Having already rolled out our yearly league rankings (click here to view our Top 15 catchers), it’s time now to look at rankings for dynasty leagues. We all know that finding a catcher who can produce offensively for the long-term is tough to come by, which is why players like Montero, Wieters and Suzuki jump up a bit. Still, you can’t ignore the consistent producers, no matter what the age, do let’s see how things play out:
- Joe Mauer – Minnesota Twins
- Brian McCann – Atlanta Braves
- Victor Martinez – Boston Red Sox
- Miguel Montero – Arizona Diamondbacks
- Matt Wieters – Baltimore Orioles
- Ryan Doumit – Pittsburgh Pirates
- Kurt Suzuki – Oakland Athletics
- Geovany Soto – Chicago Cubs
- Jorge Posada – New York Yankees
- Mike Napoli – Los Angeles Angels
- Buster Posey – San Francisco Giants
- Chris Iannetta – Colorado Rockies
- Bengie Molina – San Francisco Giants
- Russell Martin – Los Angeles Dodgers
- Yadier Molina – St. Louis Cardinals
Honorable Mention – Jesus Flores – Washington Nationals
Notes:
- Victor Martinez’ age is certainly a factor and ultimately, as more research is done, it may cause him to fall a spot or two down the list. For now, I just can’t do it. He’s coming off a year where he hit .303 with 23 HR and 108 RBI, numbers that he easily could replicate in the deep Red Sox line-up.
- While Wieters may not necessarily perform as the fifth best catcher in 2010, he showed signs in September that he may live up to all of the expectations awarded him. He hit .362 with 3 HR and 14 RBI, easing owners concerns. He will be a solid option in 2010, with the potential for so much for in the near future, which is why he moves up a few spots in dynasty drafts.
- Another player who gets a boost is Soto, though his standing is a little bit more tenuous. I fully believe that his disastrous 2009 will lead to a big rebound, especially when you consider his .251 BABIP.
- While I only pushed Buster Posey up one spot from the regular rankings, the reason is the unknown of if he is going to get regular playing time in 2010. As the offseason progresses and the situation with Bengie Molina fully plays itself out, he’s likely to rise another spot or two based on upside potential alone. If Molina ultimately resigns in San Francisco (doubtful), he’ll fall out of the Top 12.
- I wanted to include Jesus Flores as an Honorable Mention because while he likely will ultimately fall outside of the Top 15 when all is said and done, he will certainly be on the rankings once we expand them a bit. After missing the majority of 2009, he should be considered a sleeper option for those in two-catcher formats for 2010. He had 8 HR and 59 RBI in just 301 AB in 2008 and should be the Nationals everyday catcher. We’ll certainly take a much closer look at him soon enough.
What are your thoughts on these rankings? Who should be higher? Who should be lower?
To view all of our rankings, including for both yearly and dynasty league owners, click here.
Picture courtesy of Icon Sports Media, Inc.
I’d take Wieters #2 in a Dynasty league without a second thought.
I could easily see Wieters at four, but not over McCann. The Braves’ catcher is just entering his beginning prime years and he already puts up great numbers. I can’t see Wieters ahead of him, at least yet.
Wieters is unproven. He doesn’t warrant being #2 yet. Too many top prospects end up being a bust, it’s plain stupid to rank them best of the best until they prove they can live up to their hype. How’s Alex Gordon doing for you? If you think Wieters is #2 then you must’ve drafted Gordon as the top 3b when he first arrived and Delmon Young as a top 10 OF when he arrived. You took both Price and Chamberlain over Halladay solely based on age. And your team is last because not a single one of them has lived up to their hype. Proven talent wins championships while potential sinks ships. A good dynasty league manager knows how to balance talent and skill.
I can see your point Matt but you’ve nicely cherry picked a handful of prospects who’ve struggled.
What if he also took Lincecum, Gallardo, Longoria, Tulowitzki, J Upton, Kemp etc.
Going with prospects is always a gamble but so can taking the sure thing be as well. Ask anyone who drafted V-Mart last year, or Soto this year.
Wieters is as close to a lock as they come, and even if he only fulfills 70% of his potential then he should still be a perrenial all star candidate. I think he’ll be somewhere between V-Mart and Mauer.
Nice try, Matty boy! You think you know so much about me and my fantasy baseball skills just because I’d take Wieters #2? WTF?
I won my competitive 12-team money league again this year by taking prudent risks. I believe Wieters is one of those. He could easily be in the same tier as McCann and Martinez as soon as 2010 and his upside in later years is much higher. If he does meet the hype, you get amazing value at a weak position. If he doesn’t meet the hype, you get average value at a weak position. Prudent risk.
By the way, I’ve never drafted Gordon or Delmon or Joba but I do have Kemp and Tulo on my team. And I packaged Price in a trade for Halladay this year that helped me win the championship. Take your amateur psychoanalysis somewhere else!
Haha, I’ve had some championships too but honestly championships don’t nec mean you had the best team, it’s more about luck than skill when you enter the playoffs. I’ve won championships having the best team in the league and lost championships to the worst team in the playoffs while having the best team in the league. Plus I’d have to question your league’s talent level if you’d take Wieters #2.
I play in a Dynasty and Keeper leagues ONLY. I won’t do seasonal, I will only play in money leagues and I will only play in leagues where the opponents are tough. I drop out of leagues where a team can run away from the rest or the pack.
Here let’s compare keeper/dynasty lineups Dave.
Dynasty League (16 teams, money, salary cap, minors no ab/ip limit)
CA M.Napoli
1B E.Hosmer [protected prospect]
2B I.Kinsler
3B R.Zimmerman
SS H.Ramirez
OF J.Hamilton
OF B.Abreu
OF N.Cruz
DH B.Zobrist
SP F.Hernandez
SP C.Kershaw
SP J.Shields
SP F.Liriano
SP C.Tillman
RP H.Bell
RP R.Wells [have a relief appearance mean 1 extra starter]
BN D.Fowler
BN C.Maybin
BN J.Montero [protected prospect]
BN D.Brown [protected prospect]
BN C.Friedrich [protected prospect]
BN D.Holland
BN D.Hudson [protected prospect]
BN M.Perez [protected prospect]
BN A.Pettitte
MN D.Navarro
MN D.Norris
MN N.Weglarz
MN A.Callaspo
MN J.Weeks
MN L.Chisenhall
MN C.Gindl
MN L.Milledge
MN H.Rondon
MN J.Turner
MN M.Wuertz (holds worth as much as saves)
[Players in minors can be drafted by other teams]
Keeper League (14 teams, $75.00 keeper cap, 3 minors, money)
CA B.McCann $8.00
1B M.Cabrera $27.69
2B A.Hill $2.00
3B R.Zimmerman $6.42
SS H.Ramirez $8.00
OF T.Snider $2.00
OF J.Upton $4.00
DH M.Wieters $2.00
SP C.Buchholz $2.00
SP U.Jimenez $6.58
SP C.Kershaw $4.00
SP A.Miller $2.00
MN C.Santana [doesn't count against keeper cap]
MN F.Martinez [doesn't count against keeper cap]
MN B.Matusz [doesn't count against keeper cap]
[To be a minor you have to have less than 300 mlb abs/100 ip]
Sorry, but I walk away when some guy wants to start a circle jerk. I couldn’t care less about your team. What does your roster have to do with this discussion anyway?
What about Carlos Santana, Cleve.?