X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Top Catcher Prospect Rankings - 2018 Impact Rookies for Fantasy Baseball

Welcome back, RotoBallers. Over the next few days, I'll be breaking down my top impact prospects for fantasy baseball by position. Today I'm bringing you my top 10 catcher prospect rankings - rookies that have the best chance to make fantasy baseball impacts for the 2018 season.

Catcher is a vital spot for owners in redraft leagues. There are not many out there like Gary Sanchez and Buster Posey, so owners are always looking for the next up-and-coming catcher to have an impact in redraft leagues. There does not appear to be a next Posey or Sanchez coming up, but no one really expected Sanchez to be as good as he was and there are still solid catching prospects out there for fantasy owners to keep an eye on. Some with low expectations could also amount to much more than they were originally projected to produce.

Francisco Mejia is the closest thing to an elite catching prospect, but he might not have the playing time in 2018. Jorge Alfaro will have the playing time in 2018, but question marks around his plate discipline could eventually force him to go back to the minors. Still, the owners that can jump on these guys early and ride the next wave of catching talent will be better off for it given the shallow major-league depth. So without any further ado, here are my top 10 catching prospects for 2018.

Featured Promo: Want a free RotoBaller Premium Pass? Check out these sports betting promo offers from the top sportsbooks! All new sign-ups get a free bonus offer on their first deposit, and a free year of RotoBaller's Premium Pass for all sports ($450 value)! Sign Up Now!

 

Top Catcher Prospects for 2018 Fantasy Baseball

To be clear, this list is not the top prospects in baseball. This is a list of the top prospects who are likely going to rise to the major leagues and provide fantasy baseball value this season.

 
1. Jorge Alfaro (PHI, MLB)
Stats: 114 PA, .318/.360/.514, 5 HR, 0 SB, 2.6% BB%, 28.9% K%
ETA: Opening Day
For better or worse, it appears Alfaro is going to start as the catcher in Philadelphia in 2018. The slugging catcher has always produced impressive power numbers, but strikeouts and poor patience at the plate have continuously slowed his development and prevented him from taking the next step offensively. His Major League numbers in 2017 were impressive, but a .420 BABIP and abysmal 0.09 BB/K ratio hints at major regression to come. There is still hope Alfaro can produce. He is solid defensively behind the plate and he will hit for power, which will prove valuable to owners in 14-team leagues. The difference between Alfaro becoming a top-notch catcher for fantasy and not will come down to the patience. For now, owners will have to wait and see what he does with his time.

2. Francisco Mejia (CLE, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 383 PA, .297/.346/.490, 14 HR, 7 SB, 6.3% BB%, 13.8% K%
ETA: June
If this list was based purely on talent, Mejia would be at the top, hands down. His bat is very special, leading some evaluators to believe he could compete for batting titles down the road with the chance to hit 20 home runs per season. However, Mejia has work to do defensively and has not played in Triple-A yet, the level he will likely start at in 2018. With both Roberto Perez and Yan Gomes ahead of him on the catching depth chart, Mejia has an uphill battle for playing time. It should not be put past him that he will eventually fight his way to the majors and force a change, but given that Alfaro is slated to be a starter in 2018, Mejia has to sit at second in my rankings. Should Mejia appear in a position to take starting duties behind the dish, however, he should immediately be picked up in all leagues.

3. Chance Sisco (BAL, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 388 PA, .267/.340/.395, 7 HR, 2 SB, 8.2% BB%, 25.5% K%
ETA: Opening Day
With Wellington Castillo out of Baltimore, the Orioles could be about to begin their youth movement by placing Sisco into the starting lineup. He will battle this spring with Caleb Joseph for the starting catching spot, and has a decent shot to win it. Sisco is no where near the same caliber defender Joseph is, but his bat has plenty more upside, appearing to be a potential high-average hitter with decent pop. Sisco has an all-fields approach and knows how to take a walk, which should help him hit well in Spring Training and make his case for the starting gig. Even if he loses it, Sisco would begin 2018 as the backup and could eventually beat out Joseph for starting time. The lack of home-run pop limits the excitement around Sisco, but he could be a solid add for owners in 14-team leagues or better if he emerges as the starter.

4. Mitch Garver (MIN, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 372 PA, .291/.387/.541, 17 HR, 2 SB, 13.4% BB%, 22.8% K%
ETA: Opening Day
Garver has seemingly always hit in the minors, and only now in his age-27 season does it look like he will finally have a major-league role. Garver crushed Triple-A pitching in 2017, particularly left-handed pitchers and is set to begin the year splitting time with Jason Castro behind the dish in Minnesota. He struggles at times against right-handed pitchers, which could keep him from fully taking over the starting job at catcher, but he has the chance to make the most of nearly every start he makes. He could be a reliable DFS play and a solid AL-only, deep-league add.

5. Carson Kelly (STL, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 280 PA, .283/.375/.459, 10 HR, 0 SB, 11.8% BB%, 14.3% K%
ETA: Opening Day
Kelly has shown nearly in each of the past two seasons that he has what it takes to be a starting catcher in the majors. The only problem is that he is blocked by Yadier Molina in St. Louis. Molina might be 35 years old, but he has appeared in 136-plus games in all but one of his past nine seasons and turned in another great 2017 season. Kelly, on the other hand, has struggled in his limited time in the majors. Still, evaluators are convinced Kelly is the next man up in St. Louis, and with age creeping up on Molina, Kelly should be ready to start at any point. Kelly has shown he is more than capable defensively and that he should hit for a decent average thanks to a plus-hit tool and great plate discipline. He also seems to be starting to tap into some of his raw power. Kelly will likely begin 2018 as Molina’s backup, at least giving him playing time during the season. He is a solid stash in deep leagues in the event he slides into the starting role.

6. Tom Murphy (COL, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 154 PA, .255/.312/.426, 4 HR, 0 SB, 5.8% BB%, 36.4% K%
ETA: Opening Day
Everyone begins the year with plenty of optimism for Murphy. He’s a catcher with a ton of power and plays in Coors Field. Sounds great, right? The problem is, he just does not make enough contact. He typically strikes out at least 25 percent of the time and very often over 30 percent. Murphy has a shot to begin the year as the backup catcher in Colorado, and if he can somehow make enough contact, he could find a way to displace the soon-to-be-35-year-old Chris Iannetta behind the plate. But that’s a very big ‘if.’ He could be extremely valuable and productive in 14-team leagues or shallower. He also could have another season of lost hope.

7. Victor Caratini (CHC, MLB)
Stats: (from AAA) 326 PA, .342/.393/.598, 10 HR, 1 SB, 8.3% BB%, 14.7% K%
ETA: Opening Day
Pretty much all Caratini does is hit, hit and hit some more. He crushed Triple-A pitching in 2017, improving across the board from a solid 2016 season at Double-A. His defense is a question mark with many believing his future home is at first base. But the switch-hitter has a shot to open the 2018 season as the backup catcher to Willson Contreras and could find ways to squeeze into the lineup even on days Contreras is starting. Caratini’s role will be limited in 2018, but any playing time could prove valuable to owners in deep/NL-only leagues because of his ability to hit.

Advertising

8. Danny Jansen (TOR, AAA)
Stats: (from AA) 210 PA, .291/.378/.419, 2 HR, 1 SB, 10.5% BB%, 9.0% K%
ETA: July
Jansen’s name has flown up prospect lists after putting together a stellar 2017 in which he walked well more than he struck out and flashed his plus hit tool. He did not show much in the power department, but with a bat like his, he could hit for a high enough average to make up for that to some extent. The defense is only average, but it is good enough to keep him behind the plate, alleviate any potential concerns for owners down the road. Russell Martin remains firmly entrenched in the starting catching spot in Toronto despite a down year, but it is not implausible that Jansen could force his way into some playing time on a rebuilding Blue Jays team. If he does reach the majors, he could be a solid add in deep/AL-only leagues or better if he lands consistent playing time.

9. Sean Murphy (OAK, AA)
Stats: 217 PA, .209/.288/.309, 4 HR, 0 SB, 9.7% BB%, 15.7% K%
ETA: July
Known as a stellar defensive catcher and a decent power hitter, Murphy is the top catching prospect for the Oakland Athletics and should be able to force his way onto the roster without much effort. The A’s are rebuilding and need a young catcher to take over, and Murphy should be that guy. He struggled to hit for a decent average, but part of that was due to a poor BABIP of .232 at Double-A. He struck out only 15.7 percent of the time and walked at a decent rate. His glove will get him to the majors, but scouts believe he will develop enough power in his bat to become a 20-homer threat, making him a potentially valuable depth piece in deep/AL-only leagues.

10. Garrett Stubbs (HOU, AAA)
Stats: 91 PA, .221/.341/.286, 0 HR, 3 SB, 12.1% BB%, 16.5% K%
ETA: July
There is not a ton to be excited about with Stubbs. He is a short catcher, who has faced questions as to whether he can hold down the position throughout his professional career. He has typically been a solid hitter, but had a down year offensively in 2017. He will not hit for too much power, but could add the occasional stolen base. If all goes well for him, he could post a .270-plus batting average. He is not going to snag a starting job this year unless there are several injuries, leaving him as a very deep/AL-only add if he is promoted.

 

More 2018 MLB Prospects Analysis




LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

WIN MORE IN 2024

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

ROTOBALLER PLAYER NEWS

RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Alexis Diaz fantasy baseball closers rankings draft sleepers waiver wire pickups

MLB Closers and Saves: Fantasy Baseball Depth Charts

Saves are an important component for many fantasy baseball leagues. Closers are one of the most volatile positions in fantasy baseball, and one of the highest turnover positions in MLB. Each year, closers drop like flies and many MLB teams make in-season changes due to injuries or poor performance. In addition to closers and saves, relief... Read More


Do These Prospects Matter for Fantasy Baseball?

The 2023 fantasy baseball season has been highlighted by the promotion of nearly two-dozen top prospects to the major leagues to impact fantasy rosters. This week's edition features one player who was called up as the piece was being written. Will these strong performers join the ranks of those who have moved to the majors... Read More


clayton kershaw fantasy baseball rankings draft sleepers MLB injury news

articles report test

this is a test


Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups for Fantasy Baseball - Week 24

Welcome back! It's Week 24 of our fantasy baseball Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Pickups series! There are just two precious weeks left, and every start is becoming more and more important as most of the fantasy baseball world is in playoff matchups. If you've made it this far, there's a good chance you don't really... Read More


Aaron Nola - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Starts & Sits for MLB Week 23 - All Starting Pitcher Matchups for Fantasy Baseball

Welcome back RotoBallers! Big week in fantasy leagues as we approach the end of the season and playoffs! As always, we are here with our starting pitcher starts and sits series to help you set those winning lineups for the week ahead! For those who are not familiar, RotoBaller puts out a weekly grid of... Read More


Gunnar Henderson - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Prospects, Draft Sleepers

Points League Hitters: Waiver Wire Pickups for Fantasy Baseball - Week 24

Welcome to Week 24 and our fantasy baseball waiver wire hitters. We'll be doing this roundup of points leagues every week here at RotoBaller, with waiver wire targets and streaming pitchers being evaluated in terms of the different scoring systems of ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS, and Fantrax. Player values can vary wildly from platform to platform,... Read More


Brayan Bello - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Two-Start Pitcher Streamers for Fantasy Baseball - Week 24

Yo, it's Jon Anderson, continuing to run the show here in terms of late-summer fantasy baseball writing. There are just two weeks left of streaming pitchers, so let's make it count! This weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups column aims to identify starting pitchers expected to make two starts in the upcoming fantasy baseball week,... Read More


Fantasy Baseball Week 24 Injury News and Updates: Tyler Glasnow, Ozzie Albies, Starling Marte, Anthony Rizzo, Zack Wheeler

September is now more than half over. The baseball season is slowly coming to a close. At this point, fantasy players are pushing for their league titles or just playing for pride. Major League Baseball teams continue to do the same and injuries continue to happen, now with the dreaded term "done for the season"... Read More


Joe Musgrove - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

Free MLB Betting Picks - Today's Best Bets, Expert Predictions, Odds (9/17/22)

Happy Saturday, RotoBallers, we're back for another weekend of MLB betting picks! Make sure you're following my Twitter, as I can't guarantee that I'll always be able to get the added plays written here in the article, but I will typically add whatever else I'm playing throughout the day. The entire RotoBaller team has been... Read More


DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (9/17/22): Today's Top MLB DFS Lineups

Today's MLB slates are split up as is the norm for September baseball. Half the guys I think will play will not, so you have to be as flexible as Gumby to play MLB DFS in September, but that also means that there is a lot of money out there should you dare to dive... Read More


Max Fried - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

Free MLB Betting Picks - Today's Best Bets, Expert Predictions, Odds (9/15/22)

Happy Friday, RotoBallers, we're back for another weekend of MLB betting picks! Make sure you're following my Twitter, as I can't guarantee that I'll always be able to get the added plays written here in the article, but I will typically add whatever else I'm playing throughout the day. The entire RotoBaller team has been... Read More


Robbie Ray - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Injury News, Draft Sleepers

DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (9/16/22): Today's Top MLB DFS Lineups

Fridays are big MLB DFS days and offer a nice respite from the NFL, who command our attention on Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays. This slate, like most Friday slates, is a big one as all MLB teams are in action today and 28 of those teams are on tonight's 14-game DFS slate. This was a... Read More


kyle farmer fantasy baseball rankings draft sleepers MLB injury news

Top Hitter Streamers and Starts for Fantasy Baseball - Week 24

There are only two weeks left of fantasy baseball! It's going to be very sad when the season comes to an end, but the impending end of the season means that these are the most important, and therefore most fun weeks of the year – for those of you still competing, at least. I have... Read More


TODAY’S MOST VIEWED PLAYERS

rotating JS ad test

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
derrick henry fantasy football rankings news NFL DFS lineup picks

test publish 5 mins in future

Hello everybody and welcome! The 2022 NFL season is finally underway and that means our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great props we can look to take advantage of. PrizePicks is a great DFS picks site where you can choose to select plays in terms of fantasy points or single stats. The... Read More


PrizePicks NFL DFS Picks - Monday Night Football

Hello everybody and welcome! The 2022 NFL season is finally underway and that means our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great props we can look to take advantage of. PrizePicks is a great DFS picks site where you can choose to select plays in terms of fantasy points or single stats. The... Read More


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL RBs: Updates for Aaron Rodgers

Warning: Undefined array key "amp_post_template_footer" in /var/www/rotoballer.com/wp-content/plugins/php-code-for-posts/Classes/Shortcode.php(91) : eval()'d code on line 6 Warning: foreach() argument must be of type array|object, null given in /var/www/rotoballer.com/wp-content/plugins/php-code-for-posts/Classes/Shortcode.php(91) : eval()'d code on line 6 Featured Promo: Get any full-season NFL Premium Pass for 50% off and win big in 2022. Exclusive access to our Premium articles, 15 lineup... Read More


derrick henry fantasy football rankings news NFL DFS lineup picks

PrizePicks NFL DFS Picks - Monday Night Football

Hello everybody and welcome! The 2022 NFL season is finally underway and that means our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great props we can look to take advantage of. PrizePicks is a great DFS picks site where you can choose to select plays in terms of fantasy points or single stats. The... Read More


Justin Jefferson - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Injury News

NFL DFS Prop Picks for Monkey Knife Fight - Monday Night Football

Welcome to NFL Monday Night Football, where we have two games scheduled between the Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles and the Tennessee Titans vs. Buffalo Bills.  Monday's games mean our friends at Monkey Knife Fight are offering some fantastic props for us to play once again! The good people at Monkey Knife Fight offer some... Read More


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL RBs: Week 2 Updates for Najee Harris, J.K. Dobbins, D'Andre Swift, Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram

Below you will find our fantasy football injuries report for running backs in Week 2, as of September 17. The injury statuses for various NFL running backs are up in the air for Week 2 including D'Andre Swift, Najee Harris, Alvin Kamara, J.K. Dobbins, and more. The fantasy football season may be just getting underway,... Read More


michael pittman jr. fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For NFL WRs: Week 2 Updates for Michael Pittman Jr., Mike Evans, Tee Higgins, Allen Lazard, Julio Jones

Welcome to Week 2 of the fantasy football season and the Saturday edition of our WR injury reports! Below you will find our fantasy football injuries report for wide receivers in Week 2 as of September 16th. The injury statuses for various NFL wide receivers are up in the air for Week 2, including Michael... Read More


justin herbert fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

Fantasy Football Injury Reports for QBs: Week 2 Updates for Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, Jameis Winston, Mac Jones

Below you will find our updated fantasy football injuries report for quarterbacks in the days before Week 2 of the 2022 NFL season as of Friday, September 16. There are a few NFL QBs dealing with injuries, including Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, Jameis Winston, and Mac Jones. Being up-to-date on NFL injury news can give... Read More


Trey Lance - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Key Starters and Tough Calls - Lineup Spotlights for Fantasy Football Week 2

Every week, I share some of my favored choices and players to go with when dealing with challenging lineup decisions. These selections are based on my Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller NFL Premium Pass. Enter promo code KING at checkout for a discount and get access to my ranks in all formats, plus... Read More


Saquon Barkley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, Draft Sleepers

Week 2 NFL Pick Em Selections for No House Advantage

Hello everybody and welcome! The 2022 NFL season is underway and that means our friends over at No House Advantage have a TON of great DFS plays we can look to take advantage of. No House Advantage is a unique DFS prop picks site where you do not have to play against the house to... Read More


Wide Receiver Matchups to Target in Week 2: Greg Dortch, Terry McLaurin, Christian Kirk

Week 1 made some things come to light as we got some clarity on some murky situations. Unfortunately, many of our WR targets for DFS last week were victims of this. Robert Woods finished the game with one reception for 13 yards, as the Titans used the rookie receivers much more than him. Brandon Aiyuk... Read More


Carson Wentz - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Thunder Dan's NFL Betting Picks for Week 2: Top NFL Player Props Bets

Football season is back! Whether you like to bet game totals, sides, or player props, I have something in here for you, and try to cover a little bit of everything! This year, I started my own free sports betting newsletter, and the good people here at RotoBaller are allowing me to share my picks... Read More


Fantasy Football IDP Injury Reports For NFL Defensive Players: Week 2 Updates for T.J. Watt, Jamal Adams, Jalen Thompson, Ed Oliver

T.J. Watt owners, you know the feeling... I had T.J. Watt in my home league last season. He was constantly checking out of games early with nagging minor injuries, but he must have led every IDP manager who started him to the playoffs. I went back to the well and drafted him early this year.... Read More