Fantasy baseball 2018: 3 catchers to target late in drafts

If you miss out on one of the higher-profile catchers, we have three intriguing picks you can get in a late round.

Unless you play in a shallow, one-catcher league, it is probable that you will need to look lower down the draft board to fill your catcher requirements. This is especially likely in AL/NL-only formats or two-catcher leagues.

We have identified three catchers that are available in the late rounds (after pick 300), who could return excellent value for their draft position.

James McCann (ADP 367)
Although he became much more of a pull-hitter in 2017, the Tigers’ catcher James McCann lowered his strikeout rate to enjoy his best season in the big leagues. The 27-year-old slashed .253/.318/.415 with 13 home runs and 49 RBI.

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He was seeing the ball and making better decisions, as shown by improved contact rates both inside and outside the strike zone.

McCann is not great defensively, but the Tigers are in no rush to replace him. You can pencil him in for double-digit home runs, 20 doubles and keep your fingers crossed for a batting average above .250 again.

The rebuilding Tigers will not help McCann post eye-catching runs or RBI totals, but he is their first choice catcher and should see enough playing time to consistently keep contributing to your counting stats categories.

Stephen Vogt (ADP 414)
In the competition of “who won the offseason”, the Brewers must be one of the contenders, adding Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain to push them into the reckoning for NL Central honors.

One of their less high-profile players is catcher Stephen Vogt who the Brewers claimed off waivers last season after he endured a horrific first half with the Athletics. The 33-year-old obviously liked Milwaukee, as he slugged .508 with eight home runs in 45 games.

Although he will platoon with Manny Pina, Vogt is a left-handed batter, so will see the majority of the action against right-handers. Of the 287 players with at least 300 plate appearances last season, only 16 had a lower BABIP than Vogt. A correction, pushing up his batting average, would go some way to making him good value for a player you picked up so late in the draft.

Austin Hedges (ADP 305)
Teams have shifted their emphasis toward defense-first catchers, with framing, blocking and base-running prevention being of more importance than the ability to hit the ball out of the park. Catchers like Martin Maldonado and Jason Castro get valued more highly than their limited offensive contributions suggest.

The Padres’ catcher Austin Hedges is one of the very best defensive catchers in the business and, unlike most of the glove-first backstops, he has some pop in his bat.

With 23 walks to 122 strikeouts, Hedges showed poor judgment at the plate last season, but he still went deep 18 times in 387 at-bats. His .214 batting average hurt every roto team that owned him, but it came against a .260 BABIP (some 40 points below league average).

Hitting for average was not a problem for Hedges in the minors, as he hit .326 AVG with .951 OPS in his final season in Triple-A in 2016. It was in the notoriously hitter-friendly PCL, but Hedges still went deep 21 times in just 82 games.

Without wanting to overrate Spring Training, it is exciting to see the positive response to Hedges’ new swing. He could be set for a breakout season.

Catchers take longer to develop than position players, and the 25-year-old still has plenty of time in which to reach his potential. The Padres are not contenders in 2018 so they have the luxury of allowing Hedges to take his knocks at the Major League level.

He will likely hit right at the bottom of the lineup, but with no competition for playing time, Hedges should see 450-500 plate appearances.

Once the elite fantasy catchers of Gary Sanchez, Buster Posey, Willson Contreras, Salvador Perez and J.T. Realmuto have left the board, there is little to choose between the rest. People are reaching to draft Evan Gattis, but he only hit 12 home runs in 325 at-bats last year. I would rather take Hedges 150 picks later.

Next: Draft strategy: Fill infield first & load up on pitching

In a 10 or 12 team, one-catcher league I will always leave filling my catcher position until the very last round, unless of course one of the elite players falls too far. I usually end up with Wilson Ramos, Austin Barnes or Welington Castillo, which is fine. All three have the potential to finish the season in the top-5.

In deeper leagues and two-catcher formats, I want to roll the dice on Hedges. The fantasy world is down on him after last season’s .214 AVG, but I think there is plenty of room for improvement.

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