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Fantasy baseball 2020 tiered catcher rankings

By Bill Pivetz

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 09: J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park on September 9, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 09: J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park on September 9, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

This tier features some players that will likely be backups but could be starters in deeper or AL/NL only leagues.

Jorge Alfaro, MIA

Alfaro had a good year last season, scaled to catcher standards. In a career-high 130 games, he hit 18 home runs, 57 RBIs and .262 in his first year with Miami.

The Marlins offense isn’t going to excite a lot of people but there are some names that can support Alfaro. Entering his third year, Alfaro isn’t a bad bargain catcher to draft.

Christian Vazquez, BOS

Vazquez had a great season but could see some regression in 2020. He finished last season as the No. 4 fantasy catcher with 23 home runs, 72 RBI, 66 runs and a .276 average.

He may have been ranked a couple of spots higher, but the recent Red Sox trade changes the fantasy baseball value of everyone still on the team. The lineup is still good but going from Mookie Betts to Alex Verdugo as the leadoff hitter is a big drop off.

Still, Vazquez can still produce a good batting average with power numbers.

Yadier Molina, STL

Entering his 17th season, Molina is a lock for 110 games but looking over his last four seasons, that number is regressing. He played in 147, 136, 123 and 113 games in those years. He hit just 10 home runs, 57 RBIs and .270 last year.

The Cardinals are going to compete this year and Molina hitting in the middle of the lineup will give him opportunities to rack up the counting stats. Plus, with steals at a premium, Molina can provide five to six in a season.

Omar Narvaez, MIL

Narvaez is another catcher that had a breakout season in 2019. In the pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park, he hit 22 homers, 55 RBIs and .278.

Now that he moves to a hitter-friendly Miller Park with a better lineup around him, Narvaez could move into the top seven by the end of the season.

Carson Kelly, ARI

Breaking away from St. Louis and Molina, Kelly was able to show what the Cardinals had in the 25-year-old. Despite just playing in 111 games, he was able to hit 18 home runs with 47 RBIs and a .245 average.

If we expect Kelly to play a full season, over 130 games, then 30 home runs should not be ruled out. He may hit .240 in the process, but that should be obvious with most of these players. If you have average locked up, Kelly could finish in the top-five in home runs among catchers.

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