Catcher is usually an after-thought for most fantasy baseball owners.* I know I prefer to wait on the position if I am not lucky enough to be able to snag one of the top 5 or 6 backstops in my drafts.* In dynasty leagues or deeper keeper leagues, however, you should always be on the lookout for any player that can help your team out in the future.* Thus, I thought it would be a good time to examine what the consensus argues are the top 3 catchers in the minor leagues.
Travis d’Arnaud C NYM
d’Arnaud has been sitting on any number of fantasy prospect rosters while his owners patiently wait for him to get healthy enough to start playing full time.* There is no doubt about his offensive ability, and the fact that he can flash above average speed (and not just for a catcher) as well as great strike zone management, has helped him rise quickly to Triple-A in the Met’s system.* He was a big prize in the RA Dickey trade that the Mets agreed to with the Blue Jays (and before that, he went from the Phillies to the Jays in the Doc Halladay trade-obviously, he is coveted by GMs).
The concerns, aside from his injury history, are his defense coupled with a need to develop a more effective game calling presence.* A full year at Triple-A would undoubtedly assist in his development, but with his absence from the line up in 2013, he may not reach the big league club until 2014, although a September call up seems likely if he heals properly and can stay in the lineup.
Gary Sanchez C NYY
Sanchez has recently been promoted from High-A to Double-A Trenton by the Yankees.* He has shown good power in the minors, and at 6’2”, 190 lbs. he is a big boy that should continue to pound the ball around the park.* Sanchez, at this point in his development, is not a savvy defensive catcher and he will need to work on both his defense and ability to throw out runners to stick behind the plate as opposed to becoming a DH or possibly a 1B. *While he has not displayed the discipline to become a .300 hitter (he does have the raw skill set that would allow him to hit in the .275-.295 range), he does have the ability to hit to all fields, with power enough to fit in as a middle of the lineup guy. Due to the Yankee catching situation, he could hit the majors by 2014, but without catcher eligibility, he becomes a lot less desirable.* Keep an eye on his development in Double and Triple-A as far as defense goes.
Austin Hedges C SD
Hedges was a big bonus signing by the Padres in 2011, who has reached Double-A San Antonio just recently.* Unlike Sanchez, he has the defensive skills to stick at catcher as he moves up through the Padre minor league ranks.* Unlike d’Arnaud and Sanchez, he is not a power hitting backstop, his skills are more suited to using the whole field and being a gap hitter.* Scouts rave about his arm strength and quick, accurate release.* He possess soft hands behind the plate, fields his position well and blocks pitches adroitly. So long as the youngster (he turns 21 on August 18) continues to develop his batting skills, and maintain his excellent defense, he should be up with the big league club by 2015 at the latest.
Ya got fantasy questions?* Drop me a message at iganderson@yahoo.com, and put the phrase “Rotoprofessor” in the subject line so I don’t miss your e-mail.
Posted on August 10, 2013 by Rotoprofessor. This entry was posted in Prospects. Bookmark the permalink.
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