The rankings for catchers are broken into four parts: the top 10 prospects in order, the next five prospects in alphabetical order, an extensive list of age-21-and-under prospects worth following closely and those who could provide some value in 2015. 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.
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MLB Graduates:
Christian Bethancourt, Atlanta Braves
Austin Hedges, San Diego Padres
James McCann, Detroit Tigers
http://www.nbcsports.com/edge/player/MLB/6664/Carlos-Perezhttp://www.nbcsports.com/edge/player/MLB/4392/Carlos-Perezhttp://www.nbcsports.com/edge/player/MLB/2043/Carlos-PerezCarlos Perez, Los Angeles Angels
Kevin Plawecki, New York Mets
J.T. Realmuto, Miami Marlins
Max Stassi, Houston Astros
Andrew Susac, San Francisco Giants
Blake Swihart, Boston Red Sox
The Top 10:
1. Kyle Schwarber, Chicago Cubs (Double-A Tennessee, Southern League)
Schwarber launched an assault on minor league pitching after signing with the Cubs (No. 4 overall pick) last summer, making stops at the short season and Low-A levels before reaching High-A Daytona, where he batted .302/.393/.560 with 20 extra-base hits (10 home runs) in 44 games. While Schwarber’s bat looks as though it might be ready sooner rather than later - with projections for a 60 hit tool and 65 power - but it will be his development on the other side of the ball that determines when he arrives in the major leagues. The 22-year-old worked hard on refining his defensive chops during the fall instructional league and convinced the Cubs he was ready to catch on a near-everyday basis this season at Double-A. The organization has every reason to keep Schwarber at catcher, where his bat would offer even more value, although I’m sure they’d still consider him in the outfield if an opportunity arises.
Fantasy Upside: .290/.350/.490, 20-25 HR
2. Jorge Alfaro, Texas Rangers (Double-A Frisco, Texas League)
Alfaro turned in another strong offensive campaign in 2014, batting .261 with 48 extra-base hits (17 home runs) and 87 RBI in 121 games, with his final 21 contests coming at Double-A Frisco. However, his approach and plate discipline didn’t improved as hoped, as the 21-year-old struck out 123 times against just 29 walks. 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 threw out only 28 percent of attempted base stealers last season and committed 23 passed balls in 90 games behind the plate. While his long-term projection as first-division backstop still involves considerable risk, Alfaro should continue to make significant developmental strides this year back in the Texas League.
Fantasy Upside: .260/.300/.420, 15+ HR, 7-10 SB
3. Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees (Double-A Trenton, Eastern League)
With Sanchez back at Double-A Trenton this season, it almost goes without saying that the once highly touted Yankees prospect has struggled to turn his raw talent into production. The 22-year-old’s biggest issue on both sides of the ball is still a lack of consistency, as he’ll make adjustments and show signs of putting it all together, only to regress back to his usual ways. Meanwhile, the jury is still out about whether Sanchez will be able to remain behind the plate at the highest level. That being said, Sanchez has still managed to produce an OPS above .730 even in his worst offensive years, and at 22 years old, there’s considerable time left for development.
Fantasy Upside: .270/.320/.400, 20+ 2B, 17-20 HR
4. Max Pentecost, Toronto Blue Jays (Unassigned – Disabled list)
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 timeline, but it shouldn’t detract from his overall potential.
Fantasy Upside: .280/.320/.400, 12-15 HR, 7+ SB
5. Chance Sisco, Baltimore Orioles (High-A Frederick, Carolina League)
Sisco is an offense-oriented catching prospect with a short, line-drive swing from the left side of the plate, while his line-to-line approach led to a third-place finish last year in the South Atlantic League batting race (.340). The 20-year-old’s defense will never be on par with his bat, as his footwork and blocking needs work. However, he should be able to improve to the point where he’s at least an average defender behind the plate.
Fantasy Upside: .280+ AVG, 10-15 HR
6. Reese McGuire, Pittsburgh Pirates (High-A Bradenton, Florida State League)
McGuire flew under the radar in his 2014 full-season debut, batting .262/.307/.334 with 18 extra-base hits in 427 plate appearances for Low-A West Virginia. Meanwhile, the 20-year-old continued to shine behind the plate with a 39 percent caught-stealing rate. 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. And although McGuire’s offensive development lags behind his defense, he’s showed enough aptitude at the plate to move at a level-per-year pace after signing.
Fantasy Upside: .280+ AVG, .340+ OBP, 8-12 HR, 5-8 SB
7. Francisco Mejia, Cleveland Indians (Low-A Lake County, Midwest League)
The switch-hitting Mejia quietly put together an impressive 2014 campaign in the New York-Penn League, posting a .282/.339/.407 batting line to go along with 23 extra-base hits and 36 RBI over 66 games at Mahoning Valley. The 19-year-old backstop stands out for his offensive potential, as he possesses excellent bat speed and power potential from both sides of the plate. In general, Mejia has one of the highest ceilings among all catching prospects, but he’s still very raw defensively and several years away from being ready for the major leagues.
Fantasy Upside: .270 AVG, 15+ HR
8. Jakson Reetz, Washington Nationals (Unassigned)
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 has a consistent, balanced swing from the right side, with above-average bat speed, excellent bat-to-ball skills and strong hands/wrists that allow him to fire the barrel through the hitting zone. While he has a physically strong 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame, Reetz’s 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
9. Justin O’Conner, Tampa Bay Rays (Double-A Montgomery, Southern League)
It took four years but O’Conner finally enjoyed a long-overdue breakout campaign in 2014, hitting for both average (.278) and power (35 2B, 12 HR) while achieving the Double-A level for the first time. The 23-year-old right-handed hitter will always have some swing-and-miss to his game on account of his aggressive approach, but he’s learned to sharpen his pitch selection and it’s in turn allowed him to tap into his raw power in games with greater consistency. Defensively, O’Conner’s athleticism and arm strength 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.
Fantasy Upside: .260 AVG, 25+ 2B, 12+ HR
10. Chase Vallot, Kansas City Royals (Lexington Legends, South Atlantic League)
Vallot flashed his offensive upside in the Rookie Appalachian League last summer after the Royals selected him 40th overall in the draft, posting a .732 OPS with seven home runs and 14 doubles in 53 games. However, it came with a .215 batting average and 36.5% strikeout rate, highlighting his rawness as a hitter. Vallot, 18, is very much a project and many years away from the major leagues, but the potential exists for him to become an everyday backstop with power and on-base skills.
Fantasy Upside: .700+ OPS, 15+ HR
The Next Five (Alphabetical Order):
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. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound backstop 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, had a breakthrough full-season debut in 2014, batting .309/.352/.500 41 extra-base hits in 87 games for Low-A Hagerstown. He has a good approach at the plate as well as solid-to-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)
Speaking of breakthrough performances, Marlette enjoyed one of his own in 2014, posting a .297/.349/.517 batting line, 42 extra-base hits (17 home runs) and nine stolen bases in 90 games between Bakersfield and Double-A Jackson.
Tom Murphy, Colorado Rockies (Double-A New Britain, Eastern League)
Murphy was limited to only 27 games last season due to injury, but the 24-year-old backstop has been making up for the lost time this season with a hot start at Double-A New Britain. Through his first 40 games, Murphy is batting .293/.370/.537 with 12 doubles, eight home runs and 28 RBI.
Pedro Severino, Washington Nationals (Double-A Harrisburg, Eastern League)
Severino has long been considered as an impact defender behind the plate, but he took a big step forward at the dish last season at High-A Potomac with a .247/.306/.399 batting line and career-high nine home runs. The 21-year-old is already on the Nats’ 40-man roster and therefore presumably ahead of the aforementioned Kieboom on the team’s depth chart.
Dynasty Notables: 21 & Under Club (Alphabetical Order):
Jose Briceno, Atlanta Braves (High-A Carolina, Carolina 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)
Jacob Nottingham, Houston Astros (Low-A Quad Cities, Midwest League)
Dom Nunez, Colorado Rockies (Low-A Asheville, South Atlantic League)
Luis Torrens, New York Yankees (Out for season – labrum surgery)
2015 Fantasy Value (Alphabetical Order):
Jett Bandy, Los Angeles Angels
Elias Diaz, Pittsburgh Pirates
John Hicks, Seattle Mariners
A.J. Jimenez, Toronto Blue Jays
Bruce Maxwell, Oakland Athletics
Previous installments from Prospect Positional series:
Shortstops (5/20/2015)
Third Basemen (5/13/2015)
Second Basemen (5/7/2015)
First Basemen (4/30/2015)
Outfielders (4/16/2015)
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