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Welcome, RotoBallers, to another edition of catcher waiver wire pickups. Each week, this article will look at a handful of catchers who can be picked up and started.
Sometimes catchers on this list have turned into long-term options for fantasy managers, like Ryan Jeffers and David Fry. But some catchers are also just great streaming options for one week. Whether you are looking for a long-term option or a catcher replacement until Willson Contreras (forearm) comes back, then you have come to the right place.
This piece will look at three catchers who fantasy managers can pick up with confidence heading into Week 12 of the fantasy baseball season (June 10 to June 16). These catchers are also rostered in less than 40% of Yahoo leagues, so they should be available in most leagues. Let's dive in and find out who they are.
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Catcher Waiver Wire Adds
Connor Wong, Boston Red Sox (31% Rostered)
Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong continues to hit well at the plate this season. After a 2-for-4 day with two RBI and one walk against the Chicago White Sox in Thursday's blowout win, Wong is hitting an impressive .327 with five home runs, six doubles, and 21 RBI across 45 games this season.
Wong is surely enjoying a breakout campaign in his second full season in the majors. He has been a consistent offensive piece for the Red Sox lineup and a pleasant surprise in fantasy in 2024. While his metrics don't necessarily back up his season numbers so far -- considering his expected batting average (.255), hard-hit rate (36.3%), and average exit velocity (87.8 mph) all don't rank particularly well -- it's hard to ignore what the 28-year-old has done at the plate this year.
Connor Wong ranks 2nd in AVG (.327), fourth in
OBP (.382), and 6th in OPS (.843) - this is among MLB catchers with at least 100 plate appearances.Since 5/12, Wong has thrown out 7-of-17 attempted
base stealers (41.2%). His seven runners caught stealing
in that span rank second… pic.twitter.com/cSlLqRr42U— Chris Henrique (@ChrisHenrique) June 7, 2024
Wong is also showing no signs of slowing down on offense. He is batting .304 with six RBI and two doubles over the last 14 games. The Red Sox catcher won't provide fantasy managers with much power, but he can get on base at a high rate. He has the fourth-highest on-base percentage (.382) among all catchers in baseball in 2024. If you need a catcher, grab him now before Week 12 begins.
Tyler Stephenson, Cincinnati Reds (19% Rostered)
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson is starting to heat up at the plate. After a disappointing 2023 campaign, where Stephenson hit just .243 with 13 HRs, things are certainly trending up for the young catcher. He is hitting an absurd .333 (24-for-72) with two HRs, five doubles, and nine RBI over the last 21 games. That hot stretch has raised his batting average by 54 points from .213 to .267.
Stephenson might be my favorite catcher to add on this list because he has the potential to be a nice long-term option for fantasy managers. His expected batting average (.264), expected slugging (.442), barrel rate (12.4%), and hard-hit rate (47.3%) all rank in the top half of the league. As a result, look for the Reds catcher to produce consistent fantasy numbers for the rest of the season.
Tyler Stephenson puts another run on the board for the Reds! pic.twitter.com/e0EEtPA6If
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) May 8, 2024
The talent is surely there for Stephenson to finally break out in his fourth full major league season. He has shown some great things in his short career so far, but injuries have limited his potential. Playing in just 50 games during the 2022 campaign certainly pushed him back a little bit. However, with injuries now fully past him, we can expect him to deliver career numbers this season.
Henry Davis, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis should only be considered in deeper formats at this time. Nonetheless, he's definitely a player to keep an eye on in other formats as well. The start of his MLB career has surely been rocky over the past two seasons. In 2023, he hit just .213 with seven HRs and 24 RBI. Then, Davis was hitting .162 with just four RBI before getting optioned to Triple-A in early May.
But this is a player who is certainly talented and can figure things out as he gets more reps under his belt. Davis was the former number-one overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. He also hit the ball extremely well at the Triple-A level after getting demoted, batting a solid .296 with seven HRs, 17 RBI, and a 1.078 OPS.
So what did Henry Davis work on in Indy? Getting his swing back to its 2023 form. The video on the left is from April 22. The video on the right is his double Tuesday.
The differences are apparent. He's back to a crouch, the hand position + bat angle have changed, to name a few. pic.twitter.com/F2At7dmFXh
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) June 5, 2024
With those impressive numbers at Triple-A Indianapolis, the Pirates called him back up earlier this week. While he is just 1-for-7 with one double and four strikeouts in his return, Davis' potential upside is why fantasy managers should take a chance on him ahead of Week 12. Maybe things don't work out for him, and you eventually drop him. However, if you have an open roster spot, he's worth a look in deeper formats.
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