Fantasy Baseball: Draft This, Not That—Part 8

One of the necessary evils of fantasy baseball is the need to draft a catcher. The position has been as top-heavy as you can get over the last few seasons, and this year is no exception.

When we look at drafting these players in any format, it almost comes to taking the leap early or waiting until the end of the draft. Fortunately, there are a couple spots this year where a fantasy owner can find value.

Personally, you can count me in the minority of those that will not draft or rank Joe Mauer as No. 1 overall for any format. Yes, his average is nice, but he has been injured and has not shown much upside in power. Putting him further down on my list means we have the power players like Victor Martinez and Brian McCann at the top of the leader board. To me, that makes more sense.

They contribute in multiple categories and provide more to the fantasy owner as a result. The question is coming up on where to go from here. Fortunately, "Draft This, Not That" has a comparison for you.

Check this out:

Player A - 53 runs, 20 HR, 66 RBI, 0 SB, .281 AVG, 237 ADP
Player B - 47 runs, 17 HR, 53 RBI, 0 SB, .280 AVG, 97 ADP
Player C - 63 runs, 21 HR, 77 RBI, 5 SB, .269 AVG, 29 ADP

I should come right out and say that this comparison may be a bit of a reach. Still, we can demonstrate value from it and in two-catcher formats this is certainly one to think about.

Straight up, Player C is McCann. He stands out head and shoulders above Player B but he is surprisingly more in line with Player A than we might think if the names were already revealed. McCann is as good as it gets for fantasy catchers. He is being drafted as such and is being given an improved offense this year with the addition of Dan Uggla. That in mind, he needs to be considered the best at the position for this season. Hands down, case closed.

Player B here is Geovany Soto. Soto is a tough comparison as he played just 105 games last season with injuries and the like. He certainly produced and if you were to scale out his numbers over the same number of at-bats as McCann, he rivals the slugger in runs and RBI while beating him out in home runs. Not bad for seven rounds later.

Soto scares many owners, though. Rightfully so, he has been up and down the last few seasons. He has not played more than 110 games since 2008. Now we have the recovery from shoulder surgery. That seems to be right on track. He is a selective hitter that walks regularly and that suggests a sustainable batting average. Soto has power and could be a steal even in round nine or 10, producing well above his draft slot.

The fun comes with Player A. His numbers surpassed Soto, albeit in more at-bats. His power rivals McCann, but his offense in other categories was not as prolific. Some of this could be team-attributed, but the volume of strikeouts certainly does not help his case. He is also a player joining a new team playing in a completely different park in a different league than where he was last season. Figure it out yet? The masked man is John Buck.

Now, the questions. Buck is moving to a field that has more space and yields far fewer home runs than what he had in Toronto. He is a fly ball hitter who could see his average tank as a result, not to mention the fact he hit .335 on balls in play. That number is not sustainable.

Still, he is being drafted so late that there is value in grabbing him in two-catcher formats or as a late-round flyer. Buck may not be the guy you want starting for you, but he does have the ability to provide offense that you would not get from the A.J. Pierzynskis of the world.

Given the choice, Soto would be the player I look at the closest. Good value, right time to draft a catcher and upside in his numbers. McCann means forgoing an early pick in the draft for a catcher. There are too many other spots where owners should look to build, in my mind. Buck should not be the catcher you target, but he should be one that you look at in the final rounds to close out your roster and bring you upside that others may not. He is a solid insurance plan.