Baseball and Coffee 2023 Catcher Ranking Pod
Tier One - The Championship Catchers
1. Adley Rutschman (Baltimore) 2022: .254/.362/.806, 70 runs, 13 HR, 42 RBI, 4 SB
Adley Rutschman is 24 years old. He will be the number one catcher in fantasy baseball for the next five years. Believe that. He isn't arbitration eligible until 2025 and isn't eligible for free agency until 2028. He is a true catcher, without risk of a position change. And he has bat to ball skills which should age gracefully.
The only question about Rutschman's offensive profile is his game power. Fangraphs graded him as a 60 raw and 55 in-game power. He is such a skilled hitter, that he is content to draw a walk or spray line drives, and thus, not consciously lifting the ball for homers. In 2022, of the top 25 catchers listed above, only Tyler Stephenson had a higher line drive percentage. His barrel percent (7.9%) was the lowest of any of the top 12 ranked catchers other than Alejandro Kirk (6.7%) and Jonah Heim (6.9%). Rutschman's launch angle is near optimal (15.6°) and he has the balanced ground ball (38.4%) and fly ball (38.4%) which often leads to a balanced statistical profile.
Adley Rutschman has elite bat to ball skills, as evidenced by a 91.5% zone contact rate and a 25.4% O-swing rate. His eye is exquisite and it allows him to be selective and draw a ton of walks.
We are looking at a .290/.400/.450 catcher with 25 homers hitting in the middle of an ascending offense. 90 runs and 90 RBIs is not out of the question in 2023. His dynasty value will only go up until at least 2028, so buy now if you can. Statistically, amongst catchers, he will seperate himself and become our present-day Buster Posey.
2. JT Realmuto (Philadelphia) 2022: .276/.342/.820, 75 runs, 22 HR, 84 RBI, 21 SB
JT Realmuto bounced back from a subpar 2021 in a big way. I was low man on Realmuto before last year ranking him sixth amongst catchers headed into 2022. I saw a 30 year old catcher who wasn't going to continue to steal bases (which seperated him from other catchers) and saw his power, runs, and RBIs decreasing since 2018. To my surprise, Realmuto was the best fantasy catcher in 2022. 75 runs, 84 RBIs, 22 HRs, and 21 SB. Incredible.
Can we count on more of the same or was 2022 an anomaly? Realmuto has been a pillar of consistency hitting between 17 and 25 HRs, between 64 and 92 RBIs, and hitting between .263 and .278 from 2017 through last season (minus the Covid season). His max EV has declined each of the last four years, his O-swing (or chase rate) has increased each of the last three years, but his zone contact has increased. Looking for signs of aging or decline, it is difficult to find them. That said, having faith in a 31 year old catcher to steal 21 bases and hit 22 HRs again may be foolhardy, as we may see a slight decline in his physicality due to age (power/speed). But a Philadelphia lineup which added Trea Turner in the offseason will be formidable in 2023, giving JT the opportunity to build further on his 75 runs and 84 RBIs. Thus, even if his HRs and stolen bases decrease slightly, Realmuto is squarely in the top tier for both dynasty and redraft catchers.
3. Will Smith (Los Angeles NL) 2022: .260/.343/.807, 68 runs, 24 HR, 87 RBI, 1 SB
Will Smith's first two full season averages in Dodger Blue? 24.5 HRs, 69.5 runs, 81.5 RBIs. He's entering his age-28 season, in an offense which should remain one of the best in baseball. He appears to be a lock to produce a top 5 catcher fantasy season each of the next 3 or so years or until Diego Cartaya becomes the next Johnny Bench.
Can we pick nits? Not particularly. His launch angle was slighlty higher than optimal last year at 18.4° leading to a 47.1% fly ball rate. The Minnesota Twins would see this as optimal, as may the Dodgers, but there may be slightly more hits and average in his bat if he hit a few less balls in the air. As we said, picking nits.
What Will Smith DOES do is make hard contact often. He only struck out 16.6% of the time, which was 6.8% less than the average catcher K-rate, swung and missed 7.2% of the time (4.4% less than avg catcher), and averaged 89.9 mph exit velocity. Additionally, he walked at a 9.7% clip last season.
Will Smith is just about everything you seek in a top tier catcher. Although he doesn't offer steals, he offers the plate appearances of a regular field player, power, runs/RBIs, OPS, doesn't strike out much, walks slightly above average, and hits the ball hard and in the air. He offer little to no risk as a top tier catcher, with elite production. Will Smith is a stud. Or a Prince?
4. Daulton Varsho (Toronto) 2022: .235/.302/.745, 79 runs, 27 HR, 74 RBI, 16 SB
Lots going on here. Traded from Arizona to Toronto this offseason for consensus top 10 prospect catcher Gabriel Moreno and OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. In 2022, the Blue Jays scored 775 runs good for 4th in baseball. The Diamondbacks? 702 runs good for 14th. Three years rolling, baseball savant park factors rates Chase Field, Arizona's home park 102 (2% above league average) for left handed hitters but only 89 for HRs (LHH). Rogers Centre? 99 park factor and 87 for HRs.
What does all of this mean?
Toronto was willing to deal a top 10 prospect for Varsho. He's going to play. The shift in park should not impact him much, as Savant park factors read both parks and somewhat neutral for LHH but supressing LH power. Phew.
Daulton Varsho is JT Realmuto with a 50 hit tool (Realmuto is 55-60 for me) and a bit more upside, given his age. He tied with Cal Raleigh leading catchers with 27 HRs, and was second in SB with 16 behind only Realmuto. That said, he had a .745 OPS and he walked 7.8% of the time. Lastly, Varsho's chase rate was slightly high and average EV a little lower than desired. But given his production last season, he remains a top tier catcher.
About that...we anticipate this being his last year of catcher eligibility. He was traded to Toronto to be an outfielder. They roster Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen already and, while defense metrics can be dicey, according to Baseball Savant, Varsho was in the 99th percentile in outs above average and in the 97th percentile in outfielder jump. If these rankings are remotely correct, Varsho belongs in the outfield. For good.
Due to this being his last year being catcher eligible, we rank Dautlon Varsho 4th in redraft catchers and squarely in tier one, but 10th in dyansty catchers.
5. Mervyl "MJ" Melendez (Kansas City) 2022: .217/.313/.706, 57 runs, 18 HR, 52 RBI, 2 SB
MJ, or Mervyl as we call him in the homie text thread (and is his real name https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MJ_Melendez), is a my personal favorite, given price, upside, and positional versatility.
As a 23 year old last season, Melendez hit 18 HR, walked 12.4% of the time (4.4% more than catcher average), averaged 90.7 mph on hit balls in play, and barreled the ball 10.4%. These are numbers to dream on for a 23 year old catcher in a big park. There were no numbers in his batted ball profile which indicated 2022 to be an anomoly nor create any red flags. If anything he is a little too patient which, combined with a lower zone contact rate led to a slightly high K-rate (24.5%) which is still passable. He hit balls on the ground as much as in the air, which usually leads to a balance of both power and average, leaving few holes in his fantasy game. And while he only provided 2 stolen bases in 5 attempts last season, he was in the 61st pecentile for sprint speed, and could benefit from the new bases and pick off rules implemented in 2023.
A few more reasons for Mervyl optimism:
He played 78 games at catcher, 23 games in left field, and 15 games in right field. He and Salavdor Perez will share the catching duties in Kansas City for the forseeable future will no catching help in the minor leagues. Salvy is 32 years old on a big, bad body but still has thunder in his bat. MJ should catch more as time wears on. But if he can keep his C/OF eligibility, he provides greater roster flexibility fantasy-wise.
2. The Kansas City offense. Ranked 24th in MLB in 2022. Boo. Scored 640 runs.
Also boo. However, with the expected development of Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie
Pasquantino, I fully expect the Royals to improve dramatically. Salvy will probably
be somewhere between his historic 2021 seson and his disappointing 2022,
there is talent in every Mondesi (i know, i know), and Drew Waters was once a top
prospect. Knock the Royals offense now, but there is talent. And I suspect ol'
Mervyl's counting stats could be a direct beneficiary.
3. He's cool.
Tier Two - The Meat and Potatoes
6. Salvador Perez (Kansas City) 2022: .254/.292/.757, 48 runs, 23 HR, 76 RBI, 0 SB
Which Salvy are we getting in 2023? 2021 Salvy who lead the league with 48 HRs, drove in 121, and was the clear #1 ranked catcher heading into 2022? Or the sub .300 OBP 2023 version who still finished third in RBIs amongst catchers but looked washed? I'm willing to split the difference and say 2023 will be somewhere in between.
Salvador Perez is a free-swinging power hitter who has become more volitle as he has aged. His swinging strike increased year over year from 2012 until 2021 when it topped out at a whopping 18.4%. It was 4.4% in 2012. He was a bat to ball high average hit tool catcher who provided premium defense. He now projects to hit 30ish home runs (provided health) with a decent average and a sub .300 OBP. So while his miniscule 3.8% walk rate helped lead to scoring only 48 runs in 473 plate appearances last season, he is a safe bet to continue to drive in runs and hit bombs.
The presence of MJ Melendez will allow Salvy to DH quite a bit as well. Last season, he caught 76 games and was the DH for 40. It is not unreasonable to think that Perez and Melendez split catching duties down the middle this season, allowing both to remain in the lineup as much as possible. This should help Perez accumulate hits, HRs, and RBIs.
I view Salvador Perez as a fairly safe bet at the top of the second tier of catchers. Prior to his 48 HR season in 2021 he hadn't hit more than 27 HRs. If I thought he could surpass even 30 this season, he would be firmly in tier one. Here's betting knees, knocks, Mervyl, and father time keep his home runs in the mid to high 20s and his status just below tier one.
7. Alejandro Kirk (Toronto) 2022: .285/.372/.786, 59 runs, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 0 SB
Ale, Alejandro. You bother Lady Gaga but you don't bother me. Alejandro Kirk is a bowling ball of a catcher, listed at 5'8", 245 lbs, but a bowling ball who can flat-out hit.
As a 23 year old, Kirk hit .285/.372/.786 and none of it was a fluke. His BABIP was MLB normal, he walked more than he struck out (11.6% walk rate vs 10.7% K rate), he was selective at the plate (26.3% chase rate, more than 7% less than the average catcher), and his swinging strike rate was only 5.8%. It is clear that his hand-eye coordination is uncanny. And despite a 50% ground ball rate and an 8.1° launch angle, Kirk was able to still hit 14 homers. The slightest tweak to his swing would easily yield 20+ homers in 2023. Any guesses as to what spot in the batting order Kirk frequented most in 2022? Clean-up! Toronto? Fourth most runs scored in MLB last season. So Gaga, what's not to love about Ale, Alejandro?
Well, the Blue Jays roster construction for one. At present, Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk will split catching duties, with the other sharing DH with Brandon Belt. Prior to signing Belt, it looked incredibly promising for both Kirk and Jansen, provided health. It was safe to conservatively predict 500+ plate appearances for Kirk. However, with Belt in the fold, taking the DH at bats versus right handed starting pitchers, the short side DH platoon and catching time share are whats left. That said, the Blue Jays would be silly to not give Kirk 500+ plate appearances given the ability to hit he has demonstrated thus far.
ATC plate appearance predictions for 2023:
Brandon Belt = 355
Danny Jansen = 425
Alejandro Kirk = 486
Here's hoping Ariel Cohen knows what he's talking about and Kirk does get close to 500 PAs. Gaga doesn't know what she's talking about. Alejandro, you can call my name.
8. Willson Contreras (St.Louis...so weird) 2022: .243/.349/.815, 65 runs, 22 HR, 55 RBI, 4 SB
How weird is this? I will always remeber Willson in Cubbie pinstripes. But everyone moves on. It's like seeing Jerry Rice in a Seahawks uniform. Or Hakeem Olajuwon in a Raptors uniform. Or Ken Griffey Jr. in a White Sox uniform. Or is it?
Those guys were washed by the time they donned those weird colors. Willson is 30 years old. And still a tier two fantasy catcher. In fact, one can make the case that he may end 2023 in tier one. Why?
He signed a 5-year, $87.5 million contract with St. Louis in the off-season. He is Yadier Molina's replacement. And he will be counted on to provide offensive production in the heart of the St. Louis order. Last season, Willson essentially took a photo copy of his 2021 and changed the date.
2021: 483 plate appearances, .237/.340/.778, 61 runs, 21 HR, 57 RBI, 5 SB
2022: 487 plate appearances, .243/.349/.815, 65 runs, 22 HR, 55 RBI, 4 SB
Is this who Willson Contreras is? Three times in his career he hit between .272 and .282. Four times in his career he has hit between .237 and .249. He's had between 21 and 24 HRs four times. And he's never driven in more than 74 runs. Is this a product of bad offenses? Not necessarily. He was surrounded by Rizzo, Bryant, Baez, and crew for most of his career. Now its Goldy, Arenado, and Noot (really?). Will the change in home park effect him? Maybe. Three year rolling for right handed hitters in Wrigley vs Busch show only a slight difference in HR, favoring Chicago 98 vs 90. However, when you look exclusively at last season, Chicago park factor for RHH overall was 95 and for HR was 86 whereas St.Louis was 101 overall for RHH and 106 (!) for HRs. So, when looking at last season for right handed hitters, Contreras' home park was 14% more difficult than league average to hit a home run versus his new home park which was 6% easier to hit a home run for right handed hitters, a 20% difference. Could this mean a slight bump in homers next season? Quite possibly. It appears as if his swing and approach have been very consistant over the years. He chases a bit, he swings and misses a bit (14.4% SwStr), but when he makes contact he does it with authority (90.4 mph aEV, 116.2 mEV). Finally, in 2022, Chicago was the 22nd ranked offense in runs scored. St.Louis? 5th. Willson Contreras looks to be a good bet for a slight increase in counting stats, homers, and quite possibly plate appearances if he gets more time at DH. Count me in for Contreras as a tier two catcher with upside in 2023 to push into tier one.
9. Cal Raleigh (Seattle) 2022: .211/.284/.774, 46 runs, 27 HR, 63 RBI, 1 SB
1-1 game. Two outs, bottom of the ninth, pinch hitting, Cal Raleigh. Full count, Raleigh hits a homer out to right field to send the Mariners to the playoffs for the first time in 21 years! The Big Dumper immediately became a Mariners folkhero.
Homers are what Cal Raleigh did in 2022. Of his 78 hits, 34.6% or 27 of them where home runs. He logged 415 plate appearances and tied Daulton Varsho for the catcher homer crown. What else did The Big Dumper do? Not much.
Of the top 16 catchers on this list, Raleigh had the highest K-rate (29.4%) and was behind only William Contreras in zone-contact rate (79.2%). He also had a swinging strike rate of 15.3%. A good pure hitter Raleigh was not in 2022. Finally, his launch angle was 22.5°, much greater than optimal. Strikeouts, missing in the zone, and skewing strongly towards fly balls screams .200 hitter.
Now the good. His barrel rate was more than twice the catcher average last season at 15.4%. His hard hit rate 6.6% above catcher average at 43.5%. And he still walked 9.2%. While we can expect his BABIP to be lower than league average due to his propensity to hit fly balls, it should be quite a bit higher than his 2022 BABIP of .226, creating a potential batting average boost in 2023.
Cal Raleigh looks to be a good, starting fantasy catcher who will not provide avg/hits or steals. He's your 45 hit/60 power catcher who may pop 30 homers once or twice, may hit above .250 once or twice, and should give you 60 runs and 75 RBIs, depending on spot in the batting order. He also gets a slight bump because he embraces the nickname, "Big Dumper."
10. Sean Murphy (Atlanta) 2022: .250/.332/.759, 67 runs, 18 HR, 66 RBI, 1 SB
Picture of Sean Murphy? Milktoast. Sean Murphy the player? Also milktoast.
But milktoast from a catcher can be an asset. Especially, if he can be an accumulator like Murphy was last season. He was dealt to the Braves in the three team trade sending William Contreras to Milwaukee and a pupu platter of decent prospects to Oakland.
So what helped Sean Murphy in 2022? Lots of plate appearances. In fact, he was the only catcher who had 600+. Next closest was Daulton Varsho with 592. Only four others had over 500. As we know, that counts for a lot in fantasy baseball. Murphy also was better than the catcher average in walk rate, K rate, zone contact, SwStr rate, aEV, barrel rate, and hard hit rate. And you would think that the change in home park would impact his homer total, but according to baseball savant, if Sean Murphy was a Brave last season, his HR total would have been...18!
He is a slightly above average hitting catcher, who should benefit from the move to Atlanta from the horror show of Oakland Alameda/Ring Central Coliseum. He also went from sharing catching duties with Christian Bethancourt and a recently called up Shea Langeliers to Travis d'Arnaud. But unlike Alejandro Kirk, there are no good DH options on the Braves current roster. Marcell Ozuna is currently penciled in as the starting DH with Orlando Arcia, Sam Hilliard, and Jordan Luplow on the bench. Chances are d'Arnaud and Murphy both finish with 500 PAs (provided health) and he continues to post the most generic .250/.335/.750 with 16 HRs, 65 runs, and 65 RBIs. Remember though, a decently generic at catcher can lead you to the fantasy championship if you get him in the right round.
11 William Contreras (Milwaukee) 2022: .278/.354/.860, 51 runs, 20 HR, 45 RBI, 2 SB
William Contreras bid the Braves farewell in the aforementioned three team deal. The question is, did the Braves or the Brewers end up with the better fantasy catcher? The answer lies in whether you believe Contreras' 2022 season was a for real.
Pros:
10.4% walk rate
30.8% chase rate (below catcher average)
90.4 mph aEV
115.2 mph mEV
20 HRs despite a low 6.1° launch angle (meaning there's room for growth)
53% GB (leads to a slightly higher average, .278 in 2022)
13.4% barrel and 46.6% hard hit.
Cons:
53% GB (will he ever reach his power potential?)
27.7% K rate was above the catcher average
77.5% zone contact rate is pretty horrendous. He misses pitches in the strike zone
.344 BABIP in 2022. Regression is coming bringing down his batting average in 2023
Little brother William looks similar to Willson. Both take a walk, make less than desired contact in the zone, swing and miss above 14%, hit the ball very hard, but hit it on the ground more than 50% of the time. If nothing else, this profile is not milktoast. There is power to dream on with William Contreras. He is going from sharing time with a veteran bat first catcher in Travis d'Arnaud to journeyman Victor Caratini. This should allow William the opportunity to show if this power breakout was for real in 2022. I'm betting it was. Maybe not .860 OPS for real but .265/.350/.830 with 25 HRs, 70 runs and 80 RBIs hitting in the heart of the Brewers order isn't out of the question. His ranking at #11 is conservative. He may be knocking on the door of tier one in 2024. Arrow pointing up for William Contreras.
Tier Three - The Meh and the Youngins'
12. Logan O'Hoppe (Angels) 2022 (AA): .283/.416/.960, 360 PA, 72 R, 26 HR, 78 RBI, 7 SB
#47 Ranked Dyansty Prospect at present (1/18)
In an old fashioned challenge trade at the deadline on August 2, 2022, the Los Angeles Angels traded OF Brandon Marsh to the Philadelphia Phillies for C Logan O'Hoppe. Prospect for prospect moves rarely occur. Both players certainly benefited from the move. And now O'Hoppe is the Angels present and future starter at catcher. The only question is, how productive will he be?
In Philadelphia, O'Hoppe was blocked by JT Realmuto, who is signed through 2025. He was a borderline top 100 prospect heading into the 2022 season. Last year he cemented an opportunity to become a starting major league catcher. Logan hit 26 HR in 360 plate appearances in AA. He also walked (15.7%) about as much as he struck out (16.6%). And while those numbers won't translate exactly, there is reason to believe that the swing and miss worries we have with many young players will not exist for Logan.
Athletically built with an upright stance. He holds his bat bat parallel to the ground with a high back elbow. His high hands and level swing make for a lot of hard hit balls, a more line drive approach than we see these days, AND the ability to make more contact than normal, and thus, fewer strikeouts.
He is my #47 dynasty prospect at present and will climb in the next update.
We rate his tools:
55 Hit
60 Power
45 Speed
60 Plate Discipline
Only Max Stassi blocks Logan O'Hoppe from getting 500 plate appearances in 2023. And with those plate appearances I fully expect him to 16-22 HR and somewhere above .240. Watch where he hits in the batting order. Roster Resource has him as the #8 hitter which will limit his runs and RBIs. However, if he hits out of the gate and climbs in the order, we could see a Tier Two catcher heading into 2024.
13. Gabriel Moreno (Arizona) 2022 AAA: .315/.386/.806, 238 AB, 35 R, 3 HR, 39 RBI, 7 SB
(#58 Dynasty Prospect at present)
Another traded catcher prospect with a new opportunity, Gabriel Moreno was traded with Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. for Daulton Varsho on December 23rd, 2022. Moreno went from competing with Alejandro Kirk AND Danny Jansen for playing time to competing with Carson Kelly. Arrow up.
Moreno was a consensus top 10 MLB prospect heading into 2022. His feel for hit is elite. There is little doubt he will stick behind the plate as well. He's hit for average at every level since being signed August 3rd, 2016 out of Venezuela for $25,000(!), eaving only his power development in question.
Tools:
Hit - 70
Power - 50
Speed - 55
Discipline - 55
Gabriel Moreno is can flat-out hit. He has a gorgeous swing geared for line drives. There is a slight hitch in his elbow with his set up, he brings his bat back to 45° pointing towards pitcher (not quite the Julio Franco bat wrap but reminiscant) and fires off of a big leg kick. But for all of the idiosyncracies, Moreno's hand-eye coordination is his super power. He brings a very level bat through the zone with extension and will spray line drives for the next 10 years. His power remains in question, but with 500+ PAs and his ability to put the ball in play, I believe (minimally) he will settle in the 14-18 HR range and he will hit between .280 and .310 most years.
So why not this year? Carson Kelly still provides Arizona with some defensive and OBP value. If Moreno starts hot, we may see him get some of the DH at bats as well. The addition of Kyle Lewis will inhibit DH at bats to an extent if Lewis can remain healthy, but if Moreno hits immediately, like I believe he will, the D'Backs will cut him loose and let him play. Expect:
2023: .280/.330/.420, 450 PA, 55 R, 12 HR, 60 RBI, 5 SB with upside for more avg
14. Danny Jansen (Toronto) 2022: .260/.339/.855, 248 PA, 34 R, 15 HR, 44 RBI, 1 SB
The 28 year old Danny Jansen has had 300 plate appearances in a season one time. He's on the short side of a time share with Alejandro Kirk. And yet, here he is at #14.
Jansen hits for power. And a lot of it. He had career high marks for average exit velocity (90.4 mph), and barrel rate (13.1%, 4.6% higher than any other year), hard hit rate (46.6%). Jansen also had a 9.1% SwStr rate which is very low for a power hitter. He hits fly balls, as evidenced by his 22.2° launch angle and 50.6% fly ball rate. But his HR/FB rate has remained steady for four years now, making me a believer that his power spike is real. Finally, he was able to sustain a .260 average despite a .255 BABIP and a high fly ball rate. The gains look like they should stick.
Injury has held him back in previous seasons, so sharing time with Kirk should assist in keeping him healthy. Jansen is the type of catcher with whom I would consider pairing with another good rate stat part time catcher on your roster. Despite the playing time issue, he is our #14 catcher and you can expect power and good counting stats in a great lineup.
15. Travis d'Arnaud (Atlanta) 2022: .268/.319/.791, 426 PA, 61 runs, 18 HR, 60 RBI, 0 SB
34 year old catcher. Sharing time with the newly acquired, newly extended, Sean Murphy. And he's a starting fantasy catcher? Why yes, yes he is.
Travis d'Arnaud is a bit milktoasty as well. But he can hit. The Braves scored the third most runs in MLB last season. And he puts the ball in play. d'Arnaud chases a bit more than the catcher average and his in zone contact is slightly below average, but he hits the ball with authority and will certainly come up with runners on. As stated in the Sean Murphy write-up, there will be enough plate appearances for both. And as is the case in Toronto, having two capable catchers should keep both catchers healthy. d'Arnaud was once a top prospect and injuries have zapped him of his explosion and at bats, but he remains a talented hitter capable of 20 HRs and hits in a very good offense. Like Jansen, pair Travis d'Arnaud with another part-timer and you will could have elite production at the catcher position.
16. Francisco Alvarez (New York Mets) 2022 AA/AAA: .260/.374/.885, 411 PA, 74 R, 27 HR,
78 RBI, 0 SB, 14.1% BB, 24.8% K
(Last dynasty rankings Alvarez was my #45 dynasty prospect. He too will move up)
Big boy. 5'10", 233 lbs. Alvarez was signed by the Mets in 2018 out of Venezuela for $2.7M. The biggest question I have with Alvarez is will he stick at catcher. The bat is going to play. This year.
Open stance, parallel bat (to ground), super quick to get the bat to the zone, and that same elite hand-eye coordination as Gabby Moreno. Uncanny ability to hit the ball where it is pitched. Alvarez has been the #1 prospect on boards, at times, since the 2022 off-season. There is superstar potential and dynamite in his bat.
Tools:
Hit - 55
Power - 70
Speed - Sloth (and if there was something below he'd get that rating too)
Discipline - 55
Is he a part time or full time (H-Town reference IYKYK) player in 2023? According to roster resource, the Mets will start with two catchers and neither is named Francisco. And while it is clear that the Mets are built to win this year, neither Tomas Nido nor Omar Narvaez should keep Francisco Alvarez from getting big league at bats. He has nothing left to prove in the minor leagues. The assumption is that the Mets will keep him down for a month or two to work on his catching, but when he does come up, expect him to rake. If he is to break camp with the team, elevate him to the top of this tier.
2023 potential: .240/.330/.450, 350 PA, 40 R, 18 HR, 50 RBI, 0 SB
Honorable Mention
Jonah Heim (Texas)
Gary Sanchez (TBD)
Tyler Stephenson (Cincinnati - .409 BABIPs scare me)
Shea Langeliers (Oakland)
Bo Naylor (Cleveland)
Nick Fortes (Miami)
Joey Bart (San Francisco)
Omar Narvaez (New York Mets)
Yasmani Grandal (Chicago White Sox)
Christian Vasquez (Minnesota)
Endy Rodriguez (Pittsburgh)
Austin Wells (New York Mets)
Catcher Dynasty Ranks
Comments