2019 Fantasy Baseball Rankings

Realmuto doesn't possess the pure upside of Gary Sanchez, but he may still be the better pick in fantasy drafts. In moving from Miami to Philadelphia, he gets a massive upgrade in both his home ballpark and supporting cast, setting him up to establish new career highs in the counting stats (HR, RBIs, runs). Realmuto is also a good bet to lead all catchers in plate appearances, thanks to both his durability and the possibility that he sees the occasional start at first base when he isn't behind the plate.

There is no getting past the fact that Sanchez was a train wreck last season., batting .186 with only 18 homers. With that said, he is still just 26 years old and we are talking about the fastest player to ever reach 50 homers in the MLB. Chance are high that he will bounce back in the batting average department, and if he can stay healthy, bank on 25 to 40 homers making him well worth a 7th or 8th round pick.

While the gut reaction to signing with the Brewers was to shoot him up the rankings, Grandal actually hit better at Dodger Stadium (.363 wOBA) than on the road (.341 last season). Rather than expecting a production spike, investors should simply accept what he is. The 30-year-old catcher will hit around the .240 range with a high walk rate (13.9% in 2018) and around 25 homers. That will look a lot better after looking at guys available to drafters who punt the position. Keep an open mind to Grandal, who should get targeted more aggressively in two-catcher and OBP leagues.

Contreras had a horribly disappointing 2018 season, hitting just 10 home runs after belting 21 long balls the previous season. The lack of homers was also responsible for lopping more than 25 points off his batting average, as his strikeout rate and BABIP were virtually identical to 2017. Of particular concern was the decline in his hard hit rate, in a year when most players saw their hard hit rates soar. Contreras is just 26 years old and didn't deal with any notable injuries last season, so the sudden drop in power is tough to explain. It stands to reason that a big bounce back could be in store, but he has to be viewed as a boom-or-bust option coming off a lost year.

Since undergoing Lasik surgery before the 2016 season, Ramos has registered a .298/.343/.483 slash line with 20 homers per 500 plate appearances. Yet 2016 ended with a torn ACL, and a hamstring injury interrupted last year's All-Star campaign. After moving to the Mets, the 31-year-old can no longer DH, and a 54.9% ground-ball rate tempers his power upside. Despite all of these warts, he's a catcher with a good bat. He's a top-five option, just not one to lunge for before Salvador Perez or Yasmani Grandal.

Posey fell off the fantasy map in 2018, managing to hit just five home runs while playing through a hip ailment that eventually required surgery. He didn't show any obvious signs of decline in his batted ball profile, and his plate discipline remained as good as ever, so a modest bounce back should be expected. The biggest concern is that the Giants pump the brakes on Posey's playing time to preserve his health. Given his poor hitting environment, weak supporting cast, and lack of category juice, Posey needs to rack up a lot of at-bats in order for his typically high batting average to be a true difference-maker for fantasy owners.

It may surprise you to learn that Molina has finished as a top-three catcher in standard 5x5 roto leagues in back-to-back seasons and a top-five catcher in three straight seasons. Clearly, his mid-30s have agreed with him so far, but he does carry a little bit of risk this year as he recovers from offseason knee surgery. Durability has been Molina's calling card throughout his career, so if he's able to remain on the field there is a good chance he will again outperform some of the bigger names who are sure to go ahead of him in fantasy drafts.

Now that Martin was dealt to the Dodgers, Jansen is the favorite to start at catcher for the Blue Jays. He doesn't have much power, but his average will be quality and he should play enough that the RBIs and runs will make him a fringe top 12 fantasy catcher.

Catcher was bleak enough before losing Salvador Perez, so Castillo stands out as a fine choice for those who punt the position. An avalanche of injuries led him to post a middling .308 wOBA in 49 games, but he clobbered 53 homers over the previous three seasons. The career .259/.318/.427 hitter could combine a solid average with 15 long balls.

Zunino is one of the better sources of power at the catcher position, but with a .207 lifetime average and enormous 34.2 percent career strikeout rate, he is a major liability in the batting average department. As a result, he's finished as a top-14 fantasy catcher just once -- in 2017, when he rode a completely unsustainable .355 BABIP to a .251 batting average. He's simply too big of a batting average drain to be an appealing starting option in 12-team leagues.

Among all catchers with 200 plate appearances, Cervelli corralled the second-highest wOBA (.355) behind Wilson Ramos. His modest 12 homers comfortably cleared his previous high of seven, but concussions limited him to 404 plate appearances. He's unlikely to turn into a big bopper during his age-33 season, but Cervelli is a fine placeholder while healthy.

Chirinos' 35 home runs over the last two seasons ranks eighth at the catcher position, and it has translated to back-to-back seasons in which Chirinos has finished as a top-12 fantasy catcher in 5x5 roto leagues, including a top-seven finish last year. He's expected to serve as the Astros' starting catcher after signing a one-year deal in the offseason, and while he'll likely bat at the bottom of the order, Chirinos should benefit from a good hitting environment and a lineup that is strong from top to bottom. He's likely to be a drain on batting average considering his high strikeout rate, but the pop is legit. Look his way if you're hunting for a sleeper at the position.

Barnhart doesn't have the best bat, but his elite defense will keep him on the field for nearly 500 at-bats again. In a killer Red's lineup, that should be plenty to get him the counting stats he needs to be draftable.

Alfaro is dealing with a knee issue that may keep him out at the start of the season, but he has so little competition in Miami that fantasy owners may still get 350 to 400 at-bats and the counting stats that go with it. Don't be surprised if he hits near his career .270 average once again either.

Much of Mejia's production will depend on where he plays this season. The Padres are among the front-runners to land J.T. Realmuto, which oddly enough, would help Mejia a great deal. As it is now, the catching prospect is stuck behind Austin Hedges, who is among the top defensive catchers in baseball, but a trade to Miami, or perhaps even Cleveland or Cincinnati, would make him a fringe top 12 fantasy catcher right away. Mejia has more pop than your average catcher already and could eventually hit around .290 as his approach matures.

Gomes' 2018 (.266, 16 HR, 48 RBI, 52 runs) was enough to make him a top-10 catcher last season. Yet he's now going to split time in Washington with Kurt Suzuki, who posted similar numbers (.271, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 45 runs) in a timeshare for the Braves. That makes both of them solid second catchers who can fill is as a one-catcher stopgap if the other one gets hurt.

With a strikeout rate below five percent at every level of the minors -- and during his 30 game cup of coffee with the Twins last year -- Astudillo has the kind of high-level contact skills that can make him an asset in batting average, particularly at the weak-hitting catcher position. He could also pop 15 home runs if given regular at-bats, but it's his at-bat total that is the big question. Astudillo isn't guaranteed a roster spot, let alone a starting job, but if he can find a way to reach 300+ plate appearances, he will be an intriguing dark horse candidate to finish as a top-12 catcher in mixed leagues. He's worth monitoring closely in Spring Training.

There's nothing sexy about drafting Sukuzi, a 35-year old journeyman backstop who's never hit 20 home runs and may not even be the Nationals' quote-unquote "starter" behind the plate. But thanks to a bit of pop and very good contact skills for a catcher, Suzuki has quietly finished as a top-11 fantasy catcher in fewer than 400 plate appearances in each of the last two seasons. It remains to be seen how playing time will be divided between Suzuki and Yan Gomes in Washington, but between catching and even getting the occasional start at first base, Suzuki could get enough playing time to once again sneak into the starting catcher conversation in 12-team leagues.

 

 

Hedges is no help in the batting average department, but he has enough power (32 homers in his last 700 at-bats) that he warrants a late-round pick if you still need a catcher. If he gets traded mid-season to clear up room for Mejia, Hedges could see a bump in his offensive production away from San Diego's ballpark.

 

 

 

 

There is reason to be excited about Tom Murphy, but as for now, Iannetta is the starter in Coors Field so don't hesitate to add him in two catcher leagues despite his lackluster batting averages.

If you are desperate at catcher, Brian McCann may be better than punting the position altogether. He does still have serviceable power, but he won't play often as the backup in Atlanta and his batting average will likely drag your team back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If catcher wasn't bleak enough, the position lost one of its steadiest, most durable options upon news of Perez needing Tommy John surgery that will wipe out his entire 2019. Catcher just got even worse without one of the spot's most reliable power producers, who had exceeded 20 homers in each of the last four seasons. There are now only seven above-average options (eight for Danny Jansen believers) to target in drafts.