Catcher ADP Market Report: 12/27/25

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

Ben Rice (+19.97) – Rice is rising with the likelihood that he could play every day in New York at first base while retaining his catcher eligibility. Right now, Roster Resource has him hitting third which could mean a ton of counting stats hitting in between Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Only three catchers hit 600+ plate appearances in 2025 and Rice could do that on one of the better lineups in baseball in 2026.  

Drake Baldwin (+11.36) – Baldwin is rising after winning Rookie of the Year ward in 2025. Baldwin was able to be extremely productive in spite of sharing time behind the plate with Sean Murphy. Baldwin should be able to add more plate appearances in 2026 with Murphy’s timetable unknown and it seemingly unlikely that the Braves bring back Marcell Ozuna. If he continues to rise too much he won’t be as enticing. 

Top 100 Players Falling

None

Top 200 Players Rising

Samuel Basallo (+13.28) –  Basallo’s rise is all based on his prospect pedigree and upside. His minor league debut was uneven, hitting .165/.229/.330 with four home runs in 118 plate appearances. The upside is immense and he is a top tier prospect, but we have seen the short leash prospects have been on in Baltimore in recent years and with their recent additions of Taylor Ward and Pete Alonso, there is no shortage of bats to take away his plate appearances if he struggles. 

Francisco Alvarez (+10.88) – Alvarez struggled to stay healthy again in 2025, but the power was on full display again when he was on the field. He was able to finish the season on the field and hit four home runs in 68 plate appearances when he was able to return in September. If he can stay on the field, there is a massive amount of upside in the bat. 

Gabriel Moreno (+13.48) – Moreno missed two months with a fractured finger. This is the second year in a row that he has struggled to stay on the field. When healthy, Moreno is a low ceiling, high floor catcher that won’t hurt you in deeper formats, but in shallower leagues, he doesn’t have the upside to warrant drafting especially given his recent injury history.  

Top 200 Players Falling

Adley Rustchman (-14.49) – Rustchman is dropping after his second straight disappointing season where he struggled with injury and on field performance. He was held to just 90 games in 2025 and was brutal when he was on the field. How much of it can be chalked up to injury is hard to tell. He still has a great hit tool and eye at the plate. The raw power is there as well. The more he falls the more tempting he is as a bargain in drafts especially as a second catcher. 

Top 300 Players Rising

Carter Jensen (+15.84) – Jensen is rising after a fantastic cup of coffee during his September callup when he hit .300/.391/.550 with three home runs and 13 RBI in 69 plate appearances. Jensen is a top 50 prospect with good raw power, but struggled with velocity at times in the minors. He has a very good approach and he looked the part in his brief time in the Majors, but there are playing time concerns with Sal Perez behind the plate and Jonathan India taking up time at DH. I worry the rise isn’t accounting for the muddied path to playing time. 

Ryan Jeffers (+30.98) – Jeffers has been a big riser in the early ADP likely due to some of the flowery projections that have come out early. Steamer has him rebounding a fair amount in 2026 and FGDC is even more excited for his playing time projections. He was unlucky in 2025, with a HR/FB rate almost half of his career rate in spite of his 2025 hard hit rate and EV actually being better than 2024. His price is still pretty favorable, but if it raises too much then it may not be worth investing in. 

Top 300 Players Falling

None

Others of Note

Joe Mack (+38.9) – Mack is a top 40 prospect that was recently added to the Marlins 40-Man roster which is likely why he is rising in drafts. Mack is a very good defender behind the plate with a lot of pop in the bat. The problem is his hit tool. Mack struggled with consistent contact and had a 15% swinging strike rate in 2025 in AAA.  He has shown the ability to take walks in AAA, but is an aggressive hitter so that may not be as easy for him in the Majors. 

Harry Ford  (+71.76) –
Ford is rising after being traded to the Nationals this offseason. Ford is a top prospect that reached the Majors in Seattle, but was only given eight plate appearances over eight games so the sample is worthless. However, he has shown an intriguing blend of pop and speed in the minors and has a shot to make the Opening Day roster in Washington which will make him an interesting deep league gamble. 

Jonah Heim (-110.93) – Heim has plummeted after being non-tendered by the Rangers. Heim will find a role somewhere, but until he does, it’s hard to know how to project him for 2026.