I spoke last year of the coming revolution at catcher given the number of prospects on the verge of breaking through, and indeed, Adley Rutschman and MJ Melendez went on to become Fantasy mainstays while others like Keibert Ruiz and Joey Bart secured starting roles. And that's not even accounting for the breakthroughs of Daulton Varsho, Alejandro Kirk, William Contreras and Cal Raleigh, who were all prospects just one year earlier.
Is there a chance the position could get even better? By the looks of this latest catcher prospect crop, it almost has to. Once again, reducing the rank list to 10 required some painful omissions, which hasn't been the norm over my decade-plus of doing this.
Missing the cut were the Astros' Yainer Diaz, who got a taste of the majors after hitting .306 with an .898 OPS between Double- and Triple-A, and the Dodgers' Dalton Rushing, a 2022 second-rounder who turned heads in the lower minors. They're quality prospects in their own right, but the former profiles as more a bat-first backup and the latter remains largely untested.
Also reducing the clutter was my omission of Gabriel Moreno and Luis Campusano. Strictly speaking, they're not prospects anymore, having spent too many days on the active roster to qualify. Campusano would probably miss the cut regardless given how many times the Padres have passed him over already. I hesitate to say where Moreno would rank. Maybe second?
Truth is any of my top eight here could rank as high as second. I've already tied myself in knots trying to get the order just right, which tells you that the surplus at the position isn't just a measure of quantity but also quality. Don't be surprised if I second-guess my way to an entirely different order by the time my top 100 prospect rankings come out.
Note: This list is intended for a variety of Fantasy formats and thus weighs short-term role against long-term value. Not all of these players will contribute in 2023 — most, in fact, will not — but among prospects, they're the names Fantasy Baseballers most need to know.
1. Francisco Alvarez, Mets
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2022: Double-A, Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .260 BA (411 AB), 27 HR, .885 OPS, 70 BB, 123 K
Major-league stats: 2 for 12, HR, 2B, 2 BB, 4 K
Poor defensive profiles have a way of dragging down otherwise promising prospects, so the fact Alvarez is in the mix for top overall prospect even with such a defensive profile is an incredible testament to his hitting. The power is particularly eye-opening given his young age, and while his future is probably part-time catcher/part-time DH, it works out better in Fantasy since it means more at-bats overall.
2. Diego Cartaya, Dodgers
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2022: Low-A, High-A
Minor-league stats: .254 BA (362 AB), 22 HR, .892 OPS, 63 BB, 119 K
Cartaya is at a more appropriate level for his age than Alvarez, but he profiles similarly as a hitter, offering big power with big on-base skills and a path to a higher batting average if he can get the strikeouts under control. The Dodgers have taken a methodical approach with him and can continue to do so with Will Smith locked in at the big-league level.
3. Harry Ford, Mariners
Age (on opening day): 20
Where he played in 2022: Low-A
Minor-league stats: .274 BA (390 AB), 11 HR, 23 SB, .863 OPS, 88 BB, 115 K
Ford is too good for the catcher position, honestly, possessing premium athleticism, excellent bat control and surprising power for a guy who stands only 5-foot-10. I'm getting some Mookie Betts vibes here, and if at some point in his long climb to the majors the Mariners decide to move him off catcher, Ford could, like Betts, just as capably handle second base or center field.
4. Henry Davis, Pirates
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2022: Rookie, Low-A, Double-A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .264 BA (212 AB), 10 HR, 9 SB, .852 OPS, 21 BB, 51 K
The top pick in the 2021 draft just obliterated the lower levels before hitting a snag at Double-A, where he hit .207 in 31 games. It may be a source of consternation for those taking a cursory glance, especially since his defense is already a question mark, but Davis also fractured his wrist about the time of his promotion -- an injury that flared up again after he returned.
5. Logan O'Hoppe, Angels
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2022: Double-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .283 BA (360 AB), 26 HR, .961 OPS, 70 BB, 74 K
Major-league stats: 4 for 14, 2 BB, 3 K
Virtually everyone on this list is an on-base standout, but O'Hoppe is a standout among standouts, having reached at a .416 clip, including .473 after the Angels acquired him from the Phillies. But it's the improved power that has him soaring up rank lists and positioned to claim the starting job in spring training. He also earns high marks for defense.
6. Endy Rodriguez, Pirates
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2022: High-A, Double-A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .323 BA (458 AB), 25 HR, 39 2B, .996 OPS, 60 BB, 101 K
I'm tempted to stick my neck way out for Rodriguez, moving him ahead of even Davis at this surprisingly crowded position, but discounting the pedigree of a former No. 1 overall pick seems like a fairly reckless move. As for Rodriguez, he got better with every step up the ladder, batting .386 with an 1.193 OPS from June 25 on, and he's versatile enough to man the outfield on his "off" days.
7. Bo Naylor, Guardians
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2022: Double-A, Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .263 BA (415 AB), 21 HR, 20 SB, .889 OPS, 82 BB, 121 K
Major-league stats: 0 for 8
This seems too low for Naylor, who runs like few catchers can, shows a tremendous batting eye, and is currently favored to start on opening day. It's a credit to this catcher class that I'm forced to nitpick in this way, but I must point out that Naylor has a tendency to get homer happy, compromising his capacity to hit for average. His defensive readiness is also in question.
8. Kevin Parada, Mets
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2022: Rookie, Low-A
Minor-league stats: .275 BA (40 AB), 1 HR, .880 OPS, 12 BB, 13 K
While the best catcher in the 2021 draft was Davis, the best in the 2022 draft was Parada, who lasted to the Mets at 11th overall, and it's a toss-up who goes on to have the better major-league career. I'm using Parada's inexperience as an excuse to downgrade him within a stretch of rankings that's especially difficult to parse, but he could surge to the top next year if the power and on-base skills show up.
9. Austin Wells, Yankees
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2022: Low-A, High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .277 BA (336 AB), 20 HR, 16 SB, .897 OPS, 56 BB, 90 K
At times in the not-so-distant past, Wells would be like a dream come true at catcher as a bat-first prospect with good on-base skills and an optimal launch angle for Yankee Stadium. But in these times of plenty, it's his defects that stand out. He can't handle being a team's No. 1 defensively, and if he's mostly confined to DH, his left-handedness could reduce him to a platoon role.
10. Edgar Quero, Angels
Age (on opening day): 19
Where he played in 2022: Low-A
Minor-league stats: .312 (413 AB), 17 HR, 12 SB, .965 OPS, 73 BB, 91 K
I'm giving the 19-year-old Quero the edge here over a nearer-term prospect like the Astros' Yainer Diaz because I think there's a better chance of a superstar outcome. He's an uncommonly disciplined hitter for someone so young, is on the right path defensively and is platoon-proof as a switch-hitter. We'll be waiting for a while, though.
