Top 15 Fantasy Catchers for 2010: Take Two

As the offseason rages on, it is time to revisit our early 2010 rankings (in the case of catchers, it was posted prior to the end of the 2009 season). 

These are still fluid, as transactions and further research and projections will certainly cause some changes.  With that said, let’s take a look at how things currently stand:

1. Joe Mauer - Minnesota Twins
2. Brian McCann - Atlanta Braves
3. Victor Martinez - Boston Red Sox
4. Miguel Montero - Arizona Diamondbacks
5. Matt Wieters - Baltimore Orioles
6. Kurt Suzuki - Oakland Athletics
7. Jorge Posada - New York Yankees
8. Ryan Doumit - Pittsburgh Pirates
9. Geovany Soto - Chicago Cubs
10. Chris Iannetta - Colorado Rockies
11. Bengie Molina - San Francisco Giants
12. Mike Napoli - Los Angeles Angels
13. Yadier Molina - St. Louis Cardinals
14. Kelly Shoppach - Tampa Bay Rays
15. Jesus Flores - Washington Nationals

Notes

• Ryan Doumit fell significantly from our original rankings.  To consider Doumit as a Top Five option was a mistake, one that was corrected in the early Dynasty Rankings (click here to view).  Doumit has a ton of upside, but you don’t want to gamble on him too high in your draft.
• I know seeing Kurt Suzuki so high may seem a bit odd, but I don’t think it is a stretch to see him fully breaking out in 2010.  He deserves a very in depth look, but the average could increase (.284 BABIP in 2009), the power could grow (HR/FB of just 8.0% in 2009) and he’s a main cog in a weak offense.  Couple that with a touch of speed and you have to like what you see.  At 26 years old, things just seem to be slanted in his favor, no?
• While the new locations for Kelly Shoppach and Greg Zaun add intrigue for two-catcher formats, they still don’t merit much value in one-catcher formats.
• Despite his 2009 struggles, Geovany Soto still has to be viewed as a solid option in all formats.
• Where will Bengie Molina play in 2010?  That, along with his lack of speed leading to a lower potential for runs scored, limits his potential value at this point.
• Buster Posey is not in the Top 15 rankings at this point, thanks to talk that the Giants would prefer to keep him in Triple-A early on.  We all saw what happened with Wieters in 2009, so don’t get overly excited about him.  As the offseason continues and the Giants plans fully play out, we’ll get a better idea and may reintroduce him here.  Time will tell.
• I may be in the minority, but I am a huge supporter of Jesus Flores in 2010.  We are all quick to forget about him, after he was limited in 2009 due to injuries, but he has the potential to be a much own option in all formats.  Of course, the signing of Ivan Rodriguez could affect him significantly.

What are your thoughts on the early rankings?  Who is too high?  Who is too low?  Who was omitted that shouldn’t have been?

Previous Early Rankings:

• First Baseman
• Second Baseman
• Third Baseman
• Shortstops
• Outfielders
• Starting Pitchers
• Closers

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