2019 Catcher Rankings
Catcher is so brutal. As if it couldn’t get worse, Salvador Perez is now out for the year. I’m not even sure everyone I listed is real.
Podcasts on C: J&J, Sporer Solo
- What’s your strategy at C in 1-C leagues v. 2-C leagues?
- How do you play it in shallow (10-12) v. deep (15)?
- Who’s your favorite gamble outside of my top 15?
2019 Catcher Rankings
You snubbed Carson Kelly. He’s at least as good as Sarris. Seriously though, I’m taking him late-teens. They say the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t, but with dumpster fires, it’s better to try the unfamiliar one.
I actually like Kelly so you’re right, it’s probably too low.
Eno at #30 might actually be better than some of these options in 2C leagues…
Seeing Eno at 30 reminds me that we are all only about 20 games short of C eligibility in most leagues…
Most never dream of wearing the tools of ignorance.
Enoooooooooo-ugh of these Catchers, let’s abolish the position in fantasy!
Can’t just get rid of it bc it’s very bad right now. These things are cyclical and it will rise again.
I agree, I feel like this was the SS position about 5-7 years ago.
So crazy how awesome SS is now!
Yes indeed, completely obnoxious. It seems like in 2 or 3 more years with Tatis and Bichette (and soon after Franco) like it isn’t going to let up any time soon.
Yeah, but some of these guys will grow or age out of SS. It generally seems that most of the people that stick at SS long-term are the no-bat glove first guys. Also some of the current crop will undoubtedly fall off of a cliff unexpectedly (see Garciapara, Nomar) and struggle with chronic injuries (see Tulowitski, Troy).
Thanks Debbie Downer
Eno needs a FanGraphs stats page, make it happen, Paul! See if Eric and Kiley can do a 20/80 grade for you.
And while we’re at it let’s just use a DH for the catcher in MLB since it’s no fun watching them hit! Or better yet, use 9 DHs and then have 9 other guys that can’t hit play the field.
I had a couple teams in my 10 team H2H not even carry a catcher last year to protect ratios. It will be a very viable strategy this year depending on your league.
It’s really not, though. Especially in a 10-teamer.
I use this strategy with starting pitchers. Just load up on elite closers and middle relievers, don’t draft any starters at all. Kind of punt wins (although I’ll pick starters up off the waiver wire if matchups are favorable), but it dominates saves, WHIP, and ERA, and stays competitive in strikeouts (by not drafting any starters, you can usually get at least 8 relievers who can give you 12+ k/9).
Unlike with pitching, there’s only one ratio category for hitting in most leagues. I can’t see it being a worthwhile strategy in that case.
Especially at the expense of the counting stats. Even a very mediocre C like a Cervelli is going to give you something like 10 HR and 90 R+RBI, which isn’t easy to make up elsewhere.
might be worth it in OBP leagues, especially since it’s not like you are losing out on any SBs.
You think Perez is bad is bad for the rankings, wait until the Twins punt Astudillo off the roster with Castro and Garver already on the team. Tragedies abound…
Sadly, I think Garver’s concussion issues lead me to doubt how much PT we can really depend from him. I expect that to be the avenue for more PT from Astudillo.
Ah! In that case, maybe Astudillo really has a chance to outperform Lucroy, Mejia, and Iannetta this year. Wouldn’t take much even in part time duty.
With this dumpster fire, I’m highly inclined to bump up even sss Catchers like Narvaez, or any C’s with an iota or upside (Sisco), or guys who are late to the party (Mejia) as opposed to the Beef Wellingtons of the world… draft the aforementioned guys a shade earlier than normal, then scoop up a warm body C like Barnhart later in the draft. thoughts?
Um, I have Eno Sarris as my 69th ranked catcher. I feel like that’s a Nice ranking for him.
You know a position is shallow when 8 of the Top 12 guys are in their 30’s.
I feel like (totally anecdotally and not at all supported by research) Catchers tend to break into the league later than other positions.
Catchers generally tend to peak late. Not always (Ivan Rodriguez springs to mind), but often. Catchers need a lot of experience in the minors to be ready for the majors.
Since you asked about strategy, here’s the catcher strategy I used in my brand new dynasty league this year. But first, the parameters:
Weekly H2H with daily line ups. Hitting categories are Runs (R), Home Runs (HR), Runs Batted In (RBI), Stolen Bases (SB) & On Base Plus Slugging Percentage (OPS). 18-team league. 30 round MLB player auction ($400 budget). 50 round minor league snake draft. One catcher.
Paid through the nose to get Realmuto ($43) then got lucky when he was traded to Philly (better hitter’s park). Ironically, I also took Sixto Sanchez in the minor league draft who moved to a better pitcher’s park in the same trade.
Drafted ready (or near ready) catchers in the minor league draft: Danny Jansen TOR (5th round), Willians Astudillo MIN (7th round), Andrew Knizner STL (15th round) and Will Smith LAD (19th round). The minor league draft is still going on and there is one more catcher I hope to pick up in the next round (30).
I figure I can trade a few catchers for the playoff push if I am in it by midseason or for depth in an area that may be lacking. By then, other owners in my league should have a pretty good idea how thin the catcher position is if they don’t already.
Well, how’d I do?
You way over-invested.
What is it about Suzuki that you like so much
I’d like to know too….
Let me try. He is around a league average hitter. He won’t get many at bats, but assuming you give him the catcher 2 in your league, he will not hurt you as much since catchers have negative value?
Tied for 3rd (w/Realmuto) in wRC+ at C over the last 2 seasons (min. 600 PA), tied for 9th in HR (31), tied for 4th in AVG (.276), 13th in RBI (100), and 15th in R (83) … and those R/RBI numbers come depsite being 20th in PA. He’s not a lockdown full-timer, but doesn’t need to be to perform.
Reminds me of Flowers the year before, who massivley underwhelmed in 2018. Unless I was projecting one of the WAS catchers for 75-80% of ABs, not sure I would rank either in the top 12, and I think I have Gomes ahead of Suzuki on my list since I assume he plays more.
Does this mean I keep Ramos @$10 and Contreras @ $14 on my two ten-team keeper leagues? I wasn’t even considering it.
Not if it’s a one catcher league, and especially not if you aren’t playing in a deep league. If it’s a one catcher, shallowish league, just draft the least bad option for $1. I tend to start throwing names out at about Catcher #6 on my list. You’d be surprised what you might end up with, when the other owners realize that they don’t want to bid up a catcher.
That’s usually the strategy I take. I thought this year’s dearth at the position might give me a greater advantage to keeping one with a shot at being incrementally more productive than in previous seasons, though with Ramos there’s that injury risk.
That’s always the rub. While the positional scarcity $ bump is totally justified mathematically, I’m just not comfortable paying a premium for someone that is much more likely to miss a chunk of time on the IL (where you’ll be wading into the dumpster fire of replacement catchers anyway), or will likely be playing through a nagging injury during the year. I’d much rather have the actual good hitter and a non-ratio killing catcher, than a “good” catcher and a replacement level person at another position.
Where are these non-ratio killing catchers you speak of?
I was toying with an idea. Might be completely off base, but in a DC not drafting a single catcher. The average guy drafts 4. Usually 1 in the 100s, and 2 in the 200-309 range and one super deep. Now let’s say instead we drafted players thay didn’t hurt your team, since mlb catchers last year were worse than leaving the roster spot open and just take 2 zeros for that roster spot? It is probably wrong, but maybe a variation of it taking two catchers around pick 500 that will not give you complete zeros, but also not give you many at bats therefore hurting team less? Maybe a guy who can hit lhp league average, etc.
I don’t think you can take 2 full on zeroes and expect to win at all. The incremental R/RBI are just too much to lose. Low end Cs are trash, but you can’t go full zeroes.
Makes sense. I’m probably in 10 or so. Did it in 2 as an experiment
Like Paul said – it’s natural to think of batting average as the only (offensive) category in which a player can hurt your team, but I find it’s better to think of all categories that way. If a guy doesn’t get a single at-bat all year he’s definitely hurting you in 4 out of 5 categories.
Eno needs to come on the pod to discuss his ranking. lol
Elias Diaz doesn’t get enough love here. He finished 10th in catcher WAR last year, despite just 277 PAs. He was 6th in wRC+ among catchers with 200+ PAs. 2nd in BA. 4th in SLG. 6th in OPS.
Yes, he is the “backup” to 33yo Cervelli. But Cervelli is on an expiring contract. And is coming off a career (for him) year. Most of the projections have Diaz playing less than he did last year, which seems unlikely given that if Cervelli plays well he will likely be traded, and if he plays poorly or goes back to suffering nagging injuries, Diaz is likely to steal reps.
If Diaz steals the job and gets 450 PAs, he could well be top-5 at the position this year. And even if he doesn’t he’s going to help your ratios at a position where most everyone else kills them.
I’d have him in the 12-14 range, with ceiling of top-5 and floor around 20th.
Given Cervalli’s concussions issues over the years and the fact that if the Pirates are out of the race in July then Cervalli is likely to be moved, so I can see Diaz getting 350+ plate appearances
Yup. He’s certainly a reach as a C1 … you’re counting on his best-case scenario if you make that bet. But as an upside C2 that might not cost you very much he’s perfectly useful.
Rostering him and another similar upside C2 (good bat, bad PAs), then starting the guy most likely to get 2-3 starts in that week isn’t the worst plan. If one of them grows into a bigger job you’ve got your profit.
I believe Grayson Greiner is expected to be the main starter for Detroit. He’s projected for 480 PAs by the FG Depth Charts. Shouldn’t he make the top 50 somewhere? I mean, he’s not good but he should provide something (projected for 10-ish homers).
lmao. Thanks for the laugh, Paul
I dropped Willson Contreras mid-June, didn’t fill our 1 C slot again the rest of the year and ended up winning my league. Wouldn’t be shocked if I end up doing something similar this year (the not carrying a C part)
My league sucked too.
By an SGP ranking of ZiPS projections, I have Astudillo at 8, Brett Nicholas (?) at 9, and a pair of Padres catchers, Austin Allen and Francisco Mejia, at 11-12. (How the Padres have 3 catchers projected to play 100 games, I’m not really sure.) Steamer doesn’t project any playing time at all for Nicholas, so he’s out for me. I’m targeting Astudillo or a Padre.
Eno Sarris, the Athletic writer, at 30?
Hey Paul I might have missed this somewhere – are there going to be rankings with multiple writers or is it going to be only you this year? Thanks!
Eno is only 33? Seems like he’s been around forever.
He runs like a man at least 10 years older though. I’m sure that dropped him a couple spots.
Feel good about getting 1 at the top then waiting to be the last to take my C2 knowing Sarris will still be there at the end of drafts…not sure how he is being overlooked.
Also, Meibrys Viloria? How is he not top 20 based on name alone?
On my first pass-through I thought Viloria was the fake one.
Is it really worth rostering a C after Cervelli? In a points league, can’t you punt the position and roster an extra pitcher instead?
You can do that math yourself. They’ll likely end up around the same points on 1-start weeks. The extra pitcher will be worth more on 2-start weeks. If you’re already at critical mass for SP (which you should be), the catcher will outperform the extra pitcher in weeks where your SP slots are already being filled with the better starters.
Yeah, I kind of figured so. I’m grateful I have Sanchez as a keeper, but I am thinking of joining a 2nd league and would be starting fresh for first time in a while. Thanks for the help.
Catcher keeps going in this direction, it won’t be long before there is a movement clamoring for a DH spot for them as well.
There already is! But there is a wave coming with some solid prospects.
Dreading the point in my upcoming AL draft (8 teams, must carry 2 C)where I say to myself “Do I go $3 on Omar Narvaez?)
Andy Martino of SNY is reporting that if d’Arnaud and Mesoraco are healthy by the end of spring that d’Arnaud could be traded somewhere and if it’s Oakland or KC he could move up the list barring health. This list and looking at the numbers are pretty ugly with Mike Peterello of Mlb.com mentioning how catchers in 2018 hit the worst they’ve hit since the mid 60’s, yikes.
Is Hundley worth taking late in the hopes he gets 200 at bats where he kills lefties? Phegley is terrible, Herrmann is a lefty, and Murphy isn’t likely to be ready yet.
Surprised Ramos is third I’ve seen him a few spots lower on many lists, but I don’t disagree with you on the ranking. Ramos has hit really well since having lasik surgery and he’ll hit at the top of the lineup a few spots behind an obp machine in Nimmo.
My strategy in 1-C NL-only 6×6? PUNT!!!! And load up elsewhere.
I kept a $3 Flowers over a $5 Chirinos. It was before I knew McCann would be in ATL but it still feels like maybe I was too cheap.
Eno Sarris LOL
In a 2xC redraft league I think I’d try very hard to make sure I get one actual good catcher (not WAY overpay, but a dollar or two, or a round or two is fine), then take a shot on an upside play for #2. When I say upside play, I don’t mean a boring accumulator that might earn enough R/RBI to offset bad ratios. I mean the opposite. A legit decent hitter who’s got playing time problems. Guys like Stassi, Astudillo, maybe even Diaz. Catchers get hurt. It’s what they do. Playing time problems have a way of working themselves out.
I might also try for both WAS catchers and just live with fewer PAs
Catcher isn’t a scary position as long as you have Gary Sanchez this year
Then it is horrifying. Cause if he breaks again, you’re extra screwed lol
No Evan Gattis? Are we assuming he sits out the season?
He only made 2 appearances at catcher last year with 0 starts. So he wouldn’t qualify at C in any leagues, even if he does sign.
And if he does still have catcher eligibility in one’s league, just know that he’ll only be passable up until August and then flat out quit on you. UGH
He has catcher eligibility in Fantrax leagues. Just noticed you are correct with Yahoo.
This the worst group of fantasy catchers in a long while.
Might as well take a dark horse late.
I took O.Narvaez.
I have Yasmani Grandal and Wilson Ramos in my league, and in inquiring about a third baseman, an owner in my team has expressed interest in Ramos (he has Salvador Perez). The suppression of exit velocity at Citi Field causes me pause, particularly at this ranking, and I do believe that I will try to move Ramos accordingly.
I have a 5×5 deep NL-only draft league with six keepers. I have Rizzo, Baez, Buehler, Blackmon, and then have to choose two of G.Polanco, Seager, W. Ramos, and Archer.
It’s looking like Seager and Ramos, but I have Archer lust.
Salvador Perez?
Why isn’t he on the list?
Edit: Just looked, Tommy Johns Surgery.
Yup out rest of season, unfortunately
FWIW there is a good chance Mejia starts the year in AAA
Robinson Chirinos, 4th among catchers in wOBA and 10th in HR since 2014 and the starter in Houston. Seems he should get more respect across the fantasy world.
10 teams w/ 35 roster spots each – I’m going to roster Suzuki and Gomes and adjust my lineup daily. Hoping it works out better than my plan of doing the same w/ Grandal and Barnes last year!
Eno due for a bounce back.
No room for Cam Gallagher?
I see what you did there with Eno Sarris.
But he is NOT better than Tyler Flowers, that’s for dang sure!
And I’ve seen Eno hit…..beers, he can really blast away to all fields.
Eno isn’t blocking anything in the dirt unless the pitcher is throwing cans from Russian River Brewing Company.
all this is, is just a list of who the best hitters are. If mookie betts changed his position to C, hed be ranked as the #1 catcher in mlb. thats why FG and these fantasy rankings are flawed big league.
lolwut?
The Guru has spoken Paul, best just step aside and take the L
I know this is over some of yalls head…..but all these guys do is practically sort by war. well fangraphs war for catcher is terrible, no secret, as it takes in no defense like baseball prospectus does. If mookie switched his position to catcher, fan graphs war calc practically wouldn’t even care if he caught the ball or not. Not rocket science here.
Wow, you actually posted a dumber comment. I thought you peaked with the first one!
whats dumb is your list! haha Do you even watch baseball? You seriously have gary sanchez 1 and wilsom ramos 3 and danny jansen at 8? buwahahah
Plawecki probably deserves to be in the top 50.
Why so high on Suzuki?
Copying my answer from the same question above: Tied for 3rd (w/Realmuto) in wRC+ at C over the last 2 seasons (min. 600 PA), tied for 9th in HR (31), tied for 4th in AVG (.276), 13th in RBI (100), and 15th in R (83) … and those R/RBI numbers come depsite being 20th in PA. He’s not a lockdown full-timer, but doesn’t need to be to perform.