The rankings for catchers are broken into three parts: the top 10 prospects in order, the next five prospects in alphabetical order and an extensive list of age-21-and-under prospects worth following closely. As always, these rankings are done from a scouting perspective but with fantasy baseball in mind, generally focusing on standard 5x5 league categories, though other statistics (e.g., OBP) are considered.
And in case you missed it, please check out the initial Prospect Positional column for catchers this season. It features more in-depth scouting notes as well as a recap of each player’s 2014 campaign.
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The Top 10:
1. Jorge Alfaro, Texas Rangers (Double-A Frisco – Out for season)
2015 Stats: 49 G, 207 PA, .253/.314/.432, 5 HR, 22 XBH, 21 RBI, 4.4% BB%, 29.5% K%
Alfaro posted a .746 OPS with 27 extra-base hits through 49 games at Double-A Frisco before suffering a dislocated ankle on June 12, an injury that required what likely was season-ending surgery. But while the 21-year-old continued to produce against advance pitching in the Texas League, his approach and plate discipline didn’t improve as hoped, evidenced by his 61/9 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 207 plate appearances. Alfaro has as much upside as any catcher in the minor leagues, as he’s incredibly agile and aggressive behind the plate with legitimate 70-grade arm strength. However, his blocking and receiving are inconsistent and even sloppy at times, which is why, despite having a cannon on his right arm, he’s thrown out only 28.2% of attempted base stealers and committed 28 passed balls in 126 games behind the plate since the start of 2014. While his long-term projection as first-division backstop comes with risk - even more so now after losing part of 2015 - it’s important to remember that Alfaro still has time on his side.
Fantasy Upside: .260/.300/.420, 15+ HR, 7-10 SB
2. Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, International League)
2015 Stats: 61 G, 267 PA, .259/.318/.477, 13 HR, 27 XBH, 40 RBI, 7.5% BB%, 18.7% K%
Sanchez’s prospect stock was down considerably headed into 2015 after another disappointing campaign at Double-A Trenton. However, the once-highly-touted prospect finally checked enough boxes to make it out of the Eastern League, as he recently received a promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after 191 career games at Trenton. The 22-year-old’s contact and walk rates highlight the holes in his approach and lack of consistency, although it is encouraging that he’s already matched his 2014 home run total. Sanchez also has shown improvement behind the plate this season, with a 37.5% caught-stealing rate and just two passed balls in 58 games. He won’t be catching for the Bronx Bombers anytime soon, but the bat could have him in the big leagues by the end of the season.
Fantasy Upside: .260/.320/.420, 20+ 2B, 17-20 HR
3. Max Pentecost, Toronto Blue Jays (Out for season)
Selected with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2014 draft, Pentecost made a statement with his bat in 25 games between the Rookie and Short Season levels last summer, hitting .324/.330/.419 with seven extra-base hits. Unfortunately, the 22-year-old’s professional debut was cut short by labrum surgery, which will sideline him for most (if not all) of the 2015 season. Pentecost has the upside of a quality everyday backstop in the major leagues who can do a little bit of everything, though his ultimate ceiling will depend on his offensive development. The labrum injury obviously impacts his time line, but it shouldn’t detract from his overall potential.
Fantasy Upside: .280/.320/.400, 12-15 HR, 7+ SB
4. Chance Sisco, Baltimore Orioles (High-A Frederick, Carolina League)
2015 Stats: 54 G, 212 PA, .292/.382/.378, 22 R, 2 HR, 10 XBH, 11.8% BB%, 12.7% K%
Sisco has been hot since returning from the disabled list in late May, batting .318/.406/.420 with 10 extra-base hits, 16 RBI and nearly as many walks (21) as strikeouts (24) in 44 games for High-A Frederick. The 20-year-old was named Orioles Minor League Player of the Year in 2014 after batting a robust .340/.406/.448 with five home runs, 27 doubles and 63 RBI over 114 games in his full-season debut for Low-A Delmarva. Sisco is an offense-oriented catcher with a short, line-drive swing from the left side of the plate that suggests a plus hit tool at maturity. His defense will never be on par with his bat, but he should be able to improve to the point where he’s at least an average defender behind the plate.
Fantasy Upside: .260+ AVG, 10-15 HR
5. Reese McGuire, Pittsburgh Pirates (High-A Bradenton, Florida State League)
2015 Stats: 69 G, 301 PA, .268/.312/.301, 30 R, 11 2B, 21 RBI, 6.3% BB%, 9.6% K%
McGuire is going to be a better real-life catcher than a fantasy one, so it says something that he still ranks fifth on this list. The 20-year-old’s numbers this season at High-A Bradenton don’t jump off the page, but his respectable batting average, strong strikeout and walk rates, and penchant for making contact (89.5%) highlight his potential for a plus bat. Despite a 27.6% caught-stealing rate this season - down from 38.9% in 2014 - McGuire is a plus, almost plus-plus, defender behind the plate, as he possesses an outstanding combination of athleticism, tools and baseball savvy that will allow him to remain at the position. McGuire’s offensive development lags behind his defense, but he’s showed enough aptitude at the plate to continue moving at a level-per-year pace through the minor leagues.
Fantasy Upside: .280+ AVG, .340+ OBP, 8-12 HR, 5-8 SB
6. Francisco Mejia, Cleveland Indians (Low-A Lake County, Midwest League)
2015 Stats: 73 G, 292 PA, .212/.299/.349, 8 HR, 19 XBH, 33 RBI, 9.2% BB%, 16.8% K%
Mejia quietly is having a quality full-season debut in the Midwest League, as he’s showing good power while getting on base at a respectable clip against older pitchers. The only thing the 19-year-old switch-hitter isn’t doing is hitting for average, although his strong strikeout and walk rates and .231 BABIP suggest he’s suffered from bad luck. Mejia stands out for his offensive upside, with excellent bat speed and power potential from both sides of the plate, but he’s still very raw defensively and several years away from being ready for the major leagues.
Fantasy Upside: .260 AVG, .320+ OBP, 15+ HR
7. Justin O’Conner, Tampa Bay Rays (Double-A Montgomery, Southern League)
2015 Stats: 71 G, 299 PA, .231/.261/.385, 8 HR, 28 XBH, 35 RBI, 7 SB, 3.7% BB%, 28.8% K%
O’Conner struggled through the first two-plus months of the season, batting just .192/.222/.305 with four home runs and a 62/6 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 44 games. Something clicked for the 23-year-old backstop in mid-June, however, as he’s rebounded to hit .294 with an .838 OPS, four home runs and 12 doubles in his last 27 contests. But while O’Conner’s recent hot streak has raised his overall batting line, it’s still difficult to ignore his ugly 86/11 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 71 games at Montgomery. Defensively, O’Conner’s athleticism and arm strength continue to produce pop times that consistently grade out as plus-plus on the scouting scale, and he manages to get something on every throw (with accuracy) from several different arm slots. He’s thrown out 18 of 40 (45%) of attempted base stealers this season.
Fantasy Upside: .250 AVG, 25+ 2B, 12+ HR
8. Jacob Nottingham, Houston Astros (High-A Lancaster, California League)
2015 Stats: 76 G, 329 PA, .326/.383/.558, 14 HR, 40 XBH, 60 RBI, 6.4% BB%, 18.5% K%
A new name on this list, Nottingham enters the top 10 thanks to a breakthrough full-season debut during which he’s posted a .941 OPS with 14 home runs, 24 doubles and 60 RBI in 76 games between the Low- and High-A levels. A sixth-round pick out of high school in 2013, the 20-year-old Nottingham player stands out for his plus raw power to all fields, though he never hit for much average prior to this year. On the other side of the ball, Nottingham has thrown out 20 of 50 attempted base stealers (40%) in 55 games behind the plate this season, and he’s also made 11 appearances at first base.
Fantasy Upside: .250+ AVG, .450+ SLG, 18-22 HR, 20+ 2B
9. Aramis Garcia, San Francisco Giants (Low-A Augusta, South Atlantic League)
2015 Stats: 71 G, 309 PA, .268/.346/.482, 14 HR, 29 XBH, 53 RBI, 9.4% BB%, 21.4% K%
The 2014 second-round pick is having a strong full-season debut in the South Atlantic League, highlighted by his .828 OPS, 14 home runs, 14 doubles and 53 RBI through 71 games. The 22-year-old has been on fire since the beginning of June, with a .314/.374/.569 batting line, 10 home runs, 18 extra-base hits and 32 RBI over his last 38 games. Garcia has held his own defensively, too, with a 34.8% caught-stealing rate in 60 games behind the plate.
10. Jakson Reetz, Washington Nationals (Short Season Auburn, New York-Penn League)
2015 Stats: 21 G, 76 PA, .212/.316/.242, 12 R, 2 2B, 9.2% BB%, 38.2% K%
Reetz, the Nationals’ third-round pick in 2014, opened eyes in his professional debut last summer, batting .274/.429/.368 with eight extra-base hits and a 30/26 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 43 games in the Gulf Coast League. The 19-year-old is struggling this season in the New York-Penn League, with a .579 OPS and two extra-base hits in 22 games for Auburn, but his on-base skills have translated at the more advanced level and leave room for his bat to catch up. Reetz has a physically strong 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame, but his swing is geared toward making hard, line-drive contact rather than applying his raw power.
Fantasy Upside: .260+ AVG, .700+ OPS, 15+ HR, 7-10 SB
The Next Five (Alphabetical Order):
Kyle Farmer, Los Angeles Dodgers (Double-A Tulsa, Texas League)
An eighth-round draft pick in 2013, Farmer spent his days at the University of Georgia as a shortstop before the Dodgers moved him behind the plate. The 24-year-old has done nothing but improve since changing positions, a belief that was reflected by his recent selection to the 2015 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game. Meanwhile, Farm currently is enjoying a career-best offensive campaign with a .325/.371/.489 batting line, 35 extra-base hits and 45 RBI over 76 games between High-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Tulsa.
Grayson Greiner, Tampa Bay Rays (High-A Lakeland, Florida State League)
A third-round draft pick last year out of South Carolina, Greiner batted .322/.394/.444 in 26 Low-A games last summer after signing. This season, however, the 22-year-old catcher has struggled mightily at the dish, with a .183 batting average, .504 OPS and 27.7% strikeout rate in 238 plate appearances for High-A Lakeland. At 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, Greiner doesn’t do one thing particularly well, but he’s a well-rounded player who projects to get on base and hit for a respectable batting average.
Spencer Kieboom, Washington Nationals (High-A Potomac, Carolina League)
Kieboom, 24, has performed well this season in his first taste of the Carolina League, batting .253/.347/.354 with 30 runs scored and 19 extra-base hits. He has a good approach at the plate, evidenced by his impressive 27/35 strikeout-to-walk ratio this season, to go along with solid-average raw power, and he earns high marks for his ability to handle pitchers and control the speed of the game.
Tyler Marlette, Seattle Mariners (High-A Bakersfield, California League)
Fresh off a breakthrough 2014 campaign, Marlette has taken a step back this season offensively with a .673 OPS and 18 extra-base hits in 62 games between High-A Bakersfield and Double-A Jackson. That said, the 22-year-old has fared better over the last month since moving up to Jackson, where he’s batted .253/.314/.405 with seven extra-base hits in 23 games.
Tom Murphy, Colorado Rockies (Double-A New Britain, Eastern League)
Murphy was limited to only 27 games in 2014 due to injury, but his .249/.320/.468 batting line, 13 home runs, 17 doubles and 44 RBI through 72 games this season in the Eastern League is a good indicator he’s healthy. The 24-year-old has always shown impressive raw power, with 46 home runs, 65 doubles and a 46.8% extra-base hit rate in 254 games over parts of four seasons. However, there are still concerns about whether his below-average hitting talent and swing-and-miss tendencies (24.8% career strikeout rate) will allow it to translate against more advanced pitching.
Dynasty Notables: 21 & Under Club (Alphabetical Order):
Jose Briceno, Atlanta Braves (High-A Carolina, Carolina League)
Nick Ciuffo, Tampa Bay Rays (Low-A Bowling Green, Midwest League)
Devi Grullon, Philadelphia Phillies (Low-A Lakewood, South Atlantic League)
Julian Leon, Los Angeles Dodgers (Low-A Great Lakes, Midwest League)
Tanner Murphy, Atlanta Braves (Low-A Rome, South Atlantic League)
Dom Nunez, Colorado Rockies (Low-A Asheville, South Atlantic League)
Luis Torrens, New York Yankees (Out for season – labrum surgery)
Stryker Trahan, Arizona Diamondbacks (High-A Visalia, California League)
Chase Vallot, Kansas City Royals (Low-A Lexington, South Atlantic League)
Previous installments from Prospect Positional series:
Shortstops (July 15, 2015)
Third Basemen (July 8, 2015)
Second Basemen (July 1, 2015)
First Basemen (June 24, 2015)
Outfielders (June 17, 2015)
Starting Pitchers (June 3, 2015)
Catchers (May 27, 2015)
Shortstops (May 20, 2015)
Rotoworld Season Pass Prospect Rankings (Updated weekly)
*All stats reflect games through July 20.
