MLB Fantasy Baseball: 2011 A.L. Only Top 10 Catcher Rankings

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Here’s an early look at the A.L. Only 2011 Catcher rankings.

1. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins: Hopefully, the power returns, but even if it doesn’t, his average, run total and RBI total make him the top fantasy catcher in baseball. He’s a strong bet to win another batting title.

2. Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers: Leaving Boston will likely mean a slight hit to his numbers, but Victor Martinez is still a force. He hits for average, for power, and is one of the best RBI catchers in the league.

3. Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles: Wieters struggled last year posting a .249-3711-55-0 line. The O’s have made improvements to their lineup by adding Mark Reynolds, Derrek Lee and J.J. Hardy. Wieters is still young. Though it’s a bit of a gamble, I think he realizes his potential this year.

4. Mike Napoli, Texas Rangers: Napoli led all catchers with 26 HRs last year. It was his third straight year with at least 20 HRs. He also scored 60 runs with a career-high 68 RBI. Playing for Texas should lead to strong numbers once again. He should get plenty of at-bats between catcher, first base and DH.

5. Kurt Suzuki, Oakland Athletics: Suzuki has quietly averaged 64.5 runs, 14 HRs, 79.5 RBI and 5.5 SBs over the past two seasons. If you miss out on Mauer and V-Mart, Suzuki is a nice consolation prize later in the draft.

6. Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians: Santana needs to stay healthy to become an elite fantasy catcher. He was limited to 150 at-bats but had some moments, including hitting .345 with 10 runs, four HRs, and 15 RBIs in June. The risk/reward on Santana is the greatest of the A.L. catchers.

7. Jorge Posada, New York Yankees: Posada probably won’t spend too much time behind the plate, which should help him stay healthy. He’ll handle the DH duties and should hit 15-plus HRs. He’s not the player he once was, but he’s still a serviceable fantasy option.

8. Miguel Olivo, Seattle Mariners: Olivo has jumped around throughout his career, playing for six teams. He’s making his second tour with Seattle. One thing that is constant is his power. He has averaged 16.2 HRs and 56.4 RBI over the past five seasons. His upside is limited, but he’s a nice option if you take a catcher late in the draft.

9. J.P. Arencibia, Toronto Blue Jays: I was high on J.P. and then Napoli came to town. With Napoli off to Texas, Arencibia become a nice sleeper option again. He hit just .143 in his cup of coffee but hit .301 with 32 HRs and 85 RBI for Triple-A Las Vegas last year.

10. Russell Martin, New York Yankees: Martin is no longer a fantasy force, but his move to the Yankees could restore some of his value. If the power can return, he could shoot up the rankings, especially if he can get back into the double-digit SBs. The is a low-risk option that could end up paying dividends.

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MLB Fantasy Baseball: 2011 A.L. Only Top 10 Catcher Rankings

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