Cal Raleigh was the big story at catcher last year. Sixty homers, 125 RBI, a runner-up finish in the AL MVP voting, it was a monstrous year, probably the second-best catcher season of all-time (Mike Piazza, 1997). Raleigh is an early second-round pick in Yahoo fantasy baseball leagues this year, and even with some reasonable regression baked into the story, I can’t say that pick is wrong.
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But let’s not lose the global picture at catcher. The position as a whole was tremendous last year. Sixteen different catcher-eligible players collected offensive WAR of 2.0 or better, and 17 different players got to 400 at-bats. It’s a mild bump over 2024, but a significant lift over what we saw in the previous decade. Compare last year’s haul to that of 2019, when a modest 12 backstops made it to 2.0 oWAR and just nine collected 400 at-bats.
The position is getting younger. If we look at the 24 catchers with the most at-bats last year, only Salvador Perez (age 35, and a whopping 597 at-bats) and J.T. Realmuto (age 34, 502 at-bats) were past the age of 30. Career/breakout seasons from Raleigh, Shea Langeliers, Hunter Goodman and Ben Rice all made sense — their seasonal ages were 28, 27, 25 and 26, respectively.
Modern managers understand load management better, and often a hitting catcher gets a partial day off through a DH assignment. The 22 busiest catchers last year all saw DH time. This feels like a win-win for everybody — the MLB clubs get to exercise some load management with players at a physically-demanding position, but fantasy managers still get exposure to the offensive stats.
Because of the depth at the position, I’ll probably take my time assembling my catchers this year. In leagues that require multiple backstops, I might choose to be the last manager to fill the C1 slot, but early to the C2 requirement. As always, any strategy can work if you pick the right players.
Proactive Picks
Agustín Ramírez, Marlins
His Yahoo ADP of 126 is 50 picks cheaper than his global ADP, so appreciate the discount. Ramírez showed plus power and surprising speed (16 steals in 19 attempts) as a rookie, and his batting average should rise as his plate discipline matures. Miami’s roster is still fairly anonymous, which often leads to a discount on draft day.
Hunter Goodman, Rockies
The batting average crashed by 59 points on the road, but Goodman also conked 18 road homers and had similar slugging percentages in both columns. The Rockies prioritize him in the lineup, giving him 39 starts at DH. Although the Colorado lineup lacks the depth of past seasons, Goodman at least will be in the top half of the order, where the production is. He’s still a decent value in the mid-80s for Yahoo ADP.
Possible Fades
Adley Rutschman, Orioles
He was a god as a rookie, very good his second year, tailed off in Year 3 and collapsed last season. Okay, oblique injuries were part of the story, but what especially concerns me is that Rutschman’s career arc closely tracks to Matt Wieters, same team, same position. Wieters had his best WAR seasons at age 25 and 26 but was hurt and/or ineffective the rest of his career. I’ll allow my heart to root for a Rutschman turnaround, but I can’t spend fantasy capital on him.
J.T. Realmuto, Phillies
Realmuto still bats for a credible average, but the power continues to fade — he slugged just .384 last year. He also had a 91 OPS+ in 2025, the first time in a decade he’s been a below-average offensive player. Stepping into his age-35 season, it’s a good time to eschew Realmuto, even with an inexpensive ADP. Player development is not always linear, but player decline almost always is.
Potential Sleepers
Francisco Alvarez, Mets
It feels like he’s been around forever but this is just his age-24 season. Hand and thumb problems — and eventual surgery — held Alvarez back in 2025, but when he could play, the bat was solid (122 OPS+, .447 slugging percentage). He’s a lock to hit 20 homers in a full season and he could hit for a plus average, too. The Mets probably have a top-five offense, and Alvarez is an affordable way (ADP: 196) to grab a share of it.
Kyle Teel, White Sox
Chicago needs this kid to make it, as he was the key player acquired in the Garrett Crochet trade. Teel looked the part in his first MLB lap, batting for a .273 average and showing more pop than initially expected. Teel already has a keen eye at the plate, ranking well above league average in chase rate and walk rate. He might be athletic and resourceful enough to mix in 6-10 steals.
1. Cal Raleigh, Mariners
2. William Contreras, Brewers
3. Shea Langeliers, Athletics
4. Hunter Goodman, Rockies
5. Ben Rice, Yankees
6. Agustín Ramírez, Marlins
7. Salvador Perez, Royals
8. Will Smith, Dodgers
9. Drake Baldwin, Braves
10. Iván Herrera, Cardinals
11. Yainer Diaz, Astros
12. Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays
You can find Scott’s complete catcher rankings for 2026 fantasy baseball here.
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