It is fantasy baseball season! Today we’re focusing on fantasy baseball sleepers at the catcher position.
There are some attractive options at the top of the catcher pool such as Philadelphia Phillies C JT Realmuto and Kansas City Royals C Salvador Perez but if you miss out or simply decide to pass on the top tier, it’s not time to panic, as there are plenty of viable options to be had late in drafts.
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Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Catchers
Wilson Ramos, Detroit Tigers
After hitting .288 or higher three times from 2016-19, Ramos’ batting average dipped all the way to .239 in 2020. The strikeouts increased, and Baseball HQ had his xBA at .231, so it can’t be chalked up to bad luck.
It was, however, a small sample, and with a long track record of better production, Ramos is worth investing in as the locked-in starter in Detroit.
Elias Diaz, Colorado Rockies
He’s getting very little buzz for a projected starter in Colorado, consistently going beyond pick 300 in drafts but with a career K% of 17.0% and half his games in Coors Field, Diaz should rebound from last year’s .235 batting average.
Most projections have him in the .260-.270 range, and he could reach double-digit homers as well. He’s an excellent target for fantasy managers waiting on their second catcher.
Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
Though he’s no longer a threat to hit for a .300 average or 20 homers, Molina can still put up respectable numbers. The 38-year-old should continue to play regularly as long as he’s healthy, and is coming off a season in which he hit .262 with four home runs in 156 plate appearances.
Expect similar production going forward, making him a good buy as the 17th catcher off the board in NFBC drafts.
Alejandro Kirk, Toronto Blue Jays
The 22-year-old, whose 25 plate appearances with the Jays in 2020 were his first action above Class High-A, still isn’t a lock to crack the Opening Day roster, but he’s making a strong case for a job and perhaps a prominent one.
He has a .318/.360/.636 triple-slash line this spring and offers plenty of upside once he forces his way into the lineup.
Omar Narvaez, Milwaukee Brewers
His first season in Milwaukee didn’t go so well, as he hit just .176 with two home runs across 126 plate appearances. A .254 BABIP looks like an outlier given his .312 career mark, and Narvaez is just a year removed from a 22-homer campaign with the Seattle Mariners.
He won’t help your batting average, but if you already have a strong foundation, look to him for some late power.
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