Below is a chart of every catcher ranked and covered in MLB.com's 2009 Fantasy Preview, a rundown that includes established big leaguers and up-and-coming prospects.
The list features dollar values compiled by our MLB.com staff based on standard 23-man, $260, 5x5 mixed-league play. We included projected stats for the 2009 season as well as a one-liner prediction that encapsulates every player's value in 10 words or fewer. This page will be updated throughout the spring to reflect the impact of inevitable transactions, injuries and changing job situations.
An indispensable part of the draft-day kit, the cheat sheet can make the difference between winning and losing your fantasy league. With quick-hitting rankings and forecasts, it'll help you keep the remaining players on the board in order as the draft wears on. The last thing you want to be doing is flipping through some magazine when it's your turn to pick.
So play fair, but don't forget your cheat sheet when you head to your draft.
| Catchers |
TM |
$$ |
Avg |
R |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
Notes |
| Brian McCann | ATL | 25 | .307 | 72 | 26 | 97 | 4 | Fantasy's top backstop entering prime years. |
| Russell Martin | LAD | 22 | .284 | 83 | 13 | 74 | 17 | May need reduced workload to regain top form. |
| Geovany Soto | CHC | 21 | .290 | 73 | 25 | 93 | 0 | Reigning NL ROY verging on elite status as sophomore. |
| Joe Mauer | MIN | 19 | .314 | 78 | 9 | 77 | 3 | Back woes bump him below elite group of catchers. |
| Ryan Doumit | PIT | 18 | .299 | 79 | 21 | 86 | 3 | Potential unquestioned, but needs to stay healthy. |
| Victor Martinez | CLE | 18 | .283 | 68 | 16 | 79 | 0 | Capable of rebounding from disappointing '08. |
| Bengie Molina | SF | 16 | .278 | 46 | 18 | 80 | 0 | Consistent veteran showing no signs of slowing. |
| Chris Iannetta | COL | 14 | .272 | 73 | 22 | 80 | 0 | Carries impressive upside into first full season. |
| Pablo Sandoval | SF | 12 | .308 | 81 | 19 | 92 | 1 | Value boosted by catcher eligibility. |
| Mike Napoli | LAA | 12 | .256 | 71 | 26 | 77 | 8 | Power potential offsets injury risk. |
| Jorge Posada | NYY | 8 | .274 | 63 | 18 | 77 | 1 | Will healthy shoulder trigger return to '07 form? |
| Matt Wieters | BAL | 8 | .285 | 55 | 23 | 80 | 1 | Next great fantasy catcher ready to make impact. |
| Dioner Navarro | TB | 5 | .284 | 48 | 9 | 56 | 2 | Has contact skills to sustain '08 production. |
| A.J. Pierzynski | CWS | 5 | .275 | 60 | 12 | 59 | 1 | Reliable source of solid mixed production. |
| Jarrod Saltalamacchia | TEX | 4 | .257 | 58 | 17 | 65 | 0 | Torrid spring earned him starting job. |
| Ivan Rodriguez | HOU | 4 | .276 | 63 | 13 | 63 | 6 | Former top catcher showed signs of life in Classic. |
| John Baker | FLA | 4 | .287 | 53 | 12 | 60 | 1 | Sleeper candidate could be this season's Ryan Doumit. |
| Ramon Hernandez | CIN | 4 | .256 | 52 | 17 | 74 | 1 | Could benefit from change of scenery. |
| Kenji Johjima | SEA | 4 | .281 | 57 | 12 | 61 | 4 | Bounceback candidate possesses good contact skills. |
| Yadier Molina | STL | 4 | .281 | 42 | 8 | 59 | 1 | Developing into consistent option. |
| Kelly Shoppach | CLE | 3 | .260 | 60 | 16 | 54 | 0 | May not get chance to build on '08 breakout. |
| Chris Snyder | ARI | 2 | .247 | 50 | 16 | 65 | 0 | Will need to keep producing to hold off Miguel Montero. |
| Kurt Suzuki | OAK | 2 | .272 | 57 | 9 | 59 | 3 | Provides durability, solid AVG. |
| Miguel Olivo | KC | 2 | .249 | 48 | 15 | 60 | 6 | Has pop to make impact in everyday role. |
| Jason Varitek | BOS | 1 | .244 | 42 | 12 | 48 | 1 | Once-dangerous option in serious decline. |
| Gerald Laird | DET | 1 | .266 | 55 | 9 | 49 | 0 | Can count on everyday job with new team. |
| Jeff Clement | SEA | 1 | .252 | 45 | 14 | 58 | 0 | Nothing left to prove in Minors. |
| Jesus Flores | WSH | 1 | .243 | 46 | 9 | 59 | 0 | Young backstop still adjusting to bigs. |
| Rod Barajas | TOR | 1 | .241 | 48 | 13 | 50 | 0 | May need to improve numbers to hold onto job. |
| Brandon Inge | DET | 1 | .232 | 56 | 15 | 61 | 5 | May not be revived by move to hot corner. |
| Taylor Teagarden | TEX | 1 | .257 | 46 | 10 | 32 | 1 | Crowded catching situation clouds future. |
| Miguel Montero | ARI | 1 | .258 | 29 | 9 | 44 | 0 | Legitimate upside but stuck behind Chris Snyder. |
| Chris Coste | PHI | 1 | .266 | 37 | 8 | 41 | 0 | Will see plenty of time vs. lefties. |
| Josh Bard | WSH | 1 | .261 | 30 | 5 | 33 | 0 | Hoping to bounce back from injury-hampered '08. |
| Nick Hundley | SD | 1 | .243 | 30 | 8 | 42 | 0 | Has inside track on SD starting job. |
| Brian Schneider | NYM | 1 | .244 | 29 | 8 | 45 | 0 | Offers RBI potential at bottom of stacked lineup. |
| Jason Kendall | MIL | 1 | .251 | 43 | 2 | 40 | 7 | Diminished production offsets durability. |
| J.R. Towles | HOU | 1 | .261 | 37 | 7 | 42 | 4 | Value crushed by arrival of Ivan Rodriguez. |
| John Buck | KC | 1 | .227 | 39 | 8 | 40 | 0 | Value drops with demotion to backup duty. |
| Angel Salome | MIL | 1 | .277 | 21 | 6 | 20 | 0 | Good chance at midseason callup. |
| Max Ramirez | TEX | 1 | .268 | 34 | 9 | 31 | 0 | May not have defensive skills to stick behind plate. |
| Gregg Zaun | BAL | 1 | .240 | 33 | 7 | 35 | 2 | Will help keep job warm for Matt Wieters. |
| Carlos Ruiz | PHI | 1 | .244 | 40 | 6 | 44 | 5 | Disappointing '08 campaign results in '09 timeshare. |
| Paul Lo Duca | FA | 1 | .267 | 30 | 5 | 36 | 2 | Veteran may not get chance at regular PT. |
| George Kottaras | BOS | 1 | .236 | 31 | 7 | 32 | 0 | Power prospect worth watching. |
| Jeff Mathis | LAA | 1 | .220 | 24 | 6 | 27 | 2 | Unlikely to usurp Mike Napoli for starting job. |
| Michael Barrett | TOR | 1 | .250 | 27 | 7 | 33 | 1 | May be hard-pressed to regain relevance. |
| David Ross | ATL | 1 | .229 | 29 | 11 | 33 | 0 | Won't see much action behind Brian McCann. |
| Dusty Ryan | DET | 1 | .279 | 23 | 5 | 27 | 1 | Young talent's path blocked in Detroit. |
| J.P. Arencibia | TOR | 1 | .268 | 13 | 4 | 12 | 0 | Offers big-time offensive potential behind plate. |
| Bryan Anderson | STL | 1 | .286 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 0 | Stuck behind steady Yadier Molina. |
| Lou Marson | PHI | 1 | .278 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 1 | Phils' catcher of future may back up in '09. |
| Yorvit Torrealba | COL | 1 | .252 | 21 | 4 | 26 | 2 | Adjusting to backup role in Colorado. |
| Ronny Paulino | PHI | 1 | .264 | 19 | 5 | 28 | 1 | Likely headed for third-string role. |
| Jose Molina | NYY | 1 | .234 | 27 | 4 | 20 | 1 | Will return to backup duty. |
| Ramon Castro | NYM | 1 | .261 | 27 | 9 | 38 | 0 | Power bat limited in part-time role. |
| Mike Rivera | MIL | 1 | .271 | 24 | 5 | 29 | 2 | Stuck behind durable Jason Kendall. |
| Luke Carlin | ARI | 1 | .226 | 26 | 4 | 26 | 0 | Minor League numbers suggest little upside. |
| Shawn Riggans | TB | 1 | .248 | 27 | 6 | 33 | 0 | Won't see enough PT to merit attention. |
| Kevin Cash | NYY | 1 | .218 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 0 | Will have tough time earning PT in Bronx. |
| Johnny Estrada | FA | 1 | .268 | 21 | 5 | 29 | 0 | May be running out of chances in Majors. |
| Matt Treanor | DET | 1 | .241 | 24 | 4 | 29 | 1 | Move to Motown doesn't enhance minimal fantasy value. |
| Javier Valentin | WSH | 1 | .248 | 15 | 4 | 22 | 0 | Will likely miss Great American Ball Park. |
| Mike Redmond | MIN | 1 | .286 | 16 | 1 | 12 | 0 | AVG capabilities limited in backup role. |
| Paul Hoover | PHI | 1 | .253 | 24 | 4 | 28 | 1 | Buried on champs' depth chart. |
| Robinson Cancel | NYM | 1 | .251 | 21 | 5 | 25 | 2 | Mets third-stringer won't see much action. |
| Ryan Hanigan | CIN | 1 | .268 | 14 | 2 | 13 | 0 | Opportunity limited by arrival of Ramon Hernandez. |
| Wil Nieves | WSH | 1 | .245 | 19 | 2 | 24 | 1 | Minimal upside after losing job to Jesus Flores. |
| Paul Bako | FA | 1 | .233 | 14 | 3 | 18 | 0 | Won't see nearly as much PT as last year. |
| Toby Hall | FA | 1 | .238 | 12 | 2 | 16 | 0 | Hobbled by torn labrum. |
| Sal Fasano | COL | 1 | .232 | 17 | 3 | 17 | 0 | Better known for mustache than production. |
| Brad Ausmus | LAD | 1 | .222 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 0 | Put off retirement to mentor Russell Martin. |
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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