My buddy and fellow Fix team member, Corey Herron, likens catchers to tight ends. It is a good comparison because in fantasy football it is basically Antonio Gates, Dallas Clark, and then everyone else.

So how should top catchers like McCann, Avila, and V-Mart be treated? Should they receive a bump in value because of the disparity in production between them and the others at their position? Or should you choose not to pay the premium necessary to acquire a top catcher?

This is another one of the many questions of personal preference that a fantasy baseball player so frequently encounters. But for my money, I would much rather punt the position and try to find a useable option late in a draft. I do not want to take a guy whose production is not commensurate with his draft position. Likewise, I do not want to give up more production than I am receiving when trading for a catcher simply because of the upgrade at the position.

The numbers all add up in the end, so give me the guy with the biggest numbers.

Alright, enough rambling. Let’s rank ‘em.

If your favorite team has their games broadcast on a regional Fox Sports network, you have undoubtedly seen the New York Life “Safe at Second, Safe and Secure” advertisement following many a double this season. Well, New York Life should have sponsored this first tier of catchers. 

McCann and Martinez have both had very solid years to this point. Combine that with the fact that they have the most established track records of any catcher near the top of ESPN’s catcher player rater list, and you have easy choices for the top two catchers from here on out.

Santana and Avila are having opposite seasons. Santana was expected to produce at a high level, and Avila was probably only expected to maintain a level of production above replacement level. But to this point Avila has exceeded expectations and kept pace with the disappointing Santana in the counting categories and easily outclassed him in the batting average department. 

However, Avila’s .303 average has been aided heavily by a .365 BABIP, while Santana’s average has been hindered somewhat by a .253 BABIP. More importantly, Santana has displayed nice plate discipline. He does strike out with some frequency (22.7% K%), but he walks almost as much (17.3% BB%). 

I say all that to point out that the two catchers may switch fortunes and results in the second half. 

Ugh. What an uninspiring trio. And it is a set of guys who all had a lot of potential at one point in their career only to disappoint their owners later on. Wieters still has plenty of time to meet expectations, but Martin and Soto are unlikely to develop into the top-flight catchers that some once thought they might be.

Nevertheless, I cannot keep myself from thinking there still might be some upside in there somewhere. Moreover, the guys left to be named are not exactly what you call exciting either. 

So, while I am not proud of having these three guys in any top ten list of mine, there is really nothing I can do about it. Just playing with the hand I have been dealt.

Across the board production is out the window at this point. Hell, two-category production is not really an option at this level. But if you are searching for power, you can find one (or more) of these guys on your waiver wire to provide you with a little pop. 

If there is one guy to watch in this group, it is Ramos. He has six homers to go along with 20+ runs and RBI, so he can give you a little something in a few categories. His average probably is not going to get too far north of .250, but his counting numbers could make him useful in a 12 or 14 team mixed league where he might still be available.

I started to type “honorable mention” above, but then I realized there was nothing honorable about not being considered good enough to be included on that woeful list of hitters. But I do feel the need to point out that Suzuki has shown the ability in the past to hit .275 and notch 15 homers. Both his BABIP (.238) and HR/FB rate (5.7%) suggest that he still has that ability. 

In all honesty, he should probably be ranked (17 or so), but this seemed like a more effective way to single him out.