Dynasty League Positional Rankings Continued: Catchers on the Ocean Floor

So here we are… it’s just you and me… no, really, it may just be you and me. If you play in a dynasty league deep enough that you’re looking out for catchers outside the top 50 for the position, kudos to you for your awesome life choices. It’s hard enough to cobble together a top 15 or 20 dynasty list for the backstops these days, and Bret already went well above and beyond this morning by ranking 50. But once you get beyond that you’re really trolling the mines. It gets lonely down here, so thanks for coming.

Each week we’ll be running this as a complementary piece to our positional dynasty rankings, with a nod towards those of you in the Jacques Cousteau-deep leagues of the world with no player-eligibility requirements and those in a perpetual state of searching for the next big thing.

I linked to it above, but I’ll reiterate before we go on that you should check the top-50 piece for the overwhelming majority of dynasty-relevant catcher analysis. For those that dare go on I’ve split things up into four categories: the big league back-ups, the prospects, the 2015 draftees (who are technically prospects, but haven’t been draftable as of yet in a lot of leagues), and the early names of note for this year’s draft & international classes (when applicable for the latter).

Back-up Types But In Their Primes!

Cameron Rupp, PHI
Rupp did enough last year to warrant a shot at the strong side of Philadelphia’s catching platoon for a full season in 2016. He’s certainly capable of running into one every now and again—his longest ball last year landed on the same corner as Jose Bautista’s and Chris Davis’. There’s a bunch of swing-and-miss in his game—not an obscene amount, but enough to pair with his prototypical Catcher Speed and drive a batting average profile that is unappealing even relative to the low backstop bar. Still, 400 plate appearances with his pop could yield an entirely reasonable expectation of 15 homers, and one 15-homer season is probably enough to get a 27-year-old into the top 50 mix for dynasty leaguers. Kinda gross, right?

Curt Casali, TAM
Casali sort of forced my hand for inclusion here after crushing 10 dingers in 113 measly plate appearances for Tampa Bay last season. Unfortunately he also struck out 34 times, which belies a minor-league track record of contact rates that really were actually pretty good. He’s shown some pop before on the farm, but certainly nothing to suggest that last year’s outburst was anything more than a cluster of very, very good contact. The brotherhood of big league backstops does count among their ranks many a non-linear developer, however, and he hit the ball hard during his brief tenure last year. Another burst of over-the-fence pop in 2016 by the 27-year-old could very well position him for a run at the top 50 this time next winter.

Tyler Flowers, ATL
Flowers got a little bit of preseason love ‘round these parts last winter after a second-half rampage in 2014 hinted at the possibility that his nascent power was finally ready to come out and play. Unfortunately, 2015 saw him hit more like… well, Tyler Flowers. He has struck out a comical amount in his career, and even though he actually made some progress on that front he offset his contact gains by hitting a bunch of fl balls. So the batting average stayed low, and since the flyballs didn’t go nearly as far, so did the home runs. Still, with just 39-year-old A.J. Pierzynski ahead of him on the depth chart in Atlanta, the path to regular playing time isn’t too rocky, and at 30 there’s still ostensibly enough pop in the bat to offer sporadic runs of rosterability.

Prospects!

Dom Nunez, COL
Why hello, beautiful. A former sixth-rounder, Nunez only converted to catching after his professional debut, and he has taken to it with strange ease. His defensive numbers in the Sally gave another boost to the cautious optimism scouts have professed about his potential to stick behind the plate, and he performed well at the dish in a robust offensive environment. The home park issue—Asheville is among the most extremely pro-hitter venues for left-handers in all of minor-league baseball –would be more of a cause to pause if he weren’t in an organization that roosts at Coors Field. Nunez exhibits an outstanding command of the strike zone, striking out just two times more than he walked across almost 450 plate appearances last year, and he can get into one from time to time as well. With a trip to the high-octane California League likely on tap for this year ample opportunity lies ahead for him to pad his minor league numbers and force his way into the mix for dynasty league relevance. In deeper formats that roster 200-plus prospects, he makes for a nice end-game target in drafts this winter.

Justin O'Conner, TAM
The Rays popped O’Conner in the first round of the 2010 draft after a high school career spent largely at third base, but he converted to catching on the showcase circuit and has remained behind the dish ever since. Our new hotness metrics weren’t impressed with his overall defensive production at Double-A last year, but he possesses an 80-grade arm and the scouting consensus is extremely bullish on the glove. So the good news is, he’s probably a no-doubt catcher. The bad news is, well, he’s not very good at hitting, and that’s really what we care about here. He does have some pop in his bat, though a crazy-aggressive approach and gobs of swing-and-miss (see: 129 strikeouts to just 13 walks last year) have significantly limited its in-game utility to date. Still, there’s high likelihood of a big league future here, and given the low bar for fantasy relevance at the position, any step forward in his playable power next year in the high minors gives him more than a puncher’s chance at creeping into the top 50.

Aramis Garcia, SFG
No, the Giants backstop depth chart isn’t a good place to find yourself when you’re in High-A, but organizations don’t really matter in prospect-value terms. Garcia has the pedigree, and the former second-rounder put together a rock solid campaign in the Sally before grinding to a halt in the blazing California sun after a second-half promotion. Scouting reports on the bat are just on the cusp, with a hit tool just fringy enough to limit the power in an unappealing way for dynasty leaguers. The organization isn’t bad at developing catchers though, and a successful first half may push him to Double-A next summer. If he can hang there he may do just enough to slide into the top 50 next winter.

The 2015 Draft Class!

Taylor Ward, LAA
Roundly mocked as a significant overdraft when he was popped 26^th overall by the Orange County Angelinos, Ward promptly pummeled pitchers from the Pioneer to the Midwest after signing last summer to keep the dream of an eventual Nelson moment (or 51) alive. He’s not going to move out from behind the dish, and when at it he shows a sound approach and a line-drive swing. His fringy power is mostly centered in his strong wrists and the swing doesn’t have much leverage, so even a best-case scenario for his offensive projection probably doesn’t include more than a dozen or so dingers. But given the stellar professional production to date and a likely impending trip to the Cal League (albeit in a more offense-neutral home park), there’s potential for value inflation here that carries him into the top 50 with additional strong statistical output.

Lucas Herbert, ATL
The high school batterymate of Atlanta’s first-round selection, the organization’s second-rounder raised his stock significantly last spring and looks the part of a true defender behind the plate. The batter’s box is a tale of less certainty, as the swing is built on arms and brute strength. The frame all but guarantees the potential for solid power later on in life, but it’s unclear whether an unorthodox barrel delivery will allow it to develop or not. He hit against premium opposition in high school, but it’s likely to be at least another couple of years before we start to get a real sense of the offensive profile. Despite the slow burn ahead, a fast start in 2016 could easily shoot him up to the back of next year’s top 50 list.

Austin Allen, SDP
If you want a catching prospect from last year’s class to dream on from outside the top 50, it’s probably Allen. The fourth-rounder was arguably the best Div. II hitter in the draft class, and he’s a big boy with enough brute strength to hit for plenty of power. It’ll be a tall hill to climb if he’s to remain behind the plate, however. His large frame already limits his mobility and he lacks fluidity in his footwork—not a good starting point. The Northwest League proved a fairly rude introduction, and he’s even farther away than Herbert. But dynasty leaguers dig the long ball, and Allen’s one of the only catchers in the draft class that can impress with raw power.

The 2016 Draft Class & Notable J2’s!

Sean Murphy, Wright State
The early favorite for first catcher off the board in June, Murphy’s a smooth defender whose mobility belies his large frame, and he has shown copious power to the opposite field in batting practice but hasn’t quite translated it to games yet. The pull-side utility is solid, however, and there’s enough of an offensive foundation to warrant at least a half-raised eyebrow.

Chris Okey, Clemson
There’s a gap between Okey’s production to date and his raw tools, as the Tiger underwhelmed during his sophomore campaign last season, both in the ACC and for Team USA. He’s a sum-of-its-parts prospect, with solid across-the-board skills, and the offense is geared off a line drive stroke and hard contact that, given above-average raw strength, can help him find the seats at a decent clip.

Ben Rortvedt, Verona High School
The top prep backstop bat heading into the spring hails from Wisconsin, and features potential true plus power thanks to already-impressive bat speed and torque. For what it’s worth, this year’s prep class of catchers is already being lauded as a particularly deep crop, though for our fantasy purposes investing in high-school catchers ranks down there with choosing relief arms among the poorest investments of your minor-league roster resources.