Updated Catcher Rankings — July 2011
As the season moves on, things are really settling in with the catcher rankings. Not a whole lot of movement from tier to tier (almost none), but some movement within. Remember, the criteria used for the rankings is as follows:
1. Current performance level
2. Expected performance for rest of season
3. Value based on standard 5×5 categories (avg over OBP)
Here’s how it looks heading into July.
| Penthouse on Park Avenue |
| Brian McCann |
| Victor Martinez |
| Miguel Montero |
 Alex Avila |
The top three remain the same and it would be difficult to argue against any of them at this point. Avila gets the push after a .346-2-17 June which helped entrench him as one of the better hitting catchers in baseball right now and a huge fantasy asset.
| Comfy Living |
| Carlos Santana |
| Joe Mauer |
| J.P. Arencibia |
 Russell Martin |
| Matt Wieters |
| Geovany Soto |
| Mike Napoli |
Martin swaps spots with Avila as his numbers continue to decline on a month to month basis. His power totals are still solid and he’s got a good walk rate which helps keep him from dropping further. Mauer moves up within the tier, but until more power is shown, he stays on this level.
| Small House in the ‘Burbs |
| Jonathan Lucroy |
| Yadier Molina |
| Miguel Olivo |
| Jorge Posada |
| Chris Iannetta |
| Kurt Suzuki |
| Carlos Ruiz |
| John Buck |
While he’s still performing well, a down month of June keeps Lucroy from jumping up a tier. He’s close though and a good start after the All Star Break could bump him up. Posada moves up within the tier after finally breaking out offensively, and a big welcome to the ‘burbs for Olivo. The average is little to be desired and he still strikes out too much, but you just can’t deny the power totals, especially for a Mariners backstop.
| Shoebox Apartment |
| Wilson Ramos |
| A.J. Pierzynski |
| Rod Barajas |
| Yorvit Torrealba |
| Nick Hundley |
| Humberto Quintero |
| John Jaso |
This tier remains relatively untouched with the exception of a Torrealba drop which I’m sure everyone understands. Ramos could get a bump to the next level with a little stronger of a showing next month, while Pierzynski moves up within the tier for his solid improvement in hitting. The power isn’t quite there, but the average has taken a solid increase.
| Sharing a Room |
| Jarrod Saltalamacchia |
| Ramon Hernandez |
| Ryan Hanigan |
| Ronny Paulino |
| Josh Thole |
| Eli Whiteside |
| J.R. Towles |
| Matt Treanor |
| Brayan Pena |
| Hank Conger |
| George Kottaras |
| Chris Stewart |
Still filled with a bunch of platooners and guys who won’t kill you to have as a second catcher in leagues that require two. Hernandez falls to this group with his even split of time with Hanigan and a regression in overall numbers.
| Shanty-town |
| Ivan Rodriguez |
| Jeff Mathis |
| Kelly Shoppach |
| Chris Snyder* |
| Ryan Doumit* |
| Jesus Montero |
| Jason Kendall* |
| Jason Castro* |
| Buster Posey* |
This group is just turning into a wasteland of injured backstops and guys you just shouldn’t even have on your roster at this point.
*denotes injured player
Howard Bender has been covering fantasy sports for over 10 years on a variety of websites. In addition to his work here, you can also find him at his site, RotobuzzGuy.com, Fantasy Alarm, RotoWire and Mock Draft Central. Follow him on Twitter at @rotobuzzguy or for more direct questions or comments, email him at rotobuzzguy@gmail.com
These rankings are way too reactionary/ based on year to date stats.
How do you figure? McCann, Vmart, Santana, Mauer and Montero occupy five of the top six spots, and basically every fantasy publication had those same names in the top tier in the preseason. Nothing has changed from that perspective. And after those top names it’s all a crap-shoot, anyway.
Is Saltalamacchia so low simply because of playing time? Because he’s put up similar numbers to Wieters, and better numbers than Martin (aside from HRs). I’m admittedly not into fantasy baseball, so I don’t know how it all works, I’m just curious why he is so much lower with similar (or better) numbers.
The standard fantasy baseball stats for batters are AVG, R, HR, RBI, SB. So having good rate stats doesn’t make up for the lower counting stats.
Thanks, that makes sense.
Poor Iannetta getting judged as a 5×5 player when he is an ottoneu lwts hero.
hey, if he started hitting for average then he wouldn’t be so underrated and easy to get in my OPS leagues
good point…..this Iannetta guy….as bad as his BA suggests…..move along, nothing to see here other owners in my OBP etc. leagues…..hehe
What Matt Joyce was in last month’s OF rankings, Alex Avila is here–a solid young bat overrated by one outstanding month. We all take rankings with a grain of salt, but isn’t the point to project outward, not look back? Avila is playing well above his head. He will be lucky to hit .270 the rest of the way and RBI will fall off, as they do for most #8 hitters.
Avila has put up wRC+ of 142 in March/April, 137 in May, 159 in June, and is at 111 so far in July. He’s been outstanding all year.
I agree. That .358 BABIP will have dropped 50 points by season’s end, taking the batting average along for the ride.
Even if his babip drops, and he’s at .260/.340/.470 instead of .295/.375/.520, that is still a damn good line for a catcher (Miguel Montero-esque I’d daresay).
In a league that uses OBP as a 6th category for hitters, does Ianetta jump into the bottom of the next tier?
arencibia or napoli rest of the season? Just traded mauer, now i find my replacement…
Why is Montero even on here? He isn’t really scheduled to come up this year except maybe September.
He was actually in our original pre-season rankings and since he still has value in keeper leagues, I figured I wouldn’t just bump him outright…
This is a different Drew from the comment above, though I do sort of agree with his sentiments.
What is the rationale for Arencibia being in the 2nd tier? His wOBA was .249 in June. In July, he’s got 7 K and 0 BB in 12 plate appearances. His counting stats aren’t anything special. And it appears he is going to be quite bad going forward, as his line is fast regressing toward his meager ZIPS projection.
Tied for 3rd in HR amongst catchers, 6th in RBI and projects as a soli dlong-term power option behind the plate. He’s sitting on a weak .245 BABIP which should increase a little and is likely to match his first half production. Sure, the average stinks, but that could/should improve in time.