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Last season, several rookie catchers were promoted and had big seasons for fantasy owners wary enough to grab them. Guys like JT Realmuto, James McCann, Tucker Barnhart, and Blake Swihart all helped fantasy teams by providing value in a typically weak fantasy position.
Don’t expect that to happen again this season. There are not really any standout catching prospects who look like they will have a major impact in 2016 unless there are some injuries at the big league level. But if there were any injuries, the catchers below are the ones who will likely see playing time and could have a major impact with their team if given ample opportunities to start.
Editor's note: Be sure to also check out our 2016 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. Our rankings assistant tool combines all our staff's ranks in one place. You can easily filter and export all sorts of rankings and tiers - mixed leagues, points leagues, AL/NL only, top prospects, dynasty ranks, keeper values, and more.
Top 10 Dynasty Prospects: Catcher
Here are the top ten catchers for fantasy baseball in 2016:
1. Gary Sanchez (NYY, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 146 PA, .295/.349/.500, 6 HR, 1 SB, 7.5% BB rate, 19.2% K rate
ETA: Opening Day
Following the trade of JR Murphy to the Minnesota Twins, it appears that the New York Yankees are ready to give Gary Sanchez the role of backup catcher behind Brian McCann. The 23-year-old backstop has 20+ home run power and a very advanced approach to the plate which should help him hit for a high average if he gets enough playing time. Because Sanchez lacks a clear path to consistent playing time, he is not worth drafting, but he could have some value as a waiver wire add in deeper leagues and would have immense value in the event of a Brian McCann injury.
2. Willson Contreras (CHC, AA)
Stats: 521 PA, .333/.413/.478, 8 HR, 4 SB, 10.9% BB rate, 11.9% K rate
ETA: Early June
Willson Contreras has a similar problem to Gary Sanchez in that he is stuck behind an established backstop. The only difference is that while Sanchez will be the backup to his catcher, Brian McCann, Contreras will not enter as the backstop for Miguel Montero. In fact, Contreras is fourth on the catcher depth chart for the Cubs. If Montero is injured however, fantasy owners should expect to see Contreras leap all the way up because a team as competitive as the Cubs couldn’t afford to make David Ross their starting catcher and Kyle Schwarber may no longer be a fit behind the plate.
Contreras is sharp defensively and though he doesn’t have the jaw dropping power of Schwarber, Contreras would likely hit for a higher average. In a full season of work, fantasy owners could expect Contreras to hit .280 with 15 home runs. Like Sanchez, Contreras is not worth drafting, but he likely becomes a must-own commodity in the event of a Miguel Montero injury.
3. Tom Murphy (COL, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 136 PA, .271/.301/.535, 7 HR, 0 SB, 3.7% BB rate, 31.6% K rate
ETA: Opening Day
Tom Murphy is not the best bat of the catchers on this list, but he has one of the clearest paths to playing time. As it stands right now, it will be either him or Dustin Garneau backing up Nick Hundley for the Rockies and my money is on Murphy. Murphy grades out as an average defender with power that should be more than capable of hitting 20 home runs per season at the expense of a lower batting average. Unfortunately for Murphy, Hundley figures to eat up the bulk of the ABs behind the dish. Unless you are in a deep league or Nick Hundley gets hurt, Tom Murphy is not worth owning.
4. Jacob Nottingham (MIL, A+)
Stats: (with OAK A+) 182 PA, .299/.352/.409, 3 HR, 1 SB, 6.6% BB rate, 20.9% K rate
ETA: Early August
Though at a glance Jacob Nottingham could appear far from the majors, many see him as a potential replacement for Jonathan Lucroy in the event of Lucroy being traded. While I think it is a longshot seeing as how Nottingham has yet to play a game at Double-A, there is no doubting the fact that the Brewers are thin on catchers. Nottingham is dependable defensively behind the dish, but his bat is his true standout attribute. He has above-average plate discipline and a powerful bat capable of mashing 20 home runs in a season. Though he may not hit for as high of an average as Willson Contreras or as many home runs as Gary Sanchez, Nottingham is really just a slight step below those two in terms of potential offensive production. Though his bat is compelling, Nottingham is not worth drafting or owning unless it is clear that he would play catcher in the event of a Lucroy trade.
5. Austin Barnes (LAD, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 335 PA, .315/.389/.479, 9 HR, 12 SB, 10.4% BB rate, 10.7% K rate
ETA: September
Though Austin Barnes could be an intriguing option at catcher, the path to playing time just is not there for him. Yasmani Grandal will be the starter for the Dodgers with the capable AJ Ellis serving as his backup and starter in the event of a Grandal injury. It would take a pair of injuries to give Barnes any fantasy value in 2016. And though crazier things have happened, I would not expect Barnes to see any playing time until September.
6. Jorge Alfaro (PHI, AA)
Stats: 207 PA, .253/.314/.432, 5 HR, 2 SB, 4.3% BB rate, 29.5% K rate
ETA: September
Jorge Alfaro is easily one of the best bats on this list, but I don’t see any way he sees the majors until September. When rosters expand, Alfaro could be an impact bat as he has a chance to see starting time and could have a major impact on fantasy baseball playoffs, but he is best left off fantasy rosters until then.
7. Justin O’Conner (TB, AA)
Stats: 444 PA, .231/.255/.371, 9 HR, 10 SB, 2.9% BB rate, 29.1% K rate
ETA: September
Even if Justin O’Conner were going to open the year on the Rays’ roster, he would be a desperation play at catcher. He is a defensive minded backstop with enough pop to make him only semi-relevant in fantasy leagues. As it is, he likely won’t see playing time until September when rosters expand. O’Conner should only be owned if things are looking really dire for fantasy owners in the playoffs.
8. Elias Diaz (PIT, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 363 PA, .271/.330/.382, 4 HR, 1 SB, 8.0% BB rate, 12.9% K rate
ETA: September
Elias Diaz could theoretically see Major League time in the event of an injury, but he is not starter material. He is a defensive first backstop who could potentially hit .260 with five home runs if he were to be given regular playing time. Like Justin O’Conner, Diaz would be a desperation play for fantasy owners in September.
9. Reese McGuire (PIT, A+)
Stats: 411 PA, .254/.301/.294, 0 HR, 14 SB, 6.3% BB rate, 9.5% K rate
ETA: September
Though there is some hope that Reese McGuire will eventually start at catcher for the Pirates, those hopes will not be coming alive at any point in 2016. He will likely begin the season at Double-A with a chance to reach the majors in September. Even then, McGuire would wind up splitting catching duty with Elias Diaz, Chris Stewart, and Francisco Cervelli so the odds of him being an impact fantasy bat even in September are slim.
10. Mike Ohlman (STL, AA)
Stats: 417 PA, .273/.356/.418, 12 HR, 0 SB, 11.0% BB rate, 18.5% K rate
ETA: September
There is nothing terribly exciting about Mike Ohlman’s bat and even given Yadier Molina’s recent injury struggles, it would be a stretch to see Ohlman providing any fantasy value. He may be promoted in September and get a few plate appearances, but expect that to be the extent of his fantasy value.
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