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Welcome officially to the 2022 fantasy baseball season! Now that an MLB deal is in place, a lot more fantasy drafts will be taking place -- and we're here as always to guide you through it. Once you reach the late rounds of drafts, everyone is looking to draft players with upside that can provide a great return on value. You can afford to start taking a risk or two on a variety of different players, including emerging prospects, overlooked veterans, players returning from injury, or even talented players who may have some playing time concerns. The early rounds are critical and the middle rounds shape the core of your starting squad, but the late rounds are where you have the opportunity to select hidden gems who can play a huge role for your fantasy team.
Today, we're looking at some late-round catchers for you to consider drafting in your season-long leagues this season. Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and become a late-round sleeper draft target that you're going to want to prioritize? Read on to see our take.
Our editors have hand-picked these specific MLB players for your draft prep enjoyment. Normally only available to Premium subscribers, the five outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2022 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today and start reading all of our in-depth 2022 player outlooks, and many other premium articles and tools, available exclusively in our 2022 Draft Kit.
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Mitch Garver, Texas Rangers
Catcher Mitch Garver enjoyed a solid season at the plate for the Minnesota Twins in 2021. The veteran hit .256 with 13 home runs and a stolen base in 243 plate appearances. He also logged a 12.8% walk rate en route to registering a quality .358 on-base percentage. Garver split time behind the plate with fellow catcher Ryan Jeffers in Minnesota but was dealt to the Texas Rangers for infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa and starting pitching prospect Ronny Hernandez after the lockout ended. The 31-year-old faces similar timeshare potential in Texas with the Rangers also employing Jonah Heim and Jose Trevino.
However, Garver should continue to get fairly regular playing time. According to NFBC, he currently has an ADP of 187.17 as the 10th catcher off the board in fantasy drafts. That seems about right for Garver as he'll provide some extra power and depth to a lineup in need of both. He could see a slight increase in RBI opportunities hitting after some combination of Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, and Adolis Garcia.
-- Ben Rosener - RotoBaller
Christian Vazquez, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez posted a decent season at the plate in 2021. Doing most of his damage further down the order in a deep Boston lineup, Vazquez hit .258 with a .308 on-base percentage, six home runs, and eight stolen bases in 498 plate appearances last season. He figures to once again share some playing time with Kevin Plawecki behind the dish but should continue to be a solid fantasy option at catcher in part thanks to his ability to chip in with stolen bases.
Vazquez has stolen at least four bases in each season going back to 2017. In fact, during that span, only J.T. Realmuto has more stolen bases among catchers. Boston's starting catcher currently has an ADP of 208.86 per NFBC, as the 11th catcher off the board. That seems about right for the veteran, who should continue to benefit from hitting in a quality Red Sox lineup
-- Ben Rosener - RotoBaller
Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (triceps) is the team's number one prospect, but his MLB debut will be delayed due to a right triceps strain. According to manager Brandon Hyde, he will be shut down for two to three weeks. The 23-year-old mashed in both Double-A and Triple-A in 2021, slashing .285/.397/.502 with 23 home runs, 75 RBI, 86 runs scored, and three stolen bases over 542 plate appearances. Once the No. 1 pick in the 2019 MLB Draft is fully recovered from his triceps injury, he will most likely need at-bats at Triple-A Norfolk before Baltimore considers promoting him to the big leagues. He's a once in a generational catcher who should develop into a four-category monster.
The triceps injury dings his fantasy value in redraft leagues, but his hit tool is excellent, and he has the upside to finish as a top-5 five catcher despite missing some time. ATC projects Rutschman with a .253/.338/.426 slash line with 12 home runs, 43 RBI, 43 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 368 plate appearances. Rutschman is worth selecting in the mid-to-late rounds in upcoming drafts with his massive upside once the top-10 catchers are off the board. However, due to the uncertainty of when the top prospect will make his MLB debut, fantasy managers will need to draft another solid catcher with Rutschman as he's mainly a stash for now in redraft formats.
-- Brad Camara - RotoBaller
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