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The catcher position is one of the hardest to navigate throughout a long fantasy baseball season. Unless you roster one of the top catchers (William Contreras, Adley Rutschman, or Will Smith), there are going to be some rough stretches at the plate for many of the others. That has surely been on display in 2024.
The good news, though, is that fantasy managers welcomed back Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy this past week. Despite going 2-for-13 at the plate since his return, he is someone to be patient with as he works his way back from a two-month-long injury. New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) is also on a rehab assignment, so his return should happen fairly soon as well.
Still, if fantasy managers are searching for a catcher, don’t worry because RotoBaller has you covered. This article will list three catchers who fantasy managers should pick up and start in Week 11. All three catchers on this list are also rostered in less than 40% of Yahoo leagues. If you have any additional questions about catcher pickups, feel free to send me a message on X (@joeypollizze), and I'll be sure to answer every question.
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Catcher Waiver Wire Adds
Elias Diaz, Colorado Rockies (39% Rostered)
Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Diaz is hovering right around the 40% mark in Yahoo leagues, which feels too low. He is batting .299 with four home runs, 10 doubles, and 24 RBI through 46 games this season. The right-handed slugger has also tallied at least one counting stat in fantasy in eight of the last nine games. That makes him a potential add heading into Week 11.
Now, Diaz won’t be the sexiest pickup because he hasn’t really done much in his career and plays for a Rockies team that is expected to lose 100-plus games. The 33-year-old veteran, though, can be a nice fantasy replacement for the time being. He’ll start Week 11 with three games at the most-hitter-friendly park at Coors Field before traveling to St. Louis to take on the Cardinals.
Elias Díaz - Colorado Rockies (3)
pic.twitter.com/8QUIKIMrgt— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) May 9, 2024
That seven-game week -- with three games at home -- surely makes him worthy enough to be a strong pickup and play option. Diaz should also find himself a spot in the lineup in most, if not all, of those games, considering he has played six of the past seven games. Even though he is a whopping three for his last 21 at the plate, he is still finding ways to score fantasy points.
Keibert Ruiz, Washington Nationals (30% Rostered)
We are finally seeing glimpses of the 2023 version of Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz. Last year, Ruiz finished with a career-high 18 HRs, 24 doubles, and 67 RBI behind a solid .260 average. However, the young catcher hasn’t been able to build on that success this season.
Ruiz entered Friday’s game with just a .208 average, three home runs, and 13 RBI across 37 games this season. The switch-hitting catcher also missed 13 contests due to an illness that landed him on the injured list. But things are certainly trending up for the 25-year-old on offense. He is batting .386 (10-for-26) with one home run, two doubles, and five RBI over the last eight games.
SEA @ WSH
May 24, 2024Keibert Ruiz (3) Two-Run Home Run
EV: 102.7 MPH
Launch Angle: 30°
Distance: 406'Pitcher: George Kirby, 94.8mph Sinker [2063 RPM]
6th Inning pic.twitter.com/oQQfp1Q5nK— Nationals Homers (@Nats_HRs) May 25, 2024
That hot stretch makes him a solid catcher waiver wire add heading into Week 11. There’s also a chance that a span like this could help Ruiz produce more consistently at the plate -- like we saw during the 2023 season. With seven games on the schedule next week, give him a chance in fantasy right now.
Patrick Bailey, San Francisco Giants (22% Rostered)
San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey was on this same list last week, but his rostership has since gone up 14%. That’s because Bailey continues to see consistent playing time and has been putting up solid numbers in the middle of San Francisco’s lineup. He is currently hitting .299 with four HRs, seven doubles, and 19 RBI across 34 games this season.
Bailey recently spent some time on the injured list with a concussion that caused him to miss 14 of 15 games. But, since his return from the IL on May 21, the 25-year-old catcher has emerged as a potential fantasy option. He has a hit in six of seven starts while tallying four multi-hit games during that span, including two hits against the Yankees on Friday night.
Somebody named Patrick Bailey just put the Giants ahead 7-6.
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) May 25, 2024
The Giants catcher has shown a lot of promise at the plate this season, and there’s a chance he could turn into a nice long-term option for your fantasy team. He has an everyday role guaranteed while also delivering some solid fantasy stats as of late. Fantasy managers should definitely be looking to pick him up and start him in Week 11.
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