My catcher experience in 2022 was pretty solid. I had plenty of Willson Contreras, and I plugged some holes in draft-and-holds with streaks from guys like Eric Haase and Jonah Heim. As for the position, on the whole, we all witnessed the impact of young guys like Adley Rutschman, MJ Melendez, William Contreras, and Cal Raleigh. Overall, things seem to be looking up for the backstop position. I’ll likely wait a while to draft a catcher in 2023, especially in leagues that only start one. The infusion of youth looks to be very real.

Please don’t judge my very loose tiers. This is merely a starting point. I feel strongly about a clear-cut top 12 right now, which is why that third “tier” is large.

1. J.T. Realmuto (C, 1B – PHI)
2. Daulton Varsho (C, OF – ARI)

If you’re looking for 20+ home runs and double-digit steals, there aren’t other candidates besides the grizzled vet in Realmuto and the up-and-comer in Varsho. Realmuto and his 85th percentile sprint speed were 21-for-22 on the basepaths this year, and his quality of contact was as good as anyone. He has an unmatched 20/10 floor at the catcher position, with obvious upside for more.

As for Varsho, he’s what we should be hunting for every year–a catcher-eligible player who doesn’t play catcher. Varsho was able to log 31 games behind the plate in 2022, so he should qualify as a catcher everywhere in the coming season. But he primarily patrolled right field (71 games) and center field (54 games), leaving primary catching duties to Carson Kelly. Varsho logged a stunning 27 homers and netted 16 steals on 22 attempts in 2021. There’s an outside shot he could outperform Realmuto, but only if JTR fell off in a big way. Varsho has a lot to gain concerning quality of contact to match Realmuto.

3. Will Smith (C – LAD)
4. Salvador Perez (C – KC)
5. Adley Rutschman (C – BAL)
6. Willson Contreras (C – CHC)

Smith’s floor might be unmatched among backstops, given his hitting prowess and his membership among the elite Dodgers lineup. But he doesn’t run. However, a top-three finish in homers, runs, and RBI is pretty much a given. He’s also a career .261 hitter who batted .260 in 2022 on a .257 xBA. That’s a ton of floor.

If there is a discount on Perez in 2023, I’m taking it. He socked 23 homers in just 114 games, the fourth-highest tally at the position. He and Smith are the two guys that could crush 30, and I wouldn’t bat an eye. He’s still just 32 years old, and his 2022 injury is a smokescreen. He struggled (for him) in the first half, batting .211 with 11 homers. During the second half, he batted a cool .297 with 12 more dingers. He’ll get there in a different way–ding him in OBP leagues–but a batting average approaching Smith’s with the possibility for more power deserves to still be ranked among the position’s elite.

If you don’t think Rutschman belongs here, go research his rookie season a bit more. The safer question is probably whether or not he is ranked high enough. He scored a whopping 70 runs over his 113 games, trailing only Varsho and Realmuto among backstops. He should bat .250+ with power, and his walk rate (over 13%) and strikeout rate (under 19%) means he’ll get on base plenty for an improving Orioles team. He primarily batted second for Baltimore, so the runs scored are likely a safe bet moving forward. This is a rarity among backstops.

If Adley is the upside, Contreras is the floor. He is a volume play with power and some chip-in speed, and last season he trimmed his strikeout rate to a career-best 21.1% rate. This ranking feels low (I love Contreras), but I think that speaks to how deep this position appears to be heading into 2023.

7. Alejandro Kirk (C – TOR)
8. Tyler Stephenson (C, 1B – CIN)
9. Sean Murphy (C – OAK)
10. MJ Melendez (C, OF – KC)
11. William Contreras (C – ATL)
12. Cal Raleigh (C – SEA)

Again, the ranking of guys like Kirk and Stephenson feels low, but that’s true of many of these guys. The position just looks deeper, and I am admittedly biased toward catchers who will give me power over batting average.

In 2022, Sean Murphy’s batting average was 44 points higher on the road (.227 to .271), and his ISO was 35 points higher (.159 to .194). Watch the trade chatter this off-season. If he moves to nearly any other MLB park, he’ll be a candidate to really have a breakout.

The younger Contreras brother versus Cal Raleigh looks like an early debate for me. Contreras should rock a higher average but hit fewer homers and likely give you fewer counting stats due to splitting time with Travis d’Arnaud. Raleigh’s plentiful power and everyday status put him in the conversation, as well as the fact that he played the last month of the season with a broken left thumb and torn ligament. It was a full breakout for the Mariners’ backstop, as he tallied 27 homers over 119 games. If his .211 batting average creeps upward at all…watch out.

13. Travis d’Arnaud (C – ATL)
14. Danny Jansen (C – TOR)
15. Yasmani Grandal (C, 1B – CWS)

After Cal Raleigh, you would need to consider part-timers like TDA and Jansen, or you could hope for a bounce-back from Grandal. After these three, I think picks would be pretty mixed, depending on your league. There’s some hope for growth from Keibert Ruiz, or maybe Joey Bart finally ascends in San Francisco. There are rookies to consider, Francisco Alvarez, Bo Naylor, and Logan O’Hoppe. I’ll also keep my eye on Christian Vazquez in Houston–that’s a nice marriage if he actually gets plenty of playing time.

What say you? Who am I too high or too low on? Did I miss anyone? Obviously, the landscape for catchers can change plenty this offseason. But we have to start somewhere! You can haggle with me on Twitter @HeathCapps. I would love to talk fantasy baseball with anyone.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio

If you want to dive deeper into fantasy baseball, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Baseball Tools as you navigate your season. From our Lineup Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team, and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy baseball season.