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2022 Fantasy Baseball: Catchers ADP Analysis

Sifting through catchers based on their average draft position to find value and opportunity.

The catcher position has been frustrating over the last five seasons. Only six times over this span has a catcher had over 500 at-bats (J.T. Realmuto – 532 and 538, Salvador Perez – 510 and 620, Yasmani Grandal – 513, and Yadier Molina – 501). Last year only six catchers finished with more than 395 at-bats.

In 2017, six catchers had 20 home runs or more, with Gary Sanchez leading the way (.278 with 79 runs, 33 home runs, and 90 RBI over 471 at-bats).

MORE: 2022 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit

Five catchers had 20 or more home runs in 2018. Perez had the most power (27 home runs and 80 RBI), while Realmuto posted the best catcher season (.277 with 74 runs, 21 home runs, and 74 RBI over 477 at-bats).

In 2019, eight different catchers hit over 20 home runs. Gary Sanchez only had 396 at-bats, but he finished with a league-high 34 home runs and 77 RBI. Realmuto had the most value (.275 with 92 runs, 25 home runs, 83 RBI, and nine steals over 513 at-bats).

With only 60 games played in 2020, four catchers had success in home runs and RBI (Perez – 11/32, Realmuto – 11/32, Gary Sanchez – 10/24, and Travis d’Arnaud – 9/34). Will Smith (.289 with 23 runs, eight home runs, and 25 RBI) also played well despite only having 114 at-bats.

Perez turned in a rock star at catcher in 2021, thanks to an elite number of at-bats (620). His .273 batting average ranked third for catchers with 350 at-bats or more while leading the position in runs (88), home runs (48), and RBI (119). Six other catchers hit over 20 home runs.

Fantasy baseball rankings: Hitters | Pitchers

Based on my 2022 projections, the average of the top 12 catchers would hit .265 with 70 runs, 23 home runs, 73 RBI, and four stolen bases over 479 at-bats. Here’s a look at the best catcher options based on ADP:

Note: I used the ADPs in the high-stakes market from March 1st to March 14th. All leagues are non-trading.

After an incredible season, Perez now gets drafted as a foundation/edge piece of a fantasy team. The Royals want him in the lineup every day, and his opportunity at DH continues to rise. In their lineup, Kansas City has speed in front of Perez, but his runs could fall dramatically if his power reverts to his previous career path. I never want to own an older veteran player after a career season. I get the attraction while also seeing beyond the 2021 stat box.

For the past five seasons, Realmuto has been the model player at catcher. He’ll chip with some speed while having a high floor in runs, home runs, and RBI. Unfortunately, his batting average has regressed slightly over the past five seasons.

The DH in the National League should help Will Smith set a career-high in at-bats and his counting stats. His fly-ball swing path offers a high ceiling in power and some easy outs in the outfield. The Dodgers have plenty of talent around him in the lineup, creating plenty of chances to score runs and RBI. I expect him to outperform Perez this year with a lower price point.

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Daulton Varsho was my breakout player of the year in 2021. Unfortunately, he failed to get starting at-bats over the first half of the year with a trip back to AAA. However, Varsho handled himself well over his final 200 at-bats, pointing to follow through this year. His upside in stolen bases will be an edge at catcher, and the Diamondback should have him in the lineup on most days in the outfield. As a result, Varsho should finish with the best overall value by SIscore at catcher in 2022.

Yasmani Grandal and Willson Contreras have proven resumes in the majors. Both players project to hit more than 20 home runs, but their batting average tends to fall on the wrong side of the league average. Grandal takes many walks, helping his value in the run category.

If given a choice between Tyler Stephenson and Keibert Ruiz, I’m drafting Ruiz every time. I like his floor in batting average, and his bat showed a jump in power last year in the minors. I won’t dismiss Stephenson, but I won’t overpay for him.

I'm assuming that Adley Rutschman will be in the majors at the start of the regular season. If not, Baltimore can't hold him back too long. His bat looks ready, and there is no question about his defense. He projects to be a top 10 fantasy catcher in 2022 based on his ADP (193) in the NFBC in early March.

The second catcher position has multiple players with upside while also having a couple of potential mistakes. I don’t believe in a repeat season in power by Elias Diaz. The Angels also signed Kurt Suzuki, costing Max Stassi more playing time.

In the early draft season, I added Carson Kelly as my C2 in deep formats. After reviewing my research, I should have ranked Omar Narvaez ahead of him. His approach should lead to more runs, and he projects to receive more playing time. Kelly has a chance to hit over 20 home runs, but Dalton Varsho will steal some at-bats.

The Blue Jays need to find a way to get Alejandro Kirk more at-bats this year. However, Danny Jansen isn’t going away, and his bat could also surprise. Kirk is challenging to strike out, and he offers upside in power. His ADP (245) is a bit pricey based on his split role, so any bet on him is on the come.

Sean Murphy fits the profile of a breakout catcher, but he has never had over 400 at-bats in his six seasons in the A’s system. In the minors, Murphy flashed higher upside in batting average, which hasn’t been the case in Oakland. Therefore, I listed him as an upside catcher while understanding his ceiling could be higher than meets the eye.

The luster of Joey Bart’s bat dwindled due to regression in his approach over the past two seasons at AAA and the majors. However, with Buster Posey retiring, the Giants should give Bart plenty of at-bats this year. If he doesn’t clean up his strikeouts, he should hit home runs with risk in batting average. 

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