Catcher rankings in fantasy baseball have historically been very top-heavy. Outside of the All-Stars that owners can set and forget for the season, there is a long list of streaming options to ride while they are hot. This is especially true for points-based leagues, where you try to squeeze out well-rounded counting stats from a defense-first position.
Luckily for fantasy baseball players, we have seen an influx of youth into the position that could create an inefficiency your league-mates haven’t solved yet. 2024 offers depth at the position we haven’t seen in a long time, now let’s break down our 2024 catcher rankings and provide a few names to get familiar with before your draft.
2024 Top 30 Catchers Outlook
As mentioned before, there is a youth movement making a wave across the catcher rankings in 2024. We saw multiple promising bats debut at the position last season and as a result, there will be depth at the position we haven’t seen in a while. Make sure you are familiar with Yainer Diaz, Francisco Alvarez, and Austin Wells for potentially high offensive upside at the position with the risk of some youthful growing pains. If a youth movement doesn’t pique your interest then there are still plenty of names that can make an impact with a longer track record.
The Position in Context
When it comes to draft strategy for the catching position it is important to remember that you will start behind the eight ball offensively compared to other positions.
Adley Rutschman led the position by 50 total points with around 448 (depending on league rules). The position with the next lowest point total was third base with Bobby Witt Jr. totaling 561 points. With that being said, Rutschman would have ranked ninth at third base.
It is also important to note that the back end of the top 30 is less enticing than other positions. With so much rotation and injury risk at the position, it allows for more undesirable players to get real at-bats. The young catchers help, but with most of them still developing, the depth issue isn’t fixed quite yet.
All of that aside, hitting on a catcher can be a game-changer for your roster. When targeting catchers, I like to prioritize a serviceable hit tool with some pop. There are plenty of catchers that can’t hit but run into enough fastballs to put up serviceable home run totals. Chasing that profile is great for the 25 games a year where they crush a mistake but for the rest of the games they are a minus.
A player like Jonah Heim held big-time value with a slash line of .258/.317/.438 with 18 home runs and 28 doubles. None of those numbers jump off the page but the day-to-day reliability at a historically weak position is huge when looking at a season-long points format.
2024 Catchers Rankings for Points Leagues
- Adley Rutschman BAL
- Will Smith LAD
- Sean Murphy ATL
- William Contreras MIL
- J.T. Realmuto PHI
- Cal Raleigh SEA
- Francisco Alvarez NYM
- Gabriel Moreno ARI
- Yanier Diaz HOU
- Jonah Heim TEX
- Salvador Perez KC
- Wilson Contreras STL
- Bo Naylor CLE
- Luis Campusano SD
- Keibert Ruiz WAS
- Mitch Garver SEA
- Logan O’Hoppe
- Tyler Stephenson CIN
- Elias Diaz COL
- Shea Langeliers OAK
- Alejandro Kirk TOR
- Austin Wells NYY
- Travis d’Arnaud ATL
- Ryan Jeffers MIN
- Danny Jansen TOR
- Henry Davis PIT
- Gary Sanchez FA
- Jeferson Quero MIL
- Yan Gomes CHC
- Tyler Soderstrom OAK
These top 30 catcher rankings will surely have a lot of movement as the season progresses. What would you change in this first look at the top 30? What sleepers are you targeting at the position? Let us know in the comments and stay locked in for the rest of the top 30 positional rankings. Also, be sure to check out our consensus top 30 catchers ranking for rotisserie scoring.
For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.