Please don’t ask if it is a rating for subsequent 12 months. It’s not a rating for subsequent 12 months. It’s me recapping final season. Please, for the love that every one is holy, perceive this. It’s all I ask of you. Nicely, that and bathe me with reward. The latter isn’t arduous, the previous is. Additionally, remembering which is the ‘latter’ and which is the ‘former’ is difficult too. Quibbles and semantics, my good man and 6 lady-mans (we gained one this 12 months!). It wouldn’t be honest for me to preseason rank the gamers, then rank them once more within the postseason primarily based on my opinion, so these postseason prime 20 lists are ranked in response to our Fantasy Baseball Participant Rater. It’s chilly arduous math, y’all! Anyway, right here’s the highest 20 catchers for 2024 fantasy baseball and the way they in comparison with the place I initially ranked them:
1. William Contreras – It wasn’t even shut this 12 months for who was primary. That makes it two years in a row William Contreras is the highest catcher. Will (iam) he lastly be drafted as the highest catcher subsequent 12 months? He actually is the epitome of the place. You don’t must do something nice to be the highest catcher. You simply must accumulate stats. William Contreras? Oh, he’s The Nice Accumulator. That’s his new identify. It’s trademarked by me. Use it and pay me a nickel. The Nice Accumulator performs each single day. (The highest guys aren’t far behind with taking part in time.) The Nice Accumulator’s one really insane stat he places up every year? How about 600+ plate appearances in back-to-back seasons? The Nice Accumulator does what you’d die to get from, say, Bryan Reynolds. He actually is the fashionable day catcher workhorse like Ivan Rodriguez, with out being known as Pudge due to all of the steroids he was taking, then being known as Pudge mockingly when he was clear, then being known as Pudge once more when he simply obtained fats. Preseason Rank #5, 2024 Projections: 78/18/71/.282/5 in 493 ABs, Last Numbers: 99/23/92/.281/9 in 595 ABs.
2. Cal Raleigh – If I had been an opposing pitcher, I’d cease throwing Raleigh something over the plate, as a result of he actually makes some hideous contact, and I’d begin asking him if I might put a garden chair on his again porch. Preseason Rank #12, 2024 Projections: 67/27/77/.229 in 472 ABs, Last Numbers: 73/34/100/.220/6 in 546 ABs
3. Salvador Perez – I say punt prime catchers (a number of instances on this put up and for years). I occurred to draft Sal P. in a single league (my RCL, and it was after decide 200 general, as a result of everybody punted), and I do perceive the attraction to rostering a prime catcher when it really works. I didn’t take into consideration my catcher all 12 months, it’s good. Or niiiiiice, if Borat is studying. However in contrast to a prime the rest (say Decide), I by no means opened my crew web page as soon as and stated, “Ooh, let’s see what Perez did.” So, I figured it out, a prime catcher is a woobie. Preseason Rank #6, 2024 Projections: 73/27/82/.251 in 529 ABs, Last Numbers: 58/27/104/.271 in 590 ABs
4. Yainer Diaz – I used to be larger than everybody on Yainer, and it “labored.” I put “labored” in quotes (twice), as a result of I say I wouldn’t draft a prime catcher, so I’m saying draft Yainer excessive, however don’t draft Yainer excessive. All of it is smart in my head, surprisingly. Preseason Rank #2, 2024 Projections: 64/27/78/.278/1 in 442 ABs, Last Numbers: 70/16/84/.299/2 in 585 ABs
5. Will Smith – Man, he kinda sucked. He was like Hancock, the, uh, film, not the motion of placing, nicely, ya know. Hancock sucked is what I’m saying. Ya know what? Neglect it! Will Smith upset worse than one thing you will have excessive hopes for that you don’t have any precise dedication to. I say that as a result of I ranked him first, and would have drafted him in zero leagues. I say all preseason, Do Not Draft A Prime Catcher. This 12 months that was Smith, Adley and J.T. Realmuto, in response to ADP, so nicely performed by me, I suppose. Preseason Rank #1, 2024 Projections: 82/21/84/.262/2 in 484 ABs, Last Numbers: 77/20/75/.248/1 in 476 ABs
6. Shea Langeliers – There’s quite a lot of similarities with catchers and pitchers. They each get drafted excessive by lots of people; I don’t agree with them; yearly guys come out of nowhere to carry out nicely that you might’ve drafted a lot later; nobody ever learns that lesson; semi-colons are enjoyable; rinse and repeat. Preseason Rank #22, 2024 Projections: 41/18/49/.212/2 in 432 ABs, Last Numbers: 58/29/80/.224/4 in 482 ABs
7. Adley Rutschman – I do know everybody loves Adley for causes that don’t have anything to do with fantasy however someway that will get osmosis’ed into fantasy so folks love him right here, however Adley was very meh. The primary 4 catchers had been nice (for catchers). Will Smith to Tyler had been worthy of rostering all 12 months, satisfactory, high-quality, okay, adjective, sorta meh at instances, and simply okay. Throw in Adley’s ADP and he was a bust. He put up the stats he did in 571 ABs. I’m sorry, that’s nutty boring. Preseason Rank #3, 2024 Projections: 77/20/74/.270/2 in 537 ABs, Last Numbers: 68/19/79/.250/1 in 571 ABs
8. Tyler Stephenson – Drafted Tyler Stephenson rather a lot early on, then, and I believe I’ve advised this story earlier than, I used to be at Spring Coaching in Florida, and I simply drafted Stephenson on my LABR crew (a league I received by the best way, natch), and confirmed a Reds’ reporter my crew. He stated he appreciated it, aside from Stephenson. He stated that he thought Tyler confirmed in 2023 that he couldn’t hit for energy or common within the majors and could be as unhealthy, if not worse this 12 months. Not saying this to bag on the man, however extra to say how nobody is aware of something. Preseason Rank #18, 2024 Projections: 6/14/61/.258/1 in 448 ABs, Last Numbers: 69/19/66/.258/1 in 457 ABs
9. Logan O’Hoppe – I don’t know what occurred to O’Hoppe’s O’Contact, however O’Shizz. O’I do know. Dur, it’s the Angels! The cursed Angels, who don’t make it to heaven, roam the earth and it’s in Anaheim. Preseason Rank #7, 2024 Projections: 64/23/75/.258/1 in 451 ABs, Last Numbers: 64/20/56/.244/2 in 479 ABs
10. Connor Wong – Logan began a brand new tier, per the Participant Rater and its greenback values. Catcher 9 by means of 11 had been nonetheless rosterable all 12 months, and really worthwhile in deeper leagues. Drafted Wong within the final spherical of my Foremost Occasion league. It’s a two-catcher, 15-team league. His ADP was 356. To not toot my very own Wong, however that’s just about the very best you’re doing with a catcher punt. Tyler Stephenson, to offer you an concept, went within the 220’s. Preseason Rank #27, 2024 Projections: 51/11/41/.243/7 in 361 ABs, Last Numbers: 54/13/52/.280/8 in 447 ABs
11. Ryan Jeffers – A enjoyable factor to take a look at is when a man like Jeffers betters his Okay% by 7-ish%, and loses round 50 factors on common. From there, that turns into a guessing sport of “Simply how terrible did his Smooth Contact grow to be?” And, oh daddy, it grew to become very terrible. He would’ve led the league in horrible contact if he certified. Preseason Rank #23, 2024 Projections: 48/15/50/.226/3 in 319 ABs, Last Numbers: 56/21/64/.226/3 in 412 ABs
12. J.T. Realmuto – That is the ultimate tier of catchers. There’s solely 11 catchers who had been really price rostering all 12 months. As for Realmuto, name him sauced as a result of Jerry Tomato is cooked! Why do I get such pleasure out of gamers I don’t like doing poorly? Is there a schadenfreude gene? Sorry, I meant to sort that into the Higher Assist chat field. Preseason Rank #4, 2024 Projections: 73/21/67/.250/15 in 477 ABs, Last Numbers: 50/14/47/.266/2 in 380 ABs
13. David Fry – That is our first out of nowhere catcher, who, by the tip of the season, went again to Nowhere. Actually illustrates how unhealthy catchers are that Fry is ranked this excessive, and he had two good months (Might and August). He wasn’t even actually taking part in by September. Preseason Unranked, Last Numbers: 44/14/51/.263/4 in 335 ABs
14. Willson Contreras – We should always begin calling him Contereras 1.0. “You want what Contreras 1.0 can do? Don’t all of us! However wait till you see what we’ve unlocked for Contreras 2.0! Extra plate appearances, more healthy knees, and a brand new digital camera!” That’s Tim Prepare dinner. Preseason Rank #10, 2024 Projections: 61/20/71/.248/5 in 412 ABs, Last Numbers: 48/15/36/.262/4 in 301 ABs
15. Keibert Ruiz – As somebody who rostered Ruiz in a single NL-Solely league, there could be months the place I’d overlook he existed. Not a fantastic endorsement! Preseason Rank #8, 2024 Projections: 61/18/72/.264/3 in 484 ABs, Last Numbers: 46/13/57/.229/3 in 459 ABs
16. Travis d’Arnaud – Good as time as any to say that Sean Murphy was not solely the Braves’ catcher everybody thought they needed within the preseason, however his ADP was 140 (in two-catcher leagues), and being drafted as ninth catcher off board (ranked fifteenth by me, for what it’s Cronenworth). As for the French Terminator, he didn’t have a sure je ne sais quoi however when he stated, “Je be again,” he was proper. Additionally, I believed catchers had been going to be deeper this 12 months, and so they had been completely not. D’Arnaud nearly matched my preseason projections and I ranked him thirty sixth, and he’s at sixteenth. Preseason Rank #36, 2024 Projections: 35/13/41/.222 in 268 ABs, Last Numbers: 40/15/48/.238/1 in 307 ABs
17. Austin Wells – Extra like all will not be Wells! Am I cooking now? No? How about Wells performed? No? What if I stated, opposite, he did. Wells performed, nicely, nicely? Nicely, Al from Pleased Days stated. (A really new reference!) Kinda loopy how some gamers the New York market makes into stars — or a minimum of hypes up — like Wells. He was high-quality, however his numbers are fairly lackluster. Preseason Rank #15, 2024 Projections: 43/13/45/.233/2 in 311 ABs, Last Numbers: 42/13/55/.229/1 in 354 ABs
18. Joey Bart – One of many few guys right here is definitely being undervalued in actuality for, uh, fantasy. You didn’t roster Bart for the primary three months of the season. Beginning in July, he was one of many prime catchers per sport on the Participant Rater. The swap from San Fran to the Pirates was all he wanted to take off. Like a Mini McCutchen. Name him McNugget. Preseason Unranked, Last Numbers: 38/13/45/.265 in 253 ABs
19. Jonah Heim – “Hit ’em with the Heim” this 12 months meant to hit one homer each different week and nothing else. Preseason Rank #9, 2024 Projections: 58/19/74/.239/3 in 441 ABs, Last Numbers: 45/13/59/.220/1 in 459 ABs
20. Patrick Bailey – In some methods, two San Fran catchers made the highest 20 catchers, which is to say [places hand under armpit and makes the world’s largest farting noise] Preseason Rank #28, 2024 Projections: 41/12/49/.223/2 in 377 ABs, Last Numbers: 46/8/46/.234/4 in 401 ABs
