Catcher ADP Market Report: 1/6/2025

As we hit the beginning of draft season, it is important to monitor where players are being drafted on a regular basis. Throughout draft season, I will be doing that work for you with regular updates on the Average Draft Position on NFBC up until Opening Day.  You can read all the Market Reports here.

Top 100 Players Rising

Cal Raleigh (+10.55) – Raleigh is likely rising after just starting too low in the ADP. While the average likely will never be good, he is about as safe power as you can find at the catcher position. He is also a premium defender at the position which allows him to rack up plate appearances in a way that very few catchers can. 

Top 100 Players Falling

None

Top 200 Players Rising

Gabriel Moreno (+19.48) –  I am actually a bit surprised to see Moreno rise so much in the ADP considering the disappointment of his 2024 season. Moreno played in just 97 games and hit only five home runs a season after hitting seven home runs in the regular season and then another four in the Diamondbacks postseason run. Maybe it is the good underlying skills that have people buying in again as Moreno does make a lot of contact and does hit the ball hard even if a lot of it is on the ground. Moreno doesn’t necessarily have a ton of upside, but he is a pretty safe bet to provide a high floor. 

Top 200 Players Falling

None

Top 300 Players Rising

Keibert Ruiz (+15.69) – Ruiz rise is a little surprising because he struggled so much in 2024, but there is good reason to bank on a bounceback. Ruiz’s BABIP was over 20 points below his career average and his xBA was much higher than his actual BA. I don’t think there is a ton of upside in his bat outside of the average, but I think the floor is what we saw last year and he should be much better than he was in 2024. 

Sean Murphy (+17.67) – I think Murphy’s rise has to do with his name value and the departure of d’Arnaud. However, there isn’t a ton in Murphy’s profile to feel he is going to bounce back. His zone contact has dropped in back-to-back seasons, his swinging strike rate and average exit velocity were the worst of his career, and he hit the ball on the ground a ton. Maybe you can chalk up a lot of the regression to health issues, but with the price rising, is it worth the risk?

Iván Herrera (+57.67) – It isn’t surprising that Herrera is rising after the news that Contreras is no longer going to catch for the Cardinals. Herrera has shown the ability to make good in zone contact and while he doesn’t elevate the ball a ton, he hits in hard. The question becomes will the Cardinals let him catch the majority of the time? Even with the higher price, he still feels like a value as long as it doesn’t go up too much. 

Joey Bart (+22.72) – Bart is rising after a breakout season in which he went from being DFA’d to being the Pirates main backstop. Bart has always hit fastballs well, but he made massive improvements against breaking and off-speed pitches which is massive for him. He doesn’t have massive power and there are two top catching prospects in Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis that could replace him if he struggles or they catch fire, but right now, he is in a good position to be the top backstop entering the season. 

Top 300 Players Falling

Bo Naylor (-18.67) – Naylor is falling after a season in which he really struggled, hitting .201/.264/.350 with 13 home runs and six stolen bases. The talent is apparent with Naylor, but the bad hit tool is too. One of the biggest issues with Naylor is the presence of his teammate Austin Hedges. The Guardians love Hedges because of his great defense behind the plate. This limits the amount of plate appearances that Naylor can get, especially when he struggles offensively. This is an upside play with a lot of downside, but if the price drops too much, he could be a value. 

Others of Note

Danny Jansen (+130.31.) – Jansen is rising after signing with Tampa Bay. That being said, it is a fantastic landing spot. He should have the lion share of the plate appearances there and the fact the Rays are playing in a spring training park which could help Jansen reach the levels of production many hoped for when he came up from the minor leagues. 

Luis Campusano (+80.21) – I am surprised to see Campusano jump up this much but I am here for it. There is a lot of risk as the Padres did send him down to the minors at the end of the season, but he has power and can make a lot of contact. The upside is still there if he can be an average backstop and elevate the ball consistently. 

Jacob Stallings  (+105.88) – Stallings is rising after resigning in Colorado. He will have some use as a streamer in two catcher leagues when he is at home, but the upside is limited unless you need a bit of average and plate appearances. 

Gary Sanchez (+84.15) – Sanchez is rising after signing in Baltimore. The problem there is with Rutschman on the roster, he just won’t find a ton of playing time. He will get hot at some point because he always does, but if Rutschman is healthy all season long, Sanchez likely won’t see more than 250-300 plate appearances.