2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Catchers

            What better way to start our position reviews than a look at the least valuable position in fantasy baseball? We might as well start small and build up to something important. Or in other words, get catcher out of the way.

            Catchers are worthless for a multitude of reasons, but they all stem from the fact they get more days off than any other offensive player due to the wear and tear of the position. This leads to lower counting stats across the board. If you take the top total by a catcher in each of the standard fantasy scoring categories in 2014, here’s what you’d come up with…

BA = .311 (Buster Posey)

HR = 27 (Carlos Santana, and in leagues with stricter position eligibility rules he isn’t even a catcher this year)

RBI – 89 (Posey)

R = 73 (Jonathan Lucroy)

SB = 5 (Santana)

            We’ll touch on why this is important when we discuss our first tier, which happens to be a one-player tier.

Tier I – Buster Posey

B.Posey, SF 1B

            Posey has been the most reliable fantasy catcher for three years running, and was the only catcher to be ranked in the top 100 in overall value a year go, but I’m not taking him in any re-draft league at his current average cost of 28.4 (we’re referencing Yahoo for our average draft stats). With the weak offensive talent around him in San Francisco, his ceiling is too low to justify taking him ahead of a stud outfielder or potential staff ace in the third round. For auction players, his average going rate of $23 is much more reasonable.

Tier II – Best Catchers Not Named Buster Posey

J.Lucroy, MIL 1B

C.Santana, CLE 1B-3B

D.Mesoraco, CIN

Y.Gomes, CLE

            Carlos Santana’s inclusion in this group may not apply to your league, as his catcher eligibility hinges on what your league’s position eligibility requirements are. Keep that fact in mind if you’re drafting or bidding in a keeper league, as it’s unlikely he makes any starts at catcher in 2015.

            Of these four, Lucroy has the lowest floor, Santana has the greatest all-around upside (although increased production after moving away from catcher has proven to be a myth in the past), Mesoraco has the most power, and Gomes is the cheapest. Gomes is picked on average in the middle of the eleventh round, so he would be the only guy in this tier I’d consider targeting. The rest of the group will be picked in the seventies and eighties, which is an area I’d rather spend on my outfield or pitching.

Tier III – Best Values

E.Gattis, HOU

S.Perez, KC

B.McCann, NYY 1B

Y.Molina, STL

M.Wieters, BAL

W.Rosario, COL

R.Martin, TOR

            If one of these guys is your starting catcher, that should mean your first 10 or 11 picks were spent on players who would’ve delivered more value than taking a catcher earlier (that’s a weird sentence, but it makes sense in my head). Of this group, Brian McCann and Matt Wieters are my two favorites, as they possess the highest power ceilings.

Tier IV – Sleepers

Y.Grandal, LAD

W.Ramos, WAS

T.d'Arnaurd, NYM

            Ramos and d’Arnaurd are often injured, but are a worth a late round flyer for the chance they put together a healthy campaign. Grandal is very interesting now that he escapes spacious Petco Park. Dodger Stadium isn’t the easiest place to hit a home run, but anything is an improvement over playing 81 games in San Diego. Add in a loaded Dodgers lineup, and it would be no shock to see Grandal put up top-5 value at the catcher position.

Tier V – You Shouldn’t Waste a Draft Pick on These Guys

M.Montero, CHC

M.Zunino, SEA

J.Castro, HOU

D.Norris, SD

J.Jaso, TB

C.Ruiz, PHI

            Keep an eye on them just in case your catcher gets hurt, but there is really no point in employing a back-up catcher.

2013 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Rounds 6-7

6-51 = Brett Lawrie, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
ESPN Projections = .280, 17 HRs, 65 RBIs, 86 Rs, 19 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th through 8^th Rounds
          Lawrie looked significantly more impressive during his brief call-up in 2011 than he did during his first full season in the bigs. He’ll need to improve upon his 51% groundball rate to deliver a 20-20 season.
                       
6-52 = Allen Craig, 1B-OF, St. Louis Cardinals
ESPN Projections = .296, 25 HRs, 103 RBIs, 87 Rs, 4 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th through 6^th Rounds
            If Craig could somehow stay healthy, he’d be a lock for top-15 fantasy production. Unfortunately, he’s missed roughly a quarter of his games due to injury during his pro career.
                      
6-53 = Jason Kipnis, 2B, Cleveland Indians
ESPN Projections = .257, 15 HRs, 70 RBIs, 90 Rs, 25 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 6^th Round
            He’ll never steal 30+ bases again, but you won’t complain if Kipnis raises his home run total to 20.
                       
6-54 = Roy Halladay, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
ESPN Projections = 15 Ws, 3.25 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 176 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th through 7^th Rounds
            One down year has not destroyed No Credentials faith in Halladay.
                     
6-55 = Elvis Andrus, SS, Texas Rangers
ESPN Projections = .274, 3 HRs, 57 RBIs, 90 Rs, 32 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 6^th through 7^th Rounds
            With the loss of Josh Hamilton, I fully expect Texas to give Andrus the green light on the base paths much more this season. If he stays out of the tattoo parlor, he could crack 40 for the first time.
                       
6-56 = Adam Wainwright, SP, St. Louis Cardinals
ESPN Projections = 16 Ws, 3.32 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 197 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th through 7^th Rounds
            I’m not sure if Wainwright will ever be as effective as he was before Tommy John surgery, but this is the appropriate point in the draft to find out.
                       
6-57 = Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs
ESPN Projections = .268, 27 HRs, 95 RBIs, 85 Rs, 6 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th through 8^th Rounds
            Another guy that you shouldn’t get to excited about on draft day (don’t call his name in the third round, or bid too much in an auction), Rizzo is a prime example of why you could skip out on the top few first basemen in the first round.
                       
6-58 = Mat Latos, SP, Cincinnati Reds
ESPN Projections = 15 Ws, 3.32 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 197 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th through 7^th Rounds
            No Credentials fully expects Latos to make the leap to “ace” status during his second season in Cincinnati. This is a guy I want on as many fantasy teams as possible.
                       
6-59 = B.J. Upton, OF, Atlanta Braves
ESPN Projections = .245, 23 HRs, 77 RBIs, 84 Rs, 31 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th through 8^th Rounds
            I’m not a fan of guys that routinely hit below .250, but there aren’t many power-speed combo players like Upton.
           
6-60 = Gio Gonzalez, SP, Washington Nationals
ESPN Projections = 19 Ws, 3.09 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 208 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 4^th through 6^th Rounds
            Gonzalez hasn’t been suspended yet for his connection to the steroids ring in Florida, but that hasn’t stopped me from scooting him down my draft board a bit. He’ll need to deliver a “I don’t give a shit” season like Ryan Braun did last year for me to trust his ability to deal with steroid allegations.
           
7-61 = Carlos Santana, C-1B, Cleveland Indians
ESPN Projections = .257, 26 HRs, 87 RBIs, 81 Rs, 5 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 6^th through 7^th Rounds
            Santana’s disciplined plate approach will eventually lead to a top-ranked fantasy season at catcher for him, but I’m not sure if we can sign off on it happening this year.
                       
7-62 = Ben Zobrist, 2B-SS-OF, Tampa Bay Rays
ESPN Projections = .269, 19 HRs, 82 RBIs, 91 Rs, 17 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 6^th through 8^th Rounds
            One of the few players whose value goes beyond the stats he can post. Zobrist’s ability to cover both middle infield spots is worth an extra round or two.
                      
7-63 = Desmond Jennings, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
ESPN Projections = .252, 15 HRs, 54 RBIs, 98 Rs, 36 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 7^th through 9^th Rounds
            Jennings tanked in the first half of last season, but a strong second half gives me reason to believe that he will be a catalyst at the top of the Rays’ lineup this season. If he could drag his average up to .270, we could be talking about a 50 steal season.
                       
7-64 = Johnny Cueto, SP, Cincinnati Reds
ESPN Projections = 18 Ws, 3.00 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 169 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th through 7^th Rounds
            Of all the “ace” caliber pitchers that didn’t deliver close to a strikeout per inning last season, Cueto is the least likely to regress.
           
7-65 = Brandon Phillips, 2B, Cincinnati Reds
ESPN Projections = .285, 18 HRs, 76 RBIs, 93 Rs, 15 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 6^th through 7^th Rounds
            Phillips isn’t exciting to own, but reliability at second base doesn’t grow on trees.
                      
7-66 = Chris Sale, SP, Chicago White Sox
ESPN Projections = 15 Ws, 3.37 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 203 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th through 8^th Rounds
            For me, he’s the shakiest starting pitcher we’ve picked so far, as his 1.33 WHIP in the second half of last season could be a better indication of the pitcher he actually is.

 



 
7-67 = Pablo Sandoval, 3B, San Francisco Giants
ESPN Projections = .309, 23 HRs, 90 RBIs, 80 Rs, 3 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 6^th through 8^th Rounds
            Don’t let his Ruth-esque October last year fool you. Sandoval is a player prone to injuries, and is completely dependant on his BABIP due to the fact that he barely walks. You could argue that he could end up with anywhere from 10 to 35 home runs this season.
                       
7-68 = R.A. Dickey, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
ESPN Projections = 17 Ws, 3.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 176 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th through 8^th Rounds
            We have no data on what happens when a knuckleballer wins the Cy Young and then changes leagues the following year, so I’m going conservative with Dickey this season and letting someone else draft him.
                       
7-69 = Michael Bourn, OF, Cleveland Indians
ESPN Projections = .268, 5 HRs, 49 RBIs, 89 Rs, 43 SBs
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 6^th through 8^th Rounds
            One of the elite base stealers in the game, Bourn could take his running to new heights as a member of the Indians. Remember, they gave Jason Kipnis (a moderately fast white guy) the green light to steal 31 bases in 2012.
           
7-70 = C.C. Sabathia, SP, New York Yankees
ESPN Projections = 17 Ws, 3.39 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 213 Ks
No Credentials Appropriate Range of Taking Him = 5^th through 7^th Rounds
            There’s a zero percent chance Sabathia falls to pick 70 in your fantasy draft. More than likely, he’ll go somewhere in the late fifth to early sixth. However, there are too many red flags for Sabathia this year to warrant making him the ace of my fantasy staff. For one, theirs a decent chance that the Yankees will stink, driving down Sabathia’s win totals (wins are a fluky stat, but Sabathia has been the most reliable producer of them over the past four years). He hit the DL last August because of an elbow problem, which is scary when you consider that he’s thrown more innings than any other MLB pitcher on Earth over the past five years. Throw in his body type (big guys rarely age well unless steroids are involved), and we are looking at a cliff at some point down the road for Sabathia’s career. I’m not guaranteeing it will happen this year, but I don’t want him stuck on my roster when it does.

 

Click here if you missed Rounds 4-5

Click here if you missed  Rounds 2-3
Click here if you missed Round 1

Accounting for Wainwright and Round 5 of the Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft

            I had Adam Wainwright ranked as the 3^rd pitcher that should be taken in standard fantasy leagues this season (and had him as the 23^rd overall pick), but sadly he has to undergo Tommy John surgery and will be lost for the season. Rather than reset the entire draft from the point of where he was originally taken, I’ve instead moved starting pitchers up one slot earlier than they were originally chosen. It’s not perfect, but it still reflects the order I think starters should be chosen. Here’s the updated list of pitchers taken in the first 4 rounds.

Roy Halladay, PHI, 1-9

Felix Hernandez, SEA, 2-20

Tim Lincecum, SF, 2-23

Clayton Kershaw, LAD, 3-25

Zack Greinke, MIL, 3-30

Cliff Lee, PHI, 3-31

Jon Lester, BOS, 3-35

C.C. Sabathia, NYY, 4-37

Ubaldo Jimenez, COL, 4-40

Josh Johnson, FLA, 4-45

Justin Verlander, DET, 4-48

            Just looking at that group, wouldn’t you be happy with any of those guys as your fantasy staff ace? It probably makes sense to wait on pitching until the middle of the 4^th round. Now, on to the 5^th round…

5-49 = Ichiro, OF-RF, Mariners – Seattle’s offense was so historically terrible that Ichiro only scored 74 runs despite posting a .315 batting average. Despite that, this is a great spot to grab a career .331 hitter who should swipe at least 35 bases.

            Team 1 Roster = Albert Pujols, Dustin Pedroia, Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, Ichiro

5-50 = Adrian Beltre, 3B, Rangers – Beltre is a scary dude to draft. The only time he has ever hit over .300 in his career is when he is playing for a new contract (2004 with the Dodgers and 2010 with Boston). The one major factor this time around is instead of signing with a team with a gigantic park (Seattle), he’s going to play half of his games in one of the best hitter’s parks in the majors. You probably won’t see me make this pick on draft day, but due to the position he plays (and lack of talented 3B left on the board), grabbing Beltre here is justified (just don’t grab him by the head, he’ll punch you in the face).

            Team 2 Roster = Miguel Cabrera (I’ll explain why I haven’t adjusted the draft for him later), Tim Lincecum, Jose Reyes, Brandon Phillips, Adrian Beltre

5-51 = David Price, SP, Rays – Currently in ESPN.com live drafts, Price is being chosen around the 70^th pick. I think people are very concerned about the free agent losses the Rays are going to have to deal with, as well as the overcrowded AL East. Even if the Rays are sub par, I don’t see that having a dramatic impact on Price’s stats or development. This is a guy that posted a 2.72 ERA and 1.19 WHIP while pitching a great deal of his games against the Red Sox and Yankees (for comparison’s sake, Jon Lester posted a 3.25 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP, and he went 16 picks earlier).

            Team 3 Roster = Robinson Cano, Matt Kemp, Kevin Youkilis, Jimmy Rollins, David Price

5-52 = Rickie Weeks, 2B, Brewers – Exhibit A of my theory that if you don’t get one of the top middle-infielders within the first 25 picks, you might want to wait until later in the draft to address the middle infield. Weeks put up 29 homers last season, but his 184 strikeouts show he is a candidate to have a miserable season (think .230 batting average with 200 Ks).

            Team 4 Roster = Troy Tulowitzki, Ryan Zimmerman, Shin Soo Choo, Josh Johnson, Rickie Weeks

5-53 = Justin Morneau, 1B, Twins – Morneau is still feeling effects from a concussion he sustained in July, but at least he is participating in Spring Training drills. This is a great spot to take a guy who put up a 1.055 OPS while healthy in 2010.

            Team 5 Roster = Hanley Ramirez, Felix Hernandez, Ian Kinsler, Jose Bautista, Justin Morneau

5-54 = Derek Jeter, SS, Yankees – Exhibit B of why you either need to take a middle infielder early or punt until the later rounds. You know runs will be there, but do you really want to use a 5^th round pick on a guy who put up a .270-10-67 line last season?

            Team 6 Roster = Evan Longoria, Ryan Howard, Zack Greinke, Justin Upton, Derek Jeter

5-55 = Jayson Werth, OF-CF-RF, Nationals – Werth is vastly overpaid in real life, but that doesn’t mean you should shun him from your fantasy team. He should form a great 1-2 punch with Ryan Zimmerman.

            Team 7 Roster = Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez, Jayson Werth 

5-56 = Cole Hamels, SP, Phillies – Pitched great during the second half of 2010 despite very poor run support. It’s pretty amazing that three Phillies starters went in this mock by the 56^th pick.

            Team 8 Roster = Joey Votto, Carlos Gonzalez, Matt Holliday, Dan Uggla, Cole Hamels

5-57 = Brian McCann, C, Braves – If you had to bet on one catcher to hit between 20 and 25 home runs and drive in 80+ runs, this is the guy.

            Team 9 Roster = Roy Halladay, Mark Teixeira, Andrew McCutchen, Ubaldo Jimenez, Brian McCann

5-58 = Aramis Ramirez, 3B, Cubs – Ramirez was on my fantasy team last year, and let me tell you he was terrible. However, a thumb injury was largely to blame for his struggles during the first half of the season. I fully expect Ramirez to bounce back to a line of around .290-27-105, with potential for more due to his impending free agency after the season. 

            Team 10 Roster = Carl Crawford, Prince Fielder, Joe Mauer, Jason Heyward, Aramis Ramirez

5-59 = Adam Dunn, 1B, White Sox – In the post-steroids era, guys that hit 40 home runs don’t grow on trees anymore the way they used to. This makes Dunn, who has hit between 38 and 46 home runs every season since 2004, a valuable commodity despite his very high strikeout rate.

            Team 11 Roster = Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, Jon Lester, Buster Posey, Adam Dunn

5-60 = Carlos Santana, C, Indians – Santana was well on his way to a stellar rookie season before a devastating leg injury at Fenway park (I’d post a video link to it, but the people running Major League Baseball are stuck in 1974 and don’t see the value of letting fans view classic highlights and moments. Because you know, that might boost fan interest. Someone tell me again why Bud Selig still runs baseball?). Santana posted a remarkable .401 OBP in 46 games, with a walk to strikeout ratio of 37-29. Patience like that for a rookie is remarkable. Santana has all the tools to become the best catcher in baseball.

            Team 12 Roster = David Wright, Chase Utley, Nelson Cruz, C.C. Sabathia, Carlos Santana

            Which of these teams is off to the best start? Let me know what you think in the comments section below this article.