11 months agoAtlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy posted a productive, yet frustrating season in 2023 and fantasy managers should expect more of the same in 2024. On a per-plate-appearance basis, one can argue Murphy was the best catcher in fantasy. However, the Braves split catching duties between Murphy and Travis d'Arnaud, leading to only 438 PA for Murphy, who was on the bench more than most starting catchers. When he was in the lineup, Murphy mashed. His 21 HR ranked fifth-best among catchers, despite having over 100 fewer PA than other top-catching options. Murphy's .251/.365/.478 triple-slash line represented career-bests for the first-year Brave. Best of all, Murphy's pristine Statcast numbers fully supported his breakout campaign. He set career highs in xBA (.270), xSLG (.525), and xwOBA (.390) while smoking the ball to the tune of a 91.4 MPH average exit velocity and a whopping 15% barrel-rate. Entering his age-29 season, Murphy should continue his steady production moving forward. D'Arnaud remains an issue, however, as he will play more than virtually every other backup catcher in baseball. That decreases Murphy's value in points leagues, where volume is king. However, in roto formats Murphy remains a top-target to fill the catcher slot and his upside is sky-high in all leagues if he can get to even 500 PA.--Mike Schwarzenbach - RotoBaller