Early 2024 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Top 20 at catcher has Adley Rutschman at the top, Yainer Diaz rising

The youth movement is complete at catcher, and the position is all the better for it.

While 2022 introduced us to Adley Rutschman and William Contreras, 2023 brought Yainer Diaz, Francisco Alvarez, Logan O'Hoppe and Bo Naylor. The former group now sits atop the catcher heap. The latter group will be among the most discussed choices for 2024.

Early rankings: C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | SP | RP

The upshot is that this historically weak position is kind of loaded right now -- and that's even with Daulton Varsho, MJ Melendez and Henry Davis losing eligibility for 2024. But it's loaded in a particular kind of way. There's no out-and-out stud deserving of a big upcharge to set you apart at the position (well ... maybe Rutschman in a points league), but there are something like eight players who are more or less equally good and another half dozen with comparable upside.

What it means is that differentiation will be hard to come by, particularly in one-catcher leagues, which would suggest that waiting is the proper course of action.

Note that the focus here is standard 5x5 scoring (such as Rotisserie leagues), but scroll a little further and you'll see my rankings for points leagues.

Top 20 catchers for 2024

1	Adley Rutschman Baltimore Orioles C
As good as Rutschman was in his sophomore season, he actually underperformed his expected stats, which means we can continue to fantasize about what his ceiling might be. He could dominate the position on volume alone, getting to start virtually every game and bat in the upper third of the Orioles lineup.
2	J.T. Realmuto Philadelphia Phillies C
The decline has begun for the 32-year-old, whose lower-than-usual batting average coincides with a career-worst strikeout rate. But Realmuto still plays a lot more than the average catcher-eligible player and is the position's only safe bet for stolen bases with Daulton Varsho having relocated to the outfield.
3	William Contreras Milwaukee Brewers C
You could make the case for a handful of catchers in this No. 3 spot, but if 2023 trends continue, Contreras will surpass them in runs and RBI simply by virtue of the extra at-bats he gets as a part-time DH. His second-half batting average was probably too good to be true, but it does serve as a reminder that the 25-year-old may not have achieved his final form yet.
4	Will Smith Los Angeles Dodgers C
After three consecutive years of basically the same numbers, it's time to accept that Smith, who will be 29 next year, is who he is -- a quality option to be sure, but not someone who's going to revolutionize the catcher position. The one caveat is that if J.D. Martinez departs via free agency, it could open up more at-bats for Smith at DH.
5	Sean Murphy Atlanta Braves C
Murphy's plate discipline and exit velocity readings remained strong during his miserable second half, which suggests that his first-half production was closer to his true self. It would help if Travis d'Arnaud wasn't there to interfere with his playing time, but the division of labor is going to tilt more in Murphy's favor as d'Arnaud ages out.
6	Yainer Diaz Houston Astros C
This ranking is made with the presumption that the Astros rid themselves of Martin Maldonado finally and turn over primary catching duties to Diaz, who has better defensive metrics but not the trust of the pitching staff or whatever. The only knock on him offensively is that he doesn't walk at all, but between the majors, minors and the Statcast readings, we know he can hit.
7	Cal Raleigh Seattle Mariners C
Raleigh paced the position in home runs for a second straight year and made enough subtle improvements to his overall hitting profile that you can trust he's not going to pull the rug out from under you. He's still a liability in batting average and loses some value in points leagues, but he should keep up in the counting stats well enough to make him a Rotisserie stud.
8	Willson Contreras St. Louis Cardinals C
Much like his brother William in Milwaukee, Willson Contreras overcame a slow start with a scintillating finish, and by the Statcast readings, he actually comes out a little ahead. But going into his age-32 season, he's at a point where he's not in the lineup so consistently while the other Contreras is a true standout in that regard.
9	Mitch Garver Texas Rangers DH
Given his history of injuries and spotty playing time, caution is warranted when ranking Garver for what will be his age-33 season. But if he re-signs with the Rangers and resumes the full-time DH role he had for the last two months of 2023, there may not be a catcher-eligible player with a higher ceiling.
10	Salvador Perez Kansas City Royals C
Another year removed from his record-setting 48-homer season, it's pretty clear Perez is back to being the player he was before it, meaning a pretty good source of home runs and RBI but mediocre otherwise. One critical difference, though, is that he's not permitted to catch as many games, and first base won't be as available next year with Vinnie Pasquantino healthy again.
11	Jonah Heim Texas Rangers C
The unlikely catcher breakout wore down over the course of the year and may still need surgery to repair a torn tendon sheath in his wrist. Of course, it's possible the injury contributed to Heim's bumpy finish, and the Rangers lineup does so much to improve his run and RBI production that he'll probably be a useful starter either way.
12	Francisco Alvarez New York Mets C
The Mets put a lot on the 21-year-old's plate in 2023, and while for a time he looked like the next big thing at catcher, Alvarez's inexperience was ultimately exposed against major-league pitching. The power is considerable, though, and a step forward is a reasonble assumption for a player with his pedigree.
13	Logan O'Hoppe Los Angeles Angels C
O'Hoppe went from having a near-16 percent walk rate in the minors last year to a 5 percent walk rate in the majors this year, abandoning a more disciplined approach to sell out completely for power. His fly ball and pull rates are more extreme than Cal Raleigh's, which may still yield a quality Fantasy player, but the duplicity makes him difficult to size up.
14	Bo Naylor Cleveland Guardians C
Naylor's late-season emergence flew a bit under the radar, but as the playing time became more consistent, so did the production. The Guardians have long valued experience behind the plate, which, along with his left-handedness, could limit Naylor's at-bats, but his upside is considerable as a rare catcher who draws walks and steals bases.
15	Keibert Ruiz Washington Nationals C
Ruiz was able to tap into his power a little more in his second year as a big-league starter, but still, no one would mistake him for a slugger. He has a stranglehold on the catcher position in Washington, which, along with his microscopic strikeout rate, helps to elevate him in points leagues.
16	Gabriel Moreno Arizona Diamondbacks C
As a first-time starter in 2023, Moreno's big-league profile is still taking shape, but it's looking similar to Keibert Ruiz, meaning he's a contact-first hitter whose power output is somewhat lacking. He hit well over .300 each of the final three months, which is probably too good to be true, but he does have a batted-ball profile better suited for batting average than Ruiz.
17	Luis Campusano San Diego Padres C
After getting stalled at Triple-A for a couple years, Campusano finally took the reins as the Padres' starting catcher down the stretch and certainly looked the part, at least on the offensive side. It's still likely they bring in a veteran to pair with him next year, but he's shaping up as an early sleeper, showing the ability to hit for average and power.
18	Shea Langeliers Oakland Athletics C
Taking over as the Athletics' starting catcher in 2023, Langeliers' entire mission seemed to be to yank the ball to his pull side, and he did it enough to deliver a useful home run total. He'll need to refine his approach to be anything more than a No. 2 catcher in Fantasy, and while it's certainly possible at his age, to presume it is wishful thinking.
19	Tyler Stephenson Cincinnati Reds C
After putting together impressive numbers in back-to-back injury-shortened seasons, Stephenson finally got his chance to shine in 2023, and shine he did not. The Statcast readings always suggested he was fool's gold, and while they may have gotten the last laugh, his home park still gives him a chance to be halfway useful in Fantasy.
20	Austin Wells New York Yankees C
There's no clear choice to round out the top 20, but Wells had a promising enough late-season audition that it's possible the Yankees give him the lion's share of the work behind the plate next year. And with a left-handed swing that's geared for fly balls, he could be a nice fit at Yankee Stadium.

What changes in points leagues?

1. Adley Rutschman, BAL
2. William Contreras, MIL
3. Will Smith, LAD
4. J.T. Realmuto, PHI
5. Sean Murphy, ATL
6. Yainer Diaz, HOU
7. Willson Contreras, STL
8. Mitch Garver, TEX
9. Cal Raleigh, SEA
10. Jonah Heim, TEX
11. Salvador Perez, KC
12. Francisco Alvarez, NYM
13. Logan O'Hoppe, LAA
14. Keibert Ruiz, WAS
15. Gabriel Moreno, ARI
16. Bo Naylor, CLE
17. Luis Campusano, SD
18. Shea Langeliers, OAK
19. Tyler Stephenson, CIN
20. Austin Wells, NYY