Gary Sánchez

FANTASY PLAYS: Catcher spot is top 5, then everyone else

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:57 p.m. ET

The catcher position may be the most frustrating and challenging to deal with, and it has long been that way throughout fantasy baseball history. The position is top-heavy with the best players and then full of risks and guys to settle for. It was seemingly the same in the days when Mike Piazza and Ivan Rodriguez were superior to anyone else at catcher.

Gary Sanchez seems to be the modern-day fantasy equivalent of Piazza, as he is clearly unrivaled as the best pick at the position. He has hit 53 home runs in 672 major league at-bats in his first two years and has a National Fantasy Baseball Championship average draft position of 19.3. Considering he delivers a solid average and above-average power comparable with many top players at other positions, he is worth the early round pick because of the depth scarcity at catcher. This is especially true in two-catcher leagues.

Willson Contreras is the No. 2 catcher off the board at about pick No. 51, but that number indicates the gap between Sanchez and the rest of the position. Contreras had his true breakout year in 2017, hitting .276 with 21 home runs. Buster Posey has an ADP of 58.7, but with his run production not what it used to be, you should consider passing on him. Salvador Perez (97.1) is a better choice for homers and RBIs almost 40 picks later.

J.T. Realmuto (101.1) is the most unique combination of power and speed at the position and is a fine pick if you don't grab Sanchez. He could deliver 15 homers and 15 stolen bases. Evan Gattis (140.2) still spurs hope that with more regular at-bats at DH this year, he could stay healthy and hit 30 homers again. Yadier Molina (149.3) hit a surprising 18 homers last year, but at age 35, there is natural expected regression even though his batting average should still be solid.

Wilson Ramos (156.8) has often battled health issues, but he can be quite dependable when available. Mike Zunino is now getting top 10 consideration at the position, as he hit 25 homers last year and actually boosted his average to .251. But an inflated .355 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) points to him possibly dipping again in that department, and he was a regular batting average killer until last year.

When you are looking at a Zunino type by the time you are considering catcher No. 10, it is clearly illustrative of the shallow nature of the position. Ideally, what you should do is try to get one of the top 5 guys at the position, and then gamble on a second catcher much later if you start two. If you grab both Sanchez and Posey in reaction to the position scarcity, you could be leaving better stats on the board from other positions. Outside of Sanchez, you want to focus on simply getting the best statistical producers overall in the earliest rounds.

As you get deeper into the position, Austin Barnes is a highly touted prospect, but he does not have a clear enough path to at-bats with Yasmani Grandal (223.7) still in the picture. In fact, Grandal's proven power makes him a bit of a better option. Jonathan Lucroy (200.5) can rebound back to respectability in Oakland. Jorge Alfaro (243) has some average and power promise as he takes over in Philadelphia. Austin Hedges (252.7) has serious power potential if you can take a possible BA drain. Robinson Chirinios (252.7) is a quality later selection for decent power.

James McCann (299) is a very good pick past the Top 20 for some value pop. Alex Avila (328) is worth the flier if he stays healthy for some home runs in the teens. By the time you get to your 20th catcher or so in the ranks, you'll want to jump for that second guy.

TOP 20 CATCHERS

Gary Sanchez, Yankees

Willson Contreras, Cubs

Salvador Perez, Royals

Buster Posey, Giants

J.T. Realmuto, Marlins

Evan Gattis, Astros

Yadier Molina, Cardinals

Welington Castillo, White Sox

Wilson Ramos, Rays

Mike Zunino, Mariners

Brian McCann, Astros