X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Catcher Prospects Rankings for 2023 Fantasy Baseball Redraft Leagues

Endy Rodriguez - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Prospects

The catching position has evolved tremendously over the past few seasons, and now is the perfect time to tune in. With fantasy drafts underway, you might want to get up to date on the prospect watch. This year's catching class is quite talented, and many of these catching prospects will see time in the majors this season.

Today I give you the top-10 catching prospects for re-draft leagues. My buddy Eric Cross composed his own top-10 rankings for dynasty leagues, and I encourage you to check that out as well. But for now, especially if you hold by NFC, it's time to take a look at the 10 best catching prospects for redraft geeks like me.

Let's take a deep dive! Good luck this year and make sure you check out all of our MLB season-long content here at RotoBaller all season long!

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers received 13 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association including Baseball Writer of the Year, Football Writers of the Year, Golf Writer of the Year and many more! Be sure to follow their analysis, rankings and advice all year long, and win big with RotoBaller! Read More!

 

Top 10 Catching Prospects For Redraft

10. Yainer Diaz, Houston Astros

Despite the emergence of Korey Lee, the Astros possess another undervalued catcher in Yainer Diaz. With the current catching situation consisting of a middling Martin Maldonado, Houston's catching depth has a bright future ahead. Diaz is surprisingly four spots ahead of Lee on the Astros' top-30 list, and there's a valid reason behind it.

His average-at-best defense won't stick long-term behind the plate, but he should see an ample amount of opportunities at first base. Diaz has shown genuine maturity as a hitter, especially his raw power, which has upgraded tremendously. He's now on track to be a 20-plus home run hitter, and we can't forget that he is capable of hitting for a high clip.

The 24-year-old hoisted a .898 OPS between two levels in 2022, which was supplemented by 25 dingers. His plate discipline is even more of a commodity for such a scarce position of talent, which was evident in his 15% strikeout clip in Double-A. Diaz isn't the next Francisco Alvarez, but he's got enough catching upside to earn a fantasy roster spot.

 

9. Bo Naylor, Cleveland Guardians

The Guardians already optioned Naylor to Triple-A, but he still has a steady shot at shadowing Mike Zunino throughout the season. Naylor hasn't been much of a flier in redraft leagues and has been taken in the mid-400s over the past month in NFC leagues. That needs to change quickly. He isn't guaranteed a roster spot, which I get diminishes his fantasy value. Although are we forgetting what truly matters here?

The 23-year-old owned a .392 OBP in the minors this season, which already indicates that he'll be a tough at-bat in the pros. I would have fussed about his lack of home-run pop, but Naylor came up with 21 home runs this past season. The biggest drawback of Naylor is his poor plate judgment which translated into a 25.9% punchout rate in Triple-A Columbus.

In the bigger picture, Naylor is prompted for quality catching reps this season in the big leagues, and it may come early if he turns heads in Triple-A Columbus. His fantasy upside is difficult to approximate considering that he's barely scratched the surface in the big leagues, although, he certainly has the ceiling of an above-average backstop.

 

8. Logan O'Hoppe, Los Angeles Angels

O'Hoppe may not have an over-the-top profile, but he's made vast improvements to polish his draft stock. He's made big strides defensively and has proven to be an above-average pitch caller. At least in my eyes, he's one of the most potent defensive backstops on this list.

The-23-year-old has reached new heights of stardom at the plate, which can only further my case to stash him in redraft leagues. He hit his way to a ridiculous .416 OPB and began to create louder contact in the form of 26 long bombs. I wouldn't hesitate to fix O'Hoppe as an annual 20-home-run hitter in the pros, especially if his pop continues to evolve.

Here's something wild. Despite the fact that I fixed O'Hoppe as the eighth catcher on this list, he has been the most popular catching prospect in NFC leagues over the past month. His ADP resides at 234.77, which is mostly because O'Hoppe is in line to become the starting backstop of the Angels at some point this season.

 

7. Tyler Soderstrom, Oakland Athletics

The A's most prized prospect, Tyler Sodertsrom is poised to become the face of Oakland baseball over the next couple of years; soon to be Las Vegas. He was a late first-round pick in 2020 and is now on the cusp of cracking the big leagues. He's a fun dude especially since he isn't necessarily a catcher at heart. He didn't have a ton of catching experience before going pro, which will likely move him to first base. I'm hoping that the A's will settle his defensive positioning by the time he turns pro. Although it could be fun to see some platoon action.

Most of his gleam comes from his bat which has proven to be a reliable source of offense. He flourished in A-ball in 2021 after scorching a .958 OPS, but he sorta derailed this past season. His OPS descended by 100 ticks (.825) but that can be attributed to the increase in home runs. He hit 29 total. Well, before we stash him in our fantasy lineups, Sodey needs to stabilize his strikeout numbers. I can't have the dude whiffing 26.7% of his plate appearances.

He still has time to grow into his home-run pop and I'm expecting him to run the show in Oakland over the next few seasons.

 

6. Kevin Parada, New York Mets

The Mets have an exciting pair of catching prospects to look forward to as they clear the path for a top-heavy Francisco Alvarez. Although let's not forget who the Mets took as the 11th pick in the 2022 draft. Just a dude named Kevin Parada.

Parada has got a lot going for him as an amateur prospect, and things could get interesting once he's ready to play in the bigs. He's got a reputable bat that molded a .455 OPB across 13 minor-league games in 2022. Before he went pro, Parada smacked 26 home runs with Georgia Tech and that could be hinting at a 20-25 long-ball hitter in the big leagues.

As long as Parada continues to barrel the ball and create solid contact, he should come out to be an above-average hitter. He's got a lot of time before we can provide an educated estimate of how he'll pan out, but fantasy managers should keep him on the radar. I wouldn't be surprised if he's a top-10 catcher in the league, fives year down the line.

 

5. Harry Ford, Seattle Mariners

The catching situation in Seattle is fairly shallow aside from the resurgence of Cal Raleigh, but that will change once Harry Ford is MLB-ready. He's only expected to be ready by 2025, which gives him an ample amount of time to find his identity as a catcher.

Ford is unlike most catchers in that he has the capacity to flirt with 25 stolen base seasons in the big leagues. Yes, a running catcher. He swiped 23 bags with Low-A Modesto, which is likely an indicator that he'll be an aggressive base runner. Ford posted a .863 OPS and compiled 38 extra-base hits with a .425 OPB. He's shown to be a capable hitter but given his underwhelming 5'10" frame, he'll likely be limited to extra-base hits.

The Georgia native is only 20 years old and is already on his way toward becoming the starting catcher for the Mariners in three-to-four years. He's currently the No. 1 ranked prospect in Seattle's system, and fantasy managers will go berzerk once he's eligible in redraft leagues.

 

4. Henry Davis, Pittsburgh Pirates

Davis was the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 Draft and is already well on his way to becoming the Pirates' full-time catcher. Although with Endy Rodriguez in line to see MLB action this coming season, Davis may have issues finding reps behind the plate.

The 23-year-old is one of the most well-rounded hitters you will find in a prospect. He hits every part of the field, which is supplemented by a chunk of over-the-fence power. Davis posted a .852 OPS along with 10 home runs and a .461 wOBA through 100 plate appearances in High-A ball. He has impressive pitch recognition as displayed by his 18% strikeout rate in High-A, and he shouldn't have an issue drawing walks once he turns pro.

There are legit concerns regarding his poor defensive abilities behind the plate, but his prestigious arm does a solid job of balancing things out. The Pirates are hoping that they can modify his defensive habits, and mold him into an average defensive backstop. Either way, he will only go as far as his bat takes him.

 

3. Diego Cartaya, Los Angeles Dodgers

If you're looking for a classic orthodox catcher, Cartaya checks every box. His bulky 6'3" frame accompanies a heap of home-run pop, and things could get scary once he fills out his build. We're talking 35 homer range.

I have no doubts that he'll be a productive hitter, which includes extra-base hits and a whole lot of plated runs, but his free-swinging approach raises some long-term concerns. Cartaya whiffed a whole lot last season as demonstrated by his 26.8% mark, but he reads pitches well and isn't reluctant to work a walk (14.1% walk rate). I'm not too concerned, especially since he'll be one of the more prominent hitters in the game.

Defensively, his arm is compelling enough to keep him behind the plate, but he needs to throw out more runners to round things out. He only threw out 19% of runners between two levels last season. Cartaya is an in-the-process receiver but should evolve into a solid defensive catcher.

Overall, this kid will evolve into a stud once he matures, and you may as well cast your votes for the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year.

 

2. Endy Rodriguez, Pittsburgh Pirates

Rodriguez jumped multiple spots on the Pirates Top 30 list over the past season and is now one spot ahead of his predecessor Henry Davis. The 22-year-old is tearing it up in the minor leagues, and many doubted his ability to hit before he turned pro. Well, he may just be the next dude in Pittsburgh.

Rodriguez blew everyone out of the water once his bat started to get going, and is projected to be a more-than-capable hitter in the big leagues. He exhibits impressive bat speed which can be attributed to his .323 clip this past season, and he even grew into some pop after hitting 25 home runs. The Dominican is a disciplined gal at the plate, which manifested in the form of an 18.4% strikeout rate across three levels in 2022.

The 22-year-old is a flexible defender which may not keep him behind the plate, but his catching skills are a work in progress. The majority of his playtime was behind the dish in 2022, but he's also developing some prowess in the outfield and second base. At least in my eyes, fantasy managers should not be drafting him as the 510th pick.

 

1. Francisco Alvarez, New York Mets

Alvarez is the third-best prospect in the business and has a bright future as the Mets' starting catcher. Not to mention, things could get interesting once Parada is ready.

The 21-year-old possesses monumental power that should have no problem flirting with 30-plus bombs in the big leagues. He scorched 27 long bombs this past season, and his exit velocity numbers will break the charts once he becomes a full-time major leaguer. His bat was underwhelming in Triple-A after he posted a .234 clip, but he tore things up in Double-A after slugging .553 through 296 PAs.

His swinging decisions need some work as displayed by his 24% strikeout mark in Double-A. He's a fringy defensive catcher, but he's got enough arm strength to throw out a comforting percentage of runners (29%).

I hope that enough evidence was supplied to convince you that Alvarez is the best catching prospect in baseball. Good luck fantasy managers!

 



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




LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

ROTOBALLER PLAYER NEWS

Brandon Powell1 hour ago

Joining Vikings
New England Patriots2 hours ago

Patriots Re-Sign Jalen Mills
DeMar DeRozan2 hours ago

Won't Return On Wednesday
Austin Reaves2 hours ago

Moves Into Starting Five
Houston Texans2 hours ago

Texans Sign Denzel Perryman
Seiya Suzuki2 hours ago

Takes BP, Runs Bases Wednesday
Foster Moreau2 hours ago

Stepping Away From Football
Marcus Stroman2 hours ago

To Start Opening Day
Jalen Suggs2 hours ago

Ruled Out For Thursday
Yu Darvish2 hours ago

May Not Start Opening Day For Padres
Houston Rockets2 hours ago

D.J. Augustin Signs With Rockets
Mike Clevinger2 hours ago

Pitched Through Sinus Infection
Joe Musgrove2 hours ago

Throws Simulated Game Wednesday
Nick Richards2 hours ago

Signs Extension
Jace Peterson2 hours ago

Sustains Hand Bruise After HBP On Wednesday
Anthony Davis2 hours ago

To Suit Up On Wednesday
Jhoan Duran2 hours ago

To Throw Thursday
Alex Kirilloff3 hours ago

To Miss Opening Of Season
Kyle Manzardo3 hours ago

Sent Down To Minor League Camp
Jorge Polanco3 hours ago

To Miss Beginning Of Season
Jonah Heim3 hours ago

To Serve As Primary Catcher
Mitch Garver4 hours ago

Ramping Up Action
Austin Hooper4 hours ago

Heading To Vegas
Elijah Moore5 hours ago

Dealt To Cleveland
Jose Altuve5 hours ago

No Baseball Activities For Two Months
Jalen McDaniels5 hours ago

Ruled Out Wednesday
Mecole Hardman5 hours ago

Agrees To One-Year Deal With Jets
James Harden5 hours ago

Will Sit Wednesday
Alex Caruso5 hours ago

Will Play Against Philadelphia
Ja Morant5 hours ago

To Come Off Bench, See Minutes Limit Wednesday
Tyrese Haliburton5 hours ago

And Chris Duarte Ruled Out Wednesday
Kyle Hendricks5 hours ago

Has Three Bullpen Sessions Lined Up
Caleb Martin5 hours ago

Available To Play Wednesday
Kyle Lowry6 hours ago

Will Play Versus Knicks
Torey Krug6 hours ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Filip Hronek6 hours ago

Set For Canucks Debut Thursday
Kyrie Irving6 hours ago

Remains Out Versus Golden State
Luka Doncic6 hours ago

Will Play Wednesday
Bradley Beal6 hours ago

Sitting Versus Nuggets
Elvis Merzlikins6 hours ago

Available For Selection Again
Connor Ingram6 hours ago

Faces Oilers Wednesday
Brandon Nimmo6 hours ago

Could Be Ready For Games This Weekend
Stuart Skinner6 hours ago

In Oilers Crease On Wednesday
Shohei Ohtani6 hours ago

Will Throw In Minor League Game Friday
Darren Helm6 hours ago

Returns To Action Wednesday
Drew Rucinski7 hours ago

To Miss Next Start, IL Stint Possible
Cale Makar7 hours ago

Misses Another Game Wednesday
Jackson Chourio7 hours ago

Wows In Limited Spring Training
Kyle Tucker7 hours ago

Should Be Fine Moving Forward
Ranger Suárez7 hours ago

Ranger Suarez Likely To Begin Year On IL
Carlos Carrasco7 hours ago

Scratched From Thursday's Start
Keldon Johnson8 hours ago

Could Miss Second Consecutive Game
Jalen McDaniels8 hours ago

Questionable With Hip Soreness
Karl-Anthony Towns8 hours ago

Expected To Return On Wednesday
Bradley Beal8 hours ago

Now Listed As Questionable On Wednesday
Jordan Clarkson8 hours ago

Remains Sidelined With Finger Sprain
D'Ernest Johnson10 hours ago

Signs With Jaguars
C.J. Stroud10 hours ago

Panthers Meet With C.J. Stroud
Jaxon Smith-Njigba10 hours ago

Runs 4.53 Unofficial Forty
DeAndre Hopkins10 hours ago

Not On Browns' Radar
Russell Wilson11 hours ago

Expected To Be Fine For OTAs
Miro Heiskanen13 hours ago

Matches Franchise Record Tuesday
Wyatt Johnston13 hours ago

Pushes His Goal Streak To Five Games
Brandon Tanev13 hours ago

Produces A Big Performance Against Dallas
Luke Evangelista14 hours ago

Ties Franchise Record With Four-Point Period
Quinn Hughes14 hours ago

Continues Multi-Assist Streak
Troy Terry14 hours ago

Exits With Injury
Brock Nelson14 hours ago

Injured Versus Toronto
Josh Anderson14 hours ago

Gets Hurt Tuesday
Alex Ovechkin23 hours ago

Lights The Lamp In Capitals Loss
Jack Roslovic24 hours ago

Scores Twice in Columbus Victory
Taylor Montgomery1 day ago

A Hard Fade In Austin
Sam Burns1 day ago

Hard To Trust At WGC Dell Match Play
Kirby Dach1 day ago

Returns To Action Tuesday
Evgeny Kuznetsov1 day ago

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Ryan Lindgren1 day ago

Back For Rangers Tuesday
Jordan Greenway1 day ago

Won't Play Tuesday
Arizona Cardinals1 day ago

Cardinals Agree With L.J. Collier On One-Year Deal
Dallas Cowboys1 day ago

Cowboys To Re-Sign Dante Fowler To One-Year Deal
Pittsburgh Steelers1 day ago

Steelers Re-Sign Cornerback James Pierre
Max Homa1 day ago

A Strong Contender In Austin
Atlanta Falcons1 day ago

Falcons Planning To Host Calais Campbell
Denver Broncos1 day ago

Broncos Expected To Draft RB This Year
Ronald Jones1 day ago

Cowboys Agree To Deal With Ronald Jones
Austin Ekeler1 day ago

Would Like To Stay With Chargers
Lamar Jackson1 day ago

Ready To Move On From Ravens?
Minnesota Vikings1 day ago

Vikings Re-Sign Jonathan Bullard
Tom Hoge1 day ago

A Bracket-Buster In Match Play
Hideki Matsuyama1 day ago

Doesn't Perform In Match Play
Kamaru Usman1 day ago

Unsuccessful In Bid To Recapture Title
Leon Edwards1 day ago

Defends Crown At UFC 286
Viktor Hovland1 day ago

Has Struggled In Match Play
Rafael Fiziev1 day ago

Has Strong Showing But Takes Loss
Justin Gaethje1 day ago

Puts On Another Highlight-Reel Performance
Tyrrell Hatton2 days ago

The Favorite In His Group
Bryan Barberena2 days ago

Suffers Second Straight Submission Loss
Gunnar Nelson2 days ago

Scores Impressive Finish At UFC 286
Will Zalatoris2 days ago

Needs Birdies At WGC Match Play
Jordan Spieth2 days ago

Can Advance At WGC Match Play
Matt Fitzpatrick2 days ago

May Struggle At WGC Match Play
Chris Kirk2 days ago

Draws A Bit Unlucky At WGC Match Play
Patrick Cantlay2 days ago

Has Good Chance At WGC Match Play
Brian Harman2 days ago

Has Putter's Chance To Contend At WGC
Tommy Fleetwood2 days ago

Has Challenge At WGC Match Play
Casey O'Neill2 days ago

Takes First Defeat Against Former Champion
Jennifer Maia2 days ago

Earns Decision Win Over Undefeated Opponent
Roman Dolidze2 days ago

Suffers Setback With Decision Loss
Marvin Vettori2 days ago

Picks Up Decision Win
Kyle Busch2 days ago

Finishes In Top 10 At Atlanta
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Finishes Strong In Atlanta
Erik Jones3 days ago

Gets His First Top-10 Finish Of The Season
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

Bounces Back From Speeding Penalty
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Has A Strong Showing
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Hangs in For Fifth Place At Atlanta
Corey Lajoie3 days ago

Corey LaJoie Uses Course To Advantage On Sunday
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Ends Up With Another Top Five Result
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Brad Keselowski Noses Christopher Bell Out For Second
Joey Logano3 days ago

Goes From Pole To Win Sunday
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Starts 23rd
Ryan Preece4 days ago

Starts 24th At The AmBetter Health 400
AJ Allmendinger4 days ago

Eyes Another Strong Finish
NASCAR4 days ago

Ricky Stenhouse Eyes Back-To-Back Superspeedway Wins
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

May Be Overlooked
Erik Jones4 days ago

Is A Value Play At Atlanta
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Seeks Better Results
Noah Gragson4 days ago

Might Surprise At Atlanta Motor Speedway
Austin Dillon4 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Atlanta
Ty Dillon4 days ago

Hoping To Keep Car Running At Atlanta
NASCAR4 days ago

J.J. Yeley Starts 34th Sunday At Ambetter Health 400
Kamaru Usman5 days ago

Seeking Second Title Run
Leon Edwards5 days ago

Looks To Defend Crown On Saturday
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF