Catcher preview: Mauer, Martinez rank 1-2

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The catcher position ranks as perhaps the most difficult to assess coming into spring training.

Sure, we have the steady and dominant performers like a Joe Mauer or Victor Martinez at the top of the pack, but it trails off mighty quickly.

• Some pitchers have their favorite backstops.
• Injuries are frequently part of the mix, as wear and tear on these players’ bodies is undeniable.
• Managers try to strike a balance between the “defensive” option and the power broker.

For fantasy owners, it’s the worst of all worlds. If you don’t select one of the players in the first or second tiers, you might just be forced to find ride out streaks and shuffle the position with some regularity while awaiting the arrival of the next big prospect that’s stashed on your bench (see: Posey, Buster).

You just need to know that eight catchers logged enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. That tells you everything about the ebb and flow of the position. Let’s get started with the recognized king of the position.

1. Joe Mauer, Minnesota
2009 Stats: .365, 28 HR, 96 RBI

We expect Mauer to post a huge batting average when healthy, as he certainly did so with a career-best .365 mark last year. We couldn’t have anticipated that Mauer would start launching longballs at such a high rate (28). He more than doubled his previous career-best of 13 home runs established in 2006. Fantasy owners had always hoped to see Mauer translate some of his high doubles total into home runs.

Again, I just didn’t think we’d see such a dramatic improvement. Expect a moderate regression in the home run rate this season, but take the solid extra-base hit total and superior batting average (.327 career mark).

2. Victor Martinez, Boston
2009 Stats: .303, 23 HR, 108 RBI

If Martinez’s production with the Red Sox down the stretch is any indication, he’s primed for a monster season. He batted .336 in 56 games for the Red Sox with 20 extra-base hits and 41 RBI. Martinez possesses a tremendous batting eye and should once again bring at least 20 home runs and 90 RBI to owners’ bottom lines. Martinez has averaged 21.4 home runs and 100.6 RBI in his past five full seasons.

3. Brian McCann, Atlanta
2009 Stats: .281, 21 HR, 94 RBI

McCann has been as steady as any backstop performer in the past four years. His batting average has been a bit of a roller coaster ride, but McCann’s power contribution has been consistent. McCann has averaged 21.5 home runs and 91.5 RBI during this period, and possesses a strong .293 career batting average.

4. Jorge Posada, New York Yankees
2009 Stats: .285, 22 HR, 81 RBI

Posada’s production has to fall apart sometime, doesn’t it? That was the logic entering the 2009 season, as Posada slid several rounds in most drafts. He produced another Posada-like season. The Yankees are loaded for another run, and I don’t anticipate a steep drop-off in production this year.

5. Matt Wieters, Baltimore
2009 Stats: .288, 9 HR, 43 RBI

The coronation occurred during spring training last year, as baseball experts and fantasy scribes climbed aboard the Wieters express. The comparisons to every great power-hitting catcher were made, and Wieters struggled early upon getting the call to the big leagues. He eventually started to figure things out and finished the year with respectable totals.

The Orioles have re-tooled the lineup for 2010, and Wieters could be ready for that breakout campaign. Fantasy owners might still be recovering from getting singed after drafting him early last year. He’ll make trusting owners proud this year.

6. Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs
2009 Stats: .218, 11 HR, 47 RBI

Soto ranked among the biggest disappointments of the 2009 fantasy campaign. (Cubs fans waiting on that elusive World Series appearance would agree.). Soto’s batting average dropped by a full 67 points, as the second-year player batted a repulsive .196 on the road. His contact rate actually improved marginally over his 2008 efforts, but his BABIP dropped by 95 points from his Rookie of the Year campaign. Some of those balls have to fall in this year, don’t they?

7. Kurt Suzuki, Oakland
2009 Stats: .274, 15 HR, 88 RBI

Suzuki came onto the scene with a strong 2008 performance. He offered a solid .279 batting average and piqued our interest with 25 doubles. Suzuki settled into his role for the A’s in 2009 and caught onto major league pitching. He ripped 53 extra-base hits and more than doubled his home run output to 15. Suzuki’s 88 RBI led the A’s. I expect to see Suzuki rapping doubles into the gap with great frequency in 2010.

8. Miguel Montero, Arizona
2009 Stats: .294, 16 HR, 59 RBI

Montero took advantage of his opportunity to be the No. 1 option in 2009. He established new career marks across the board. Montero ripped 46 extra-base hits and improved his batting average by 39 points. His game really picked up in the second half of the year, as Montero improved his game across the board. Montero doubled his RBI production and his batting average rose by 49 points. I’m intrigued to see if Montero can build on his second-half momentum.

9. Russell Martin, Los Angeles Dodgers
2009 Stats: .250, 7 HR, 53 RBI, 11 SB

I’m not putting Martin into a free-fall just yet. However, his groin injury is quite concerning as we head toward opening day. Martin is slated to miss 4-6 weeks, putting A.J. Ellis (he of few big league at-bats) and Brad Ausmus in line for playing time to open the year.

I was optimistic that Martin’s offseason conditioning would result in more consistent gap power and an up-tick in his home production, even with a moderate dip in his stolen base total. Now, I’m concerned about the impact of this injury on his overall fantasy contribution, and whether this issue lingers and forces more days off.

10. Bengie Molina, San Francisco
2009 Stats: .265, 20 HR, 80 RBI

The Giants came to terms with Molina, thereby putting off the arrival of super prospect Buster Posey on the big scene. Molina has been one of the best power options in the game behind the plate, having averaged 17.8 home runs and 77.2 RBI over the past five years. He also owns a .276 career batting average, thereby giving fantasy owners support in a category where many other options falter. Posey’s time is going to come and he’s worth stashing at the end of your roster, but playing time isn’t guaranteed in the near-term.

11. Mike Napoli, Los Angeles Angels
2009 Stats: .272, 20 HR, 56 RBI

Napoli has become one of the top power brokers at the position. He’s hit 20 home runs in back-to-back seasons. Napoli has also batted .273 and .272 in the past two years, a solid baseline from the catcher slot. We’re still waiting to see Napoli perform as an everyday catcher, as he’s appeared in 114 or fewer games in each of his MLB seasons. He likely cedes playing time to Jeff Mathis once again.

12. A.J. Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox
2009 Stats: .300, 13 HR, 49 RBI

He’s the poster boy for the old phrase “you may hate him, but you’d love to have him on your squad.” White Sox fans continue to celebrate Pierzynski’s efforts on the field, and fantasy owners get solid, consistent production. Pierzynski has produced double-digit home runs in seven consecutive seasons, averaging 13.7 home runs and 61 RBI during this period. He also owns a strong .286 career batting average. Pierzynski isn’t going to dominate any category, but he’s a good value proposition at U.S. Cellular.

13. Chris Iannetta, Colorado
2009 Stats: .228, 16 HR, 52 RBI

Fans and fantasy owners have been awaiting Iannetta’s breakout campaign for quite some time. We thought that he’d build on a strong 2008 campaign, but struggled at the plate and lost playing time to Yorvit Torrealba. Iannetta’s batting average fell by 36 points. Still, Iannetta’s power numbers were comparable to his 2008 efforts and his contact rate was actually slightly higher.

Miguel Olivo joins the team as his backup, but I expect to see Iannetta win the starting role and offer strong power production.

14. Ryan Doumit, Pittsburgh
2009 Stats: .250, 10 HR, 38 RBI

Doumit produced solid power numbers for a second straight year. However, his batting average dropped precipitously. He struck out at a higher rate (once per 5.7 at-bats after striking out once per 7.84 at-bats in 2008), but that doesn’t fully explain the 68-point dip. The former second-round pick experienced a breakout year in 2008, and I anticipate a nice bounce-back effort. Doumit has averaged 35 extra-base hits and 46.3 RBI in the past three years.

Look for an up-tick in his power and for his batting average to push back toward the .280-.290 range.

15. Yadier Molina, St. Louis
2009 Stats: .293. 6 HR, 54 RBI, 9 SB

Molina isn’t going to blow anybody away with a power barrage. However, he’s one of the few catchers who will offer a solid contribution to the batting average category. In the past three years, Molina has produced a strong .292 batting average. Molina has only averaged 6.3 home runs and 50 RBI during this period, and his nine stolen bases in 2009 came out of nowhere. Take Molina as your second catcher to help your batting average baseline.

16. Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia
2009 Stats: .255, 9 HR, 43 RBI

Ruiz recently re-upped with the Phillies for another three seasons. As expected, Ruiz’s batting average rebounded in 2009 following a precipitous drop in 2008. His contact rate has been consistent in the past three years, so an improvement from his .219 effort was inevitable. Ruiz walks more frequently than he strikes out and remains part of a well-stocked lineup. He’s averaged 30.3 extra-base hits and 42.7 RBI in the past three years. I would expect to see similar power numbers and a batting average in the .250-.260 range.

17. Kelly Shoppach, Tampa Bay
2009 Stats: .214, 12 HR, 40 RBI

Shoppach leaves Cleveland to become the top option behind the dish in Tampa Bay. He’s a good power producer (one extra-base per nine at-bats) and should see an up-tick in his home run and RBI efforts with a full-time role. Shoppach won’t offer much in the batting average department, as he strikes out 36.1 percent of the time. He did hit 21 home runs (with 28 doubles) in 112 games, so there’s definitely upside.

18. John Baker, Florida
2009 Stats: .271, 9 HR, 50 RBI

Baker performed well in an expanded role for the Marlins in 2009. He slammed 34 extra-base hits in his 373 at-bats with 50 RBI. His power numbers decreased somewhat following the All-Star break, but Baker’s batting average rose markedly (up 29 points). Baker has good gap power and will continue to hit well in Land Shark Stadium. I’d like to see his strikeout-to-walk ratio decrease (2.17 strikeouts per walk), but I’ll take the extra-base hits for my second catcher.

19. Carlos Santana, Cleveland
2009 Stats: .290, 23 HR, 97 RBI (Double-A)

Lou Marson is expected to break camp as the starting catcher for the Indians, but nobody’s expecting him to hold down the job very long. Santana is waiting in the wings. He was the Indians’ Minor League Player of the Year Award in 2009, batting .290 with 23 home runs and 97 RBI. Santana actually walked more than he struck out, something that has to get Indians’ brass excited (not to mention the fantasy realm). This sweet-swinging switch-hitter won’t be in the minor leagues very much longer. And yes, you can add another player to your All-Name team. The kid is smooth. What? Too much?

20. Buster Posey, San Francisco
2009 Stats: .325, 18 HR, 80 RBI (Double-A and Triple-A)

Posey tumbles down the ranking list after the mid-January re-signing of Bengie Molina. He performed brilliantly while moving up the minor league ladder in 2009, demonstrating great power potential and a strong batting eye. Posey batted .325 between Double-A and Triple-A with 50 extra-base hits. San Francisco fans were salivating (as were fantasy owners) at the prospect of everyday at-bats for Posey in 2010. They won’t receive those returns early in the season. It’ll take an injury, trade or shift in philosophy to get him those chances. Still, I’m intrigued by his potential. There. I said it.

21. Ramon Hernandez, Cincinnati
2009 Stats: .258, 5 HR, 37 RBI

Hernandez returns to action after missing a large chunk of the 2009 season because of a knee injury. He’s a solid power option provided that his knee has recovered sufficiently. Hernandez batted .281 at the Great American Ballpark in 2009 and just .239 on the road. He has a decent batting eye (great walk-to-strikeout ratio) and should produce solid power totals in that advantageous home park with regular at-bats.

22. Ivan Rodriguez, Washington
2009 Stats: .249, 10 HR, 47 RBI

Rodriguez joins his fifth team since the start of the 2008 season. He’s certainly not the powerhouse of years past, but Rodriguez remains a good receiver with some pop (35 extra-base hits last season). His batting average dropped a full 27 points from his 2008 mark, which was bolstered by the .295 mark earned with Detroit before he joined the Yankees.

He’s on the radar as the everyday catcher in Washington to start the season, as Jesus Flores still has a long way to go in his rehabilitation efforts. Flores’ shoulder is weakened to the point where he’s unable to complete a throw back to the mound and cannot take batting practice. Rodriguez sits in the starter slot for the foreseeable future.

23. Rod Barajas, New York Mets
2009 Stats: .226, 19 HR, 71 RBI

Barajas is a solid power producer, having produced a double-digit home run total in his past five full seasons (he hit four home runs in 48 games for the Phillies in 2007). He’s averaged 38 extra-base hits and 55.8 RBI during those five years. Barajas’ career batting average is a brutal .238, so that certainly isn’t helping your bottom line. Still, Barajas is a solid, albeit unspectacular, option for cheap power late in drafts.

24. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Texas
2009 Stats: .233, 9 HR, 34 RBI

Saltalamacchia has been on the radar for several years because of his tremendous power potential. And, on occasion, we’ve seen Saltalamacchia put a charge into the ball (21 extra-base hits in 283 at-bats last season). However, he continues to strike out at an alarming rate (34.2 percent of his at-bats) and still needs to improve behind the plate. As such, Saltalamacchia finds himself embroiled in a battle with Taylor Teagarden for everyday playing time in Texas. Teagarden is the more accomplished receiver, but the Rangers (and fantasy owners) love those big drives. Which will Ron Washington choose?

25. Nick Hundley, San Diego
2009 Stats: .238, 8 HR, 30 RBI

Hundley is part of a workload platoon with former Colorado catcher Torrealba. Hundley performed well in 78 games with the Padres last season. He ripped 25 extra-base hits in 256 at-bats and offered a bonus of five stolen bases. Hundley did strike out in 30 percent of his at-bats, so there’s still room for growth. His gap power is enticing in the cavernous PETCO Park. Torrealba didn’t do much in his final partial season in Colorado, so you’re looking at a workload split at a minimum.