Here, friend, are some catchers that I will be targeting at my 2020 fantasy drafts after the top options are gone. I’m not going to get into the strategy of punting catchers. Been there, half-drunkenly wrote that years ago. Click on the player’s name where applicable to read more and see their 2020 projections and blurbs I wrote for them. This is a (legal-in-most-countries) supplement to the top 20 catchers of 2020 fantasy baseball. Now, guys and five girl readers, I am not saying avoid catchers like Yasmani Grandal if they fall, but, to get on this list, a catcher needs to be drafted later than 200 overall, and, to preemptively answer at least seven comments, yes, I will go around the entire infield, outfield and pitchers to target very late. Anyway, here’s some catchers to target for 2020 fantasy baseball:
Carson Kelly (205 NFBC ADP, 271 ESPN, 242 Yahoo) Firstly, which was not Bruce Lee’s dad, I wrote Christian Vazquez and Omar Narvaez in this post, then I removed them, and I want to say why. I don’t mind either of them because of their price, but Narvaez seems destined for a platoon — losing ABs will cost him fantasy value — and he did not hit the ball very hard last year. Plus, I like Pina (coladas, and making love in the rain). Mean’s while, Vazquez’s peripherals say he’s closer to a 15-homer guy than a 23-homer guy. It’s all good in the Hood Ice Cream Cup factory, but they were here and now they’re not — as Alanis said, “YOU OUGHTA KNOW!” Carson Kelly is still here, so let’s jump on the lap of this pop-timer. Kelly was top 8% of the league in BB%, his expected AVG on fastballs was .265 and he hit .342 on offspeed pitches. His exit velocity was 89 MPH and his expected slugging was .466, about same as Yasmani Grandal. Kelly quietly hit 18 HRs and .245 last year, and walks a ton. He could sneak into a 25-homer, .270 season and move all the way up to fifth spot in order, instead of…Who is there now? David Peralta? Kole Calhoun? Let’s here from the dog pound for Carsenio Kelly!
Jorge Alfaro (212 NFBC ADP, unranked ESPN, 286 Yahoo) Think I need to start referring to myself as an Alfaro truther. Every year I’m in on Alfaro and no one else is. I’m willing to accept that Alfaro looks better on digital paper than in final results in his statline. Once again, though, for the back of the room! Alfaro had a better barrels/plate appearance than Realmuto and Grandal. He bested those two in exit velocity, as well. Every year Alfaro averages 400+ feet on his home runs and his launch angle is sheeeeeeeeeeeet. Okay, so that’s the issue. Alfaro doesn’t hit enough fly balls, but one little tweak and he’s hitting donkers for days and his baby’s momma’s daddy is going dong! Frank Sinatra sang in Forget Domani, “Let’s not forget about Alfaro,” and Sinatra was dead before Alfaro was alive, so how do you explain that if Alfaro isn’t worth owning? You can’t!
Sean Murphy (225 NFBC ADP, unranked ESPN, 277 Yahoo) There’s a large faction of people out there that know more than us about projections, but sometimes those people are throwing darts at playing time and pretending a dart landed somewhere on purpose. No one knows quite how many at-bats Murphy is going to get. Hey, I don’t know either! Therein lies the buying opportunity. Everyone is saying Murphy won’t get more than 90 games played. They’re also saying he’ll hit 15 homers in that time. So, if he actually gets 120 games, everyone is saying he’ll hit 20 homers (thereabouts, don’t quibble on one home run either way). They’re also saying he’ll hit .250. What they’re not saying is to draft him, but I am.
Tom Murphy (255 NFBC ADP, unranked ESPN, 323 Yahoo) For some reason I now have How Many MCs by Black Moon in my head, only my warped brain has changed it to How Many Murphys. Bullseye, direct hit, don’t get shafted, but how many Murphys must get drafted? Two, apparently. Though, John Ryan Murphy is standing outside your window waving his hand like Forrest Gump. Tom Murphy’s stats aren’t a ton different from Alfaro on ‘how hard balls are hit,’ but Murphy hits everything in the air with his 18.9 Launch Angle. That’s not bad, in theory, but he could hit .210. He could also hit 35 homers and have me scream into a pillow about what Murphy could’ve done all those years wasted in Coors when I owned him.
Danny Jansen (280 NFBC ADP, unranked ESPN, 324 Yahoo) Mentioned this a few weeks ago on the podcast, and alluded to it in the Sean Murphy blurb, but don’t put too much credence into early depth charts. People making those are guessing like the rest of us. I don’t know who will be the Jays’ starting catcher, but if I were guessing, I’d guess Jansen. I see some guessing Reese McGuire. That’s an off-brand Jerry Maguire, as far as I’m concerned. “You compete me.” That’s what Reese McGuire says to Jansen, as he drops trou to signal for a fastball. Would be a shame if Jansen doesn’t get first crack at the starting job. He was only given 138 major league games so far and hit 16 homers. Okay, not setting the world aflame, but he’s 24 years old and should be given at least one more full season.
Jacob Stallings (417 NFBC, unranked ESPN, unranked Yahoo) Rudy loved Stallings (to the extent anyone punting catchers can love a catcher) going into draft season and has grabbed him in a few leagues. Was he writing dirty limericks about Stallings? No, you write them on a stall, not about one. After digging in a little bit, I see the attraction. Last year he hit six homers and .262 with neutral luck and a 19% K-rate in only 71 games. If he gets 120 games — and really why wouldn’t the Pirates play him; they have nothing — Stallings could back into 15 homers while having a great average (for a catcher).
Chance Sisco (467 NFBC ADP, unranked ESPN, unranked Yahoo) Yes, this guy is an absolute shot in the dark. That’s why he’s named Chance Sisco and not Guaranteed Champagne! Risky Bum Wine vs. Celebrating Your Parents’ 50th Anniversary. Tomato-to-mah-yuck-o. But put this in your head, and let it breathe down into your brain stem: Last year in 45 Triple-A games, Sisco hit 10 HRs, then was promoted and hit eight homers in 167 ABs. In total, he had 335 at-bats last year and hit 18 HRs. Maybe Pedro Severino is the starter (I’m betting against this), and Sisco is as good as getting drunk on roofies. For the ADP, which is less than free, I like the gamble on Chance — pun points! I think Sisco gets first crack, which makes sense since he’s also famous for The Thong Song. Also, check out the video at the top of the page for more on Sisco.
