There has been a great deal of movement in the catcher rankings over the last few seasons. Joe Mauer is no longer the top backstop in baseball due to injuries and a recent power outage.
Buster Posey and Carlos Santana look like they will lead the next generation, and between prospects such as Salvador Perez, Jesus Montero, and Devin Mesoraco, another star will evolve.
Of course, this year’s top catcher came out of nowhere, so you never really know where the next fantasy sensation will come from. Here’s the top 20 fantasy baseball masked marvels this season:
1. Mike Napoli, Rangers – The story is as good as the production. Deemed as inadequate defensively by his former manager Mike Scioscia, a great defensive backstop himself, Napoli was traded from the Angels to the Blue Jays. The Rangers tried to acquire Napoli, but the Angels were reluctant to send the power hitter to a division rival. The Blue Jays had no such concerns and within moments of acquiring Napoli, they sent him to Texas.
Napoli went on to blast 30 home runs with a .319 average all while playing good enough defence that he started as a catcher in the World Series. His defensive statistics alone weren’t just good, but excellent, as his pitcher’s ERA ranked amongst the best in the league with him behind the plate. The high batting average may be tough to sustain, but the power is real and Napoli enters this season as the top ranked catcher in fantasy baseball.
2. Carlos Santana, Indians – Santana’s got as a high a ceiling as anyone on this list. He has tremendous power with some speed, and his average should improve with experience.
3. Brian McCann, Braves – He has been taken for granted by the fantasy community, but McCann always offers power, run production, with a solid average.
4. Joe Mauer, Twins – Mauer has not been the same since injuries and the move to Target Field has taken away his speed and power. He remains a fine hitter and will drive in some runs, but he is no longer ranked within the top three at his position.
5. Buster Posey, Giants – A freak leg injury suffered in a collision at the plate ended his 2011 season, but Posey comes back with his power intact and should pick up from where he left off.
6. Matt Wieters, Orioles – Fantasy managers expected Wieters to dominate from his first days in the majors, but instead we’ve seen solid year-by-year improvement. This season we could see 25 home runs with a .270 average.
7. Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks – Consider Montero a slightly lesser version of Brian McCann. He offers a fine average with pop and run production, but not much on the base paths.
8. Alex Avila, Tigers – A breakout star last season, Avila will now enjoy more run-producing opportunities with Prince Fielder in the lineup. Avila is still going under the radar perhaps due to his disastrous post-season.
9. Yadier Molina, Cardinals – He earned his fame for his defence, but Yadier Molina has quietly become the best all-around catcher in baseball. Even stolen bases are in this all-star’s arsenal.
10. JP Arencibia, Blue Jays – A young power hitter with 30-home run potential, Arencibia looks a lot like Napoli did a few years ago when his power came with a low batting average. We’ll see if Arencibia can develop into more of an all-around hitter.
11. Jesus Montero, Mariners – He’s a big name since he began his career with the New York Yankees, but a move to Seattle will lead to some positives and negatives for Montero. The good news is that he will get a chance to play every day. The bad news is that he calls the cavernous Safeco Field home with a mediocre lineup surrounding him.
12. Salvador Perez, Royals – One of the many rising talents on the Royals, Perez has demonstrated the ability to hit for a high average, but his power has been limited in the past and his speed is nonexistent.
13. Wilson Ramos, Nationals – The young backstop went through a hellacious off-season, as he was kidnapped in Venezuela, but Ramos does posses power and could take another step forward this season.
14. Russell Martin, Yankees – Martin is a fine defensive backstop with some solid power and speed, but his average has been an issue for years. There are other young talents in the Yankees farm system that make a living behind the plate, even with Montero traded to the Mariners, who will one day replace the Ontario native in the Yankees batting lineup.
15. Chris Iannetta, Angels – The best-case scenario for Chris Iannetta is that he follows the career projection of Mike Napoli. He has a ton of power, but has been hurt by a career .235 average.
16. Geovany Soto, Cubs – One of the least consistent hitters in baseball, Soto will always offer some pop, but his batting average has been shockingly volatile.
17. Ryan Doumit, Twins – Though Doumit has struggled in recent years due to injuries and inconsistency, he could be primed for a big season as the Twins designated hitter.
18. Kurt Suzuki, Athletics – Once seemingly a rising star, Suzuki has hit a plateau and while he packs some pop, his batting and speed have regressed to well below fantasy stardom.
19. Devin Mesoraco, Reds – The Reds 2007 first-round pick, Mesoraco has some serious power. He will initially split starts time with Ryan Hanigan, but there is no question as to who has the greater talent.
20. Ramon Hernandez, Rockies – The Rockies bring in a proven backstop with power and a solid batting average. Hernandez has been very injury-prone throughout the last few years, but when on the field he does carry a potent bat and you can’t ignore the Coors Field.