Catchers/First Basemen

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After a nice preview on the starting and relief pitchers last week, we will now get into catchers and first basemen. Elite catchers are hard to come by, so drafting the every year reliables or the young possible breakout candidates would be good strategies. After Buster Posey, it gets ugly. The position of first base has much more depth. You can wait a few rounds and still get an elite hitter including Albert Pujols or Adrian Gonzalez.

Catchers

  1. Buster Posey- San Francisco Giants

Ranking the #1 catcher was very easy, given how superior Posey has been to all of the other catchers in the last 4 years. Posey has ranked in the top 5 in batting average, runs, RBI’s, and hits out of all catchers in 4 straight seasons now. Posey has been a fantasy stud and the only reliable catcher in the game. Some people (including me) think he is over drafted in many leagues, but after you see the difference in stats between Posey and all the other catchers after every season, you may rethink.

  1. Jonathan Lucroy- Milwaukee Brewers

After his monstrous 2014 campaign, Lucroy was an injured mess and a big bust last year. The 6 year Brewer only had 371 at bats in 2015 (214 less than in 2014). Even when Lucroy did play he wasn’t the same player he was in 2014, posting a lame .264 batting average, 7 home runs, and 43 RBI’s. However, I would bank on a bounce back season and draft him as a top 5 catcher, given his real potential and knowing how hard elite catchers are to come by.

  1. Salvador Perez- Kansas City Royals

Perez is transforming into one of the top power hitting catchers in the league. Perez has smashed 38 home runs over the last two years (3rd out of all catchers). Being one of the most consistent hitting catchers, Perez has held at least a .260 batting average, 13 home runs, and 70 RBI’s in the last 3 years. Given his legit power, consistency, and high powered offensive lineup, Perez is a safe top 5 catcher.

  1. Russel Martin- Toronto Blue Jays

It’s incredible how players turn into power machines when they relocate to Toronto. Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson, Melky Cabrera, and Russell Martin are all examples of this. Consistency isn’t one of Martin’s strong suits, which is probably the reason he’s been on 4 different teams in his 10 year career. This is Martin’s batting average stat line over the last 4 years – 2012: .211, 2013: .226, 2014: ,290, 2015: .240. Nevertheless, his 23 home runs are too good to pass up. Martin’s not getting any younger, but he still has awesome power and potential in Toronto’s stadium.

  1. Travis d’Arnaud- NY Mets

In his short 67 game season in 2015, d’Arnaud had an efficient season. Travis d’Arnaud has been in the MLB for 3 years and is coming off two solid seasons of totaling 25 home runs and 82 RBI’s. If the 27 year old catcher can stay healthy, this sleeper could have a big breakout season in the powerful Mets lineup.

My next 5 ranked catchers in order are: Kyle Schwarber, Brain McCann, Devin Mesaraco, Derek Norris, and Yan Gomes.

First Basemen

  1. Paul Goldschmidt- Arizona Diamondbacks

You would probably agree that Goldschmidt is the best hitter in baseball right now. Paul ranked 2nd in batting average, 3rd in home runs, 2nd in RBI’s, 1st in runs, and 1st in hits among first basemen in the 2015 season. In 2 out of his last 3 years, Goldschmidt has posted a minimum average of .300, 30 home runs, 100 RBI’s, 100 runs, and 180 hits. This kid is the real deal and should be taken off the board in the first round of all drafts.

  1. Miguel Cabrera- Detroit Tigers

Despite only playing in 119 games due to injuries, Cabrera still managed to smash 18 home runs and an MLB leading .338 batting average. The no brainer first ballot hall of famer has averaged a glorious 31.4 home runs, .321 batting average, 111.2 RBI’s, 94.5 runs, and 179.3 hits in his long 13 year career. Still at 32 years old, Cabrera continues to rule the MLB.

  1. Edwin Encarnacion- Toronto Blue Jays

After having a solid 4 1/2 year tenure in Cincinnati to start his career, Toronto converted Encarnacion into an all-star slugger. Edwin has ranked in the top 13 for home runs and RBI’s out of all players in the MLB for 4 consecutive years. In one of the best lineups in the league, Encarnacion should continue his streak of at least 30 home runs and 95 RBI’s, which he has kept since 2012.

  1. Albert Pujols- Los Angeles Angels

Albert Pujols is one of my all-time favorite players and is always drafted on my fantasy team. I don’t understand why people tend to stay away from old players like Adrian Gonzalez and Albert Pujols, even though they deliver elite numbers every season. Here’s the scoop on Pujols: his brutal .244 batting average and .217 BABIP reveal that his glory days of contact hitting are coming to an end. However, the 36 year old future hall of famer has reminded us he is still capable of producing 40 home run seasons. Pujols’ 40 home runs and 95 RBI’s ranked in the top 5 for all first basemen in 2015. This consistent animal should be treated as a top 5 first baseman.

  1. Anthony Rizzo- Chicago Cubs

Rizzo has had an interesting career. His first few years were filled up with inconsistency, but he has now produced two consecutive seasons of elite play. In his last two seasons, Rizzo has ranked in the top 5 in home runs and in the top 10 in RBI’s and batting average out of all first basemen! Rizzo is only 26 years old and is the centerpiece of a young and dangerous Cubs lineup. Expect another big season from this player.

My next 5 ranked first basemen in order are: Joey Votto, Jose Abreu, Chris Davis, Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder, Freddie Freeman, and Eric Hosmer.

 

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