Fantasy Baseball Catchers #4: Alejandro Kirk
Alejandro Kirk comes in at number 4 because he is the contact king of this position. The righty slashed .285/.372/.415/.786, good for an OPS+ of 126. He hit 14 homers, 19 doubles, drove in 63 runs, and scored 59. He has easily the best contact skills at this position, with the highest batting average and on-base percentage among catchers with 400 plate appearances. He also has the best eye at the plate, with the second-most walks (63) and the least strikeouts (58).
Quick note: Daulton Varsho did not make this list because the plan is for him to play in the outfield every day. He will start the year with catcher eligibility, but he will lose it at some point relatively early in the season.
Fantasy Baseball Catchers #3: Adley Rutschman
Adley Rutschman had an impressive rookie season, and the projections for 2023 expect him to basically repeat that performance in 2023. He slashed .254/.362/.445/.806, good for a 128 OPS+. He hit 13 homers, 35 doubles, drove in 42 runs, and scored 70. He has an incredible eye at the plate (65 walks to 86 strikeouts) and I think he’ll show more power as well. As he physically matures, some of those doubles should find their way over the wall, especially in right field at Camden Yards. Expect him to be a fixture in the top three of this list for the next several years.