Top 10 fantasy baseball catchers for the 2023 season

We continue on in our fantasy baseball rankings, this time with catchers. This is typically the weakest position in fantasy baseball, and this year is no different. You basically have two options here: reach for talent, or draft a buy-low guy and hope he works out. If he doesn’t, you’ll find another on the waiver wire and try again. There are some exciting prospects like Francisco Alvarez, Diego Cartaya, and Logan O’Hoppe that could make fantasy baseball catchers stronger if they pan out.

This list is a ranking of the top 10 fantasy baseball catchers you should target for your team.

First, a few catchers who just missed the list:

Salvador Perez may have more games played at DH with the arrival of another catcher you’ll see later on the list, but he’ll still get some reps and should maintain positional eligibility here. He missed time due to a hand injury last year, but in the 114 games he played in, he slashed .254/.292/.465/.757 with 23 homers and doubles, 76 RBI, 48 runs scored, and an OPS+ of 110. Yes, he’s still got power, but strikeouts are a major problem for him and he doesn’t walk at all, so that combination impacts his fantasy value tremendously, which is why he just missed the list.

Keibert Ruiz had been one of the top catching prospects in the game for a few years before getting traded to the Nationals, and 2022 was his first full season as a big leaguer. He was okay, posting a .252/.313/.360/.673 with seven homers, 22 doubles, 36 RBI, and 33 runs scored with an OPS+ of 95. I think there’s more in the tank for Ruiz, and he’s still very young at just 24, so hopefully he can break out in 2023.

Jonah Heim had his best season in 2022. He slashed .227/.298/.399/.697 with 16 homers, 20 doubles 48 RBI, and 51 runs scored. His OPS+ was just a couple of ticks below average at 98, which plays at this position. He provides some power, but he doesn’t have the crazy strikeout problems that Sanchez or Perez do, so he’s a safer pick.

These are guys who could be solid on your fantasy baseball teams, or they could bust and you’ll have to play the waiver wire. With the honorable mentions out of the way, let’s look at the top 10 fantasy baseball catchers you should target for your team in 2023.

Fantasy Baseball Catchers #10: Tyler Stephenson

Tyler Stephenson dealt with injuries in 2022, but when he was healthy, he crushed the ball. He slashed .319/.372/.482/.854 with six homers, nine doubles, 35 RBI, and 24 runs scored in 50 games. That’s good for an OPS+ of 130, one of the strongest on this list. Since offense is so scarce at this position, he’s worth reaching for. If he can figure out how to hit the ball in the air more, and stay healthy throughout the 2023 season, he could become even more dangerous.

Fantasy Baseball Catchers #9: MJ Melendez

MJ Melendez came up early in the 2022 season and crushed the ball. He’s somewhat similar to his teammate, the aforementioned Salvador Perez, in that he has big power but it comes with big strikeout problems. Because of this, he slashed just .217/.313/.393/.706 with an OPS+ of 99, but he did hit 18 homers, 21 doubles, drive in 62 runs, and score 57. He mostly played the outfield last year, which means he’ll have eligibility there to start this season, which increases his value. Versatility is a huge advantage, especially if he takes a step forward offensively in 2023.

Fantasy Baseball Catchers #8: Willson Contreras

Willson Contreras has been one of the most reliable catchers in baseball for several years now, and 2022 was his best season by some stats. He slashed .243/.349/.466/.815, good for an OPS+ of 128. He hit 22 homers, 23 doubles, drove in 55 runs, and scored 65. Since he signed with the Cardinals, I think we’ll see an uptick in runs scored because the lineup around him is much stronger than when he was on the Cubs. Most projections have him batting second, with Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Tyler O’Neill behind him.

Fantasy Baseball Catchers #7: Cal Raleigh

Big Dumper had a big season in 2022. The switch-hitting slugger slashed .211/.284/.489/.774, good for an OPS+ of 122. He hit 27 homers, 20 doubles, drove in 63 runs, and scored 46. He comes with strikeout problems just like many of the other catchers discussed so far, but he also has more power, which helps balance things out. He also has a really strong lineup in front of him. He’s projected to hit sixth in Seattle’s lineup, with guys like Kolten Wong, and Teoscar Hernandez in front of him, and obviously Julio Rodriguez at the top.

I don’t exactly know how the Braves plan to divide the playing time of these two catchers, but I’d assume Murphy will start more games at catcher and d’Arnaud will DH and serve as the backup. This bodes well for both because they can get rest and that gives them a better chance of staying healthy throughout the season.

Fantasy Baseball Catchers #6: Travis d’Arnaud

Travis d’Arnaud had what was probably the most well-rounded season of his career in 2022. He slashed .268/.319/.472/.791, good for an OPS+ of 119. He hit 18 homers, 25 doubles, drove in 60 runs, and scored 61. He lost some playing time when Sean Murphy came over in a trade from the Oakland A’s, the Braves newest minor league team, but he was still productive in his new role. He just turned 34, but he hasn’t shown signs of slowing down.

Fantasy Baseball Catcher #5: Sean Murphy

Sean Murphy is the better defensive catcher of these two, so that’s why he’ll likely start more games behind the dish. The only fantasy impact that has is that he will probably get more plate appearances. Last year, he appeared in 148 games and got 212 plate appearances, which is a ton for a catcher (30 of those games were at DH though). He slashed .250/.332/.426/.759, good for an OPS+ of 120. He hit 18 homers, 37 doubles, 66 RBI, and 67 runs scored. Both of these guys put up shockingly similar numbers, so the Braves are spoiled for choice here.

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.