Two-Catcher Leagues: Fantasy Baseball Draft Values To Outperform ADPs

Jeremy's two-catcher league fantasy baseball draft targets. His top fantasy baseball catchers sleepers to target late in drafts to fill the second catcher slot.

Two-catcher leagues completely change the strategy and outlook on the weakest position in fantasy baseball. In leagues requiring only one catcher, it's a viable strategy to punt the position and stream the best matchups off the waiver wire all season long to try to catch guys while they are hot. However, in two-catcher leagues, you can be quickly left behind at the position.

Whereas the 10-20 range in the catcher rankings is usually waiver-wire fodder in standard leagues, they become the best source of value when you need to fill two players at the position.

There are plenty of guys in this range who can serve as your first catcher with sleeper appeal or a strong second catcher who could give you an edge over the other teams in your league. Here are three guys who could end up vastly outperforming their ADP in 2025.

Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota Twins

ADP: 229

Ryan Jeffers enjoyed the best season of his career in 2024, slashing .226/.300/.432 with 21 home runs, 64 RBI, 56 runs, and three stolen bases in 122 games. This was good enough to finish as the 11th-best catcher in overall value, yet he's being drafted as the 18th catcher off the board on average in 2025 drafts.

People may think that 2024 was an outlier year, which is pushing his ADP down. However, he performed even better on a per-game basis in 2023 when he slashed .276/.369/.490 in 96 games.

The thing most likely creating the negative perception around Jeffers is how streaky he was in 2024. When he was hot, he looked like one of the best offensive catchers in the game, like when he posted a .947 OPS in March and April and a .926 OPS in August. However, he looks completely lost at the plate when he gets cold, as he did when he put up a .470 OPS in June and a .463 OPS in September and October.

This constant up and down leaves the feeling that you can't trust Jeffers, but it's important to realize that all of the stats average out in the end. Sticking through his hot and cold streaks will likely leave you with a very productive stat line by the year's end. Topping 20 homers isn't something many catchers can do, so it's a skill worth drafting with the 229th pick.

Some early run support for Sonny!!! 2-run blast by Jeffers!#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/2yiJbFpHBR

— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) August 4, 2023

He is still only 27 years old, with plenty of room for improvement. It's not out of the question that he can take another step forward in 2025. It seems like he's being drafted at his absolute floor as a mid-range second catcher, but he could very likely finish the year in the top 12 at the position once again.

Ivan Herrera, St. Louis Cardinals

ADP: 233

Ivan Herrera was forced to split time with both Willson Contreras and Pedro Pages behind the dish in 2024 but was able to make the most of his playing time. In 72 games, he slashed .301/.372/.428 with five home runs, 27 RBI, 37 runs, and five stolen bases.

With Contreras slated to become the Cardinals' everyday first baseman, Herrera will now only have to compete with Pages for at-bats. This should lead to a definite increase in playing time, which makes Herrera one of the leading breakout candidates for the position.

He excelled at making good contact, with a 45.5 percent ICR (Ideal Contact Rate) that ranked in the 94th percentile. His 42.1 percent hard-hit rate and .453 xSLG were also above-average marks when compared to the rest of the league, making them especially stand out among other catchers. His walk rate of 9.7 percent also ranked in the 70th percentile, making him a good bet for both batting average and OBP.

Need batting average at your No. 2 catcher?
Ivan Herrera is your guy. (ADP: 245 @TheReal_NFC )
.301 AVG last year, .293 xBA, elite contact skills.
He is slated to be the everyday backstop in St. Louis
ATC projects 4th-best AVG (.266) at the position 👀 #FantasyBaseball pic.twitter.com/DmqMihenrm

— Andy Smith (@A_Smith_FS) February 3, 2025

The five steals he put up were a surprising bonus, too. While you shouldn't count on speed being a part of his game, he does have league-average sprint speed, which is good for the position.

At only 24 years old, he has the upside to become an elite offensive catcher for fantasy. He is being drafted as the 19th catcher off the board on average, but if he keeps up his 2024 success and gains the majority of starts behind the plate, he has legitimate top-5 potential.

Alejandro Kirk, Toronto Blue Jays

ADP: 273

Alejandro Kirk had another disappointing season in 2024, slashing just .253/.319/.359 with five home runs, 54 RBI, and 23 runs in 103 games. It was the second straight year where he failed to return to his 2022 form when he slashed .285/.372/.415 with 14 home runs in 139 games.

His plate discipline remained elite last season, as he posted a 13.2 percent strikeout rate (95th percentile) and a 15.7 percent whiff rate (92nd percentile). This led to a .257 xBA, which ranks in the 66th percentile when compared to the rest of the league. However, that's a very good number for a catcher. ATC projections predict him to bat .259 in 2025, which is the fifth highest at the position.

The upside case for Kirk is that he will hopefully improve with more consistent playing time. He shared backstop duties with Danny Jansen throughout his career, but 2025 will be the first time that is no longer the case. After trading Jansen at the trade deadline last season, the Blue Jays didn't make any moves to bring in another high-profile player for the position.

The Blue Jays traded Danny Jansen on July 29.

From that point on, Alejandro Kirk had 180 PAs.

That was tied for 9th-most among catchers during this stretch.

The Jays currently have Tyler Heineman as backup catcher.

Projections have Kirk between 414-436 PA.

I'm going OVER.

— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) February 11, 2025

Kirk should be a lock for at least 400 plate appearances, but he has the chance to exceed that number. Some players are just better when they get consistent at-bats, so maybe it's not a coincidence that he logged 541 plate appearances in his breakout 2022 season.

He has a very high floor for a second catcher being drafted outside the top 350 overall, thanks to his guaranteed playing time and good batting average. Those two things already make him worth it at his ADP, but the 26-year-old has the potential to take another step forward to make him a top-12 catcher once again.

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