We are kicking off a new series, ranking RDBL Prospects on a position by position basis before releasing the first RDBL Top 100 since 2020. We are starting the series behind the plate, ranking the Top 10 catchers currently under a Minor League contract.
The position overall has seen a sizable influx of young players over the last two seasons with 11 catchers under a RDBL Rookie contract expected to be Keepers in 2024.
1. C Francisco Alvarez, Asti Grape Stompers
Acquired: 2022 Trade from Lake Merced Goutfish | ETA: 2024
Alvarez provided the elite power that made him a Top-5 prospect in baseball entering last season, mashing 25 home runs, second most among catchers in all of baseball. His hit tool didn’t accompany him to the big leagues though in his first full season, hitting just .208 overall and just .171 after the All-Star Break. Still just 21, Alvarez will only need a slight tick up in average and on-base percentage to be a Top-10 producer at the position and still has the upside to finish inside the Top Five within his three years of control for the Grapes who are expected to activate him for 2024 Opening Day.
2. C Ethan Salas, Asti Grape Stompers
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2026
Salas is wise beyond his years, especially behind the plate, pushing the Padres to aggressively promote the 17-year-old to Double-A to finish the season. Salas was hitting well at Single-A hitting a .267 average with an impressive .837 OPS, especially considering his age. His position might limit his upside and ETA which will be the thing to follow for his value over the next two seasons. Will the Padres be ready to hand over the reigns behind the plate full-time to a 19 year old in 2025, or will the Grapes need to wait until 2026? And will the bat be special enough to earn time at DH when he's not behind the plate? It will be the difference between his "real life", value which looks to be substantial, and fantasy one.
3. C Bo Naylor, Mt. Diablo Devils
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 4th Round | ETA: 2024
After being named to the Cleveland Guardians’ 2022 AL Wild Card and ALDS rosters and playing a regular season game this year on May 21st, Bo Naylor became Cleveland’s mainstay catcher on June 17th. It took the 23-year-old about two months to find his stride against Major League competition as he sputtered to a .602 through mid-August. However, from August 19th through the end of the regular season, he was one of the premier catchers in MLB. In his final 28 games of the year, Naylor hit .321 with 26 hits, eight doubles, seven home runs, 18 RBI, and a 1.113 OPS. He will enter 2024 as an activation lock for GM Jason Watson, partnering with breakout trade acquisition Yeiner Diaz as a formidable duo behind the plate.
4. C Endy Rodriguez, St. Joseph Jokers
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2024
Entering 2023, Rodriguez emerged as one of the most productive and promising hitters in Pittsburgh's system, clocking an .892 OPS in 2021 and then a .996 OPS in 2022 across multiple levels, including a short stint in Triple-A. That production pushed Rodriguez into the 1st Round of the 2023 Reserve Draft when GM Rick Steen landed him at 9th overall. Posting more solid numbers at Triple-A, Rodriguez earned a promotion to Pittsburgh but hit just .211 with a .600 OPS in 53 big-league games, walking 8.0% of the time and posting a strikeout rate of 24.6%. You can fall back on his Minor League track record to know there is more in the tank with Rodriguez expected to split time with fellow young backstop Henry Davis next season. He's ready for an activation, but will be a player to watch this Winter with MJ Melendez (2R/$3) and Gabriel Moreno (2R/$3) already occupying the Jokers two catcher spots.
5. C Harry Ford, Lunatic Fringe
Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 7th Round | ETA: 2025
Part of the new mold of athletic backstops, Ford continues to rise as one of the best backstops in the Minor Leagues. Ford posted an .840 OPS at High-A with 43 extra base hits and 24 steals. Owning a career .859 OPS in 241 Minor League games, Ford will continue to make his step by step ascent to the big leagues, starting 2024 in Double-A with 2025 standing as a potential activation date for GM Tony Guglielmi.
6. C Dalton Rushing, Cloverdale Clovers
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 4th Round | ETA: 2025
Rushing's average with the Great Lakes Loons in High-A was dragged down by a serious concussion in early June, but his future remains very bright after posting an .856 OPS in 290 at-bats in 2023. A cold spell unsurprisingly followed a swing to the helmet, leading to a .228 average on the season after hitting .404 in 134 at-bats over two stops in 2022. His eye at the plate wasn't an issue this season with Rushing posting a .404 OBP while finishing with a red-hot September including six home runs in nine games.
7. C Austin Wells, Maltese Falcons
Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 5th Round | ETA: 2024
Wells impressed on both sides of the ball in his first month with the big-league club. The catcher earned heaps of praise from practically every pitcher that he worked with, gaining traction offensively as he grew more comfortable in the box against pitchers he’s never seen before. Wells, 24, hit .229 (16-for-70) over 19 games after being called up on September 1. He started ice cold, but found a rhythm halfway through — the catcher slashed .317/.333/.732 (13-for-41) with four home runs, 10 RBI and seven runs scored over his final 11 games of the season. He's currently projected to share the big league duties in 2024 with Jose Trevino, potentially making him a 2024 activation for GM Gary Falzon.
8. C Diego Cartaya, Mt. Diablo Devils
Acquired: 2019 Reserve Draft, 3rd Round | ETA: 2025
Entering the season as one of baseball's top prospects, Cartaya might have seen the biggest dip in stock in 2023. Cartaya hit .189 with 19 home runs and 117 strikeouts in 93 games for Double-A Tulsa in a very disappointing first season at the level. While there's time to rebound, Cartaya has fallen behind Dalton Rushing in the Dodgers catching prospect pecking order while still staring up at Will Smith in Los Angeles.
9. C/1B Tyler Soderstrom, Alamo Short Stacks
Acquired: 2023 Trade from Mt. Diablo Devils | ETA: 2024
Playing all of 2023 at age 21, Soderstrom was rushed to the big leagues by the talent-starved Oakland Athletics where he took his lumps while showcasing the major power that has become his calling card. Originally a first round MLB Draft pick with a plus hit tool, Soderstrom has developed more into a low-average, high power bat that sees a big bump in value due to his playing time being split between catcher and first base. With the Stacks likely set at catcher for 2024, Soderstrom is likely to get one additional year of seasoning before a potential activation.
10. C Shea Langeliers, Las Vegas Aristocrats
Acquired: 2018 Reserve Draft, 7th Round | ETA: 2024
Langeliers is a prototypical back-end RDBL catching option that can immediately add some value to the Las Vegas Aristocrats given his contract. A career .208 big league hitter, Langeliers does possess big power (22 home runs in 2023) and is strong enough behind the plate to earn the necessary plate appearances to be a safe bet for a Top-20 finish at the position. While there's not a great deal of upside here, the playing time and power make Langeliers a strong bet to join elite catching option William Contreras behind the plate in 2024 for the 'Crats.