Catchers to target in 2020

2020 fantasy baseball is here! Welcome to another round of who to target at each position. We start with the catcher slot. We all know catcher is horrible. Nonetheless, 2020 brings a bit of intrigue to the position due to the depth. Not depth like there's a plethora of superstars. More like depth as in "hey, there's more than five good options!”

Let's highlight a few of the backstops I'll be targeting on draft day.

Mitch Garver

My Rank: 4
Expert Consensus Rank: 5

Garver had a breakout campaign in 2019 in just 93 games and 311 at-bats. His base stat line was a .273 average with 31 home runs, 67 RBIs, and 70 runs scored. Among players with at least 300 at-bats, Garver was fifth in baseball in slugging percentage. Christian Yelich, Yordan Alvarez, Mike Trout, Nelson Cruz, and Mitch Garver. That's the list! He led all catchers in slugging percentage and wOBA. He also led the position in xSLG and xwOBA, meaning his stats were legit. I predict more at-bats for Garver in 2020. He was already a top five catcher with very limited playing time. The ceiling is the roof for this Twins star.

Welcome to Catcher Week!

Tune in for rankings, sleepers, targets/avoids, basically everything you need to perfectly draft the catcher position this year in fantasy.

Will Smith

My Rank: 5
Expert Consensus Rank: 8

Now, this is a story all about how I told you to target Will Smith in fantasy baseball. He's a 25-year-old catcher out of the Wild West of the National league. He's one of the Bad Boys of LA. He might even be the best of the best of the best, Sir! His Gemini Man comp for me is 2019 Gary Sanchez. That's right, Smith can hit 30+ home runs this season. He was second in slugging percentage behind Garver at the position. His x-stats aren't great, but at a weak position his youth and potential for growth make him worth taking a risk on.

Here are a few other options to consider in the final rounds of the draft that could be useful at catcher in 2020.

Travis d'Arnaud

My Rank: 15
Expert Consensus Rank: 18

Great power hitter with a solid average. Health is always the big concern. Love the landing spot in Atlanta. His xBA and xwOBA suggests he should have been even better than his already solid numbers in Tampa during 2019.

Roberto Perez

My Rank: 16
Expert Consensus Rank: 22

Perez was quietly top 10 at catcher with 63 RBIs and top five with 24 home runs in 2019. His slugging percentage of .452 was also top 10 among catchers with at least 300 at-bats. His xSLG and xwOBA are almost identical to his actual SLG and wOBA. Perez is a solid option for those waiting past the top 15 at catcher, or for those who play in two catcher formats.