2009 Fantasy Preview: NL Catchers
It's time for the 2009 Fantasy Baseball Preview! In this installment we're looking at NL Catchers.
Having the right catcher can make or break your fantasy season. Sure, catchers don't typically generate the same stats as other position players, but if you have one or even two catchers in your lineup that are basically "empty roster spots" you're already creating a hole to dig out of.
Do I reccommend going out and picking up the top 2 catchers in your draft? No, not unless you can do so without sacrificing other positions. But you should aim for some top tier-ish guys, and pay attention to the rest to make sure your second catcher is a quality play, and not a backup.
Here are my 2009 Fantasy Baseball NL Catcher Rankings:
- Brian McCann - ATL
- Geovany Soto - CHI
- Russel Martin - LAD
- Bengie Molina -SF
- Chris Iannetta - COL
- Ryan Doumit - PIT
- Yadier Molina - STL
- Chris Snyder - ARZ
- Jesus Flores - WAS
- Jason Kendall - MIL
- Brian Schnieder - NYM
The top tier here is McCann, Soto and Martin. These are the guys you want. I put McCann over Soto, although it's pretty close here. McCann will eek out a few SBs for you, but the BA, HR and RBI potential is pretty close here between the two. Martin is a close third, providing decen BA, less power, but a nice burst of speed out of the catch position.
The next tier I'd run with would be numbers 4 to 9 above. These guys will typically get you a decent average, and possibly 15 HRs, with modest counting stats. If you don't land one of the top 3, ending up with 2 of these guys will be just as good (and perhaps even better depending on who you're second catcher ends up with one of the top tier guys!)
This year's trendy sleeper pick is Pablo Sandoval. He's a 22-year-old Giants prospect that figures to have a shot at the Giant's first or third base position battles this spring. He made 11 appearances behind the plate last year (along with 17 at 1B and 12 at 3B), so check your league rules to see if he qualifies. I've seen him listed in the 5-8 rank range of NL catchers for 2009, but I left him out of my rankings for a purpose. Rookie catchers have a lot of adjustments to make when they reach the majors. It takes a lot to learn how to manage the staff, the game, and their performance at the plate tends to suffer. Look no further than JR Towles last year, or any of the past 3 Rockies catching prospects that have flubbed early in their career. However, since he's probably not going to play at catcher, he's worth a look. It's always good to get a non-catcher who qualifies at the position!
Catchers on thr rise: Chris Iannetta, Ryan Doumit, and Geovanny Soto. Ianetta and Doumit are finally starting to reach the levels fantasy owners have hoped for for a couple of years. Both put together decent years last year, and project more of the same this year. Soto makes the list since there were questions as to his ability to maintain the pace he set in his callup over a full season last year, and he responed by throwing down a great season.
Catchers to avoid: Jason Kendal and Josh Bard. Sure, Kendal made my list of catchers, but he's a shell of his former self. He used to provide some pop, stolen bases, and a decent average. Now his only advantage is the lineup he plays in. Bard gets injured too often, and he plays in a huge park for half of his games.
That's my analysis of the 2009 NL Catchers. I'll spotlight AL Catchers next!
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Nice List...but a lot of ?????
I agree with the bottom half your top NL catchers rankings, however I am not sure I will agree with the top 5! Brian McCann, Geovani Soto, and Russell Martin are all very good catchers and arguably should probably be in the top 5 based upon the what they "have done for me lately" thought process.
I am looking forward to see what Brian McCann can do without a lot of pop in this lineup. I am a big believer that you will see his numbers drop off, because the Braves simply just don't have a whole lot of pop in that lineup outside McCann, and the oft injured Chipper Jones.
Russell Martin looked down right putrid in the playoffs...and I mean putrid! Martin had every opportunity to blow games wide open for the Dodgers as the Phillies constantly pitched around Manny, showing very little to no respect for Martin. What did Martin do...he batted a balmy .117(2-17), with seven strikeouts and frankly looked overmatched. There is also talk in Dodgerland that Martin may need to make the move to another position to prolong his career...just like future Hall of Famer Craig Biggio did for the Astros.
I am not a big believer in the sophmore slump...considering I have kept the following players in my keeper league Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Ryan Braun after their rookie seasons but, if there is one position in the game that could cause a player to slump it is the catcher position. Soto had an outstanding rookie campaign, but I believe he will start slow, maybe get hot when it warms up in Chitown, and cool off as quickly as Lake Michigan. The Central is a tough division, and look for Soto to fall off from his great rookie campaign.
Now before I go into my list of potential sleepers to creep into the top 5 this year, let me just say this...these guys are and should be the top 3 catchers in the National League!
I believe that Ryan Doumit, and Carlos Ruiz could make a push into the top 5 this year. Doumit had a career year for the awful Pirates...but that team has made some nice moves, and I believe they will be youthful and Doumit will be heavily protected in this years lineup more so then he was when Jason Bay was in town. Carlos Ruiz is the often forgot about player in the Phillies feared N.L. offense. He played out of his mind in the playoffs last year, and probably deserved to either be THE MVP, or Co-MVP with Cole Hamels in the World Series. He batted .261 for the playoffs, but in the World Series he batted .375(6-16) and came up with some of the biggest hits and walks in franchise history...I believe he might be ready to make a big time splash this season.
My two Sleeper N.L. catchers this year are Jesus Flores who made a huge impact for the Washington Nationals when their top 2 catchers went down. Flores did more than just impress upper management, his play forced them to let go of last seasons #1 and the guy they thought was the future is now behind Jesus...watch out for the Sophmore slump though with this guy. The other guy to watch is John Baker of the Florida Marlins! This guys was called up in July and was never sent back. He batted .299, had 5 dingers, 32 rbi's, and 32 runs scored. I look for him to make a big time splash with a very potent offense down there in Miami!
JDuff23
Phils win the East in 2007, looking to reapeat in 2008