The Catcher Injury Epidemic
Apr 12, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores (4) turns a double play past Atlanta Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski (15) during the second inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Coming into this year, I loved the depth at the catcher position, but it really thinned out once Jonathan Lucroy, Yan Gomes, and Travis d’Arnaud hit the disabled list. With Devin Mesoraco also dealing with injuries, a lot of great options have been derailed within two weeks.
I personally realized how bad the injuries were at catcher once d’Arnaud went down because my starting catchers in my three leagues were Yan Gomes in one league and d’Arnaud in the other two. In our Fantasy Baseball Crackerjacks league, I had a very solid backup in Derek Norris, I traded for Norris in another league, and I am currently rolling with Caleb Joseph in a third.
If you have a lost a catcher, then there are still a few options out there, but the position certainly lacks the depth it had two weeks ago. Despite the rash of injuries, I still have been able to find a few catchers that I have at least a sliver of interest in. The following options could be potential replacement catchers, and I have included their ESPN ownership at the time of this article being published.
Caleb Joseph Baltimore Orioles 49.6% owned
Caleb Joseph may have been snatched up in recent days in your league, but he is a solid option right now because he is playing on a consistent basis (at least for a catcher). His current .333/.447/.513 slash line will clearly not hold up, but Joseph already has 47 plate appearances, Matt Wieters’ return does not appear imminent, and you have to like the fact that he plays at Camden Yards.
In 2014, Joseph slugged nine homers in 275 plate appearances, so a little power would not come as much of a shock. However, you should expect a pretty steep decline from his average based on career numbers in the category.
A.J. Pierzynski Atlanta Braves 8.9% owned
While Pierzynski has only appeared in seven games so far, he has been an absolute beast when he has played. In 30 plate appearances, the 38 year-old veteran already has clubbed three homers to go along with an insane 1.244 OPS. Yes, it is a miniscule sample size, but it is fun to see someone playing out of their mind. His 1:1 K/BB ratio is straight out of the Victor Martinez school of hitting.
His 247 wRC+ and .407 batting average may not make it to May, but A.J. Pierzynski had fantasy value as recently as 2013. He hit 17 homers that year with Rangers and clubbed a career high 27 bombs in 2012 with the Chicago White Sox. While Pierzynski’s next 30 plate appearances will likely be less effective than his first 30, he still has more power than the average and certainly more than most waiver wire options even in limited playing time.
Kevin Plawecki New York Mets 7.0% owned
If you lost Travis d’Arnaud and you are looking for a fantasy replacement, then you may want to take a look at his real replacement. Plawecki will not do much for you in the power or speed departments, but he may be able to contribute a respectable batting average. Even if his counting stat production will be minimal, it is sometimes better to just get a player who will not hurt your team with a terrible average.