The 2023 fantasy baseball season will be here before we know it. That means it’s time for you to prepare for your fantasy baseball drafts. Beyond our draft prep articles and mock draft simulator, we will have you covered with 2023 fantasy baseball rankings. You can find our updated 2023 fantasy baseball expert consensus rankings here. And below you’ll find rankings from our analysts to help you prepare for the 2023 fantasy baseball season.
- Fitz’s Positional Primers
- Hitters to Avoid | Target
- Pitchers to Avoid | Target
- Latest Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft
Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings: Catchers
Some fantasy managers refuse to “pay” for catchers in a similar way to how some refuse to “pay” for saves, but J.T. Realmuto is the one catcher worth the price on draft day. The 31-year-old smacked 22 home runs and stole 21 bases while slashing .276/.342/.478 for the National League Champions. His oWAR of 5.4 was eighth in the NL overall and first for catchers by a wide range, and he is in the 86th percentile in sprint speed among ALL players. The best part is that none of these numbers are outliers with expected regression. He has never played fewer than 125 games in a full season, including the six years before the arrival of the NL DH, where he got some extra at-bats on days off. He should give fantasy teams consistent production from a position where that is almost impossible to find.
Daulton Vasho has catcher eligibility, which is one of the primary draws to him being drafted in the 40-50 range. The other draws include his 27 homers and 16 stolen bases, something only J.T. Realmuto can top at the position. The Diamondbacks traded Varsho to the Blue Jays in the offseason; Rogers Centre should support another 25-HR, 15-SB season and he could see a bump in runs and RBI with the better lineup around him. This will probably be the 26-year-old’s last season with catcher eligibility, but in non-keeper leagues, he is a good asset.
Will Smith is the catcher you draft when you want productivity from the position but don’t want to pay J.T. Realmuto‘s price. He bats in the middle of a stacked Dodgers lineup, driving in 87 runs and swatting 24 home runs. He is a solid producer who doesn’t strike out a ton and makes good contact when he swings. Dave Roberts used him strategically as a DH, which gave the 27-year-old 578 plate appearances without him wearing down like catchers often do. Expect more of the same in 2023.
Beyond our fantasy baseball content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Baseball Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy baseball draft season.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
