Fantasy Baseball: Catcher was supposed to be better than ever in 2026 — but here's how it's actually performed
· Yahoo Sports
We heard it over and over again throughout draft season: 2026 was poised to be an all-time year for catcher production. Nearly every fantasy baseball analyst, yours included, wrote about how the catcher pool was overflowing with options for those in one-catcher leagues.
So far, the results are inconclusive. It’s still early in the season, but the overall .703 OPS achieved by catchers is just .006 higher than last season. In comparison to other seasons in the current century, this has been an average campaign for catchers. Perhaps as the weather warms up and pitcher injuries continue to mount, the backstops will put their skills on full display.
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While the overall production has been moderate, there are still many enticing options at the position. Half of the top-12 catchers to this point in the season are still sitting on waivers in the majority of Yahoo leagues.
Here are some expected stats, via Statcast, that can help managers to decide if they want to pivot to someone else.
Cal Raleigh, Mariners: So far, drafting Raleigh in Rd. 2 has been an unmitigated disaster. The former 60-homer player has been one of baseball’s worst hitters so far, batting .154 with just two homers. His expected stats aren’t much better, including a .193 xBA and .391 SLG. Raleigh is striking out too often (32.4%) and otherwise making poor contact (83.9 mph average exit velocity).
The Yahoo Trade Market shows that in recent days, he has been frequently swapped for other top-five catchers, which feels like a fair return at this point. I would wait it out, but I wouldn’t fault anyone who prefers Shea Langeliers, William Contreras or Ben Rice.
Ivan Herrera, Cardinals: Herrera is off to a slow start, which overshadows an excellent Statcast page. The 25-year-old isn’t hitting the ball hard (89.0 mph average exit velocity), but the rest of his Statcast page is bright red (that’s a good thing). Herrera’s walk rate is elite, his strikeout rate is elite and his .293 xBA is 100 points higher than his actual mark. Fantasy managers should stick with him, or scoop him up in leagues where he has been dropped.
Agustín Ramírez, Marlins: This may be confirmation bias, as Ramírez was someone whom I faded during draft season. But my recommendation is to consider dropping him in 10-team leagues. He’s off to a mediocre start, and his expected stats are even worse than his actual marks. The poor recent performance comes on the heels of a 2025 second half in which he logged a lowly .637 OPS. His ability to steal bases is the only reason to consider keeping Ramírez around in standard Yahoo formats. And I’m not sure if that is enough.
Dillon Dingler, Tigers: Still rostered in just 30% of Yahoo leagues, Dingler is quickly becoming a viable option for those who want to drop an unproductive catcher. Not only is the 27-year-old doing well on the surface (.250/.353/.477 slash line) but his xBA, xSLG and xwOBA are all top five at the position. Dingler is also an exceptional defensive player at the most important position.
Francisco Alvarez, Mets: Alvarez is off to a solid start, which builds on a strong 2025 second half in which he logged a .921 OPS. His power skills are especially standing out, as his .722 xSLG ranks first at the position. Like Dingler, Alvarez is a prime pivot option for those who are disappointed in their current catcher.
Carter Jensen, Royals: There is a fun narrative that Jensen turned his season around after he was benched for sleeping through his alarm on April 2. Unfortunately, it may soon be proven to be untrue. Jensen is striking out too often (34.8%) to have sustained success. His expected stats (.227 xBA, .481 xSLG) are not special marks.
I’m not giving up on the youngster; not at all. But I’m also not racing out to add him in standard Yahoo formats.
Yainer Díaz, Astros: I’ll admit that I have never been a fan of Díaz, who rarely draws a walk and drives half of his batted balls into the ground. I continue to be unimpressed with the 27-year-old, who has the expected stats (.224 xBA, .277 xSLG) to back up a poor start (.549 OPS).
Díaz is typically a serviceable fantasy option for two reasons: he can post a helpful batting average and the Astros give him more playing time than most catchers. He can be retained for those reasons, but I wouldn’t argue with anyone who wanted to drop him for Dingler or Alvarez, which may be the start of a process of streaming the position until settling on someone who becomes a major upgrade.
Samuel Basallo, Orioles: One of baseball’s best prospects, Basallo showed signs that he wasn’t ready for the majors when he logged a .559 OPS in 109 at-bats last season. He has been even worse so far in 2026 (.513 OPS), and his expected stats show that he hasn’t deserved a significantly better fate (.174 xBA, .345 xSLG). Basallo may need more minor-league seasoning, and he shouldn’t continue to have a roster rate that is similar to that of Dingler.
Adley Rutschman, Orioles: It’s time to send Rutschman to waivers in one-catcher leagues.
The Baltimore backstop, who is currently on the IL, was bad in the second half of 2024 (.585 OPS), and not much better last season (.673 OPS). Sure, he looks like he’s playing well so far (.855 OPS), but his expected stats are terrible (.198 xBA, .322 xSLG). He hasn’t homered and has benefited from an unsustainable .357 BABIP. Rutschman has strong plate discipline, but his appeal ends there.
Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays: Kirk is even less desirable to stash than Rutschman. He’s hurt, his ceiling is low and he was off to a slow start. His 34% roster rate is 34% too high.
Victor Caratini, Twins: For the deep-league crowd, I’ll mention Caratini, who leads all catchers with a .324 xBA. The veteran has minimal power skills, and anything more than 10 homers would be a good season. But the Twins’ willingness to give him DH opportunities should help Caratini’s counting stats, and he’s one of the few lower-end catchers who can help with batting average, making him a good option in two-catcher formats.