Big_E

Over the next couple of weeks, I will share my rankings for the top fantasy baseball players. These rankings are based on a standard 5 x 5 rotisserie league, with a $260 salary cap and 23 active players.

Starting off: Catchers

1. Russell Martin, LA Dodgers. Martin has quickly moved up the rankings to become the top fantasy catcher. He hit 19 HR last year, knocked in 87 runs, batted .293 and stole 21 bases. Those would be good numbers for a 2B (Robinson Cano, for example, hit .306, with 19 HR and 97 RBI but stole only 4 bases) but for a catcher, it puts him in the elite class. Usually I don't like spending a lot of money on catchers, but for Martin expect to pay at least $20. He's worth it.

2. Victor Martinez, Cleveland. Many magazines will still have Martinez ranked #1, and really, you can't argue against it. He's been the top-ranked catcher for the last few years, and last year's 25 HR, 114 RBI, .301 season did nothing to dispel that. But he also had zero SB, and has only one stolen base in nearly 650 career games. His HR and RBI were both career highs for the 29-year old, and I don't expect him to match or exceed them this year. Also worth at least $20 on the open market, Martinez "earned" $24 last year.

3. Joe Mauer, Minnesota. Before Martin burst upon the scene, Mauer was your do-it-all catcher. Decent pop (13 HR in 2006) he will also give you around 9 SB a season to go with 70 RBI and a .290 BA. If your league starts a run on catchers, don't be suckered into overbidding for a guy like Mauer. Most magazines rank him in the $18-20 range, but truth is, he only earned $13 last year. Let someone else over pay. If you spend more than $15 on Mauer you most likely won't get your money's worth.

4. Jorge Posada, NY Yankees. Posada had a monster year last year, with 20 HR, 90 RBI (both his typical averages) but an outstanding .338 BA and 91 Runs. The .338 BA was 50 points higher than his career best, and the 91 runs scored was the most he's had since 2000. Posada also turns 37 this August, and with over 1300 games behind the plate his numbers are due to go south this year. Oh, he'll get you your usual 20 HR, 85-90 RBI. But expect more of a .280 BA and 75 Runs scored. Posada earned $28 in 2007 -- with no speed and a BA 40-50 points less, he'll probably be worth $14-15 in 2008. Still good for a catcher, though.

5. Brian McCann, Atlanta. With 42 HR and 185 RBI over the last two seasons, McCann is easily a Top-5 catcher on draft day. He's only 24 years old, and should start to peak within the next couple of years. He's not quite the "name" catcher as the top 4, so you might get him a little cheaper than you should. You might get into a bidding war with someone over him, especially if the top 4 are gone, so expect to pay in the $15-16 range for McCann. He'll come close to earning it back -- he was worth $16 last year and could improve on that slightly this year -- but don't go over $16 for him.


These next guys will probably go in the $8-12 range on auction day, and will earn anywhere from $5-13 on the season. Some are on the way up, others on the way down. But still a solid bunch for your #1 catcher.

6. Kenji Johjima, Seattle
7. Bengie Molina, San Francisco
8. Ramon Hernandez, Baltimore
9. Ivan Rodriguez, Detroit
10. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Texas

The last of the guys worth looking at will set you back $4-8 in your auction, and are worth a bid if your strategy is to not spend too much on your #1 catcher.

11. Paul Lo Duca, Washington
12. Jason Varitek, Boston
13. Josh Bard, San Diego
14. Ryan Doumit, Pittsburgh
15. A.J. Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox

All the rest are projected to be #2 catchers in your league, worth no more than $1-3 on draft day.

Comments?

There are many things that make Yankee Stadium unique among baseball stadiums. Besides the history, the championships, the 'mystique and aura', there are "The Big Bat", Monument Park, and Bob Sheppard.

Bob Sheppard, for those people not familiar with him, is the "Voice of Yankee Stadium".  He has been the public address announcer for the Yankees since 1951, and for the New York Football Giants from 1956 to 2006. Since joining the Yankees, he has announced over 4,500 baseball games, and has worked 22 World Series. The first Yankee lineup Sheppard announced contained 5 future Hall of Famers: Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Johnny Mize, Yogi Berra, and Phil Rizzuto. The Yankees played the Boston Red Sox that day, so Sheppard also introduced Ted Williams and Lou Boudreau, for a total of seven future Hall of Famers.