4. Willson Contreras – Chicago Cubs
The youngest MLB player to make this list comes in at No. 4. The Chicago Cubs’ catcher Willson Contreras at only 24 years old, checks in high on this list.
Contreras played a big role in the Cubs run that ended their 108-year World Series championship drought. And the future continues to look bright for the Cubs’ backstop. Contreras won’t hit free agency until 2023.
In 2017, Contreras hit .276/.356/.499 with 21 home runs, 74 RBI, 50 runs and a bWAR of 3.9. The right-hander also controls the game well behind the plate. He finished with six back picks, which had him ranked No.1 in the league (tied with Manny Pina of the Milwaukee Brewers).
Already one of the game’s best catchers, Contreras could find himself as one MLB’s top players within the next few years.
3. J.T. Realmuto – Miami Marlins
With the Miami Marlins in full rebuild mode, J.T. Realmuto remains the best player that the team has. And although Realmuto is still a Marlin at this point, it wouldn’t surprise many if he ends up on a different MLB team before the season starts. Earlier in the offseason, Realmuto requested the Marlins trade him.
The Marlins stacked outfield overshadowed Realmuto’s offensive talents. Now without all those outfielders, Realmuto can shine if he stays down in South Beach.
Last season, the 26-year-old hit .278/.332/.451 with 17 home runs, 65 RBI, 68 runs and a bWAR of 3.6. With the Marlins struggles over the past couple seasons, Realmuto flew under-the-radar and played as one of the most underrated catchers in the game.
Realmuto’s also proved very durable over the past two seasons. In 2017, he led all catchers in games played at 141. Finding a durable catcher isn’t very easy in today’s game, but Realmuto certainly provides that quality.