Catchers have a tendency of being the fantasy equivalent of setting up auto payments with your bank — you set up the payment to be taken care of automatically, so you don’t have to worry or think about it, and you only are notified when something goes wrong.
If you have players like Gary Sanchez, Yasmani Grandal or J.T. Realmuto, you generally set your lineup and forget about it until there’s an injury (as has been experienced recently with other top backstop options Yadier Molina and Wilson Contreras).
Not even underperforming backstops seem to convince many fantasy owners to make moves — largely because there are more productive players at other positions available, who play more often. So catcher is often treated as a position that just requires someone who plays often and can provide, well, numbers.
Case in point: Buster Posey.
Posey was drafted as a top-five catcher, partly because of the expectations that have come with his name over the years. Unfortunately, outside of having one of the lower strikeout percentages among catchers, he has not performed like a player who is one of the best at his position. He entered Saturday hitting .259 with five homers, 28 RBIs and a .715 OPS, yet was owned in 71.6 percent of ESPN leagues — far more than a slew of other catchers who are providing far better fantasy value.
So, though Posey is being plugged into rosters because he is a name you know and trust, there are tons of catchers worthy of being rostered wasting away on the waiver wire, like Minnesota’s Mitch Garver.
Garver does strike out in about 29 percent of his at-bats while walking in just 10.3 percent and has a high BABIP (.327), which indicates he has had some good fortune, but there are lots of positives to his game.
Among catchers with a minimum of 190 plate appearances, Garver ranks first in slugging percentage and OPS, second in on-base percentage and average, fourth in homers, eighth in runs scored and 10th in RBIs.
The 28-year-old does not swing and miss a lot, he crushes fastballs (.373, 6 HRs, 27.3 percent HR/FB), he is hitting home runs every 10.9 at-bats (9.2 percent of the time), driving in a run every 4.6 at-bats, and 49 percent of his hits are going for extra bases.
The most amazing thing about Garver’s numbers? He entered Saturday having played in just 50 games. This is not a player who should be available in almost 60 percent of ESPN leagues. If he is available in your league, you should grab him and start him … immediately.
Some might believe recommending rostering 30-year-old injury-prone former Met Travis d’Arnaud to be a reactionary move after his three-homer, five-RBI performance against the Yankees on Tuesday (and his overall performance against the Bombers this season — .282, 4 HRs, 9 RBIs, 1.032 OPS), but it isn’t. After getting the boot from the Amazin’s and being traded by the Dodgers after only one game, d’Arnaud has thrived in Tampa Bay.
In his first 42 games with the Rays, d’Arnaud hit .261 with nine homers, 26 RBIs, 26 runs and a .818 OPS. He is hitting homers in 6 percent of his at-bats (once every 15 at-bats) and driving in a run every 5.5 at-bats.
That is solid production from a player who, as of Friday, was owned in just 5.5 percent of ESPN leagues. He is someone who could fill in for a struggling or injured top-tier catcher, or be a solid backup or a second catcher in two-catcher leagues.
James McCann of the White Sox may not be the sexiest name, but he entered Saturday first among catchers in batting average and tied for first in stolen bases. It doesn’t hurt that he has smacked 10 homers, driven in 31 runs and scored 39. He may regress as the season rolls on with his .385 BABIP, but the All-Star deserves to be owned in more than just 42.8 percent of leagues.
Even Arizona’s Carson Kelly, owned in just 2.8 percent of ESPN leagues, can provide stable production. He ranks in the top five among catchers with 190 plate appearances or more in OBP, OPS and walk percentage. He also ranks in the top 10 in average and homers.
Big hits
Xander Bogaerts SS, Red Sox
Entered Saturday having at least one hit in 23 of his previous 26 games, going 38-for-106 (.358) with seven homers, 30 RBIs and a 1.104 OPS.
Yu Darvish SP, Cubs
Not only has he not allowed a run in his first two starts after the break, he has walked one (he did hit two batters), struck out 15 and allowed just two hits. Opponents hit .100 against him in those two games.
Yasiel Puig OF, Reds
In his first 14 games this month, the slugger was 21-for-54 (.389) with five homers, 13 RBIs, 10 runs and a 1.126 OPS. He did not walk in that span.
Josh Donaldson 3B, Braves
Entered Saturday with at least one hit in seven of his past nine games, while batting .345 with five homers, 13 RBIs, 10 runs, a stolen base, nine walks and a 1.397 OPS.
Big Whiffs
German Marquez SP, Rockies
Has allowed 19 earned runs over his past three starts (11 on Monday), going 0-2 with an 11.66 ERA, .373 opponent average and four homers allowed in that 14 ²/₃ innings stretch.
Josh Bell 1B, Pirates
Roto Rage’s first-half MVP was just 3-for-30 (.100) with 12 strikeouts, four walks and a .339 OPS in his past nine games before Saturday.
Zach Eflin SP, Phillies
Entered his start Saturday having lost four of his past six starts. He allowed seven homers, 26 earned runs and a .319 opponent average in that span.
Blake Treinen RP, Athletics
In his first five appearances since returning from the IL, the 31-year-old allowed four earned runs, walked four and was 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA.
Check Swings
- Jeff Samardzija has picked up wins in his first three starts this month while allowing just four runs over his past 21 ²/₃ innings (1.66 ERA). He has 17 strikeouts, three walks and a .169 opponent average in that span. Wanna guess the one month through his career which the veteran actually has a winning record?
- Sometimes being demoted is a good thing. Just ask San Diego’s Chris Paddack, who is 2-0 with a 1.48 ERA, 23-6 strikeout-walk rate and .134 opponent average in four starts since rejoining the team.
- In his first six games after the All-Star break, San Francisco’s Brandon Crawford went 10-for-24 (.417) with four homers, 12 RBIs, 10 runs, four walks and a 1.458 OPS. This including a two-homer, eight-RBI effort against the Rockies on Tuesday. This outburst, from a guy hitting .238 this season, happened in two of the most hitter-friendly parks ever created (Coors Field and Miller Park), so his performance is the equivalent of a first-grader telling you that you’re the bestest speller they ever met.
Team of the Week
Loney Tunes