It is all about what is coming. Everyone wants the next big thing. That is what is exciting. When it comes to fantasy baseball, things are no different. In this article we will dig into three late-round catching prospects who have attracted our attention. The future is here behind the plate.
If you were on catching prospects over the last couple of seasons, that would have directed you toward Adley Rutschman, Francisco Alvarez, Yainer Diaz, Logan O’Hoppe, Bo Naylor, and Gabriel Moreno. This season, all are Top-10 to 15 options at the position. Additionally, we saw young catchers like Shea Langeliers and Patrick Bailey also make an impact. Just be aware that this year’s crop will not make the same impact and it isn’t nearly as deep. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t value to be found.
3 Catching Prospects Ready to Make a Fantasy Impact
Austin Wells, New York Yankees
As far as draft day price goes, Austin Wells is not being drafted at a discount. While he is still going in second-catcher territory, we aren’t going to see Wells get much cheaper this draft season. Instead, a strong Spring Training will likely make the opposite true.
Part of that is because Wells plays for the Yankees and we saw him at the end of last year. It is easy to dream about Wells’ left-handed power bat in Yankee Stadium, but that isn’t going to come instantly. For starters, Wells needs to find a place to play as Giancarlo Stanton takes the DH out of the equation. Jose Trevino isn’t going to completely fade away, and Wells has more offensive upside, but the latter is flying off draft boards.
In 75 plate appearances at the big-league level last year, Wells hit .229 with four home runs and 13 RBI. A .226 BABIP and .275 xBA paint a better picture though and Wells impressed with a .257 ISO. Granted it was a sample size of just 58 batted balls, but Wells did have impressive metrics. The rookie had a 13.8% barrel rate and 13.6-degree average launch angle as there is the real potential for 20-plus home runs here.
Wells never hit for a great average in the minor leagues, but since 2022, he hasn’t had a strikeout rate of more than 23.5%. Even when promoted to the big leagues, Wells only struck out 18.7% of the time. Additionally, he will walk at a double-digit rate which makes him that much more valuable for OBP leagues.
There is potential here as Wells has a solid approach along with some pop in his bat.
Miguel Amaya, Chicago Cubs
At the end of last season, Miguel Amaya got his first taste of major league action. He returns to Chicago this year behind Yan Gomes, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see the roles reversed by the end of the season. If Amaya proves worthy of additional playing time, the Cubs are not going to keep him down due to the presence of Gomes. At this point though, Amaya is only a viable option for Draft and Hold leagues; 50-round drafts with no adds, drops, or trades. However, that doesn’t mean he isn’t a name to know for all other formats.
Amaya did get a taste of the big leagues at the end of last season as he hit. 214 with five home runs, 18 RBI, and 17 runs scored in 53 games. What ultimately holds him back is the lack of power, although there is still time for a little further development. At this point, a conservative approach says 10 to 15 home runs a year for Amaya, but he does a good job of hitting for average.
As long as we get that batting average, a strikeout rate of around 25% shouldn’t be too detrimental to his overall performance. From an OBP standpoint, Amaya’s 7.7% walk rate with the Cubs last year is on the lower side. Moving forward, we should expect to see it in double digits.
In 2022, Amaya hit .278 in Double-A while hitting .273 there again in 2023 before a .313 average in Triple-A. Even as we wait for the power to develop, Amaya’s solid plate approach will give him value. After his promotion last year, Amaya had a solid 9.7% barrel rate and 18.6 degree average launch angle. If Amaya gets hot, his playing time should increase throughout the season.
Jeferson Quero, Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee catching prospect is essentially free in all drafts at this point. It is not without good reason though as the 20-year-old is not slated to open the season in the big leagues. However, in Draft and Hold leagues, Quero is quite the interesting stash. This is more so the case after he was elevated to the 40-man roster this winter.
While we can’t ignore William Contreras behind the plate, having the DH available certainly helps Quero’s future quest for playing time. Perhaps playing an even greater role though is his defensive ability. The current backup, Eric Haase, is not going to stand in Quero’s way if he is deemed to be ready later this season.
The defense might be what gets Quero to Milwaukee, but we can’t overlook the bat. After all, that is what we are after from a fantasy perspective. Quero is already playing up for his age and is coming off a strong Double-A season. In 381 plate appearances, Quero hit .262 with 16 home runs, and 49 RBI. Additionally, Quero also added five stolen bases. When you compound that with his 10% walk rate, things get even better. Considering his 17.8% strikeout rate last year, the situation doesn’t appear to be too big for Quero.
We won’t see Quero in Milwaukee initially this year. While there will be an adjustment, the defense will help to get his bat in the lineup. And as he gets more experience, Quero’s offense will play.
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