Fantasy Baseball Preview: Catchers

Is it that time of year yet? No, not quite. There's still 10 days until players report for Spring Training, but that doesn't mean we can't start getting excited about Fantasy Baseball. For this preview, Burga and myself (Average Joe) co-authored the first of many articles in which we rank each position and a quick summary of our thoughts. Enjoy!

Burga’s Rankings
Joe Mauer
Victor Martinez
Brian McCann
Buster Posey
Carlos Santana
Miguel Montero
Mike Napoli
Kurt Suzuki
Geovanny Soto
Matt Weiters

Key Points:
• Mauer still has to be the number 1, but I think V-Mart is in for a big year in Detroit. He has plenty of lineup protection batting behind Miguel Cabrera and the rejuvenated Magglio Ordonez. He has always been a fantasy beast, and if he stays healthy he might be in for a career year.
• Some rankings have Posey as high as number 2. He certainly has that potential, but until he does it for a full year, I’ll take a proven stud over him. Will he suffer from a sophomore slump (or World Series hangover) and be a draft-day bust, or will he continue last year’s success and be an anchor on your team? Only time will tell.
• I have Carlos Santana a little higher than Joe. While Posey got all the hype last year, Santana put up similar stats until he was injured at Fenway. He is reported to be 100% healthy, and the Indians will certainly hitting in the middle of the lineup in order to win some games. He could put up a stat line that mirrors Posey’s and could be had 5+ rounds later on the draft.
• Watch out for Mike Napoli this year. Being on the Rangers, he has a chance to play at a hitter’s friendly park, hit in a studded lineup, and gets an opportunity to play the majority of starts, a thing he never did on the Angels. Simply put: the guy rakes. He has the potential to be a top 3 fantasy catcher this year.

Average Joe's Rankings
Joe Mauer
Buster Posey
Victor Martinez
Brian McCann
Kurt Suzuki
Mike Napoli
John Buck
Carlos Santana
Carlos Ruiz
Geovany Soto

Key Points:
• The top 4 are pretty obvious choices. Mauer is the cream of the crop, but Posey is looking to impose (pun intended) on that. Hopefully, the glory of a World Series championship does not get to his head.
• Victor will score your Fantasy team points, but don’t expect to actually see him behind the plate. He’ll benefit from not having to catch, though, so his numbers should escalate. If he's eligible, he's an excellent option at catcher
• Don’t expect Buck and Napoli’s power numbers to slip that far (if at all). They could both benefit from the change of scenery. Buck will also be in a slightly smaller ballpark (left-center and right-center), so that could work to his advantage.
• Buck is on my list because of his solid Stats from last year, in only 118 games. Add to that his new ballpark, as previously stated, and you've got yourself a solid option at catcher. Ruiz is there because, while he doesn’t put up the power numbers some of the other guys do, he was 4th among everyday catchers in batting average.