Archive for Catcher Rankings

Michael Simione’s First Base Rankings

by
February 14, 2022
Michael Simione’s First Base Rankings
Rank Player Team Position(s) ADP Notes
1 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. TOR 1B 6.61 Produced the season we all knew he could. Can’t help but be curious as to what his numbers will look like outside of Buffalo.
2 Freddie Freeman ATL 1B 22.66 Mr. Consistency will produce in every category except for steals. The high average and high power output make him the clear #2.
3 Paul Goldschmidt STL 1B 58.84 Goldschmidt provides value because of the stolen bases. There is virtually no speed at this position and Goldy gives you an advantage there.
4 Matt Olson OAK 1B 51.2 Olson finally seems to be reaching his potential hitting for a high average with a ton of power. If the Athletics trade him and he moves on to a competitive team he could easily put up over 100 RBIs once again.
5 Pete Alonso NYM 1B 66.45 Last season Alonso improved his O-Contact%, Z-Contact%, SwStr%, and K%. Alonso hit .262 and it could rise even higher next season.
6 Jose Abreu CWS 1B 89.41 Sits in a great lineup with a ton of RBI opportunity. If his average continues to dip he might not be worth his draft price.
7 DJ LeMahieu NYY 1B, 2B, 3B 117.23 After the season we found out that LeMahieu played the entire season injured. A bounceback is likely.
8 Ryan Mountcastle BAL 1B, OF 113.41 The fence being moved out will hurt his power production but he still gives you a decent average as well as a little bit of speed.
9 Joey Votto CIN 1B 150.86 Votto had a massive second half hitting 25 home runs with a 1.057 OPS and 165 wRC+.
10 C.J. Cron COL 1B 130.23 Provides you with a solid average and plenty of power. Playing in Coors will continue to help Cron making him a lock for power.
11 Josh Bell WAS 1B 132.14 Josh Bell, like Votto, had a big second half. He had a 136 wRC+, .229 ISO, and .379 wOBA.
12 Rhys Hoskins PHI 1B 145.73 Hoskins season was cut short due to an injury but he continues to show his power upside finishing the season with a 17.0 Barrel%.
13 Ty France SEA 1B, 2B 148.25 France took some impressive strides last season. His MaxEV and EV/FB both increased by several points. He also had a 147 wRC+ in the second half while also cutting his strikeout rate by three points.
14 Jake Cronenworth SD 1B, 2B, SS 125.41 His multi-eligibility makes him an attractive option for your UT, CI, or MI position. While he doesn’t provide a ton of counting stats in one specific category he does help contribute in all five of them.
15 Jared Walsh LAA 1B 125.14 Walsh is another cheap power option for first base, there are so many late-round options it’s no wonder everyone is suggesting you wait on the position in drafts.
16 Anthony Rizzo NYY 1B 180.91 Rizzo is the boring old guy who provides you with a solid base floor.
17 Tyler Stephenson CIN C, 1B 156.02 Stephenson shouldn’t be drafted at this position but the first base option does help in draft and hold leagues.
18 Brandon Belt SF 1B 220.82 Belt has a ton of power and now that they changed the park it is finally starting to come through. Health is the issue with Belt but having him as your CI or UT makes the risk worth the reward.
19 Trey Mancini BAL 1B 193.32 The fall off on the power towards the second half of the season seemed like fatigue to me. I think we see some more power but moving back the fence isn’t going to help.
20 Jonathan Schoop DET 1B, 2B 205.86 Schoop provides plenty of value since he is an accumulater who will see plenty of plate apperances on a Detroit Tigers team.
21 Max Muncy LAD 1B, 2B 173.05 Still a big injury mystery and without an update, we have to leave him here.
22 Yuli Gurriel HOU 1B 205.8 Another boring old guy that helped out a ton of teams last season. If you need average he is your guy.
23 Frank Schwindel CHC 1B 229.93 Schwindel impressed big time last season but with it being a small sample it’s hard to tell who he really is. Should get a ton of playing time though.
24 Miguel Sano MIN 1B 263.66 There is a ton of power here, it’s just a matter of Sano improving his contact skills. I think he can hit .230 next season which makes him a viable option for fantasy teams.
25 Jesus Aguilar MIA 1B 279.84 Aguilar has some serious power and he attributed 93 RBI’s in 510 PAs. He is kind of being overlooked this season.
26 Rowdy Tellez MLW 1B 299.18 Tellez should see a lot more playing time this year and he could easily end up with over 20 home runs and a .250 average.
27 LaMonte Wade Jr. SF 1B, OF 307.32 The Giants love to platoon making Wade a tough buy. He should give you 15 home runs and at least five steals, the upside makes him appealing.
28 Alex Kirilloff MIN 1B, OF 186.05 Projections like Kiriloff and if he can put up 18 home runs, four steals, and a 2.70 average like they are calling for, that makes him a really solid bench piece.
29 Bobby Dalbec BOS 1B 226.45 Dalbec’s poor plate discipline and high strikeout rate could continue to hold him back.
30 Nathaniel Lowe TEX 1B 229.82 Yes, he stole a ton of bases but it all came in a short stretch and is an extreme outlier compared to the rest of his career and minor league track record.
31 Luke Voit NYY 1B 269.91 The injuries continue to pile up making him a very risky pick.
32 Spencer Torkelson DET 1B 259.3 The biggest named prospect coming into this season (who has yet to see MLB pitching). He will likely be called up early but we don’t know what kind of early struggles he can see.
33 Yoshi Tsutsugo PIT 1B, OF 308.59 Yoshi should see a lot of PA’s in Pittsburgh and maybe we start to see some of his power in 2022.
34 Eric Hosmer SD 1B 325.27 Hosmer’s low launch angle continues to hinder him and unless you are in a draft and hold he really isn’t rosterable.
35 Yandy Diaz TB 1B, 3B 346.73 Diaz will continue to do what he does, hit the ball hard without giving you home runs.
36 Keston Hiura MLW 1B 407.89 Hiura has had fantasy baseball managers moaning in agony for years now. He apparently is working on limiting his leg kick, so there is that at least.
37 Carlos Santana KC 1B 421.14 Carlos Santana had a miserable 2021 campaign. He does get a ton of PA’s and walks though making him a cheap option that could potentially help you.
38 Miguel Cabrera DET 1B 456.07 Miggy will continue to see at-bats and should provide a little power with a decent average.
39 Pavin Smith ARZ 1B, OF 357.14 A boring player who won’t give you anything but plate apperances.
40 Wilmer Flores SF 1B, 2B, 3B 369.45 The Giants like to platoon him but he should still see a bunch of plate apperances.
41 Darin Ruf 러프 SF 1B, OF 423.39 Ruf is one of the best platoon bats in the bigs. A terrific matchup play in daily leagues.
42 Christian Walker ARZ 1B 388.36 Walker was once a hot commodity for fantasy baseball but he has proven that the bouncy ball in 2019 padded his stats.
43 Bobby Bradley CLE 1B 412.75 Think Joey Gallo but a lot less power.
44 Jurickson Profar SD 1B, OF 455.91 As of right now, Profar will be a starter for the Padres but they will likely add a bat or two after the lockout.
45 Juan Yepez STL 1B 465.48 Yepez could certainly get the call this season it’s just a matter of when. He provides good power and could help you late in the season.

2016 Ottoneu FGpts Rankings – Catcher

by
January 29, 2016

We’re starting to roll out Ottoneu FGpts rankings today.  We will start with catcher and work our way through the rest of the positions by the time auction drafts are in full swing.  In the context of Ottoneu, perhaps rankings are a misnomer, because you really want to know the dollar value each player is worth. We’ve included this information as well. In all, these rankings should help to give you a spread of four dollar values for each player, as well as a comparison to average prices (post-arbitration, pre-cut deadline) within the Ottoneu FGpts universe. Each player’s Ottoneu eligibility (5GS, 10 appearances) is included as well, though players are ranked at their most valuable position. If you have questions on a specific ranking, or a question for a specific ranker, feel free to let us know in the comments.

Consider this your very early, subject to change, Ottoneu pricing cheat sheet.
Read the rest of this entry »


Catcher Tiers – June 2014

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June 3, 2014

Good timing. The RotoGraphs consensus rankings for catchers went up yesterday. The more information the merrier. I’ve made some adjustments – a few significant – since the backstop tiers I developed for May. Between the two, you should have a good idea of how fantasy owners in your league might view certain crouchers for the rest of the season.

I’m single, so I’ve been known to purchase a frozen pizza or four. I haven’t tried them all, so in a few cases, I’ve taken the word of a reviewer and combined it with my feelings about the picture on the box and other information that I can interpret with uninhibited bias. What do you know?! Just like my tiers.

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Owning Evan Gattis

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May 23, 2013

I have to admit that when I saw the most recent catcher rankings from the legendary RotoGraphs Four, I was a bit taken aback when I saw Evan Gattis ranked as the 16th best catcher, residing above the likes of players such as J.P . Arencibia, A.J. Ellis and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Sure, his first month and a half of the season as an everyday player was an exciting, feel-good story — going from janitor contemplating suicide to heroic major league cult icon — but with both Brian McCann and Jason Heyward returning to the lineup, he was headed for more of a reserve role. To me, these rankings put far too much weight on past performance than expected production moving forward. Gattis was a great early-season novelty, but the knowledgeable fantasy owner was well aware that his time was up. Read the rest of this entry »


Catchers Stock Watch: Risers and Fallers

by
July 26, 2011

There are certain catchers out there — Joe Mauer, Victor Martinez, Brian McCann, Miguel Montero, just to name a few — that are automatic starts for you.  They get left in your lineup, through good starts and bad, because you know, for the most part, the level of overall production you’re going to get.  But for those that don’t own a top-rated backstop, sometimes you have to play the waiver wire and go with the hot hand.  With that, we’ll leave the top guys out and talk about some risers and fallers at the catcher position that you may want to put in, or take out, from your lineup. Read the rest of this entry »


Rankings Update: Catcher

by
July 5, 2010

A little later in the day than you’re used to, but it will be worth the wait. I promise.

My Hero
 Carlos Santana

That’s right. Santana has been tremendous, and while our sample size is small, I have no worries about his ability to keep it up. I’d like the K-rate to drop a couple percent, but I suppose we can live for only league average in one category. Personally, I am going to love paring him with Pujols in my keeper league.

Big Three
 Joe Mauer
Victor Martinez
Brian McCann

Victor’s injury hampers his value, so he slides to number three.

Power. So Much Power
 Miguel Olivo
Mike Napoli
John Buck

I’ve given up on trying to predict a batting average drop for John Buck. He had a BABIP below .300 in June, yet hit .270. Looks like he’s for real, and I’m buying in.

Happy to Have
 Kurt Suzuki
Jorge Posada
Miguel Montero
Buster Posey
Geovany Soto

Montero may have a small sample, but it’s a great one. He’s hitting over 30% line drives, and has cut his K-rate while raising his BB-rate. He’s not going to hit .394 all year (.441 BABIP), but his line will be better than it was last year.

I am Jack’s Catcher
 Ryan Doumit
Matt Wieters
John Jaso
Rod Barajas
Ivan Rodriguez
Ronny Paulino

Jack isn’t very picky when it comes to his catchers. Jaso was getting calls to move up, but as our sample grew we learned more and more, and my expectations didn’t really change.

The Rest of ‘Em
 Bengie Molina
Russell Martin
Carlos Ruiz
Nick Hundley
Yadier Molina
Jason Kendall
A.J. Pierzynski

Bengie’s arrival in Texas should help his numbers a bit, so don’t be afraid to give him a shot. I considered Jason Castro, but I don’t see him doing much this year. He’s a better option in NL-only keeper leagues, but that’s the only place I’d give him a shot.


Rankings Update: Catchers

by
June 21, 2010

You comment, and I listen. Seriously, your input is very important. I’m only one person with one vantage point, and challenging my rankings makes me revisit them and rethink my evaluations. We’re going to continue on without including any stats, so without further ado…

The Big Three
 Victor Martinez
Joe Mauer
Brian McCann

Victor holds on to the number one spot, and that shouldn’t change (barring injury). McCann continues to try remedies for his vision, so we may see his batting eye improve sometime soon.

Happy To Have
 Jorge Posada
Mike Napoli
Kurt Suzuki
Miguel Olivo

Want power without completely killing your batting average? You’re going to have to pay for it. Olivo will always have to look over his shoulder, but I think the Rockies will give him the benefit of the doubt and stick with him as long as they possibly can.

The Prospects
 Carlos Santana
Buster Posey

I am loving Santana going forward. While our sample is small, he is showing signs of being worth all of the hype. And more. Posey may not show much power right away, but he should develop more as his career progresses.

I am Jack’s Catcher
 Ryan Doumit
Miguel Montero
Geovany Soto
Matt Wieters
John Jaso

I think Sweet Lou just likes to screw with fantasy owners. Jaso seems to be the real deal, while Montero and Doumit could be higher if I trusted them to stay healthy.

Buckaroos
 Russell Martin
John Buck
Ivan Rodriguez
Rod Barajas
Carlos Ruiz
Ronny Paulino
Nick Hundley

Martin drops way down, as does Ruiz. Pudge is back and started hitting right away, and he is fitting in nicely with the Nationals. Hundley continues to impress me, and his added playing time has been nice.

The Rest of ‘Em
 Bengie Molina
Yadier Molina
Chris Iannetta
Jason Kendall

I’ll always love Iannetta, and am looking forward to someone taking him off the Rockies hands in the offseason (if not the trade deadline).


Rankings Update: Catcher

by
June 7, 2010

After a short hiatus, here are your catcher rankings. I’m going to experiment with not including any numbers next to the players names, for various reasons. If you really feel like you need them, let me know in the comments.

The Big Three
 Victor Martinez
Joe Mauer
Brian McCann

Things change, people. I never thought Mauer would show the power like he did last year, but he has fallen way back. Martinez will give you a more balanced attack, so he gets the number one spot.

Happy to Have
 Jorge Posada
Geovany Soto
Kurt Suzuki
Ryan Doumit
Mike Napoli

Even though Jorge is fresh off a DL stint, I had to give him the number four slot. Kendry Morales getting hurt was a godsend for Napoli. He won’t have to play behind the plate all of the time, and his bat sticks in the lineup. The Angels may look to trade for a first baseman, but until then, Napoli has great value.

I am Jack’s Catcher
 Matt Wieters
Russell Martin
Miguel Olivo
Yadier Molina

What’s up, Wieters?

Buckaroos
Carlos Ruiz
John Buck
Buster Posey
Bengie Molina
Rod Barajas
Miguel Montero

Miguel Montero should be back soon, so keep an eye on him. He was in my top-10 before he got injured, and he’s only this low because he’s not back yet and knee injuries scare me when it comes to catchers.

The Prospect
 Carlos Santana

Santana should be up within the week.

The Rest of ‘Em
 Ronny Paulino
Ivan Rodriguez
Chris Snyder
 Chris Iannetta
A.J. Pierzynski
Jeff Clement
Nick Hundley

I still have a little hope left for Clement. Just a little. I’ve heard the name Ryan Hanigan thrown around a lot in the comments, but he just doesn’t get enough AB’s to justify a spot. Hundley gets slightly more playing time, and the two are probably interchangeable.


Rankings Update: Catchers

by
May 17, 2010

Aloha, America! Another week means another look at the catcher rankings. Just like last week, wOBA numbers are listed as “(Current, ZiPS Updated).”

The Big Three
 Joe Mauer (.409, .416)
Brian McCann (.362, .374)
Victor Martinez (.278, .339)

Victor has lowered his strikeout rate, but that has come with a decrease in his walk rate, as well. He still has a .227 BABIP, and with a 22% LD rate, Victor’s batting average will rise sometime soon.

Happy to Have
 Matt Wieters (.317, .335)
Geovany Soto (.426, .378)
Russell Martin (.331, .340)
Jorge Posada (.433, .380)

Geo Soto, consider yourself moved up! Last week, commenter “hamandcheese” said that he would “rather have Soto than any of the other guys in his group.” While I didn’t go as far as to move him ahead of Wieters, I did reevaluate his ranking and decided to move him up to number five. Which reminds me to remind you, the reader, to continue challenging these rankings in the comments. For the most part, I do my best to read through them and do some extra thinking about the player(s) in question.

Name That Molina
 Bengie Molina (.375, .340)
Yadier Molina (.320, .332)
Ryan Doumit (.339, .340)
Kurt Suzuki (.368, .340)

Suzuki should be back in the next couple of days, but I want to see him come out of the gates and hit before I move him up any higher.

I Am Jack’s Catcher
 Ivan Rodriguez (.371, .318)
Miguel Olivo (.392, .338)
Carlos Ruiz (.418, .366)

Olivo snapped out of a small slump, and Pudge is still showing life. Ruiz is slightly hampered by a knee issue, so keep an eye on that over the next week.

Problem Children
 A.J. Pierzynski (.241, .300)
Chris Snyder (.340, .352)
Miguel Montero (.498, .360)
Mike Napoli (.392, .338)

It sounds like the White Sox may be open to dealing Pierzynski, and while leaving The Cell may not be the best thing, getting traded to Texas wouldn’t be a bad idea.

The Rest of ‘Em
 Jeff Clement (.247, .323)
John Buck (.389, .349)
Chris Iannetta (.244, .334)
Rod Barajas (.361, .327)
Ronny Paulino (.350, .328)
Carlos Santana ( – , .348)
Jake Fox (.261, .317)

I can’t even look at Iannetta’s name without shaking my head, turning towards Denver, and making an obscene gesture.

Authors Note: I know there has been some interest in this, and I’ve never stated a public policy on it, so I figured I’d make it known. Feel free to send me an email with a question about your team, using the email address hyperlinked below this post. Of course, you can also send it to the RotoGraphs Mailbag, if that is more your cup of tea.


Rankings Update: Catchers

by
May 10, 2010

Back after a week lost to illness, here are your catcher rankings. wOBA numbers are listed as “(current wOBA, ZiPS ROS)”. If the wOBA numbers are a couple of points off, don’t sweat it, because it’s just me writing these things up ahead of time.

Big Three
 Joe Mauer (.388, .414)
Brian McCann (.347, .370)
Victor Martinez (.316, .364)

Victor had himself a week. He still has a nice LD%, unlucky BABIP and bad HR/FB%, but they are getting closer to normal. Enjoy the rest of your season with one of the games top catchers.

Happy to Have
 Matt Wieters (.334, .341)
Russell Martin (.309, .340)
Jorge Posada (.406, .351)
Geovany Soto (.484, .366)

Half of the time Wieters puts the ball in play, it’s on the ground. Not good. If Jorge wasn’t so old, I’d be more excited about his start. Oh, and a HR/FB% of 27.8% doesn’t help his cause, either. Geo Soto has been tearing it up, and he’s walking more than he’s striking out thus far.

Name That Molina
 Bengie Molina (.369, .324)
Yadier Molina (.358, .337)
Ryan Doumit (.364, .346)

Bengie’s average will go down, but he should show more power than he’s displayed thus far. If Ryan Doumit wouldn’t get injured every year, he’d be so much cooler.

I Am Jack’s Catcher
 Kurt Suzuki (.367, .336)
Carlos Ruiz (.388, .339)
Ivan Rodriguez (.400, .299)
John Baker (.301, .320)

Suzuki wasn’t all that impressive early on, and an intercostal strain seems like something that could bother him when he comes back. I’m not overly worried yet, so let’s wait before pronouncing him dead.

Problem Children
 A.J. Pierzynski (.253, .319)
Jeff Clement (.231, .340)
Miguel Olivo (.348, .313)
Chris Snyder (.372, .354)
Miguel Montero (.497, .351)
Mike Napoli (.321, .362)

When Pierzynski’s .202 BABIP regresses to the mean, it’s going to be glorious. Glorious! For someone who is supposed to be a power hitter, Jeffy likes to hit the ball on the ground. Is it okay if I call him Jeffy?

The Rest of ‘Em
 Chris Iannetta (.243, .343)
Rod Barajas (.355, .308)
Jake Fox (.247, .326)
John Buck (.353, .317)
Carlos Santana

Welcome Fox and Buck to this list. And as far as Iannetta goes, getting sent to the minors is a good thing, right?


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