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Tucker Barnhart is among the catchers who will be drafted when all the “good” catchers are gone. He’ll do just enough to not kill you, but if you end up drafting him, you’ll spend all season long looking for a lucky, waiver-wire replacement for him. Barnhart is the type of guy who will always put something positive in the box score, but it’ll rarely be a week-winner for you. And don’t look now, but the Reds may be a pretty good offensive team this year. With more runners on base, Barnhart’s consistency – rather, his consistently-average tendencies – could lead to more good pitches to hit and more guys on base to drive in. Look for the same numbers as last year with only the potential to be better. He’ll max out at 15 HR, 55 RBI and 55 runs scored – don’t bet on it, but it’s certainly possible.
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What’s the deal with Russell Martin being back in LA? Earlier, we talked about Yasmani Grandal having to deal with Austin Barnes, and now the aging Martin Russell will have to, too. Martin has been a .225 hitter over the past 4 years and he’s quite injury prone. Being 36 years old won’t help either, and there’s no room for him to play anywhere else on the diamond in Los Angeles. Nonetheless, Martin is a proven run producer, even when his batting average is crap. He has averaged 16.5 HR and 50+ RBI over the past 4 seasons, although he’s missed more than 70 games in each of the last 2 seasons. He’s another catcher you can count on to produce pretty well while he’s healthy, but you’d better get ready to pick up another Catcher… perhaps Austin Barnes.
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Okay, we’ll talk about JT Realmuto, too. He’s the best fantasy catcher in baseball and he’s the subject of all kinds of trade rumors – rumors that could involve the Los Angeles Dodgers and could, therefore, totally ruin Russell Martin’s plans for 2019. No matter where JT Realmuto lands, you can expect him to hit 20 HR, drive in 70-90 RBI, score 70 runs and hit .270-.290, even if he does stay in Florida, which is unlikely.
![]() If you want a catcher who is totally predictable, draft Yan Gomes. He won’t wow you, ever, but you’ll get exactly what you pay for, so to speak (or, I guess, in an auction draft). He’ll score 40 runs, he’ll hit 15 HR, he’ll drive in 50 RBI, he’ll hit .240-.260 and he’ll miss at least 30 games. He’s 31 years old, he strikes out about 5 times more than he walks, and he’s still in an awesome lineup (now with the Nationals instead of the Indians). He can’t DH anymore, but that’s not a significant issue for him, either. Expect nothing flashy and be happy.
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![]() We think that Willson Contreras will have a bounce-back season for fantasy owners in 2019. The Cubs’ lineup is just too good for him to not drive in more runs and get more good pitches to hit. He’s also at that magical age of 27 years old when players tend to really break out. Considering his “down” year was hitting .249 with 50 runs, 10 HR and 54 RBI, we could see him really dance in 2019 with 20-25 HR, 80 RBI and 70 runs. Remember, he hit 21 HR with 74 RBI and 50 runs scored in just 117 games in 2017, so the potential is definitely there.
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![]() The other Wilson is the one with one “L” in his name: Wilson Ramos. Wilson Ramos joins the Mets in 2019 along with a bunch of other free agents. Ramos has always been in potent lineups throughout his career so he is able to capitalize on good opportunities pretty frequently. This year will be no different: we expect him to hit about .275 with 15 HR, 50-60 RBI and 40 runs for the Mets.
Austin Hedges showed up like a beast in 2017, shocking fantasy owners with his 18 HR and 55 RBI as a rookie. Prior to the 2018 season, fantasy know-it-alls wanted you to bet the farm on his continued success; we, on the other hand, warned you to not expect the same type of success. When we see a guy with 23 walks to 122 strikeouts in 120 games, we see a guy with too many holes in his swing that (good) pitchers will capitalize on. Until we see Hedges walk more and drop his strikeout rate down to less than one per game, we’re not going to rank him any higher. Still, though, you can expect him to hit 15 HR with 40-50 RBI, but a guy with his talent should be doing more. We just don’t see him improving significantly, yet.
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Welington Castillo is the next guy that gets mixed up with the two Wil(l)sons listed above. Honestly, he’s pretty interchangeable with Contreras and Castillo in that we expect him to put up numbers close to Wilson Ramos, but he has the potential to put up numbers like WIllson Contreras’ potential numbers. If the Chicago White Sox can get their act together this season, Welington Castillo stands a good chance of having a break-out year. The White Sox are full of potential, but there’s no proof that they can finally put it all together just yet Lots of unproven, inconsistent youth, but it could happen. Expect .260, 40 runs, 10-15 HR and 40-45 RBI from Castillo in 2019, but he could eclipse those numbers if everything goes right for the White Sox.
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Potential Sleepers at Catcher
Honestly, most of the rest of these guys are roster fillers, but there are a few who we think could have a surprisingly successful season for your fantasy team in 2019.
Chris Iannetta is a guy who gets drafted and dropped every season. This year, however, he’s expected to be the guy in Colorado. Tony Wolters’ .170 batting average was just too much for the Rockies to gamble on again, therefore Chris Iannetta gets to show his power in Colorado. Expect Iannetta to hit 12-15 HR, but also expect him to play less than 120 games (he has never played more than 115 games in a season in his entire career). How that might help you: that means that Chris Ianneta is actually more productive per game than most catchers, so while he’s in your lineup, he gives you a better chance at winning. You’re gong to need a backup for him when he hits the DL, but while he’s heathy, he could be the best sleeper in the league among fantasy Catchers. Imagine if you get lucky and get 130+ games out of him – I mean, don’t count on that, but you never know.
Tyler Flowers is another one of those average, run-of-the-mill catchers who could just benefit and hit a late prime because of the lineup around him. The last time he spent a full season with a high-caliber lineup around him (2014 White Sox), Flowers hit .241 with 15 HR and 50 RBI in 127 games. That was when he was 28; he’s only 33 now, so he could definitely hit those same numbers with the Braves in 2019. Best of all, you can get Flowers in the late rounds or for $1 in an auction draft.
Martin Maldonado could end up being a decent fantasy catcher. He’s going to get a good amount of playing time wherever he goes because he’s one of the best defensive catchers in baseball. Just by sheer volume of playing time, he could contribute decently to your offensive stats. Looking at him, though, he is not in the best shape, nor does he seem to mind being a bit “frumpy” – I guess you’d say. Clearly, he’s crazy athletic, though, so if he can concentrate on hitting a bit more, you could see Maldonado crack the 15 HR/50 RBI mark for catchers. We doubt he’ll get there this season, but he could make it happen.
Jorge Alfaro is another catcher who can benefit from being in a good lineup. Like many players, he strikes out way more than he walks, but his power numbers make up some of that difference. Expect 12-15 HR and 40-60 RBI for Alfaro in Philadelphia. He’s also at the magical 16-year-old mark so if he’s going to exceed his peers at the catcher position, it’ll be within the next 2-3 years. If you’re in a keeper league, he may be worth a gamble.
Francisco Cervelli has been a sleeper who has never panned out his entire career – then, suddenly, he hits 12 HR with 57 RBI last year at the age of 32, and he did it in just 104 games… with the mediocre Pirates. Maybe he finally just figured it all out or maybe he just got lucky in certain situations last year. Either way, we’re not buying that he suddenly figured it all out, but if you wanna draft him, go ahead. We still see him as probable roster filler at best, but we can’t deny last year’s numbers. Coupled with his significant experience, he could do it again.
Nick Hundley is another guy to look for depending on where he lands as a free agent. When he’s in the game, he produces positively to every box score, it seems. If he lands a full-time gig as a catcher, he can really help your fantasy team, believe it or not. He’s hit 39 HR in the last 4 seasons combined, but he’s only played in an average of 96 games per season. Again, doing the math, that makes him a better catcher than most while he’s in the lineup. Look to see where Nick Hundley lands this off-season, then see if he’s expected to be the starter, there. If he is, draft him. If not, let him sit on the waiver wire and hope he cracks the starting lineup (then pick him up).
Tyler Flowers is another one of those average, run-of-the-mill catchers who could just benefit and hit a late prime because of the lineup around him. The last time he spent a full season with a high-caliber lineup around him (2014 White Sox), Flowers hit .241 with 15 HR and 50 RBI in 127 games. That was when he was 28; he’s only 33 now, so he could definitely hit those same numbers with the Braves in 2019. Best of all, you can get Flowers in the late rounds or for $1 in an auction draft.
Martin Maldonado could end up being a decent fantasy catcher. He’s going to get a good amount of playing time wherever he goes because he’s one of the best defensive catchers in baseball. Just by sheer volume of playing time, he could contribute decently to your offensive stats. Looking at him, though, he is not in the best shape, nor does he seem to mind being a bit “frumpy” – I guess you’d say. Clearly, he’s crazy athletic, though, so if he can concentrate on hitting a bit more, you could see Maldonado crack the 15 HR/50 RBI mark for catchers. We doubt he’ll get there this season, but he could make it happen.
Jorge Alfaro is another catcher who can benefit from being in a good lineup. Like many players, he strikes out way more than he walks, but his power numbers make up some of that difference. Expect 12-15 HR and 40-60 RBI for Alfaro in Philadelphia. He’s also at the magical 16-year-old mark so if he’s going to exceed his peers at the catcher position, it’ll be within the next 2-3 years. If you’re in a keeper league, he may be worth a gamble.
Francisco Cervelli has been a sleeper who has never panned out his entire career – then, suddenly, he hits 12 HR with 57 RBI last year at the age of 32, and he did it in just 104 games… with the mediocre Pirates. Maybe he finally just figured it all out or maybe he just got lucky in certain situations last year. Either way, we’re not buying that he suddenly figured it all out, but if you wanna draft him, go ahead. We still see him as probable roster filler at best, but we can’t deny last year’s numbers. Coupled with his significant experience, he could do it again.
Nick Hundley is another guy to look for depending on where he lands as a free agent. When he’s in the game, he produces positively to every box score, it seems. If he lands a full-time gig as a catcher, he can really help your fantasy team, believe it or not. He’s hit 39 HR in the last 4 seasons combined, but he’s only played in an average of 96 games per season. Again, doing the math, that makes him a better catcher than most while he’s in the lineup. Look to see where Nick Hundley lands this off-season, then see if he’s expected to be the starter, there. If he is, draft him. If not, let him sit on the waiver wire and hope he cracks the starting lineup (then pick him up).