X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Jon Anderson's Early Catcher Tiers & Rankings for 2023 Fantasy Baseball

MJ Melendez - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

Jon Anderson gives his early catcher rankings for 2023 fantasy baseball. Who should you draft high and whose value has gone lower than expected?

We have officially flipped the calendar to 2023. The holidays are over, and your fantasy football league has probably crowned its champion. That means it's time to get into some fantasy baseball! We've been writing fantasy baseball all fall and winter long here at RotoBaller, and we've already started our rankings series.

Over this offseason, I personally developed a new projection system that I released to subscribers of my personal Substack page recently. In addition to that, from October through December, I went team by team reviewing every single one and all of the fantasy-relevant players on them. All of that work has given me a good base for making my positional rankings, so we're going to start a post series on that today.

Let's start at the bottom with the catcher position. Here are my current catcher rankings and tiers. Of course, these are subject to change through January and February as news comes out and more research is done. Let's hop to it!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Tier 1 - A Lonely J.T.

Player Team Rank Tier PA R HR RBI SB AVG
J.T. Realmuto PHI 1 1 540 70 19 81 20 .272

He will be 32 for the 2023 season, and most catchers do not age very gracefully. However, we have seen nothing from J.T. to discourage us from taking him with a pretty premium pick in drafts. Last year, he went for a .274/.340/.476 slash line while hitting 22 homers and stealing 21 bases. The projections have him pretty much doing that again, which makes him a really valuable guy to have at a position where you're typically not getting a ton of production.

The risk is that we see some of that age set in. This guy has been an ironman thus far, but you subject yourself to a lot of injury risk playing that many games behind the plate - so eventually things are going to fall apart a bit for the Phillies' backstop. Chances are that doesn't happen in 2023 though, so Realmuto is the clear top option this season.

 

Tier 2 - Still Studly

Player Team Rank Tier PA R HR RBI SB AVG
Will Smith LAD 2 2 541 74 24 78 2 .259
Daulton Varsho TOR 3 2 548 68 23 67 15 .230
Willson Contreras STL 4 2 575 79 24 68 7 .240
Adley Rutschman BAL 5 2 565 74 16 63 4 .260

You could make the case for some or all of these guys being in the top tier, but to me, they are all a step behind Realmuto.

Will Smith continues to be a really strong hitter in a great lineup, but his one steal last year leaves him short in that category, and he's been a guy the Dodgers have been cautious with in the past in terms of PAs. Those are pretty weak criticisms of the guy though, he's a great catcher option.

Varsho certainly played his way into the top tiers of the catcher position last year, having a near 20-20 season for the Diamondbacks. The batting average is bad, and he will probably sit a bunch against lefties - but he's a true 20-20 with 70 RBI threat in the Blue Jays lineup.

Then we have Contreras, who gets a big lineup upgrade moving to St. Louis. He has long been a productive Major League hitter, and he's not as old as you might think - just 30-years-old currently. The Cardinals lineup should give him tons of RBI opportunities, and he still showed great power last year, hitting 24 homers in just 487 PA.

The last guy here is Rutschman, who I have downgraded a bit just because we haven't seen a ton of him in the Majors. He certainly didn't give us many reasons for doubt in his rookie campaign, slashing a strong .254/.362/.445 with 13 homers and four steals in his 470 PA. He's a mature hitter already (18.3% K%, 13.8% BB%), so it seems pretty unlikely that he's not a well above-average hitter again in 2023 - but you always have to be a little bit more hesitant with unproven guys like Adley.

 

Tier 3 - Some Fair Criticisms

Player Team Rank Tier PA R HR RBI SB AVG
Salvador Perez KC 6 3 608 73 35 76 1 .261
Alejandro Kirk TOR 7 3 551 69 16 80 0 .282
Sean Murphy ATL 8 3 69 19 19 77 1 .242
MJ Melendez KC 9 3 599 82 20 57 4 .236
William Contreras MIL 10 3 486 60 25 70 1 .250

This is probably where the debate begins. Some rankers will certainly have Perez much higher than me, and the projection here should actually put him as the #2 catcher. I just have my doubts about the age and the Royals' lineup prospects. He gets almost all of his fantasy value with the long ball, so any reduction in swing speed driven by age could really hurt him playing in a bad ballpark for homers. That's all a little bit too harsh, probably, but whatever - I'm sticking with Perez down here at #6.

I'm also a bit low on Kirk, just because he seems more like a 10-homer guy than a 20-homer guy to me. His barrel rate has always been low and he just doesn't swing the bat very hard. Mix that in with the presence of Danny Jansen and I think we have some legitimate concerns about his production and even the playing time projection.

My favorite price-considered catcher options right now are the next two guys there, Sean Murphy and MJ Melendez. Murphy is just a great hitter that will probably hit sixth for the Braves, an elite spot to be in. Escaping Oakland should be astounding for his fantasy production, and I think he's much too cheap in these early drafts.

As for Melendez, I just love a catcher with some speed that doesn't play a ton behind the plate. Melendez plays some outfield and first base, giving him wide paths to a big PA count. He hit just .217 last year, which is a downer, but the solid 24.5% K% and foot speed make me think he can really improve on that a lot. Sign me up.

At the end of this tier is William Contreras, who was very impressive last year and now moves into the starting role with the Brewers. My problem is the ground-ball rate (53%). He was really fortunate to hit the 20 homers he did last year, having one of the best HR/FB in the league last year. It's a great ballpark for him, and he hits the ball very hard, but I think the 25-homer projection is too high, and you're not going to get steals. He's a fine pick, but I think the price will end up too high for him.

 

Tier 4

Player Team Rank Tier PA R HR RBI SB AVG
Travis d'Arnaud ATL 11 4 399 45 14 44 0 .236
Tyler Stephenson CIN 12 4 507 55 14 63 1 .282
Danny Jansen TOR 13 4 479 61 24 59 1 .238

I really want to get a catcher from one of those first three tiers, because here we see a real fall-off. Stephenson is the guy here with the most secure playing time, but he doesn't have a ton of power or speed, and the Reds' offense could be a disaster next season. d'Arnaud and Jansen are both skilled hitters, but they're the second-best catcher on their team. If they don't get significant PA counts at DH, they could be almost irrelevant for fantasy just because of the playing time.

 

Tier 5 - Upside

Player Team Rank Tier PA R HR RBI SB AVG
Keibert Ruiz WSH 14 5 472 43 8 50 5 .263
Cal Raleigh SEA 15 5 524 61 27 71 3 .219
Yasmani Grandal CWS 16 5 350 42 12 42 1 .232

And now we're past the really good hitters. These guys all have serious red flags for fantasy purposes (Ruiz doesn't have much pop, and Raleigh and Grandal have terrifying batting average prospects), so you're playing with fire if you're relying on a catcher at this point.

That said, I'm more or less okay with Ruiz if it comes to that. He'll be in the lineup and have some RBI opportunities hitting fifth or sixth for the Nationals, and he should give us a decent batting average with his contact ability. I also don't see why Grandal won't have a significant bounce-back from the disaster that was 2022, so he'll be really cheap for a guy with power. Raleigh's power is for real, but the strikeouts might get to a point where he hurts you more in batting average than he helps in homers.

 

Tier 6 - Some Redeeming Quality

Player Team Rank Tier PA R HR RBI SB AVG
Joey Bart SF 17 6 365 37 10 33 2 .207
Christian Vazquez MIN 18 6 385 42 7 39 4 .268
Austin Nola SD 19 6 298 32 3 32 1 .262
Jonah Heim TEX 20 6 402 39 11 44 3 .212

With Bart, you have a young-ish hitter (26) with good bat speed. He could definitely take a step forward and hit 20+ homers, but it's a long shot given how awful he has been with the strikeout. Vazquez, Nola, and Heim are all extremely low-upside options, but they can at least do something well (Vazquez and Nola hit for a good batting average, and Heim has some pop and speed).

I'm okay with one of these guys as a second catcher in a huge league, but if you're starting one of these as your primary catcher, you're probably in trouble.

 

Tier 7 - The Rest

Player Team Rank Tier PA R HR RBI SB AVG
Mike Zunino CLE 21 7 332 43 20 40 0 .206
Elias Diaz COL 22 7 338 39 10 37 0 .234
Jose Trevino NYY 23 7 312 35 7 31 3 .241
Carson Kelly ARI 24 7 327 34 8 34 2 .235
Gary Sanchez MIN 25 7 321 36 14 35 1 .212
Eric Haase DET 26 7 321 32 13 31 1 .223

Empty power here with Zunino, Kelly, Sanchez, and Haase - and some batting average possibilities with Diaz and Trevino. None of these guys have solidified playing time, and all are quite likely to just put up disastrous stat lines when all things are said and done.

That's the catcher position, keep an eye out for more rankings and tiers pieces this month!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Dillon Brooks

Moved to Suns
Jalen Green

Headed to Phoenix
Kevin Durant

Traded to Rockets
Corbin Carroll

Not in Sunday's Lineup
Wyatt Langford

Back in Action on Sunday
Jordan Westburg

Sidelined on Sunday
Adley Rutschman

Will Not Return Until After All-Star Break
Denny Hamlin

the Favorite to Notch Yet Another Pocono Win
Ryan Blaney

Qualifies 20th but Should Contend at Pocono
William Byron

the Chalk DFS Play at Pocono After Wrecking in Qualifying
Joey Logano

Is Better Than Recent Pocono Record Suggests
Chris Buescher

Looking for Legitimate Pocono Win This Time
Brad Keselowski

Should Be Strong at Pocono This Weekend
Josh Berry

a Safe DFS Option at Pocono After Diffuser Issue
Erik Jones

Is Good at Pocono
Noah Gragson

is a DFS Pivot Option at Pocono
Austin Dillon

is Respectable at Pocono
John Hunter Nemechek

Should Be Avoided in DFS
Chase Burns

to be Called Up, Will Start Tuesday Versus Yankees
Christopher Bell

Probably Not Dominant Enough Recently for DFS Play
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace's Lack of Pocono Qualifying Time Makes Him a DFS Must-Have
Ross Chastain

Not As Good a DFS Option As Usual at Pocono
Chase Briscoe

Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Carson Hocevar

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.'s Feud with Carson Hocevar Will Be His Only Pocono Storyline Today
Daniel Suarez

Pocono One of Daniel Suarez's Stronger Tracks
Chris Buescher

Ryan Preece Looks to Close Playoff Deficit to Teammate Chris Buescher
Shane Van Gisbergen

Another Learning Experience for Shane van Gisbergen at Pocono
Michael McDowell

Poor Qualifying Makes Him Worthy of DFS Consideration
Ty Dillon

Consistent at Pocono at a Very Low Level
Cal Raleigh

Hits 30th Homer
Ian Happ

Homers Twice in Win
Marvin Mims Jr.

Aiming for Another Pro Bowl Selection
Terry McLaurin

Commanders Not "in a Great Place" Regarding New Contract
Kel'el Ware

Heat Unwilling to Trade Kel'el Ware to the Suns
Jakob Poeltl

Won't be Included in Potential Trade with Phoenix
Chris Sale

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Geor'quarius Spivey

Chiefs Sign Geor'quarius Spivey
Jake Burger

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Calvin Ridley

Looks Bought in
Cam Ward

Looks Good During Offseason Workouts
Adley Rutschman

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Jalen Ramsey

Prefers to Move to West Coast
Malik Nabers

Giants Being Extra Cautious With Malik Nabers
Shota Imanaga

to Come Off Injured List and Start Next Week
Mitch Garver

Cracks Two Homers, Drives in Five
Jacob Misiorowski

Takes Perfect Game Into Seventh
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Continues Crushing Baseballs With Two More Dingers
Riley Greene

Keeps Mashing With Pair of Homers
Christian Yelich

Tallies Career-High Eight RBI
Josh Green

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Dwight Powell

Exercises Player Option
Xazavian Valladay

Waived by Saints
Tre' McKitty

Released by Browns
Chig Okonkwo

Building Chemistry with Cam Ward
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Add Perrion Winfrey.
Jake Ferguson

Hindered by Knee Issue in 2024
Jamahal Hill

Set For UFC Azerbaijan Main Event
Khalil Rountree Jr.

A Favorite At UFC Azerbaijan
Ignacio Bahamondes

Set For UFC Azerbaijan Co-Main Event
Rafael Fiziev

In Dire Need Of Victory
Rizvan Kuniev

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Curtis Blaydes

A Huge Favorite
Tofiq Musayev

Makes His UFC Debut At UFC Azerbaijan
Myktybek Orolbai

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Nikolas Motta

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Nazim Sadykhov

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Bogdan Grad

Set For His Second UFC Appearance
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Set for More Testing After HBP
Muhammad Naimov

Set To Open Up UFC Azerbaijan Main Card
Julius Randle

Naz Reid and Julius Randle Expected to Return to the Timberwolves
T.J. McConnell

Keys Pacers Bench in Big Win
Jalen Williams

Struggles in Game 6 Loss
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Can't Close Out Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton

Helps the Pacers Push the Thunder to Game 7
Obi Toppin

Drops 20 Points in Pacers Win
Pascal Siakam

Powers Pacers to Game 6 Win
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Goes Eight Strong Innings in Win Over Marlins
Andre Granillo

Notches First Career Win, Then First Career Save in Doubleheader
Aaron Rodgers

Steelers Offense Could Look to get the Ball Out of Aaron Rodgers' Hand Quickly
Joe Mixon

to be Ready at Some Point During Training Camp
Alejandro Kirk

Slugs Two Home Runs in Loss
Emery Jones Jr.

Ravens "Hopeful" Emery Jones Jr. Will be Ready for Training Camp
Tyquan Thornton

Andy Reid Impressed by Tyquan Thornton
Shedeur Sanders

has Multiple Speeding Tickets
Travis Kelce

Chiefs Not Looking to Limit Travis Kelce's Snap Count
Josh Simmons

Will be Ready for Training Camp
Sal Cannella

Browns Sign UFL Standout Tight End Sal Cannella
Jonathan Ward

Steelers Release Jonathan Ward
Tyrese Haliburton

Officially Questionable for Game 6
Maverick McNealy

May Need To Be Avoided at TPC River Highlands
Wyndham Clark

Avoid Wyndham Clark at the Travelers Championship
Rickie Fowler

a Very Risky Option at TPC River Highlands
Russell Henley

Has Elite Value at TPC River Highlands
Ben Griffin

Once Again a Solid Option for Travelers Championship
Jason Day

an Intriguing Option at TPC River Highlands
PGA

Sungjae Im Still Totally Useless For DFS Ahead of Travelers Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Looking to Bounce Back After Messy U.S. Open
Ryan Fox

Looks to Continue Hot Run at TPC River Highlands
Jordan Spieth

Makes a Strong Case at Travelers Championship
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks to Continue Momentum Into Travelers Championship
Hideki Matsuyama

Searching for Consistency at Travelers Championship
Justin Thomas

Looks to Bounce Back at Travelers Championship
Adam Scott

Looks to Rebound After Disappointing U.S. Open Finish
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Another Strong Performance at Travelers
Shane Lowry

a High-Upside Play at Travelers
Tommy Fleetwood

Looks to Rebound at Travelers
Corey Conners

Withdraws from Travelers with Wrist Injury
Keegan Bradley

in Solid Form Ahead of Travelers Championship
Gary Woodland

Hit-or-Miss at the Travelers
Sepp Straka

Expected to Contend at Travelers Championship
Tyrese Haliburton

to Be a Game-Time Call Thursday
Roman Josi

Expects to Return for 2025-26 Campaign
Sam Bennett

Wins Conn Smythe Trophy
Matthew Tkachuk

Reveals Multiple Injuries
Aleksander Barkov

Posts Two Assists in Cup-Clinching Win
Carter Verhaeghe

Collects Hat Trick of Assists in Tuesday's Win
Sam Reinhart

Scores Four Goals in Cup-Clincher
John Klingberg

Rejoins Oilers Lineup Tuesday
Kasperi Kapanen

Returns to Oilers Lineup for Game 6
Stuart Skinner

Back in Oilers Crease Tuesday
Chet Holmgren

Has Tough Shooting Night in Game 5 Against Pacers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Outstanding at Both Ends Monday
Jalen Williams

Erupts for 40 Points in Game 5 Win
Pascal Siakam

Has Best Game of Finals Monday
Tyrese Haliburton

Determined to Battle Through Calf Injury
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF