Top Five Fantasy Baseball Draft Questions: Catchers

The first in our series of burning questions at each position, the catchers are some of the toughest. We know the names of the top four or five, but leagues have 12 teams.  That means making sure you take the right star, or trying to hop on the right young up and comer very important. Otherwise, you may be left constantly scouring the waiver wire hoping to hit it big. 

Our annual position rankings will be coming in the near future, but to get the juices flowing, here are the top five questions on your mind as you prepare to draft a catcher.

1.  Who should be the #1 catcher off the board?

To me this isn’t even a question.  He is the best power hitter at the position, hits for a pretty good average, and has been pretty healthy in his career.  Is there a better catcher in fantasy than Brian McCann? 

Sure Joe Mauer hits for a little better average and steals more bases, but McCann dwarfs him in power. 

Russell Martin has 20/20 potential, but his numbers took a step back last season across the board. 

Who knows what to expect from Victor Martinez after his recent injury problems?

And while Geovany Soto looks great, he did it one year.  I’d prefer a guy with three seasons of success. 

There are four or five guys who might be in the discussion, but in my opinion it is all McCann.

2.  Will Joe Mauer’s power ever develop?

For years, all we have heard is "Joe Mauer, great hitting catcher, and don’t worry his power is coming.”

Well, the guy is 26 years old now and his career high is 13 homers in a season.  Granted he has hit .347 in a season, but he has also hit in the .290s twice. 

He has also had injury problems throughout his career, and trying to replace a catcher is not an easy task. 

If you draft Mauer because you think he has the chance to go 20/20 someday, I’m here to tell you that you are nuts.  If you think he can bat .320 with 10 homers and 10 steals, that is a more realistic approach.

3.  What kind of impact will Matt Wieters have in 2009?

Baltimore’s Matt Wieters is this year’s prospect who has all of fantasy drooling, like Jay Bruce of 2008 and Alex Gordon of 2007. 

Not only did he hit for a great average last year, but showed plenty of power as well.  The most exciting part is that he actually plays catcher, perhaps the most shallow position in fantasy. 

The Orioles signed Gregg Zaun as a placeholder until Wieters is ready. If I had to guess I would say that you are looking at a situation similar to Evan Longoria's in 2008.  For those new to fantasy, that means the Orioles might try and delay the time until Wieters can become a free agent. Because of this, Wieters will almost certainly start the year in the minors. 

However by late April or early May, Wieters should be tearing it up in Baltimore.  If you decide to take a chance on Wieters, please do yourself a favor and draft a placeholder like a John Buck in Kansas City who will keep you competitive until the young stud arrives.

4.  Which young catcher will take the next step this season?

There is a new crop of young catchers who have the ability to be among the top guys, but who will take that Geovany Soto-type step and be counted among the best at the position? 

Colorado’s Chris Iannetta seems to be the best bet in this category.  He always hit for a great average with pretty good power in the minors, but he didn’t put it together until 2008.  He finished the season with 18 homers in 104 games and should be the undisputed starter for the Rockies. 

Jeff Clement in Seattle has all the tools and the hype, but he couldn’t put it together last season. In two stints with the mother ship, Clement hit just .227 with five homers in 65 games. 

However, he has nothing left to prove at AAA.  In 2007, Clement hit 20 homers and drove in 85 runs in just 125 games, and while in the minors last season he ripped it up, clubbing 14 homers in just 48 games while hitting a robust .335.  The tools are obviously there, can he take the next step? 

The Rangers have a trio of young catchers who will probably each hinder the other from being a full time player.  Max Ramirez, Taylor Teagarden, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia all are up-and-coming back stops. 

Teagarden probably has the best upside but will most likely back up Salty to start the year.  In just 16 games last year, Teagarden hit six homers and 17 RBI. 

Saltalamacchia has the most experience but has been a bit of a disappointment in the majors.  He should get the first look in 2009, but I have soured on him a bit recently.  If he gets it together he has 20-25 homer power. 

Ramirez started out good, but struggled to hit in his first rodeo in the big leagues.  Look for him to start the year in AAA. 

Also, don’t forget Houston’s J.R. Towles who can also rake but struggled badly in his rookie campaign in 2008.  He has obviously lost his hype, but MIGHT rebound in his second season.

5.  Who catches in Cleveland?

For years the post has been held down by Victor Martinez, but in his absence last year the Indians found that they had another pretty good catcher on their roster in Kelly Shoppach. 

Not only is Shoppach a superior defensive catcher (althought that isn’t saying much), but he showed great power with 21 homers in just over 100 games.

The Indians have tried Martinez at first, but he made Mike Piazza look like a Gold Glover, and I don’t know if they are going to revisit that experiment. Chances are that they will share some of the catching duties and split a lot of the time at DH. 

I think both are top 10 of fantasy catchers as the Indians have to be smart enough to keep both powerful bats in their lineup as much as possible.  However, if Martinez is unable to stay healthy again, you can expect Shoppach to continue his great play from 2008.

Do you have your own questions? Do you disagree? As always, your comments and questions are welcome at [e-mail]. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Also, don’t miss “The Fantasy Baseball Gurus Show” on Blog Talk Radio every Wednesday night at 10pm EST.