Re-ranked, Pt. 2: Catcher

August is here and as we head toward the stretch run it's time to look at where our updated rankings stand. We start behind the dish.

 

1. Joe Mauer - Nagging injuries have kept the power numbers down, but he's still the best hitting catcher in baseball.

 

2. Brian McCann- He hit .326 in June and has increased his power production each month.

 

3.  Geovany Soto- Having been unlucky with regards to RBI all season long, Soto finally broke through in July, collecting 20 RBI while hitting .315 with six home runs.  

 

4. Carlos Santana- A recent slump has dropped his AVG, but his potential may be higher than any catcher in baseball.

 

5. Buster Posey- There is every reason to think Posey can continue to hit for a high AVG the rest of this season, but the eight home runs in 203 at-bats seems a bit fluky. Seven of the eight home runs have come on the road.

 

6. Mike Napoli- Playing just about every day finally allows Naopli's power to stand out. He should continue to get playing time on his way to setting a career high in home runs.

 

7. Kurt Suzuki- Just a solid catcher with reliable production, albeit with limited upside.

 

8. Victor Martinez - Just off the DL, we'll have to wait and see how his thumb injury will affect his power. Chances are that it will limit his potential the rest of the way.

 

10. Miguel Montero- It's always risky to expect normal production from a catcher returning from a major injury. Catching is demanding enough on a player's body. Adding the fact that Montero missed time due to a knee injury and you've got a good reason to limit expectations. That being said, the guy can flat out hit and has the upside to be a top five catcher the rest of the way.

 

11. Miguel Olivo - Hasn't hit under .300 any month except for April (.291). At some point a .383 BABIP has to hit a big-time regression...right? 

 

12. Jorge Posada - He'll miss time now and again as age has clearly caught up to his body. Still, when he's on the field, he's productive.

 

13. Matt Wieters- At this position, upside makes a difference and Wieters still has plenty of upside. His numbers did improve late last season, so we can at least hope for a repeat...if not more.

 

14. John Buck - Only one home run in July and risk for drop in AVG (.326 BABIP, 16 percent line drive rate).

 

15. Rod Barajas - On the DL with an oblique strain, there is always the chance he struggles a little upon his return.

 

16. Ryan Doumit- Sometimes coming back from a concussion can be tricky. We'll have to see how things progress, but Doumit has enough upside to make a 12-team mixed league impact.

 

17. Yorvit Torrealba - Getting more playing-time of late and taking full advantage. His current .324 AVG is sure to fade (.387 BABIP), but his lineup spot will make for some RBI opportunities.

 

18. Russell Martin - Still getting the playing time to produce a little in the RBI category, but once top-level offensive game is gone.

 

19. Yadier Molina- The AVG slowly continues to climb and playing-time time gives him value in NL-only leagues.

 

20. Chris Iannetta - Getting a good number of at-bats since his return from the minors. The power is still there and keeps him valuable in deep formats.