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Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

2022 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes

Position

Team

Salvador Perez Note
	1. Salvador Perez KC Perez tied for the MLB lead with 48 home runs in 2021 and had a league-leading 121 RBI. After missing the entire 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery and playing 37 of 60 games in 2020, Perez played 161 games last year (40 as a DH) and went to the plate 665 times. He's bound to get fewer PAs this season, and some HR pullback is probably inevitable, but the Statcast numbers show that Perez crushes the ball when he makes contact. His career batting averages have been all over the map, and he doesn't run, but the power and run production are legit. Perez deserves to be the first catcher off the board, but he might be drafted too early after last season's homer-fest. 31 weeks ago

J.T. Realmuto Note
	2. J.T. Realmuto PHI Some of us still want to think of the 28-year-old Realmuto, who was the best catcher in baseball. But he's entering his age-31 season and is likely on the downside of his career. Catchers tend to fall off precipitously after age 30, so Realmuto will have to stave off Father Time. Double-digit steals from the catcher slot are always a bonus for fantasy managers, but Realmuto is no longer a catcher for whom you should reach. The Phillies' lineup is full of holes and won't provide much support outside of Bryce Harper. However, the universal DH rule adds to Realmuto's value. He'll get more at bats and more rest for his legs. He's still a great option at catcher. Just don't reach. 31 weeks ago

Will Smith Note
	3. Will Smith LAD If you were targeting J.T. Realmuto and he gets snapped up, take Smith with your next pick. He has the goods to become the best catcher in the game, and with the universal DH now the law of the land, Smith becomes even more valuable. Now that he'll get at-bats as a designated hitter, a 30 HR, 90 RBI season isn't out of the question. Getting that kind of elite production from your catcher spot anchors your offense and allows you all kinds of trade flexibility down the road. 31 weeks ago

Yasmani Grandal Note
	4. Yasmani Grandal CWS Grandal played in only 93 games last year because of a knee injury but still hit 23 home runs with 122 combined runs and RBI. His walk rate (23.2%) was comically high, but it obviously didn't impact any of his other numbers, and his strikeout rate was the lowest it has been in years. Don't extrapolate his home run numbers - he's not going to his 40 - but mid-20s with solid runs and RBI totals are in the bank. That's gold for a catcher. 28 weeks ago

Willson Contreras Note
	5. Willson Contreras CHC Contreras isn't quite the fantasy superstar that he looked like he might be when he broke in, but he's still an excellent option at a weak position. He's hit at least 21 homers in three of his last four full seasons and chips in roughly 120 combined runs and RBI. That doesn't sound like much, particularly with a batting average that seems likely to hover at around .240 at this stage in his career, but it's more than enough for a catcher. He should see some extra at-bats this year with the DH in the National League, and that should only help his value. 28 weeks ago

Daulton Varsho Note
	6. Daulton Varsho ARI Varsho has bounced around from catcher to the outfield so far in his major league career, but he is penned in as the everyday center fielder in 2022. His bat is solid, not necessarily elite, and if he was only outfield eligible, he'd probably be a fifth outfielder or high-end bench piece. But his projected 15-10 line plays incredibly well at catcher, where he retains eligibility, and he'll likely bat in the middle of the lineup which should help buoy his counting stats, even in Arizona's lineup. He's a rock solid starting catcher for fantasy purposes, but don't play to play him in the outfield. 28 weeks ago

Keibert Ruiz Note
	7. Keibert Ruiz WSH Ruiz will be the starting catcher for the Nationals this year and will bat in the middle of the lineup. Ignore his mediocre numbers from last year, because he has the upside to be a top-5 catcher if everything breaks right. Ruiz's power hasn't quite developed as projected, but he hit 19 home runs in 81 games between the majors and minors last year. He has elite contact skills and rarely strikes out, so his batting average should be a plus, especially for a catcher. Don't be concerned to reach a bit given his upside. 27 weeks ago

Mitch Garver Note
	8. Mitch Garver TEX Garver moved to Texas this offseason and even though he'll play at least half his games in a pitcher-friendly park, it's still a great move for his value. Garver has never had more than 359 plate appearances in a season, but he should easily top 400 this year, and he's going to bat behind Marcus Semien and Corey Seager. Garver doesn't strike out a ton for a catcher and has as much power as nearly anyone at the position, so 20 home runs should be the bare minimum if he stays healthy. Draft him late but fully understand that he has top-five catcher upside. 27 weeks ago

Tyler Stephenson Note
	9. Tyler Stephenson CIN With Tucker Barnhart out of town, Stephenson will get his shot as the primary catcher for the Reds. He was extremely productive last year with a .797 OPS and 10 home runs in just 102 games, all while batting .286. Don't expect him to continue with his pace, as catchers often get overexposed when they take on more playing time. But he'll bat in the middle of the Cincinnati lineup, and when you're looking for a backstop who won't cost you anything but should give you fairly reliable production for the position, Stephenson is your guy. 27 weeks ago

Travis d'Arnaud Note
	10. Travis d'Arnaud ATL d'Arnaud has plenty of offensive talent, but he's now 33 years old and coming off an injury-plagued season that limited him to just 60 games. That's been the bugaboo for d'Arnaud throughout his career, as he's never had more than 391 plate appearances in a season. If you could guarantee his health, then his power upside and strong supporting cast would likely be enough to make him a top-12 catcher. But there's no way to bank on that, so outside of NL-only or two-catcher formats, don't bother with him in fantasy. 26 weeks ago

Christian Vazquez Note
	11. Christian Vazquez HOU Vazquez's power fell off a cliff last year, as his barrel percentage and hard-hit rate plummeted to some of the worst in the league. He's 31 years old now, about the time that a catcher begins to head downhill, so expecting a rebound is probably overly optimistic. He'll likely still have decent runs and RBI for a catcher just by virtue of playing for the Red Sox, but he's no longer someone to draft as your starting backstop in a one-catcher league. 26 weeks ago

Gary Sanchez Note
	12. Gary Sanchez MIN

Sean Murphy Note
	13. Sean Murphy OAK

Omar Narvaez Note
	14. Omar Narvaez MIL

Alejandro Kirk Note
	15. Alejandro Kirk TOR

Mike Zunino Note
	16. Mike Zunino TB

Carson Kelly Note
	17. Carson Kelly ARI

Elias Diaz Note
	18. Elias Diaz COL

Adley Rutschman Note
	19. Adley Rutschman BAL

Yadier Molina Note
	20. Yadier Molina STL

Max Stassi Note
	21. Max Stassi LAA

James McCann Note
	22. James McCann NYM

Joey Bart Note
	23. Joey Bart SF

Austin Nola Note
	24. Austin Nola SD

Eric Haase Note
	25. Eric Haase DET

Danny Jansen Note
	26. Danny Jansen TOR

Jorge Alfaro Note
	27. Jorge Alfaro SD

Jacob Stallings Note
	28. Jacob Stallings MIA

Tucker Barnhart Note
	29. Tucker Barnhart DET

Kyle Higashioka Note
	30. Kyle Higashioka NYY

Yan Gomes Note
	31. Yan Gomes CHC

Luis Torrens Note
	32. Luis Torrens SEA

Ryan Jeffers Note
	33. Ryan Jeffers MIN

Francisco Mejia Note
	34. Francisco Mejia TB

Jonah Heim Note
	35. Jonah Heim TEX

Roberto Perez Note
	36. Roberto Perez PIT

Tom Murphy Note
	37. Tom Murphy SEA

Victor Caratini Note
	38. Victor Caratini MIL

Pedro Severino Note
	39. Pedro Severino MIL

Martin Maldonado Note
	40. Martin Maldonado HOU

Cal Raleigh Note
	41. Cal Raleigh SEA

MJ Melendez Note
	42. MJ Melendez KC

William Contreras Note
	43. William Contreras ATL

Zack Collins Note
	44. Zack Collins PIT

Manny Pina Note
	45. Manny Pina ATL

Austin Barnes Note
	46. Austin Barnes LAD

Kurt Suzuki Note
	47. Kurt Suzuki LAA

Jose Trevino Note
	48. Jose Trevino NYY

Tomas Nido Note
	49. Tomas Nido NYM

Jason Castro Note
	50. Jason Castro HOU

Austin Hedges Note
	51. Austin Hedges CLE

Dom Nunez Note
	52. Dom Nunez COL

Gabriel Moreno Note
	53. Gabriel Moreno TOR

Robinson Chirinos Note
	54. Robinson Chirinos BAL

Ben Rortvedt Note
	55. Ben Rortvedt NYY

Kevin Plawecki Note
	56. Kevin Plawecki TEX

Curt Casali Note
	57. Curt Casali SEA

Luis Campusano Note
	58. Luis Campusano SD

Jake Rogers Note
	59. Jake Rogers DET

Riley Adams Note
	60. Riley Adams WSH

Aramis Garcia Note
	61. Aramis Garcia CIN

Andrew Knizner Note
	62. Andrew Knizner STL

Reese McGuire Note
	63. Reese McGuire BOS

Austin Allen Note
	64. Austin Allen STL

Stephen Vogt Note
	65. Stephen Vogt OAK

Korey Lee Note
	66. Korey Lee HOU

Carlos Martinez Note
	67. Carlos Martinez FA

Wilson Ramos Note
	68. Wilson Ramos FA

Michael Perez Note
	69. Michael Perez NYM

Cooper Hummel Note
	70. Cooper Hummel ARI

Sam Huff Note
	71. Sam Huff TEX

Sandy Leon Note
	72. Sandy Leon MIN

Andrew Knapp Note
	73. Andrew Knapp SF

Willians Astudillo Note
	74. Willians Astudillo MIA

Nick Fortes Note
	75. Nick Fortes MIA

Alex Jackson Note
	76. Alex Jackson MIL

Seby Zavala Note
	77. Seby Zavala CWS

Cam Gallagher Note
	78. Cam Gallagher BAL

Bryan Lavastida Note
	79. Bryan Lavastida CLE

Rafael Marchan Note
	80. Rafael Marchan PHI

Garrett Stubbs Note
	81. Garrett Stubbs PHI

Luke Maile Note
	82. Luke Maile CLE

Dustin Garneau Note
	83. Dustin Garneau DET

Austin Romine Note
	84. Austin Romine CIN

Payton Henry Note
	85. Payton Henry MIA

Tres Barrera Note
	86. Tres Barrera WSH

Grayson Greiner Note
	87. Grayson Greiner ARI

Jose Herrera Note
	88. Jose Herrera ARI

Patrick Mazeika Note
	89. Patrick Mazeika SF

Chance Sisco Note
	90. Chance Sisco MIN

Jose Godoy Note
	91. Jose Godoy PIT

Connor Wong Note
	92. Connor Wong BOS

Chad Wallach Note
	93. Chad Wallach LAA

Mario Feliciano Note
	94. Mario Feliciano MIL

Anthony Bemboom Note
	95. Anthony Bemboom BAL

Mark Kolozsvary Note
	96. Mark Kolozsvary CIN

Ali Sanchez Note
	97. Ali Sanchez DET

Drew Butera Note
	98. Drew Butera FA

Brett Cumberland Note
	99. Brett Cumberland BAL

Sebastian Rivero Note
	100. Sebastian Rivero KC

Webster Rivas Note
	101. Webster Rivas SD

Rene Pinto Note
	102. Rene Pinto TB

Jose Lobaton Note
	103. Jose Lobaton FA

Taylor Davis Note
	104. Taylor Davis PIT

Chadwick Tromp Note
	105. Chadwick Tromp ATL

Guillermo Quiroz Note
	106. Guillermo Quiroz FA

Brian Serven Note
	107. Brian Serven COL

John Hicks Note
	108. John Hicks CHC

Tony Wolters Note
	109. Tony Wolters LAD

Austin Wynns Note
	110. Austin Wynns SF

Jamie Ritchie Note
	111. Jamie Ritchie PIT

P.J. Higgins Note
	112. P.J. Higgins CHC

Rob Brantly Note
	113. Rob Brantly NYY

Tyler Payne Note
	114. Tyler Payne CHC

Collin Theroux Note
	115. Collin Theroux FA

Hunter Feduccia Note
	116. Hunter Feduccia LAD

Meibrys Viloria Note
	117. Meibrys Viloria TEX

Beau Taylor Note
	118. Beau Taylor OAK

Nick Ciuffo Note
	119. Nick Ciuffo CWS

Tomas Telis Note
	120. Tomas Telis LAD

Jack Kruger Note
	121. Jack Kruger TEX

Ryan Lavarnway Note
	122. Ryan Lavarnway CIN

Alex Avila Note
	123. Alex Avila FA

Jose Briceno Note
	124. Jose Briceno KC

Erick Castillo Note
	125. Erick Castillo CHC

Brett Sullivan Note
	126. Brett Sullivan SD

David Freitas Note
	127. David Freitas FA

Ivan Herrera Note
	128. Ivan Herrera STL

Francisco Pena Note
	129. Francisco Pena FA

Tyler Heineman Note
	130. Tyler Heineman PIT