2008 Catcher Rankings

In the spirit of the new column name and since I am a former catcher, I'm going to break down the catcher position for the upcoming season as well as give you my top 10. While I loved being a catcher and I love watching the cathers of the MLB play, I really could care less about the position in fantasy baseball. Catcher is the least important position on your fantasy roster. While it's nice having a top 3 or top 5 catcher on your squad, it's not necessary. The top five guys will always go too early in the draft when their are players still out there putting up better numbers. Because the top 5 catchers are more reliable than the others, they get drafted higher then they should be going. With the exception of Victor Martinez, there probably won't be a catcher out there that hits 20 hrs. So why pick a catcher thats going to get 15 HRs all season ahead of and outfields that will get you 25-30 HRs? There are still decent catchers out there in the 6-12 overall range. That's exactly where I pick them from. I'll take a catcher with the last pick of the draft and win the league. A couple of examples: 2 years ago, last pick of the draft I took Brian McCann--last year, 16th round I took Ramon Hernandez. The guy was hurt half the time and was bad when he played and I won the league. Trust me, your catcher is not going to make or break you team. Also, NEVER keep two catchers on your roster unless you are required to. The backup is likely never in your lineup and is taking up a spot on your bench that should be filled with another pitcher or a backup OF or INF. Having said all that, you still need a catcher on your squard so let me break 'em down for you.

Top Ten Catchers

1. Victor Martinez- CLE -Pretty obvious here. Last year was his best season yet and expect more of the same this season. He hit right at .300, had 25 HRs and 114 RBI. His numbers should be similar this year if not a little better. He's also eligible at 1B which gives him a little more value. If I was going to draft him, I would play him at first and maybe draft a sleeper 1B. That way, if your sleeper ends up having a good season you can play him, slide Martinez over to C and drop or trade your starting C.
2. Russell Martin- LAD -This is a fun guy to watch play and not a bad player on your roster. In his 2nd season with the Dodgers, Martin hit .292, had 19 HRs and 87 RBI and also stole 21 bases. He's only going to get better too. I think he can hit .300 this year, maybe 3 or 4 more HRs and close to 100 RBI.
3. Brian McCann- ATL -McCann had a little bit of a down years compared to his previous year. However, he can mash the ball. He hit .269 last season compared to .332 the year before. He's probably more of a .280-.285 hitter. His HR totals were a little down last year too. I'm predicting a bounce-back season for him though with 25 HRs and 100RBI.
4. Joe Mauer- MIN -If he could stay healthy for a full season he could be no. 1 or 2 on this list. I think he's just had some bad luck. This season, a healthy Mauer will get you .325 BA, 15 HRs, 90 RBI and 9 SBs. The Twins have a better linup and Mauer should benefit from it.
5. Jorge Posada- NYY -The old salty catcher had an impressive season last year and the best numbers of his career. I don't expect him to repeat that performance though. He'll still have good numbers: .293BA, 18 HRs, 80 RBI. Posada is getting up there in age and you can't expect him to go on like last year. Still an above average catcher.
6. Kenji Johjima- SEA -He had a little bit of a down year compared to '06 as well. I think he'll hit like he did two years ago again this year. Look for 18 HRs, 80 RBI and a .280 BA. He's a pro hitter and a solid fantasy catcher.
7. Bengie Molina- SF -This stocky, somewhat chunky catcher is a pretty good hitter. He had his best season as a pro last year in an unfriendly hitter's park. Call me what you will but I think he can repeat his solid his of last year with .280 BA 18 HRs and 85 RBI. The Giants are going to have a pretty sorry offense but Molina is a bright spot for them.
8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia- TEX -One of the best hitting young catchers out there. In just over 300 ABs he had 11 HRs and 33 RBI. He has the potential to be a 2o HR 80 RBI guy. He also may be eligible at 1B this season too which adds to his value.
9. Jason Varitek- BOS -Usually a dependable starting fantasy catcher. He had a typical year last year and probably another one this year. I don't think he'll be very productive much longer though. He's getting up there in age and wear and tear so be cautious if you're thinking about drafting him.
10. Geovany Soto- CHC -Soto cracks my top 10 simply on potential alone. In a not so deep position he should be considered to be a fantasy starter. If you don't know who he is, get to know him. He's going to put up above average fantasy numbers for years to come. He lived up to the hype at the end of last season for the Cubs. He'll be their starting catcher this season and will add to an already impressive lineup. His numbers should look something like this: 16 HRs, 75 RBI, .275 BA.

Honorable Mentions

-Ivan Rodriguez- DET -Will probably hit around .300 but his power numbers are nowhere near what they were in his prime. Still a reliable catcher.
- A.J. Pierzynski- CHW -Nothing that will wow you but he's a decent starting catcher.
- Ramon Hernandez- BAL - Was banged up a lot last year after coming off a great year. Has the potential to get those numbers back. He's a potential sleeper at a bad fantasy position.
- John Buck- KC -If he could get his BA up he would be a solid catcher. He will hit a few HRs for you but nothing special.
- Kurt Suzuki- OAK - I liked what I saw out of this kid last year. He's a pretty good hitter and should be the A's starter. Keep on eye on him early this season.

Alright that's the catcher position. Remember what I said about the position on draft day. Nothing is worse than wasting a good pick on a middle of the road catcher. Check back for breakdowns of the other positions rankings. Later.