The recent influx of supremely talented young catchers, in addition to a plethora of exciting top prospects on the horizon, has injected the dynasty catcher rankings with some much-needed excitement for fantasy managers for 2024 and beyond.
There’s an expanding nucleus of talented backstops headlining the position group with foundational cornerstones like Adley Rutschman, Francisco Alvarez, William Contreras, and Will Smith grading out as top-100 overall selections in dynasty formats entering 2024. They’re followed in my dynasty catcher rankings by an exciting trio of up-and-coming emerging potential upper-echelon contributors Gabriel Moreno, Yainer Diaz, Bo Naylor – along with a pair of elite prospects – Samuel Basallo and Ethan Salas – that have a chance to be special.
Dynasty Catcher Tiers
Tier 1
(1) Adley Rutschman, Orioles, Age: 26
Barring unforeseen developments, Rutschman appears highly unlikely to relinquish his spot atop the dynasty catcher rankings for quite some time. Baltimore’s franchise cornerstone may not finish each season as the top overall option at the position, but he’s a virtual lock to consistently finish near the top of the position group thanks to his role as a high-volume catalyst in the heart of a rapidly improving Orioles lineup. He led all backstops last year in plate appearances while also reaching the 20-homer plateau and finishing with 84 runs scored and 80 RBI.
The soon-to-be 26-year-old switch-hitting backstop expertly controls the strike zone, possesses plus power, and continues to improve his contact rates. At this juncture, the only concern is how he’ll hold up long-term to the rigors of catching every day at the highest level.
That’s it.
Tier 2
(2) Francisco Alvarez, Mets, Age: 22
(3) William Contreras, Brewers, Age: 26
(4) Will Smith, Dodgers, Age: 28
There’s a legitimate case for vaulting Smith to the top of this tier since he’s eclipsed a .258 batting average with at least 19 homers and 76 RBI in three consecutive seasons since 2021. He’ll benefit from a counting stats standpoint moving forward batting behind superstar sluggers Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani in Los Angeles’ star-studded lineup.
However, we’re giving the edge to Alvarez and Contreras in this tier since they’re a few years younger and offer some additional over-the-fence power upside.
Alvarez more than held his own last season in his first taste of the majors at just 21 years old, launching 25 round-trippers in just 423 plate appearances. There are some batting average concerns lingering in his profile as he displayed a propensity to swing-and-miss quite a bit, striking out more than a quarter of the time last year. However, he’s compiled near-elite power metrics with last year’s 114 mph max exit velocity grading out in the 91st percentile, per Statcast data. If he’s able to polish his offensive approach, he’ll be an elite fantasy backstop for years to come.
Contreras finished last year as the most valuable catcher in the entire fantasy landscape, batting .289 with 86 runs scored, 17 homers, and 78 RBI across 611 plate appearances in his Brewers debut. He even added six stolen bases, just for good measure. He traded some of his prodigious over-the-fence pop for a bit more contact as he slashed his strikeout rate to just a shade over 20 percent from nearly 28 percent the previous year in Atlanta.
If he manages to strike the correct balance between the two extremes and adds a few degrees to his launch angle, he’s a virtual lock to blast 25-plus homers, while also maintaining a near-elite batting average, for at least the next few seasons in Milwaukee.
Tier 3
(5) Samuel Basallo, Orioles, Age: 19
(6) Gabriel Moreno, Diamondbacks, Age: 24
(7) Yainer Diaz, Astros, Age: 25
(8) Bo Naylor, Guardians, Age: 24
(9) Ethan Salas, Padres, Age: 17
Basallo has rapidly evolved into one of the top overall prospects in baseball after putting up an astronomical .953 OPS with 20 homers and 12 steals in 483 plate appearances last year across three minor league levels. According to Baseball America, he finished last year with a 90.3 mph
average exit velocity, which grades out as one of the highest marks of any top-100 prospect. At just 19 years old, he’s still a hyperspace jump (or two) from the big leagues but will open the 2024 campaign in the upper minors.
The Orioles have franchise cornerstone Adley Rutschman firmly entrenched behind the plate, but Basallo’s bat might be special enough to force his way into Baltimore’s long-term plans. If you’re taking a long-term roster-building approach, he’s the most logical long-term building block at the position.
Moreno caught fire down the home stretch of last season, batting .311 (37-for-119) with four homers over his final 37 contests, following a mid-August return from left shoulder inflammation. He carried that momentum into the postseason, walloping four additional round-trippers in 17
playoff contests. He capped off an impressive Arizona debut following last offseason’s trade from the Blue Jays by taking home his first career Gold Glove Award.
It’s not an extensive sample size of elite production that we’re extrapolating into the future, but the former top prospect made some giant strides late last year that cemented his status as one of the top long-term members in the top 10 of dynasty catcher rankings. After being stuck behind veteran defensive stalwart Martín Maldonado last year, Diaz will finally get a chance to be an everyday catcher this season with the Astros. The over-the-fence thunder is apparent considering he tattooed 23 big flies in just 377 plate appearances last season in a part-time role.
He also employs a highly aggressive approach at the plate, which will probably lead to him oscillating between frustrating cold spells and sizzling hot stretches. The key here is that he’s going to do enough damage when he makes contact to overcome lackluster plate discipline. We’re confident projecting him as a 25-homer power source with a respectable batting average and counting stats for the next few years, which is enough to make him a consistent top-10 option for fantasy managers at the position.
It’s a tad mystifying that Naylor continues to fly under the radar and hasn’t generated more buzz from a fantasy perspective. He boasts respectable contact skills, growing over-the-fence power potential and ultra-rare stolen base prowess for a catcher. The former top prospect went a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts and clobbered 11 round-trippers last year in just 230 plate appearances in the big leagues. Naylor has the potential to emerge as a foundational
building block in Cleveland and the power/speed combo necessary to eclipse 20 homers while also chipping in double-digit stolen bases.
Tier 4
(10) J.T. Realmuto, Phillies, Age: 32
(11) Cal Raleigh, Mariners, Age: 27
(12) Logan O’Hoppe, Angels, Age: 24
(13) Harry Ford, Mariners, Age: 21
(14) Willson Contreras, Cardinals, Age: 31
(15) Sean Murphy, Braves, Age: 29
It wasn’t that long ago when Realmuto was one of the elite options at the position, but his defensive metrics cratered last year, and he struck out a quarter of the time for the first time in his career. At 32 years old, he’s reached the point in the aging curve where most catchers begin to experience a gradual decline. With a plethora of younger alternatives reaching the majors or on the cusp of ascending to the big leagues, he’s more of a fringe top-10 option rather than a foundational building block moving forward.
Ford remains one of the more challenging prospects to rank at the catcher position since he’s one of the most intriguing athletes we’ve seen behind the dish in quite a while. The 20-year-old backstop, who put on a show last spring at the World Baseball Classic, projects as a reliable double-digit home run and stolen base threat at the highest level, with 20-homer and 20-steal upside in peak years, but he’s yet to take a single at-bat above High-A. How he fares in the upper minors will determine whether this ranking is far too generous or a shade conservative.
We’re hedging a bit by refusing to gamble one way or the other. However, the stolen base upside alone is enough to make him a top-15 option at the position right now.
We’re confident we’ve explored the range of potential outcomes for reliable contributors like Contreras, Murphy, and Raleigh, who became one of just six backstops in the last decade to reach the 30-homer plateau when he accomplished the feat last season.
However, there’s still plenty of ceiling for Logan O’Hoppe, who wound up missing nearly all last year following late-April surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. It’s worth noting that he mustered 14 homers in just 199 plate appearances this past season and could easily eclipse the 25-homer mark with a full season of at-bats in Los Angeles.
Tier 5
(16) Henry Davis, Pirates, Age: 24
(17) Salvador Perez, Royals, Age: 33
(18) Keibert Ruiz, Nationals, Age: 25
(19) Dalton Rushing, Dodgers, Age: 23
(20) Kyle Teel, Red Sox, Age: 22
(21) Tyler Soderstrom, Athletics, Age: 22
(22) Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays, Age: 25
The x-factor here is Henry Davis, who enters the 2024 campaign without catcher eligibility in virtually all formats. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington told reporters back in November that the former first-overall pick will enter spring training as Pittsburgh’s primary catcher.
He did an excellent job controlling the strike zone in the upper minors last year and displayed the caliber of raw power necessary to make an impact for fantasy managers. With nothing left to prove from an offensive standpoint in the upper minors, we’re confident he’ll make an impact for fantasy managers in 2024. However, there are enough legitimate questions from scouts surrounding his defensive ability that he might not retain catcher eligibility much further into the future. He’s a worthwhile late-round gamble for fantasy managers in win-now mode.
Rushing appears advanced beyond his years offensively, displaying a patient approach at the plate in the lower minors, which has led to sky-high on-base percentages. He displayed some real over-the-fence pop last year as well for High-A Great Lakes, clubbing 15 round-trippers in just 381 plate appearances. If he remains with the Dodgers long-term, he’ll be stepping into a fantastic situation given their surrounding talent. It’s not inconceivable that he could take over as their primary backstop if Will Smith departs as a free agent in 2026. He’s far enough away from the majors that there’s still a great deal of risk here, but his value could rise exponentially if he continues doing damage in the upper minors. There’s a three-category impact fantasy contributor here, if everything comes together.
While Red Sox fans continue their annual tradition of bringing torches and pitchforks to the club’s annual Winter Weekend, there’s reason for optimism with several elite prospects on the precipice of the majors.
Teel, who was selected 14th overall in last June’s MLB Draft, is among that talented young nucleus and could arrive in Fenway Park during the later stages of the 2024 campaign after making it all the way to Double-A Portland last season in his professional debut. He’s shown the ability to hit for power and get on base at an above-average rate, which is exceedingly rare for a catcher. There’s a possibility he’s a borderline top-10 option at the position by this time next offseason.
Soderstrom’s struggles last year in the big leagues caused his fantasy stock to crater, but given his elite prospect pedigree, he’s a logical bounce-back candidate for managers in long-term formats. The 22-year-old backstop eclipsed the 30-homer mark in each of the past two seasons in the minors and projects as a reliable 20-homer threat if he makes some strides in the contact department. He’s a dark horse in the fantasy catching landscape to emerge as an upper- echelon contributor and could jump up this list significantly with a strong 2024 campaign.
Tier 6
(23) Jonah Heim, Rangers, Age: 28
(24) Luis Campusano, Padres, Age: 25
(25) Ryan Jeffers, Twins, Age: 26
(26) Tyler Stephenson, Reds, Age: 27
(27) Austin Wells, Yankees, Age: 24
(28) Mitch Garver, Mariners, Age: 33
It’s probably time for Campusano to answer some of the lingering questions regarding his long-term role in San Diego. Barring a late-offseason addition, the former top prospect is slated to open 2024 as the Padres’ primary backstop, which should give him that opportunity. He’s shown some flashes in recent years but has yet to eclipse 200 plate appearances in the big leagues.
Jeffers emerged as Minnesota’s starting catcher this past season and quietly blossomed into one of the better options at the position, batting .276 with 14 homers and three steals in just 335 plate appearances. At just 26 years old, he’s a decent plug-in for fantasy managers who find themselves without one of the upper-echelon options.
Wells sipped a quick cup of coffee last year in New York, posting a .742 OPS with four homers in 75 plate appearances over 19 games. The 24-year-old should benefit from Yankee Stadium’s homer-friendly launching pad and a new-look lineup that should manufacture enough runs to finish as one of the best in the league.
Tier 7
(29) Endy Rodriguez, Pirates, Age: 23
(30) Jeferson Quero, Brewers, Age: 21
(31) Thayron Liranzo, Dodgers, Age: 20
(32) Danny Jansen, Blue Jays, Age: 28
(33) Shea Langeliers, Athletics, Age: 26
(34) Patrick Bailey, Giants, Age: 24
(35) Moises Ballesteros, Cubs, Age: 20
(36) Miguel Amaya, Cubs, Age: 25
(37) Ralphy Velazquez, Guardians, Age: 18
(38) Edgar Quero, White Sox, Age: 20
(39) Ben Rice, Yankees, Age: 25
(40) Diego Cartaya, Dodgers, Age: 22
Do you like catching prospects? This tier is overflowing with pedestrian big-league options and long-term lottery ticket alternatives. The most likely prospect to rocket up this list around midseason is Liranzo, a switch-hitting backstop who posted elite batted ball metrics last year in the lower minors of the Dodgers’ system. We’re probably too low on Jansen but with Alejandro Kirk continuing to siphon at-bats, he’s unlikely to accrue enough at-bats to finish as an upper- echelon option at the position, despite boasting some of the most impressive underlying offensive metrics of any backstop in the game, when healthy. Despite a limited offensive ceiling, Bailey is the most likely to make a long-term fantasy impact out of this tier thanks to his sublime glovework behind the dish.
It’s amazing how much can change in a year with Cartaya representing a prime example of the the volatility associated with catching prospects as his long-term stock slipped considerably after floundering last year in the upper minors when he struggled to a pedestrian .656 OPS and 19 homers in 403 plate appearances for Double-A Tulsa. There’s still time for his stock to rebound, but he most likely finds himself behind Rushing and Liranzo in the Dodgers’ long-term plans behind the plate.
2024 Dynasty Catcher Rankings
If you enjoyed these dynasty catcher rankings make sure to check out George’s full Top 500 Dynasty Rankings!
| Pos. Rnk | Ovr. Rnk. | Player | Team | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 34 | Adley Rutschman | BAL | 26 |
| 2 | 97 | Francisco Alvarez | NYM | 22 |
| 3 | 99 | William Contreras | MIL | 26 |
| 4 | 101 | Will Smith | LAD | 28 |
| 5 | 125 | Samuel Basallo | BAL | 19 |
| 6 | 132 | Gabriel Moreno | AZ | 24 |
| 7 | 135 | Yainer Diaz | HOU | 25 |
| 8 | 137 | Bo Naylor | CLE | 24 |
| 9 | 152 | Ethan Salas | SD | 17 |
| 10 | 181 | J.T. Realmuto | PHI | 32 |
| 11 | 198 | Cal Raleigh | SEA | 27 |
| 12 | 205 | Logan O'Hoppe | LAA | 24 |
| 13 | 236 | Harry Ford | SEA | 21 |
| 14 | 261 | Willson Contreras | STL | 31 |
| 15 | 265 | Sean Murphy | ATL | 29 |
| 16 | 307 | Henry Davis | PIT | 24 |
| 17 | 327 | Salvador Perez | KC | 33 |
| 18 | 335 | Keibert Ruiz | WSH | 25 |
| 19 | 343 | Dalton Rushing | LAD | 23 |
| 20 | 356 | Kyle Teel | BOS | 22 |
| 21 | 365 | Tyler Soderstrom | OAK | 22 |
| 22 | 377 | Alejandro Kirk | TOR | 25 |
| 23 | 384 | Jonah Heim | TEX | 28 |
| 24 | 421 | Luis Campusano | SD | 25 |
| 25 | 425 | Ryan Jeffers | MIN | 26 |
| 26 | 435 | Tyler Stephenson | CIN | 27 |
| 27 | 439 | Austin Wells | NYY | 24 |
| 28 | 441 | Mitch Garver | SEA | 33 |
| 29 | 449 | Endy Rodríguez | PIT | 23 |
| 30 | 458 | Jeferson Quero | MIL | 21 |
| 31 | 476 | Thayron Liranzo | LAD | 20 |
| 32 | NR | Danny Jansen | TOR | 28 |
| 33 | NR | Shea Langeliers | OAK | 26 |
| 34 | NR | Patrick Bailey | SF | 24 |
| 35 | NR | Moises Ballesteros | CHC | 20 |
| 36 | NR | Miguel Amaya | CHC | 25 |
| 37 | NR | Ralphy Velazquez | CLE | 18 |
| 38 | NR | Edgar Quero | CWS | 20 |
| 39 | NR | Ben Rice | NYY | 25 |
| 40 | NR | Diego Cartaya | LAD | 22 |
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.