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Justin Raffone takes a look at which catchers are your best targets in dynasty leagues for the 2023 fantasy baseball season.
The catcher position has long been one of minimal value in fantasy baseball. There are usually just a couple of players worth a top pick each year. But for dynasty purposes, catchers are starting to collect some intriguing targets.
A list of 21 of the best catchers in baseball follows though some of them may move from the position in the next couple of years. That’s one issue for catchers; the fact that some of the best-hitting catchers move off the position because their defense isn’t up to par.
We previously looked at the best options at first base for dynasty and will continue to look at other positions going forward. Make sure to stick with RotoBaller for those dynasty rankings as we look to help you with the tough decisions to make.
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Dynasty Catcher Fantasy Baseball Rankings
| C Tier |
C Rank |
Player Name |
Pos. | Overall Rank |
| 1 | 1 | Adley Rutschman | C | 31 |
| 1 | 2 | Will Smith | C | 54 |
| 1 | 3 | Daulton Varsho | C/OF | 93 |
| 1 | 4 | J.T. Realmuto | C | 112 |
| 2 | 5 | Alejandro Kirk | C | 115 |
| 2 | 6 | Willson Contreras | C | 130 |
| 2 | 7 | MJ Melendez | C/OF | 141 |
| 2 | 8 | Salvador Perez | C | 152 |
| 2 | 9 | Sean Murphy | C | 166 |
| 3 | 10 | William Contreras | C | 177 |
| 3 | 11 | Tyler Soderstrom | C/1B | 257 |
| 3 | 12 | Tyler Stephenson | C | 264 |
| 3 | 13 | Logan O'Hoppe | C/DH | 271 |
| 4 | 14 | Endy Rodriguez | C | 274 |
| 4 | 15 | Diego Cartaya | C | 288 |
| 4 | 16 | Gabriel Moreno | C | 307 |
| 4 | 17 | Austin Wells | C/OF | 310 |
| 4 | 18 | Danny Jansen | C | 314 |
| 5 | 19 | Harry Ford | C | 315 |
| 5 | 20 | Keibert Ruiz | C | 342 |
| 5 | 21 | Henry Davis | C | 390 |
Preseason Rankings
Rutschman and Smith are in a league of their own when it comes to dynasty right now, as you can see by the overall rank. Varsho and Melendez may not stick around at catcher much longer. Stephenson is a sleeper pick for a lot of people this season. The Pittsburgh Pirates have Rodriguez and Davis on the list, and both are close to the major leagues. Rodriguez may be the one that moves positions.
Rutschman (1) posted a favorable hitting season in his first full year in the big leagues and looks poised to be the top-catching option for years to come. His 128 OPS+ was a nice number for a rookie season and he’ll look to increase that number in 2023 and beyond. He struck out 86 times compared to 65 walks and 101 hits, so he wasn’t overwhelmed in his first go.
Smith (2) has been around since 2019 in the majors but took over the full-time catching duties in 2021 and has been one of the best catchers in the league the last two seasons. He didn’t have quite as good of a 2022 season as he did in 2021, but he’s hit at least 24 home runs, driven in at least 76 runs, and played in at least 130 games the last two years.
Kirk (5) was an All-Star and a Silver Slugger in 2022 and I’ve heard less about him this offseason than I had in the previous three years. There were questions about him sticking at catcher, but he made 74 starts there last season, so he should be able to keep that eligibility for at least a handful of years to come. Kirk simply puts bat to ball. He had a 10.7% strikeout rate in 2022 with a .299 BABIP and a .285 average, which was tops among catchers with at least 300 plate appearances.
Soderstrom (11), unfortunately, is unlikely to catch for very long, if at all, in the big leagues. But he’s one of the better bats on the list after hitting 29 home runs through three minor league levels last season. He’s just 21 and might get a cup of coffee with the Oakland Athletics this year. The former first-round pick had a 1.19 GB/FB rate in AA last season, which would have put him in between Atlanta Braves Sean Murphy and Philadelphia Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto.
Other Options to Watch
Rodriguez (14) is the Pirate catcher closest to the big leagues after reaching AAA last season. He has unique defensive positioning – playing catcher, second base, and outfield. He has a 60-future hit tool, so he could be someone similar to Kirk. He has good speed for a catcher with a 55 tool, but it hasn’t translated to stolen bases, though it still might. He should hold a good average in the future and could push for 20 homers.
Ford (19) was the 12th pick in the 2021 draft by the Seattle Mariners, the second catcher taken in the draft, only behind Davis. He might be a better bat than Davis and is as athletic as Rodriguez. MLB.com compares him defensively to Craig Biggio or Russell Martin and he has plus speed. He had a .942 OPS from June 1 through the end of the season last year and has a 50-hit tool and 55-power tool. He’s just 20 and played the whole year at A-ball in 2022, so he’s a few years away, but he could move up these rankings quickly in that time.
A once devoid position is looking promising for the future. If a few of these guys can stick at catcher, it will be a deep position in a few years. If some move off the position as expected, there is still enough talent here to keep it top-heavy, at the least. It’s not a position to get top-tier talent at, but if you can grab players like Rutschman, Smith, or Realmuto, they just make your team all the deeper.
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