It’s not the most glamorous position in MLB, or in fantasy baseball, unless you got lucky last season (or were brilliant) and drafted Cal Raleigh and got his 62 home runs that no one could’ve projected.
That probably has many of you scouring the ADP rankings this year to find the next Raleigh. Hate to break it to you, but there aren’t any sleeper catchers who are going to hit a record-setting amount of homers this year, no matter how much you pay for them in an auction draft or what round you snag them in a snake draft.
Heading into the 2026 MLB season, Raleigh isn’t even a sure thing. Regression to the mean feels like it fits right next to his name in the dictionary. Even if he regresses, though, he’s still the No. 1 catcher in fantasy baseball, in a tier all by himself.
Beyond Raleigh is William Contreras of the Brewers, who in some formats is his own second tier, too. But many leagues will have the Yankees’ Ben Rice as catcher-eligible, and if he is, that’s a bit of a cheat code since he’ll mostly play first base for New York.
There are plenty of other intriguing catchers beyond what we could call a big three of Raleigh, Contreras and Rice.
Agustin Ramirez and Drake Baldwin are both rising stars. Adley Rutschman and Francisco Alvarez are both looking for bounce-back seasons.
But really, this isn’t a position to invest too heavily in. There isn’t a ton of difference between someone like Rutschman, or down in the rankings to Alejandro Kirk, or down further to Austin Wells and Ivan Herrera.
It’s fair to reach on Raleigh within the first few rounds, and if you do, you don’t even have to consider catcher again at all.
If you don’t take Raleigh, and if Rice’s price point doesn’t seem right, then it’s fine to wait. You’ve got just as good a chance with any of the guys in the back-half of fantasy starter material.
If you do want Raleigh and play in an auction league, note that he’ll go for much more than everyone else — and potentially even more than we have him at $28 in our self-created valuations below. The values below are for 12-team mixed leagues with a $260 budget. Raleigh, in particular, could get bid up to $40, and if he does, it’s probably safe to let him go.
MORE: Why Cal Raleigh earned Sporting News MLB Player of the Year
Fantasy Baseball Catcher Rankings 2026
| Rank | Player | Team | Tier | Auction Value |
| 1 | Cal Raleigh | SEA | 1 | $28 |
| 2 | William Contreras | MIL | 2 | $19 |
| 3 | Ben Rice | NYY | 2 | $15 |
| 4 | Shea Langaliers | OAK | 3 | $14 |
| 5 | Agustin Ramirez | MIA | 3 | $13 |
| 6 | Drake Baldwin | ATL | 3 | $12 |
| 7 | Adley Rutschman | BAL | 4 | $11 |
| 8 | Hunter Goodman | COL | 4 | $10 |
| 9 | Salvador Perez | KC | 4 | $10 |
| 10 | Yainer Diaz | HOU | 4 | $10 |
| 11 | Will Smith | LAD | 4 | $10 |
| 12 | Alejandro Kirk | TOR | 4 | $9 |
| 13 | Gabriel Moreno | ARZ | 4 | $9 |
| 14 | Samuel Basallo | BAL | 4 | $8 |
| 15 | Francisco Alvarez | NYM | 4 | $8 |
| 16 | Austin Wells | NYY | 4 | $8 |
| 17 | Ivan Herrera | STL | 4 | $7 |
| 18 | J.T. Realmuto | PHI | 4 | $7 |
| 19 | Ryan Jeffers | MIN | 5 | $6 |
| 20 | Tyler Stephenson | CIN | 5 | $6 |
| 21 | Kyle Teel | CHW | 5 | $5 |
| 22 | Logan O’Hoppe | LAA | 5 | $5 |
| 23 | Dillon Dingler | DET | 5 | $4 |
| 24 | Bo Naylor | CLE | 5 | $4 |
| 25 | Sean Murphy | ATL | 5 | $4 |
| 26 | Harry Ford | WAS | 6 | $3 |
| 27 | Carson Kelly | CHC | 6 | $3 |
| 28 | Edgar Quero | CHW | 6 | $2 |
| 29 | Carlos Narvaez | BOS | 6 | $2 |
| 30 | Patrick Bailey | SF | 6 | $2 |
| 31 | Dalton Rushing | LAD | 6 | $2 |
| 32 | Keibert Ruiz | WAS | 6 | $2 |
| 33 | Carter Jensen | KC | 6 | $1 |
| 34 | Victor Caratini | MIN | 7 | $1 |
| 35 | Nick Fortes | TB | 7 | $1 |
| 36 | Henry Davis | PIT | 7 | $1 |
| 37 | Danny Jansen | TEX | 7 | $1 |
| 38 | Connor Wong | BOS | 7 | $1 |
| 39 | Joe Mack | MIA | 8 | $1 |
| 40 | Jeferson Quero | MIL | 8 | $1 |
Fantasy baseball catcher advice in dynasty leagues
Top 3 dynasty strategy tips for fantasy baseball 1B
1. Consider present and future opportunity
We’re conditioned in fantasy sports to think about what a player is going to do for us right now. In a dynasty league, you have to consider both now and later.
2. Don’t overdo it on young players
Yes, dynasty leagues are set up to last forever. They often don’t, though, and there’s always the owner who drafts only prospects. It’s fine to draft a proven veteran.
3. The best ability is availability
Early in careers, it’s not always easy to know whether a guy will have injury trouble. But the injury prone label is one that is especially painful in dynasty leagues, because you end up with the same player hurt over and over through the years.
MORE: Most home runs by a catcher in MLB history
Top dynasty C to draft in fantasy baseball 2026
Note that these aren’t rankings, but rather just some players we’d target in a dynasty draft behind the plate.
Drake Baldwin
It doesn’t take an expert to draft the NL Rookie of the Year, but if the Braves rising star Baldwin is anything further than the third or fourth catcher off the board in a dynasty startup draft, that’s value you can’t ignore.
Samuel Basallo
There’s always a chance Basallo doesn’t end up catching long term for Baltimore. But as long as he gets enough games behind the plate to maintain his eligibility, he’s going to hit, and hit a ton.
Kyle Teel
Teel is in a weird spot with the White Sox, splitting time with another promising young catcher, Edgar Quero. But it’s Teel with the smooth left-handed swing that should make him relevant for years to come.
Harry Ford
Ford became a bit of a forgotten man coming up in the Seattle system, blocked by Cal Raleigh. Now traded to the Nationals, he’ll get a chance to break out, and his value is even lower now than it could be because a potential competition still awaits with Keibert Ruiz. If you have patience with Ford, he can reward it.
Joe Mack
Still in the minors with the Marlins, Mack is much better defensively than Agustin Ramirez. He’s also got the pop to hit 20 homers per season for a long time. He probably debuts in 2025 and could be Miami’s Opening Day starter in 2026.
