2010 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Rankings

Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2010: Catchers

One of the toughest positions to predict in fake MLB are fantasy baseball catchers. That said, there’s no question who the top dog is at the position coming into the 2010 season.

For the third year in a row, Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins comes into the year as the top catcher in our fantasy baseball catcher rankings. In 2009, Mauer wasn’t just the top catcher in fantasy baseball – he was one of the games top overall players. Despite an early season injury and an ESPN.com average draft position of 94, Mauer batted .365 with 28 home runs, 96 RBI, 94 runs scored and 4 steals.

Remember back a couple years ago when Mauer didn’t have the power numbers to take over a slugger like Victor Martinez? Because V-Mart regularly contributed to categories like home runs and RBI at a more consistent clip than Mauer, there was no way Mauer could have been the best. In 2010’s fantasy baseball landscape, slugging catchers like V-Mart and Brian McCann are now outpaced by Mauer because of Mauer’s phenomenal batting average.

Since most catchers are good for a batting average in the .260’s and around 15 home runs, a surprising increase in power numbers typically takes an unknown catcher and gives him sleeper status in fantasy baseball. A handful of catchers to watch with a keen eye in your 2010 fantasy baseball drafts include two Miguel’s (Olivo of Colorado and Montero of Arizona) and Kelly Shoppach, who hit 12 home runs in just 89 games, now potentially starting for Tampa Bay.

While I expect that Brandon Inge will keep his multi-position eligibility, it will be interesting to see what happens with Pablo Sandoval. The Kung-Fu Panda made a name for himself last season but he may lose his backstop status, severely dropping his fantasy value.

Fantasy Baseball Catcher Rankings

For 2010 fantasy baseball players, there are a wide variety of quality catchers to consider heading into the season. Based on our best guesses, player history, and projection – we have ranked our Top 25 for you. E-mail webmaster [at] fantasybaseballdugout [dot] com if you think we got something viciously wrong.

  1. Brian McCannJoe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
  2. Victor Martinez, Boston Red Sox
  3. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves
  4. Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles
  5. Russell Martin, Los Angeles Dodgers
  6. Jorge Posada, New York Yankees
  7. Kurt Suzuki, Oakland Athletics
  8. Chris Iannetta, Colorado Rockies
  9. Mike Napoli, Los Angeles Angels
  10. Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs
  11. Miguel Montero, Arizona Diamondbacks
  12. Ryan Doumit, Pittsburgh Pirates
  13. A.J. Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox
  14. Bengie Molina, San Francisco Giants
  15. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Texas Rangers
  16. Kelly Shoppach, Tampa Bay Rays
  17. Rod Barajas, Toronto Blue Jays
  18. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
  19. Jason Varitek, Boston Red Sox
  20. Miguel Olivo, Colorado Rockies
  21. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
  22. Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia Phillies
  23. John Baker, Florida Marlins
  24. Jesus Flores, Washington Nationals
  25. Ramon Hernandez, Cincinnati Reds

Check Out Our Other 2010 Fantasy Baseball Rankings:
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