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New life has been breathed into the catcher position over the past week, as MJ Melendez took over behind the plate in Kansas City with Salvador Perez injured and top prospect Adley Rutschman made his long-awaited major league debut for the Orioles.
We’re used to calling catcher the weakest position in fantasy leagues, so it typically hasn’t gotten much love in dynasty formats. That’s not going to change overnight, but the excitement doesn’t stop with Melendez and Rutschman from a prospect perspective. The position is actually loaded with premium talent. We could think differently about it very soon.
With that in mind, take a look at my current dynasty catcher rankings. This is essentially a preview of what you’ll find in our overall dynasty rankings as part of our premium Season Tools section. I update the rankings on a rolling basis, so it’s the best way to stay up to date. Get it today!
| Rank | Catcher | Team | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adley Rutschman | Orioles | 24 |
| 2 | Will Smith | Dodgers | 27 |
| 3 | J.T. Realmuto | Phillies | 31 |
| 4 | Salvador Perez | Royals | 32 |
| 5 | Daulton Varsho | Diamondbacks | 25 |
| 6 | Yasmani Grandal | White Sox | 33 |
| 7 | Keibert Ruiz | Nationals | 23 |
| 8 | Willson Contreras | Cubs | 30 |
| 9 | Gabriel Moreno | Blue Jays | 22 |
| 10 | Francisco Álvarez | Mets | 20 |
| 11 | Tyler Stephenson | Reds | 25 |
| 12 | MJ Melendez | Royals | 23 |
| 13 | Alejandro Kirk | Blue Jays | 23 |
| 14 | Henry Davis | Pirates | 22 |
| 15 | Austin Wells | Yankees | 22 |
| 16 | Tyler Soderstrom | Athletics | 20 |
| 17 | Mitch Garver | Rangers | 31 |
| 18 | Diego Cartaya | Dodgers | 20 |
| 19 | Shea Langeliers | Athletics | 24 |
| 20 | Harry Ford | Mariners | 19 |
| 21 | Sean Murphy | Athletics | 27 |
| 22 | Gary Sanchez | Twins | 29 |
| 23 | Joey Bart | Giants | 25 |
| 24 | Luis Campusano | Padres | 23 |
| 25 | Danny Jansen | Blue Jays | 27 |
Notes:
- Yep, Rutschman is already No. 1. Bold? I don’t think so. When you take age, skillset, and situation (even with a ballpark which isn’t as power-friendly as it once was) into account, it’s hard to see anyone else at the top of this list. The switch-hitting Rutschman hit .282/.391/.488 with 30 home runs over 179 minor league games. He’s capable of being a top-five catcher in redraft leagues right away, but his long-term ceiling is being the class of the position for the next several years.
- Putting Ruiz ahead of Moreno and Alvarez is mostly about what sort of value he offers in the short-term. It was honestly a tough call between Moreno and Alvarez. My colleague Christopher Crawford actually said that he would flip-flop them, so that should make Mets fans very happy.
- I like Melendez just fine, but playing time could again be an issue once Salvador Perez is ready to return. The Royals also have Vinnie Pasquantino and Nick Pratto not far off from making an impact, so there are going to be some moving pieces in the lineup. Enjoy him in redraft leagues for now, though.
- I mentioned Wells in this space a couple of weeks ago, so it shouldn’t be a shock that he’s listed this highly. Obviously the outlook is appealing if he ends up playing half of his games in Yankee Stadium. It’s wild to see that he’s 25-for-25 in stolen bases over 131 minor league games, even though we have to take speed numbers in the low minors with a grain of salt. Even if that’s not a part of Wells’ game as he continues to move up the ladder, his power and on-base potential is appealing.
- Davis, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, is actually sidelined right now with a small non-displaced fracture in his left wrist. It’s not a long-term concern and it doesn’t impact his outlook here at all. It’s just a matter of when the Pirates think he’ll be ready. Odds are they’ll milk it from a service time perspective, even with the new Prospect Promotion Incentive.
- I moved Cartaya up a tad on the urging of my colleague Christopher Crawford, but the Dodgers’ top prospect is still just 20 years old and hasn’t played above Single-A yet. He’s probably a couple of years away, most likely. Still, what he’s done at his age is very impressive indeed. Cartaya put up a 1.023 OPS in 31 games with Rancho Cucamonga last year and has followed that up with a .919 OPS through 28 games at the level so far this year. He has a chance to be a monster.
- Acquired from the Braves in the Matt Olson deal, Langeliers has put up 11 homers with a .912 OPS through 38 games in Triple-A Las Vegas this season. Obviously it’s a favorable hitting environment, but the power is legit. He’s also known for his strong arm behind the dish. Interestingly, he’s actually ranked ahead of fellow A’s prospect catcher (and first baseman) Tyler Soderstrom in the latest Top 100 prospects update at MLB Pipeline.
- I don’t really know what to think of Bart at this point. He’s struck out 42 times in just 91 plate appearances this season while hitting just .171. Four of his 11 hits have been home runs. We probably should have seen these contact issues coming, as he struck out 29.4 percent of the time in Triple-A last year despite hitting .294 over 67 games. He needed a .398 BABIP to post that lofty average. It’s hard to give up on him, but the Giants are a win-now team and he’s at risk of losing at-bats. I’m moving him down until there’s some signs of progress.
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