2013 Catcher Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy MLB C to Draft
The catcher position is often an offensive weakness for most teams, but that doesn’t have to be the case for your fantasy team. Here are the top ten catchers for fantasy baseball in the 2013 season.
#10. Alex Avila – Detroit Tigers
Alex Avila had a down season in 2012 after an all-star worthy 2011 performance. In 116 games, Avila had 48 RBI, 9 home runs and a batting average of just .243. Avila looks to rebound in 2012 and has a very strong lineup around him which should help his numbers.
#9. Miguel Montero – Arizona Diamondbacks
Miguel Montero has had back to back season with over 85 RBI and a batting average over.280. Count on a season with around 140 games and 80 RBI with around 15 home runs. Montero is a pretty safe bet if you decide to wait awhile in your fantasy draft before taking a catcher.
#8. Mike Napoli – Boston Red Sox
In 108 games, Mike Napoli hit just .227, but did have 24 home runs and 56 RBI. Napoli is an all or nothing batter, as he had 125 strikeouts even though he didn’t play the entire season due to injury. Napoli is a dangerous hitter who is worth starting when healthy. The Boston Red Sox have added a powerful bat to their lineup.
#7. Matt Weiters – Baltimore Orioles
Although he had an average of just .249, Matt Weiters had a great offensive season for a catcher. Weiters had 23 home runs and 83 RBI. Weiters is in the top five catchers in power numbers, but his batting average and high strikeouts makes him a liability.
#6. Carlos Ruiz – Philadelphia Phillies
Carlos Ruiz is not getting any younger, but he put a great season together in 2012 through 114 games. Ruiz had 16 home runs and 68 RBI with an impressive .325 batting average and an OPS of .935. He has not played over 132 games in his career, so expect to have a backup catcher on hand to take his place when he is sitting out, but his consistent numbers and batting average make Ruiz worth adding to your team.
#5. A.J. Pierzynski – Free Agent
In just 135 games, A.J. Pierzynski had the year of his career with a career high 27 home runs and 77 RBI, with a batting average of .278. He is yet to be signed, but should fill in nicely with whatever team decides to sign him.
#4. Yadier Molina – St. Louis Cardinals
Yadier Molina had career highs in home runs (22), RBI (76), stolen bases (12), and batting average with a .315 average. If Molina can come even close to those numbers in 2013, he is easily a top five catcher for fantasy baseball.
#3. Carlos Santana – Cleveland Indians
Carlos Santana led all catchers in walks with 91 and had very productive power numbers. Santana had 18 home runs and 76 RBI with a low .252 batting average. Due to his overall production, Carlos Santana is the third best catcher to draft for the 2013 fantasy baseball season.
#2. Joe Mauer – Minnesota Twins
Joe Mauer is entering his 10th season in MLB and is still one of the best hitters in baseball. Mauer had a .319 batting average with 10 home runs and 85 RBI. The Twins still have a depleted roster, so don’t expect the lineup to help him much in the upcoming season, but you can expect Mauer to at least match his production from this past season if not slightly improve.
#1. Buster Posey – San Francisco Giants
Buster Posey won the 2012 NL MVP for his outstanding season with the San Francisco Giants. Posey had 24 home runs, 103 RBI and a .336 batting average in 148 games. Posey led all of baseball with his batting average and he is still getting better. Posey is by far the best overall catcher for the 2013 season, and the player you want on your fantasy roster.
*All statistics used for this article are from MLB via MLB.com
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