March 15, 2025

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson had the best season of his career in 2024, recording a .258-19-66-69-1 line with a .339 wOBA and 112 wRC+ in 138 games (515 PA). The home runs, RBI, and runs scored were all career highs as the former first-round draft pick reduced his K% year-over-year by 3.4% to 22.7% and upped his Contact% by 4.6% to 78.9%. However, the second half is where he shined the most. Through July 28, the 6-foot-4 backstop had logged 307 PA, slashing .234/.313/.421 with a .318 wOBA and 98 wRC+. But from July 29 through the end of the season, a period of 208 PA, he ranked in the top three at the catcher position in BA (.293), OBP (.375), SLG (.478), wOBA (.370), and wRC+ (132). It seems most fantasy managers remember the second half and expect more of the same in 2025, drafting him around pick 141 per NFBC ADP data. However, ATC projections (.252-15-59-57-1) see the 28-year-old falling short of replicating 2024's numbers. RotoBaller has him well below the ADP, currently ranked at 175 overall. Update 3/15/25: Stephenson will start the season on the 10-day injured list after a low-grade oblique strain in spring training. With the latest news, Stephenson's ranking drops to 221 overall, as he should return to action in late April/early May. Despite the injury, the 28-year-old is a borderline C1 and is currently RotoBaller's C13 in the latest fantasy baseball rankings.--Jarod Rupp