2019 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top-15 Catchers

2019 Fantasy Baseball Rankings - Top 15 Catchers

Catcher is the thinnest position in fantasy baseball. With the best catchers only playing around 130 games due its demanding nature, it makes it risky to invest a premium pick on this position. Catchers who hit well enough to stay in the lineup as a DH are more appealing since they have the potential for more plate appearances. We also want catchers who have a firm grasp on the starting role. These rankings will put an emphasis on the following:

Triple slash: AVG/OBP/SLG
BB%
K%
wRC+
wOBA
Exit Velocity
FB%
GB%
HR/FB
ISO
Ballpark Factors
Lineup & Lineup Slot
Motivation for Bounce back
Top Prospect Pedigree

DISCLAIMER: One of the issues I have with some fantasy writers is that they tend to rank players in a similar range in order to take the safer option, particularly players in the upper-to-elite tiers. My rankings are different because some players are ranked much higher than their ADPs. I base them entirely on my own criteria of statistics as well as my personal intuition, which has led me to several years of success in fantasy sports. Here you will find players grouped into tiers along with tidbits of useful information. Keep in mind that these rankings are for OBP leagues. Hopefully they stimulate discussion and debate. I hope you enjoy them.

Tier 1 - The Cream of the Crop
1. Gary Sanchez
2. JT Realmuto

Sanchez had a highly disappointing 2018 season as he dealt with a lingering shoulder injury that required surgery this past November. Even in a down year, he still showed his power (.220 ISO). He also improved his plate discipline, raising his BB% from 7.6 to 12.3. Simply put: there is no catcher with his upside. He is one year removed from a .278/.345/.531 season where he hit 33 HRs in 122 games. Sanchez hits in a lineup that projects to be the best in baseball. He looks primed to bounce-back. Realmuto led all catchers with a 126 wRC+ last season. His ISO increased from .173 to .208. Now he leaves a pitchers’ park to go hit in a bandbox in Philly on a team that just added Bryce Harper. Realmuto is a good bet to at least repeat his 2018 due to park and lineup upgrades. However, he does not have the same upside as Sanchez.

Tier 2 - The Best of the Rest
3. Yasmani Grandal
4. Buster Posey

Grandal moves from Los Angeles to Milwaukee, where now has a cemented role as the starting catcher since he does not need to compete with Austin Barnes. He also moves from a pitchers’ park to a hitters’ park. Grandal finished 2nd with 125 wRC+, behind Realmuto. He showed great plate discipline with a 13.9 BB%. If you decide to go cheaper on catcher, Grandal is the best option. Posey had a down year in 2018, but he is only one year removed from a .320/.400/.462, 127wRC+, .366 wOBA season. He has great plate discipline, which gives him a boost in OBP leagues. Don’t expect more than 15-17 HRs, though.

Tier 3 - Willson & Wilson
5. Willson Contreras
6. Wilson Ramos

Contreras is coming off of a disappointing 2018 season, where he slashed .249/.339/.390. His ISO fell from .223 to .141. His FB% actually increased from 29.3% to 30.7%, but his HR/FB rate fell from 25.9% to 9.3%. His Hard Contact% fell from 35.5% to 28.9%. We likely won’t see a .223 ISO like in 2017 but he should be able to provide good pop at the catcher position. Ramos has good power for a catcher, with a .181 ISO in 2018. He has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, but if he can stay healthy, you’re looking at a potential Top-5 option. He hits in a weaker lineup in more of a pitcher’s park, which puts him behind Contreras on this list.

Tier 4 - The Flashy Rookies
7. Danny Jansen
8. Francisco Mejia

Jansen has more of a clear path to playing time, putting him ahead of Mejia. He had a 12.2 BB% and 13.6 K% with a .198 ISO as he slashed .275/.390/.473 in Triple-A last year. He also showed solid plate discipline and power in his brief stint in the bigs last year, posting a 9.5 BB% and .347 OBP and .185 ISO in 31 games. Mejia has to contend with Austin Hedges for playing time, but he is just as good of a hitter as Jansen. He hits in a better lineup but in a pitcher’s park. Mejia posted an alarming 30.8 K% in 21 games, but with a .196 ISO last year. He took off when he was traded to San Diego, hitting 7 HRs in 31 games in Triple A. Both of these guys have top prospect pedigrees with a chance at playing time. Their upside is more enticing than settling for the veterans that fall below them in these rankings.

Tier 6 - The Underrated Tier
9. Robinson Chirinos
10. Tucker Barnhart

Chirinos has solid power (2017: .251 ISO, 2018: .197 ISO), but he’s had difficulties staying on the field, with only 201 games in the last two seasons. He also has great plate discipline, as evidenced by his 10.6 BB% and .338 OBP. He moves to Houston, where he’ll hit in a stacked lineup that should help his counting stats. Barnhart combines good plate discipline (10.3 BB%, .328 OBP), with decent power for a catcher (.124 ISO, 10 HRs). The Reds’ lineup has improved so Barnhart can build on last year’s numbers.

Tier 5 - The Boring Veterans with Injury Risk
11. Francisco Cervelli
12. Yadier Molina

Both of these players are lower on this list due to their advanced age and increased injury risk. Cervelli has terrific on-base skills, posting a .370+ OBP in 3 out of 4 seasons as a Pirate. He set a career high with 12 HRs and .172 ISO last year. He started to hit the ball in the air more, raising his FB% from 27.1% to 41.7%. It’s hard to trust him for more than 100 games, but he’s the best option if you miss out on a catcher from Tiers 1-5. Molina has started to hit more flyballs and it’s translated to 38 HRs in the last two seasons. His lineup has improved with the addition of Goldschmidt which should help his counting stats. But at 36, it’s hard to trust him to last a full season. However, given how thin this position is, he still rounds out the Top-12.

Tier 7 - Free-Swingers with Pop
13. Yan Gomes
14. Mike Zunino
15. Wellington Castillo

Gomes has solid power for a catcher, posting a .184 ISO in 2018; but he only walks 4.8% of the time, which is detrimental in an OBP league. The hope is that is BB% returns to 2017 levels, where it was at a more manageable 8.1%, but that seems like the outlier, as it’s the only year where his walk rate was >5.6%. Zunino has prospect pedigree but he has never been able to find consistency at the major league level. He does have strong power (20 HRs, .209 ISO in 2018), but poor plate discipline; his BB% has been on a downward trend since 2016, falling from 10.9% to 9.0% to 5.9%. Perhaps the Rays can unlock some of his skills and restore that walk rate to previous norms. Castillo is one-year removed from a 20 HR, .208 ISO season. Like Zunino, his BB% has been declining consistently; from 7.2% to 6.0% to 5.0%. He struggled with injuries last year and perhaps he can bounce back. None of these three guys are too appealing options for 2019.

Honourable Mentions
Omar Narvaez

Narvaez just misses the cut, but he showed some potential with a .366 OBP and 9 HRs in 97 games with the White Sox in 2018. He needs to work on his defense to stick in the Mariners’ lineup everyday, but if it improves he can easily crack the Top-15.