Fantasy Baseball: 2025 catcher (C) rankings, projections, outlooks - chof 360 news

1. William Contreras

MIL - C

Bats: R

Age: 27

Mixed 5x5: $18 | NL 5x5: $24

2024: C:120

Mixed 2026: $16 | 2027: $13

Outlook: Heavy is the head that wears the crown as the top catcher in fantasy baseball. Contreras has earned that right coming off a season where he led all catcher in runs scored, was third in RBI, and fourth in home runs with some of the best underlying power metrics in the league. However, it should be noted his season had some severe peaks and valleys in terms of production with five homers coming in 17 games in April, then just six over his next 80 games, followed by 12 in his final 51 contests. This is nitpicking though and the type of minutia one has to sort through with a player like Contreras whose profile is nearly flawless and now costs a second round pick in two-catcher formats.

2. Willson Contreras

STL - C

Bats: R

Age: 32

Mixed 5x5: $9 | NL 5x5: $19

2024: C:51

Mixed 2026: $4 | 2027: $3

Outlook: While listed as a catcher, Contreras is the Cardinals’ newly-minted first baseman after Paul Goldschmidt’s departure. That makes him a bit of a cheat code in fantasy baseball this season as he’ll maintain his catcher-eligibility, but get more playing time than most other backstops since he won’t require the requisite days off that position demands. He seems to be getting better with age too, coming off the three best seasons of his career by wRC+ since turning 30 years old. Everything under the hood says he’s earned that production, too. Elite power, great swing decisions, a high on-base percentage, and increased playing time volume gives Contreras a genuine opportunity to be the second-best catcher in fantasy baseball this year behind his brother, William.

3. Adley Rutschman

BAL - C

Bats: B

Age: 27

Mixed 5x5: $6 | AL 5x5: $16

2024: C:103

Mixed 2026: $5 | 2027: $5

Outlook: Rutschman came into the 2024 season as one of the top two catchers off the board on the back of his breakout 2023 season. However, the 26-year-old failed to meet those lofty expectations. While some of the stagnation could be due to Baltimore changing their field dimensions which led to a drop in HR/FB rate, Rutschman also declined in barrel rate, hard contact rate, and fly ball exit velocity. Perhaps those struggles led him to press, but he swung way more in 2024 and chased outside of the zone more often, which led to a drop in walk rate and an increased swinging strike rate. A revamped approach could help Rutschman improve his batting average, but he appears to be settling in as a 20-home-run bat with no speed whose run total dropped as he moved out of the top of the batting order. He’s still a top-five catcher in fantasy but not the top.

4. Salvador Perez

KC - C/1B

Bats: R

Age: 34

Mixed 5x5: $6 | AL 5x5: $16

2024: C:91 1B:49

Mixed 2026: $4 | 2027: $2

Outlook: Eventually, one of these years, Perez is going to break down and not deliver elite power production from behind the plate. He showed absolutely no signs of it during his age-34 season though, cutting his strikeout rate to his best mark since 2017 (19.8%) and posting by far the best walk rate of his career (6.7%). He’s an absolute unicorn and should continue to play more than most catchers (thanks to getting some starts at first base) while walloping 25 or more homers and driving in a bushel of runs. It’s a steep draft price to pay for a catcher, sure, but Perez is as consistent as they come and as likely as anyone to return a profit from that spot.

5. Yainer Diaz

HOU - C

Bats: R

Age: 26

Mixed 5x5: $5 | AL 5x5: $16

2024: C:102 1B:11

Mixed 2026: $6 | 2027: $6

Outlook: On the heels of a 23-homer breakthrough campaign back in 2023, Diaz traded some of his explosive pop for a few points in batting average, which fantasy managers will certainly accept since it’s helped him become a key component of Houston’s fearsome middle-of-the-order mix. The 26-year-old has established himself as a top-five caliber fantasy backstop until further notice as his combination of near-elite batting average and 20-homer power is rare in the modern era. He’ll be an early-round pick in all fantasy formats this spring as an upper-echelon four-category contributor at a position group that isn’t overflowing with them.

6. Cal Raleigh

SEA - C

Bats: B

Age: 28

Mixed 5x5: $4 | AL 5x5: $15

2024: C:135

Mixed 2026: $3 | 2027: $2

Outlook: "The Big Dumper" remains a surefire top-six fantasy backstop after launching at least 27 round-trippers in three consecutive seasons since taking over as Seattle’s primary catcher. Raleigh is going to mash 25-30 homers and strike out roughly 30 percent of the time, which puts a clear damper on his batting average ceiling in the .230 range until further notice. However, his constant presence as Seattle’s middle-of-the-order mainstay makes him one of the premier run-producing sluggers at a position group that lacks a ton of consistent performers in that department, even with a plethora of exciting top prospects on the verge of breaking into the majors. He’s even managed to chip in a handful of stolen bases as well, just for good measure.

7. Will Smith

LA - C

Bats: R

Age: 29

Mixed 5x5: $2 | NL 5x5: $12

2024: C:121

Mixed 2026: $2 | 2027: $1

Outlook: You can essentially take 20 homers and 150 combined runs and RBI to the bank with Smith. The 29-year-old backstop has been one of the most consistent catchers since his first full year in 2021. But while his numbers were there in the end, it was carried by an incredible April in which he hit .362 with three homers and 23 RBI. Smith hit just .216 the rest of the way. Through that stretch, he maintained a 40.6% hard-hit rate, 11.1% barrel rate, and 20.9% strikeout rate with a .234 BABIP, marking some bad luck. His fly ball tendencies will keep his BABIP down, capping his batting average upside, but this is one of the safer profiles for power and plenty of counting stats. Smith remains a top-ten option at the position.

8. Shea Langeliers

OAK - C

Bats: R

Age: 27

Mixed 5x5: $2 | AL 5x5: $12

2024: C:131

Mixed 2026: $2 | 2027: $1

Outlook: Langeliers appears firmly entrenched as the Athletics’ catcher of the present and future on the heels of back-to-back 20-homer campaigns. The 27-year-old backstop is pretty much a finished product at this stage of his development just a few years after coming over from the Braves as one of the headliners in the Matt Olson blockbuster trade. An all-or-nothing masher who will consistently threaten to reach the 30-homer plateau, Langeliers strikes out too much to envision any improvement in the batting average department. However, he finds himself as a middle-of-the-order run-producer for a rapidly improving lineup with both Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker emerging as star-caliber offensive threats. A slight boost from a counting stats standpoint puts Langeliers squarely in the back-half of the top-10 at catcher for fantasy purposes heading into the 2025 season.

9. J.T. Realmuto

PHI - C

Bats: R

Age: 33

Mixed 5x5: $1 | NL 5x5: $11

2024: C:99

Mixed 2026: $1 | 2027: $0

Outlook: While partially due to injury, Realmuto finally fell out of the elite catcher ranks in fantasy last season. He missed a few days with a meniscus injury in May, then was out for nearly six weeks when it flared up again in June and required surgery. The Phillies eased him back into action upon returning with plenty of off-days and likely instructed him to take it easy on the basepaths where he stole a career-low two bases despite still having excellent sprint speed. Also, whether it was due to his knee or general aging, his quality of contact and plate discipline were each worse than his norms. They weren’t necessarily bad though and he’s a good bet as a bounceback candidate on expected volume alone. He also has an impetus to play – and run – as much as possible this season in the last year of his contract. He’s probably a bargain in drafts barely being drafted as a top-10 catcher.

10. Logan O'Hoppe

LAA - C

Bats: R

Age: 25

Mixed 5x5: $1 | AL 5x5: $10

2024: C:127

Mixed 2026: $4 | 2027: $4

Outlook: One of just seven backstops to eclipse the 20-homer mark last year, O’Hoppe still managed to finish last year as a top-10 fantasy option at the position, despite clearly wearing down in the second half when he batted .196 (37-for-189) with six homers in 53 contests following the All-Star break. The Halos brought in veteran Travis d’Arnaud via free agency to help shoulder some of the workload, especially against left-handed pitching, which should keep him fresher down the home stretch. One of the few catchers capable of consistently launching 20 homers, the hope for Los Angeles and fantasy managers is that some extra rest enables O’Hoppe to look more in 2025 like the impact slugger that batted .276 with 14 homers over 83 games prior to last year’s Midsummer Classic. He’s one of the safer top-10 catchers for fantasy purposes with the upside to reach 30 round-trippers if everything comes together.

11. Gabriel Moreno

ARI - C

Bats: R

Age: 25

Mixed 5x5: $1 | NL 5x5: $9

2024: C:93

Mixed 2026: $1 | 2027: $1

Outlook: Two separate stints on the injured list for a sprained thumb and adductor strain limited Moreno to 351 plate appearances in 2024. The 24-year-old backstop didn't take the step forward many expected from him, hitting just five homers with a .266/.353/.380 slash line. While his batting average dipped, he showed some encouraging signs with better plate discipline, with more walks, and fewer ground balls, inching his barrel rate upward to 6.6%. If Moreno could stay healthy in 2025, he could make for a solid accumulator with a better batting average than most catchers while also chipping in a handful of steals. It's safe to project 8-10 home runs, but there's room for growth in the power department from the young catcher if he can continue to lower his ground ball rate.

12. Francisco Alvarez

NYM - C

Bats: R

Age: 23

Mixed 5x5: $0 | NL 5x5: $8

2024: C:96

Mixed 2026: $1 | 2027: $1

Outlook: Everything was supposed to click for Álvarez last season. Instead, he regressed dramatically. He had moments where growth seemed obvious, then would go weeks on end without a competent at-bat as he oddly moved himself further from the plate to cover a hole up-and-in the strike zone. Then, he fell victim to more pitches low-and-away, obviously. It was a series of potentially over-adjustments that overshadowed the fact that he played the whole season at 22 years old while again showcasing high-end power and solid swing decisions despite playing through some injuries. He’s played the 12th-most games and is tied for the second-most home runs of any catcher all-time in the "Live Ball Era" before turning 23. He’s a breakout candidate once again for these historical precedents alone. Add the tools and it feels like it’s just a matter of time before things click.