Went over the top 20 for 2011 fantasy baseball and top 10 for 2011 fantasy baseball. Now, friends, it’s time for the top 20 catchers for 2011 fantasy baseball. The top 20 catchers are the glass of warm milk right before you go to sleep. Hey, I just drafted Jorge Posada! Snooze. I love Kurt Suzuki this year! Yawn. I don’t draft top catchers in one catcher leagues. Because I ignore the top catchers doesn’t mean I’m starting the top 20 catcher list at number twenty-one (Chris Snyder? Belch.); some of you might want to know the top catchers. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them draft Napoli. In two catcher leagues, catchers are a little more valuable, but I’d still prefer to avoid them. You can see other top 20 lists for 2011 fantasy baseball under 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rankings. Listed along with these catchers are my 2011 projections for each player and where the tiers begin and end. Anyway, here’s the top 20 catchers for 2011 fantasy baseball:
1. Brian McCann – This is the first tier. This tier goes from here until Posey. This tier is called, “I’ll draft any of these guys if they’re still on the board four to six rounds after their Average Draft Position.” I ended up putting McCann above Mauer in these rankings for a simple reason. I want 20+ home runs way more than I want a .320+ average. If McCann gets his stupid eyes figured out and hits like he should for a 27-year-old, this will be his season. I know Posey is way more exciting than McCann, but unless you’re dating Posey’s sister, exciting isn’t going to get you laid in fantasy baseball. 2011 Projections: 80/25/95/.280/3
2. Joe Mauer – It’s amazing to me how fickle fantasy baseball ‘perts are. Read recently a ‘pert talking about how Mauer will never hit 20 home runs again. These are, of course, the same people that swore his 28 homers in 2009 was the real deal. Can’t anyone separate what someone did the previous year compared to what they will do. I don’t think he will hit 28 home runs either, but I didn’t think he’d do it 2010 and thought it was fluky as shizz in 2009 when he actually did it. Search the site if you’re new to Razzball. It’s all there. Mauer is a 14-17 home run hitter with a great average. If he gets lucky, he hits 20 homers. If he’s unlucky, he hits 9 homers like last year. It’s not brain surgery. And it is a’ight, but I won’t own him because of where he’s drafted. 2011 Projections: 90/15/90/.325/3
3. Victor Martinez – I already went over my Victor Martinez fantasy when I took a scalpel to his Tigers signing. If you click that link, it’ll transport you to a whole new post. It’s magic! 2011 Projections: 70/18/85/.300
4. Buster Posey – I suppose he could be the best catcher for 2011, but what about Mike Napoli? I mean, Mike Napoli’s mom is showing you nips and you still got no love for him? You don’t like MILF nips? You a prude? Are you one of our three girl readers? If so, then maybe I should stop now before we end up with no girl readers. I don’t dislike Posey. All I’m saying is Wieters looked like a surefire bet going into 2010 too. For where you have to draft Posey, I’m not going near him. 2011 Projections: 75/18/80/.310
5. Mike Napoli – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Posada. I call this tier, “I’ll try to grab a catcher from this tier and if it doesn’t happen then c’est la vie.” Honestly, you probably don’t have to draft Napoli because whoever drafts him will probably drop him by mid-April. No one wants to own Napoli. You’re all a bunch of Sciosciapaths! He hits 20+ home runs and steals a few bases. That’s all you need from a catcher. Stop trying to turn your catcher slot to eleven. Oh, and his move to the Rangers ups his power a bit, but he’s not suddenly going to hit for .300. 2011 Projections: 65/24/75/.255/5
6. Matt Wieters – Now that Wieters’ draft position has come down to earth, I don’t mind him at all. Could easily be the top catcher for fantasy in 2011. That ain’t idle chatter. He’s just needs to emerge from his nasty sophomore slump and do what he’s capable of. He was unlucky last year and his walk rate went up while his K-rate went down. They’re all good signs. Here’s to him getting back on the map. (And because no Oriole mention is complete without a Wire mention, I was pulled over the other day for talking on my phone while driving. I know, Oprah would’ve been so disappointed. I’m also the jackhole who usually yells at other drivers, “Hands free!” but I just got a phone call at the wrong time. Anyway, the cop walks up to my window and I read his name tag and immediately yelled out his name, “McNulty!” He’s like, “Do I know you?” “No, but I watch The Wire.” He sighs like he’s heard it a thousand times before and gives me a ticket. Woo-hoo, I got a ticket from McNulty!) 2011 Projections: 60/18/85/.280
7. Geovany Soto – In 105 games last year, he hit 17 home runs. Yes, he too can be the number one catcher in 2011 fantasy baseball. Now that Piniella and his infatuation with Koyie Ugly is out of town, Soto should see all the ABs he can handle. Tough break for The Koyie Hill Fan Club, which affectionately calls itself The Koy Pond. 2011 Projections: 60/18/75/.270
8. Miguel Montero – Unlike Napoli, Wieters or Soto, Montero doesn’t have the big power upside. With my projected 15 home runs I’ve given him, I’m probably just about touching his ceiling. He’ll probably get tiresome at some point in the season making you want to drop him for a hot-as-of-right-now waiver wire catcher. If you do Ron Popeil him, he should be able to give you a solid, if unremarkable catcher season. 2011 Projections: 55/15/70/.275
9. Jorge Posada – After about ten years of ignoring Posada, I think his value has finally caught up with his draft position. I’d like to say his BABIP was low last year, but his skills are declining. He might not hit over .260 again without some luck. Also, like a preacher, he has Jesus breathing down his neck. Still, the ballpark, the lineup around him and the fact he’ll see DH ABs, makes him attractive. 2011 Projections: 50/17/70/.255
10. Carlos Santana – This is a new tier. This tier is just Carlos Santana. This tier I call, “I’m not owning Carlos Santana unless he falls very far in my drafts.” Bill James has Carlos Santana down for 22 homers. Bill James is smoking crack cocaine. Carlos Santana might be great in 2011, but I need the ulcer to see if he’s healthy? I have enough stress in my life. I’m letting Carlos Santana prove his mettle on someone else’s team. What, I’m gonna miss out on a 15-homer, .280 season from a catcher? Big whoop, friend. Big effin’ whoop. 2011 Projections: 55/15/65/.280
11. Kurt Suzuki – This is a new tier. This tier goes from here until Carlos Ruiz. I call this tier, “I’m only listing them so you know I don’t want them on any teams.” I stared at the screen for three minutes trying to think of something positive to say about Suzuki. What you ended up with was me confessing to you that I had nothing positive to say about him. That about sums it up. 2011 Projections: 60/14/70/.260/3
12. Yadier Molina – Oh. My. God. Get me the hell out of this tier. For reals. 2011 Projections: 40/7/55/.270/7
13. A.J. Pierzynski – Not only is he a terrible pick but his last name is impossible for me to spell. Just let Tyler Flowers flourish or flounder, for suck fake. (Say that fast 117 times.) 2011 Projections: 50/12/55/.275
14. Carlos Ruiz – Carlos Ruiz makes Kurt Suzuki seem like an upside pick. 2011 Projections: 35/10/55/.265
15. Chris Iannetta – This is a new tier. This tier goes until the end of the post. I call this tier, “It’s late in the game and I’m taking some upside.” You might look at the tier names and think to yourself, why doesn’t he just move Iannetta above Suzuki if he’s ignoring Kurt? I guess I could, but I’m not taking Iannetta or any of these late names until the guys above them are already drafted. So by listing Iannetta here you know who has to come off the board before you draft one of these late round fliers. If you were to draft Iannetta before, say, Ruiz is off the board, I wouldn’t be mad at you, but you might be reaching. As for Iannetta, “Meh, at least he’s got some upside.” 2011 Projections: 40/15/60/.245
16. Russell Martin – I don’t like Martin then he went to the Yankees and I was slightly more interested. Put a big flashing sign on “slightly” to emphasize it. In the absolute last round of a draft, I’d consider him. There, I said it. Are you happy you’ve embarrassed me? 2011 Projections: 70/10/60/.270/10
17. J.P. Arencibia – First, let’s see what I said when he was first called up, “In Triple-A, Arencibia hit 32 homers in 412 ABs. That’s-a one spicy prospect! To go all Latin America on you, there’s a caveat. That was in the PCL, which is like playing on the moon with an aluminum bat. He’s not quite the prospect of Wieters, Posey or Carlos Santana, pre-Kalish yelling at him, ‘Eat everything off your plate!'” And that’s me quoting me! Arencibia might not be a huge impact guy in 2011, but he can be. At catcher, I like to gamble. 2011 Projections: 40/15/55/.240
18. Ryan Doumit – He never stays healthy but in some ways that doesn’t matter for a catcher. Since everyone only owns one of them, there’s plenty of catchers on waivers for Doumit’s thrice-annual trip to the DL. 2011 Projections: 35/15/55/.250
19. John Jaso – I look at Jaso’s number and I see a poor man’s Russell Martin. That’s not a compliment. But Jaso is a bit more of an unknown so maybe there’s some more upside there. That’s barely a compliment. 2011 Projections: 60/6/45/.270/6
20. Miguel Olivo – It’s kinda sad when the upside tier has Doumit, Olivo and Russell Martin. Catchers suck. 2011 Projections: 45/15/55/.235/7
After the top 20 catchers for 2011 fantasy baseball, there’s plenty of names, but here’s three I want to point out:
Jesus Montero – If he gets an everyday job out of Spring Training, which I don’t think he will, he’ll shoot up this rankings list. I’d move him up to 9th overall. If he does get the everyday job, his price tag will probably be too steep for my blood though. I also went over my Jesus Montero fantasy already. Click that thing-a-ma-boob. By all means, grab him in keepers if your bench is deep enough, but with the Martin addition, I don’t think we see Montero until late summer at the earliest (barring an injury). 2011 Projections: 20/5/30/.290 in 100 at-bats
John Buck – I usually like to end these top 20 posts with some exciting names, but we’re talking about catchers when I highlight John Buck. He’s usually forgotten on draft day and he’s good for teen power. Should you draft him at any point before the final round? Buck that! 2011 Projections: 40/15/55/.245
Jarrod Saltalamacchia – There was a point in the not that distance past that Jarrod Saltymochachino was a touted prospect. “Shizz happens, write him off, let’s move on, Grey.” That’s you talking. “He’s not quite old; he’ll be only 26 years old in 2011. In the last round of draft, you got better things to do than to draft an upside catcher in a hitters’ park and lineup? Yeah, I didn’t think so.” That’s me talking. 2011 Projections: 55/16/70/.255/5 <– optimistic but whatevs
