By Dalton Del Don – Senior Writer
1. Joe Mauer – The more I think about it, the higher I think Mauer should go in two-catcher formats. In those formats, he’s worthy of a top-20 pick. 1-C leagues can afford to wait, but expect Mauer to be gone by round 4 – rightfully so. The power is going to come.
2. Victor Martinez – The drop off from Mauer to V-Mart isn’t quite as steep as most seem to think.
3. Brian McCann – Maybe the most astute move of all would be to wait until rounds 4-6 and nab McCann, who has the potential to enter next season first on this list. He followed a .343 fist half by clubbing 18 homers in the second half, knocking out 24 balls in just 442 at-bats in total. Go get him.
4. Mike Piazza – Piazza’s fantasy prospects haven’t looked this good in years. He can still rake, evidenced by his .332/.372/.564 line when not hitting in spacious Petco Park last year, but injuries remain a concern with the aging backstop. A full-time DH role should help him stay healthy, and hitting cleanup in Oakland’s lineup should help his numbers.
5. Michael Barrett – A split scrotum is never a good thing, but you can use it to your advantage when it comes to Barrett. The injury ended his season last year prematurely, suppressing his otherwise impressive numbers as a result. It’s a contract year for Barrett, and he’ll be a prominent part of a revamped Cubs’ lineup.
6. Ramon Hernandez – Hernandez clubbed 15 homers with 61 RBI during the first half last year but slowed down some after the All-Star break thanks in large part to the Orioles overworking him. Expect similar numbers this year, making him a fine middle tier option.
7. Kenji Johjima – Johjima hit so well his first year in America that he found himself batting third during September. He also showed better power as the year went on.
8. Jorge Posada – Posada has defied the odds by continuing to be productive behind the dish now well into his 30s. Eligible for free agency after the season, expect a motivated Posada to once again remain productive while hitting in such a potent lineup.
9. Pudge Rodriguez – Similar to Posada (both 36 years old and in contract years), Rodriguez has seen his power decline precipitously. Despite batting .300 last year, he slugged just .437, so don’t expect anything more than 15 HRs. Over his last 1,051 at-bats, Rodriguez has taken 37 free passes – his days as a star are in the rearview mirror.
10. Russell Martin – This ranking is probably too low, as Martin has the ability to outperform more than a couple of names listed above. No catcher figures to steal more bases than Martin, who could easily reach 10-15. The fact he’s slated to hit toward the bottom of the Dodgers’ lineup does, however, stunt his value somewhat.
11. A.J. Pierzynski
12. Jason Varitek
13. Paul Lo Duca
14. Gerald Laird
15. Johnny Estrada
16. Jason Kendall
17.Benjie Molina
18. Ronny Paulino
19. Miguel Olivo
20. David Ross
21. Chris Iannetta
22. Josh Bard
23. Gregg Zaun
24. Mike Napoli
25. Javy Lopez
26. Yadier Molina
27. Miguel Montero
28. Rod Barajas
29. Dioner Navarro
30. John Buck
Leave a Reply