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2012 Fantasy Baseball NL-Only Catcher Rankings

19 March 2012

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Here’s the 2012 LestersLegends Catcher Rankings for NL-Only Leagues.
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1. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves: Year after year he turns in another solid performance. He has averaged 21.8 HRs and 85.7 RBI over the past six seasons while hitting north of .285. Somehow I think he is a little underrated.
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2. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants: His season could not have ended on a more sour note. Fortunately it happened early enough that it shouldn’t hinder his play. He’ll get some time at first base, which will ensure a solid at bat total.
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3. Miguel Montero, Arizona Diamondbacks: Broke out with an impressive .282-65-18-86-1 season, which is pretty much in line with what he did in his past 1.5 seasons. His second half was better than his solid first half. He’s for real.
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4. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals: Molina will miss Albert Pujols’ presence. How can you not? Molina is not a sexy pick, but he has been steady for years. Is his double-digit HR power for real? Probably not, but he should continue to get you 60+ RBI.
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5. Wilson Ramos, Washington Nationals: Had easily the scariest offseason of anyone, being kidnapped and all. He is just 24 and coming off a solid .267-48-15-52-0 season.
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6. Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs: As always his health is a concern. He has averaged 17 HRs over the past four seasons despite playing in just 118.3 games per year.
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7. Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers: Fielder is gone, but at least Braun avoided suspension. He’ll turn 26 this year though and is coming off a .265-45-12-59-2 season. There is a fall-off after him in NL-Only leagues.
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8. John Buck, Miami Marlins: You hate his .227 batting average, but you like his 16 HRs and 57 RBI.
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9. Rod Barajas, Pittsburgh Pirates: He hit 16 HRs in 305 at bats for the Dodgers. You’ll get a poor average and little else from him though.
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10. Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia Phillies: He can give you a decent average (.292 over the past two seasons), but he has just 36 HRs in 619 career games. There is an obvious tradeoff with Ruiz.
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11. Devin Mesoraco, Cincinnati Reds: He only hit .180 in his cup of coffee (50 ABs), but hit 289 with 15 homers and 71 RBI last year for Triple-A Louisville.
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12. Nick Hundley, San Diego Padres: Hit .288 with 34 runs, nine HRs, and 29 RBI in 281 ABs. His main problem is he can’t stay healthy to get enough ABs. 281 was his career high.
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2012 Fantasy Baseball AL-Only Catcher Rankings

18 March 2012

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Here’s the 2012 LestersLegends Catcher Rankings for AL-Only Leagues.
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1. Mike Napoli, Texas Rangers: Napoli was a force in the second half last year. Finished hitting .320 with 30 HRs. He’s a career .264 so that’s a concern, but I love him in this offense. His added first base eligibility is a bonus.
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2. Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians: Obviously the power is there. Can the .244 lifetime average improve? If so, he could possibly take over the top spot. His added first base eligibility is a bonus.
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3. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins: Am I crazy to think that Mauer can return to form? Maybe, but initial indications are that his legs are back. If that is the case, there is no reason to think this .323 career hitter can’t challenge for a batting title.
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4. Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles: Was the hype machine too much for Wieters? Hard to say. He finally showed the power we expected with 22 HRs. Can the player once referred to as Mauer with Power show improvement in his batting average? My guess is yes.
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5. Jesus Montero, Seattle Mariners: Talk about a trade. The Yankees have the hitting and need pitch and vice versa for the M’s. The deal to send Montero to Seattle for Michael Pineda should be a win-win. He’ll primarily be used as the designated hitter.
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6. Alex Avila, Detroit Tigers: Put up an impressive .295-63-19-82-3 line. Prince Fielder’s arrival should only help that offense.
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7. J.P. Arencibia, Toronto Blue Jays: In his first full season in the bigs he hit 23 HRs. The average sucked, but he possesses big time power.
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8. Kurt Suzuki, Oakland Athletics: Had a down year hitting .237 with just 44 RBI despite hitting 14 HRs. He averaged 14 HRs and 79.5 RBI his previous two seasons. He’s a solid bet to bounce back.
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9. Russell Martin, New York Yankees: He bounced back in his first year with the Yankees. While nobody is satisfied with his .237 batting average, his 57 runs, 18 HRs, 65 RBI, and eight SBs were palatable. If he could get the average up, he would be a real nice fantasy value.
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10. Miguel Olivo, Seattle Mariners: He hit just .224 for Seattle last year. He did score 54 runs, smack 19 HRs, collect 62 RBI, and steal six bases though.
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11. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Boston Red Sox: Horrible average (.235), decent power (16 HR, 56 RBI), and no speed. He did score 51 runs so that’s a bonus. Salty is a strikeout machine so there isn’t much hope for batting average improvement.
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12. Yorvit Torrealba, Texas Rangers: He produced a solid .273-40-7-37-0 line in 396 at bats.
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| Posted by LestersLegends | Categories: fantasy baseball, fantasy baseball rankings, MLB | Tagged: 2012 C rankings, 2012 catcher rankings, AL Only rankings, C rankings, Catcher rankings, fantasy baseball, fantasy baseball rankings, MLB |

2012 Fantasy Baseball Additional Catcher Options

20 February 2012

Be sure to enter the 2012 Fantasy Baseball Team Name Contest
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We already looked at the LestersLegends’ top 15 catcher for 2012, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t additional options if you choose to wait on filling your catcher slot to address other positions.
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Russell Martin bounced back in his first year with the Yankees. While nobody is satisfied with his .237 batting average, his 57 runs, 18 HRs, 65 RBI, and eight SBs were palatable. If he could get the average up, he would be a real nice fantasy value.
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Speaking of getting his average up, Miguel Olivo hit just .224 for Seattle last year. He did score 54 runs, smack 19 HRs, collect 62 RBI, and steal six bases though. Jesus Montero will catch some games, but he will primarily be used as the designated hitter.
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Miami’s John Buck is in the same category. You hate his .227 batting average, but you like his 16 HRs and 57 RBI. Unlike the other guys he didn’t score many runs (41) or steal any bases.
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Boston’s Jarrod Saltalamacchia is more like Buck. Horrible average (.235), decent power (16 HR, 56 RBI), and no speed. He did score 51 runs so that’s a bonus. Salty is a strikeout machine so there isn’t much hope for batting average improvement.
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Albert Pujols isn’t the only new player for the Angels. Chris Iannetta was added as well. He hit .238 last year, which actually improved his lifetime average. He did add 51 runs, 14 HRs, 55 RBI, and six SBs but he was horrible away from Coors Field (.172 batting average, .587 OPS).
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Pittsburgh’s Rod Barajas hit 16 HRs in 305 at bats for the Dodgers. You’ll get a poor average and little else from him though.
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Philadelphia’s Carlos Ruiz can give you a decent average (.292 over the past two seasons), but he has just 36 HRs in 619 career games. There is an obvious tradeoff with Ruiz.
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Texas’ Yorvit Torrealba produced a solid .273-40-7-37-0 line in 396 at bats. He was suspended 66 games by the Venezuelan League for striking an ump. If Bud Selig punishes him as well, his value would take a major hit.
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| Posted by LestersLegends | Categories: fantasy baseball, MLB | Tagged: 2012 C rankings, 2012 catcher rankings, C rankings, Catcher rankings, fantasy baseball, fantasy baseball rankings, MLB |

2012 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Rankings

19 February 2012

Be sure to enter the 2012 Fantasy Baseball Team Name Contest
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Victor Martinez’s injury and Joe Mauer’s down year leaves the position without a bona fide number one. That said, here are the 2012 Lester’s Legends fantasy baseball catcher rankings.
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1. Mike Napoli, Texas Rangers: Napoli was a force in the second half last year. Finished hitting .320 with 30 HRs. He’s a career .264 so that’s a concern, but I love him in this offense. His added first base eligibility is a bonus.
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2. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves: Year after year he turns in another solid performance. He has averaged 21.8 HRs and 85.7 RBI over the past six seasons while hitting north of .285. Somehow I think he is a little underrated.
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3. Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians: Obviously the power is there. Can the .244 lifetime average improve? If so, he could possibly take over the top spot. His added first base eligibility is a bonus.
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4. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins: Am I crazy to think that Mauer can return to form? Maybe, but initial indications are that his legs are back. If that is the case, there is no reason to think this .323 career hitter can’t challenge for a batting title.
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5. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants: His season could not have ended on a more sour note. Fortunately it happened early enough that it shouldn’t hinder his play. He’ll get some time at first base, which will ensure a solid at bat total.
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6. Miguel Montero, Arizona Diamondbacks: Broke out with an impressive .282-65-18-86-1 season, which is pretty much in line with what he did in his past 1.5 seasons. His second half was better than his solid first half. He’s for real.
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7. Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles: Was the hype machine too much for Wieters? Hard to say. He finally showed the power we expected with 22 HRs. Can the player once referred to as Mauer with Power show improvement in his batting average? My guess is yes.
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8. Jesus Montero, Seattle Mariners: Talk about a trade. The Yankees have the hitting and need pitch and vice versa for the M’s. The deal to send Montero to Seattle for Michael Pineda should be a win-win.
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9. Alex Avila, Detroit Tigers: Put up an impressive .295-63-19-82-3 line. Prince Fielder’s arrival should only help that offense.
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10. J.P. Arencibia, Toronto Blue Jays: In his first full season in the bigs he hit 23 HRs. The average sucked, but he possesses big time power.
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11. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals: Molina will miss Albert Pujols’ presence. How can you not? Molina is not a sexy pick, but he has been steady for years. Is his double-digit HR power for real? Probably not, but he should continue to get you 60+ RBI.
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12. Wilson Ramos, Washington Nationals: Had easily the scariest offseason of anyone, being kidnapped and all. He is just 24 and coming off a solid .267-48-15-52-0 season.
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13. Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs: As always his health is a concern. He has averaged 17 HRs over the past four seasons despite playing in just 118.3 games per year.
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14. Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers: Fielder is gone, but at least Braun avoided suspension. He’ll turn 26 this year though and is coming off a .265-45-12-59-2 season. Should be a solid backup fantasy catcher.
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15. Kurt Suzuki, Oakland Athletics: Had a down year hitting .237 with just 44 RBI despite hitting 14 HRs. He averaged 14 HRs and 79.5 RBI his previous two seasons. He’s a solid bet to bounce back.
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| Posted by LestersLegends | Categories: fantasy baseball, fantasy baseball rankings, MLB | Tagged: 2012 C rankings, 2012 catcher rankings, C rankings, Catcher rankings, fantasy baseball, fantasy baseball rankings, MLB |

Fantasy Baseball: 2011 N.L. Only Top 10 Catcher Rankings

8 March 2011

Click here to enter the 2011 Fantasy Baseball Team Name Contest
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brian-mccann .
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Here’s an early look at the N.L. Only 2011 Catcher rankings.
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1. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves: McCann’s average has dipped the past two years to a career low .269. He still supplied the power, hitting 20+ home runs for a third straight year. His RBI total of 77 was his lowest in a full season, but it is still a strong number for a catcher. He’s averaged 21.4 HR and 88.6 RBI over the past five years.
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2. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants: Buster hit .305 with 58 runs, 18 HRs, and 67 RBI as a rookie. He’ll turn just 24 later this month. There’s always a concern that he’ll regress in his second year as pitchers begin to figure him out, but I believe that risk is minimal.
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3. Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs: Soto rebounded with a .280-47-17-53-0 season last year. Though he was limited to 105 games, he restored his fantasy value. Meaning he’s more like the player that broke out in 2008 than the one that bombed in 2009.
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4. Miguel Montero, Arizona Diamondbacks: Montero was a popular pick last year, but a knee injury limited him to 85 games. In that half-season he hit nine HRs with 43 RBI. Look at the injury as a means to get him at a discount this year.
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5. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals: Far from a sexy pick, Yadier has averaged 57.3 RBI over the past three seasons. He hit .304 and .293 in 2008 and 2009 before dipping to .262 last year. He hit .315 in the second half last year. Plus, with 17 stolen bases for the past two years combined, he gives you a quiet boost in that category.
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6. Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia Phillies: Ruiz is a lot like Molina. He’s not going to set the world on fire, but he can give you a decent average and a fair amount of RBI. Keep in mind that his average and OPS in the first half are .245 and .686 respectively, while they increase to .277 and .819 in the second half.
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7. John Buck, Florida Marlins: Buck hit a career high 20 HRs last year. While that number is likely out of reach, he has averaged 12.9 HRs over the past seven seasons.
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8. Chris Iannetta, Colorado Rockies: You’ve reached the desperation stage for N.L. catchers. Iannetta combined for 34 HRs in 2008 and 2009 before going in the tank last year, hitting .197. The power potential is there, but he’s a lifetime .234 hitter.
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9. Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers: Lucroy could miss the start of the year as he recovers from a broken pinkie. His cup of coffee went OK as he hit .253 with 24 runs, four HRs, 26 RBI, and four SBs in 75 games. If you take Lucroy, you’re doing so on potential.
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10. Ryan Doumit, Pittsburgh Pirates: Doumit lost the catcher gig to Chris Snyder, but he should get enough at bats at catcher, first base, and outfield to make him a serviceable option in N.L. Only leagues. He’s averaged 12.7 HRs over the past three years.
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| Posted by LestersLegends | Categories: fantasy baseball, fantasy baseball rankings, MLB | Tagged: 2011 C rankings, 2011 catcher rankings, C rankings, Catcher rankings, fantasy baseball, fantasy baseball rankings, MLB |

Fantasy Baseball: 2011 A.L. Only Top 10 Catcher Rankings

7 March 2011

Click here to enter the 2011 Fantasy Baseball Team Name Contest
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Here’s an early look at the A.L. Only 2011 Catcher rankings.
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1. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins: Hopefully the power returns, but even if it doesn’t his average, run total, and RBI total make him the top fantasy catcher in baseball. He’s a strong bet to win another batting title.
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2. Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers: Leaving Boston will likely mean a slight hit to his numbers, but Victor Martinez is still a force. He hits for average, for power, and is one of the best RBI catchers in the league.
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3. Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles: Wieters struggled last year posting a .249-3711-55-0 line. The O’s have made improvements to their lineup by adding Mark Reynolds, Derrek Lee, and J.J. Hardy. Wieters is still young. Though it’s a bit of a gamble, I think he realizes his potential this year.
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4. Mike Napoli, Texas Rangers: Napoli led all catchers with 26 HRs last year. It was his third straight year with at least 20 HRs. He also scored 60 runs with a career high 68 RBI. Playing for Texas should lead to strong numbers once again. He should get plenty of at bats between catcher, first base, and DH.
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5. Kurt Suzuki, Oakland Athletics: Suzuki has quietly averaged 64.5 runs, 14 HRs, 79.5 RBI, and 5.5 SBs over the past two seasons. If you miss out on Mauer and V-Mart, Suzuki is a nice consolation prize later in the draft.
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6. Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians: Santana needs to stay healthy to become an elite fantasy catcher. He was limited to 150 at bats, but had some moments, including hitting .345 with 10 runs, 4 HRs, and 15 RBIs in June. The risk/reward on Santana is the greatest of the A.L. catchers.
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7. Jorge Posada, New York Yankees: Posada probably won’t spend too much time behind the plate, which should help him stay healthy. He’ll handle the DH duties, and should hit 15+ HRs. He’s not the player he once was, but he’s still a serviceable fantasy option.
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8. Miguel Olivo, Seattle Mariners: Olivo has jumped around throughout his career, playing for six teams. He’s making his second tour with Seattle. One thing that is constant is his power. He has averaged 16.2 HRs and 56.4 RBI over the past five seasons. His upside is limited, but he’s a nice option if you take a catcher late in the draft.
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9. J.P. Arencibia, Toronto Blue Jays: I was high on J.P. and then Napoli came to town. With Napoli off to Texas, Arencibia become a nice sleeper option again. He hit just .143 in his cup of coffee, but hit .301 with 32 HRs and 85 RBI for Triple-A Las Vegas last year.
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10. Russell Martin, New York Yankees: Martin is no longer a fantasy force, but his move to the Yankees could restore some of his value. If the power can return, he could shoot up the rankings, especially if he can get back into the double-digit SBs. The is a low risk option that could end up paying dividends.
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| Posted by LestersLegends | Categories: fantasy baseball, fantasy baseball rankings, MLB | Tagged: 2011 C rankings, 2011 catcher rankings, C rankings, Catcher rankings, fantasy baseball, fantasy baseball rankings, MLB |

Fantasy Baseball: 2011 Top 15 Catcher Rankings

21 January 2011

Click here to enter the 2011 Fantasy Baseball Team Name Contest
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Here’s an early look at the 2011 Catcher rankings.
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1. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins: So the long ball did not translate at Target Field for Mauer. He still hit .327 with 88 runs and 75 RBI. He’s number one and it’s not even close.
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2. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves: McCann saw his numbers dip, but a .269-63-21-77-5 season is still rock solid for a catcher. I fully expect his average (career .289 hitter) and RBI (91.5 from 2006-09) to increase.
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3. Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers: Leaving Boston will likely mean a slight hit to his numbers. He set the bar high though with a .302-64-20-79-1 line so even a dip will yield a top three fantasy catcher.
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4. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants: Youth has been served. Buster hit .305 with 58 runs, 18 HRs, and 67 RBI. He could challenge for the number two catcher spot, but that’s probably a year away.
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5. Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles: Wieters disappointed in 2010 with a .249-3711-55-0 line, but he is still realizing his potential. Don’t count him out yet.