseason, but Montero has more name value than actual value at this point. His average and power have been declining since the 2012 season, and I don't expect that trend to reverse. Only draft him if you're looking for someone who will definitely start the next year or two while providing slightly over double digit home run power.
Tier 5 - Dynasty / Keeper Catcher Rankings
21) Gary Sanchez, 22, NYY
22) Andrew Susac, 24, SF
23) James McCann, 24, DET
24) Tyler Flowers, 28, CHW
25) Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 29, MIA
Do you notice a common theme here? There a lot of prospects who may be a few years from the majors listed. That's intentional - it's a reflection of the weakness of the current catcher pool.
Sanchez has hit for power and decent average at pretty much every level in the minors. I also love his on base percentage. It remains to be seen if he will stick at catcher. He also has McCann blocking him. When he does make it to the majors, he has the tools to succeed.
Susac has also had success at the minor league level. The only thing stopping him from taking over the catching position for the Giants? Just some guy known as Buster Posey. However, if the Giants go with their plan to move Posey from the catcher position to save his bat, then Susac is the next guy up.
McCann seems to be a popular name for catchers, especially when you consider they aren't related. Anyway, James will most likely take over catching duties for the Tigers this year. Incumbent Alex Avila has suffered from multiple concussions in recent seasons. McCann had decent numbers across the minors, and the Tigers' lineup certainly is a good place to go through your growing pains.
Flowers has a starting job with the improved White Sox and double digit home run power. He also strikes out well over 30% of the time and was insanely lucky with his BABIP last year. He's not terrible if you need a fill in until one of the other guys listed here makes it to the majors. He's just not your long term solution.
Saltalamacchia was once a highly regarded catching prospect, but he's really yet to put it all together at the major league level. One could argue that his solid 2013 campaign was his real potential, but given his career, it looks more like an exception rather than the rule. On a positive note, he will most likely be the starter for the Marlins for at least the next two years. He has double digit home run power, but his home park stifles power.
As you folks can see, that's about as deep as I can go with my catcher ranks. Sure I COULD go deeper, but I'm already scraping the bottom of the barrel. Look for more position rankings as the season draws closer.
Until next time RotoBallers,
-Rek
