Catchers to Stream for Week 15 (7/12 – 7/18)

The catcher can be an extreme headache with no relief in sight! Unless you’ve got one of the top catchers, you’re left guessing what to do with the position.

My strategy in many leagues is to wait until the last round if I don’t get one of the top guys. Some people go catcher-less, a legitimate strategy in a head-to-head league if you can properly use that extra spot. But in a roto league, you’re missing valuable production by leaving it empty. So if you missed out on the cream of the crop and need help addressing the problem, look no further. This article will look at the best streaming-caliber catchers for the week ahead.

 

Who Are the Catchers?

 

Prohibited List

 

First, we have to rule out any widely owned catcher. For purposes of this list, it means anyone over 50% rostered (according to Yahoo). The ineligible catchers are J.T. Realmuto, Salvador Pérez, Willson Contreras, Will Smith, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Christian Vázquez, Buster Posey, Yasmani Grandal, Carson Kelly, Yadier Molina, Gary Sánchez, Sean Murphy, and James McCann. That’s THIRTEEN catchers.

On top of that, I often avoid certain situations until playing time becomes more apparent. Those situations include the Rays (Francisco Mejía/Mike Zunino) and the Orioles (Pedro Severino/Austin Wynns).

 

I’m going to say this now — if you’re in a 12 team or fewer, don’t stream right now. Instead, try trading for someone’s backup instead of diving in the bargain bin for the players that meet my threshold. But we’re going to go ahead anyway.

 

Who is Eligible?

 

So who is left? Austin Nola, Mitch Garver, Yan Gomes, Tucker Barnhart, Jacob Stallings, Stephen Vogt, Zack Collins, Roberto Pérez, Wilson Ramos, Martín Maldonado, Max Stassi, Austin Barnes, Jorge Alfaro, Kyle Higashioka, James McCann, Jacob Stallings, Victor Caratini, and Jose Trevino. That’s an extensive list that will change throughout the year and should give us ample opportunity to find value. If you have questions about those players, please shoot me a tweet; I’m happy to discuss.

Honestly, considering the 50%+ rostered catchers, chances are you already have one of these guys. That’s 13 guys who are well-owned, the perfect amount for a 12-teamer. On the other hand, maybe you took a flier late in the draft and are still debating whether to hold someone like Omar Narváez. Maybe you drafted Salvador Pérez but didn’t feel confident he’d return to his old self.

I find myself saying this every year, but this year’s version of catcher streaming feels so much harder, with so many of my favorite guys on the prohibited list. But, as the season wears on, guys will get dropped, players will emerge, and streaming should become more and more necessary.

 

Reviewing Last Week

 

I outlined guidelines for determining streaming a “win” in years past, and I’ll leave these up here each week as a reminder.

1. Batting average is king. When we stream a catcher, we’re not expecting multiple home runs, so a guy hitting .250 is helpful, and I’ll consider that a plus. Anything over .300 is a super plus and a near-automatic win. That said, we have to keep in mind the number of plate appearances — under 10 PA diminishes that boost.
2. Home runs have a significant impact. If you get two homers from the catcher position, it’s a guaranteed win unless the catcher bats under the Mendoza line. However, a catcher can still be a streaming win without home runs if other factors are there.
3. Counting stats (R+RBI) are the lowest stat consideration because you’re not expecting them from your catcher anyway. They’re a nice bonus.

 

Omar Narváez, Milwaukee Brewers: 5/13 (.385), 3 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Much like we have seen from Narváez all season long, he chips in the hits and adds to the counting stats week-after-week. Except, this week, Narváez decided to give us a going-away present by hitting his eighth HR of the season. I mention it is a parting gift because Omar’s roster% has spiked to 62%, taking him out of the streamable category. Thanks for another solid week; we get the win!

Mike Zunino, Tampa Bay Rays: 2/12 (.167), 4 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Zunino was a more challenging call to decide on because we know he doesn’t get full-time plate appearances and loves to strikeout. Although, when he connects, we get the long ball, and this week was no different. The dinger brings the season total up to 19. Sadly, I am going to take a loss on this one because Zunino underperformed expectations. However, he did notch two barrels and five hard-hit balls but not enough. Loss!

Jonah Heim, Texas Rangers: 5/16 (.313), 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB

This streaming call was a bold one, but it looks like it paid off in the end. Heim got the playing time I expected with four games started. Furthermore, Heim went out and collected nine hard-hit batted balls, giving him a 69.2% hard-hit rate. To sum things up, plenty of hits with a dinger, and the SB give us a win!

Swan’s Streaming Record: 11-12

 

Quick Thoughts From Week 14

 

• Buster Posey went to the IL with a thumb injury that will sideline enough to miss the All-Star game. The Giants quickly promoted top-catching prospect Joey Bart and gave Curt Casali the majority of responsibility in Posey’s absence. If all goes well, Posey will be eligible to return on July 11th, right after the ASG.
• Yan Gomes was also moved to the 10-day IL with an oblique strain. This injury leaves Washington scrambling because Alex Avila is also shelved with an injury. The ball club is forced to play Tres Barrera and Jakson Reetz until after the break. This situation is worth monitoring since obliques can be a lengthy injury. Barrera and Reetz should only garner consideration in NL-only formats.

 

• When it rains, it pours. Yasmani Grandal did indeed go on the IL after finding a tear in his left knee. Surgery was performed, and the White Sox catcher will miss four to six weeks, which usually means more baseball talk. The backstop duties will lean heavier on Zack Collins, who is a bit of a defensive liability, and Seby Zavala. Making up for the defensive woes, Collins does carry a .906 OPS over the last two weeks.
• Since his return to the big leagues on June 15th, Luis Torrens has been a difference-maker for the Mariners. He touts a .436 ISO and 200 wRC+ while raising his HR total to nine. The success has made Torrens a must-play for Seattle, and even when Tom Murphy gets a start, Torrens moves over to DH.

 

• After a wretched stretch over the last month(5-for-50 with a .347 OPS), William Contreras was demoted, and fantasy managers reacted by dropping him in 8% of Yahoo leagues. Atlanta will turn the backstop duties over to a veteran duo(Kevan Smith and Stephen Vogt). Both are better real-life baseball options and don’t garner much attention in the fantasy baseball universe.
• Elias Díaz(1.012 OPS) and Dom Nuñez(1.170 OPS) had stellar weeks, but it’s a very even 50/50 split. The timeshare makes things incredibly difficult to keep either catcher rostered unless there is a homestand in Coors Field. For now, avoid making either a waiver wire target and let other fantasy managers chase their good weeks.

 

• Reports have Alejandro Kirk listed back at 100% health. He is currently in Triple-A, where he’s started eight games with a .292/.326/.475 slash line and 123 wRC+. Not that Toronto needs any more firepower to the already potent lineup, but the combo of Danny Jansen/Reese McGuire is not doing the job. We will likely see Kirk back with the MLB ball club after the break.
• Daulton Varsho continues to struggle against MLB pitching. His .138/.250/.175 slash line with .425 OPS is leaving a sour taste in many fantasy managers’ mouths. Still, there are plenty of hopefuls because his roster% sits at 8%. It might be time to cut bait and look elsewhere.

 

• STOLEN BASE ALERT! A reader reached out to me and asked about finding a catcher with stolen bases. So, as we advance, I will be recapping any catcher that swiped a base that week. Jonah Heim and J.T. Realmuto each swiped a base in Week 14. For Heim, it’s his second, and Realmuto runs his SB total to five.

 

Have more questions? “Catch” up with me on Twitter @davithius!

 

This Week’s Streamers

 

Well, that was a lot to go through. So now, let’s examine players that might provide added value for the upcoming week:

Next week is the All-Star break, and a majority of teams will only play three games from Thursday through Sunday. So, with a limited number of games, the focus shifts to finding a streaming option that could put a ball over the fences.

Name	Opponent	ISO	Barrel%	xwOBAcon
Mike Zunino(35%)	3 G at ATL	.332	27.6%	.550
Luis Torrens(5%)	3 G at LAA	.241	13.1%	.433
Ryan Jeffers(2%)	4 G at CWS	.198	15.5%	.457

*Two of Ryan Jeffers‘ games are a double-header on July 16th

 

Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)