Baseball is upon us! It is hard to believe that pitchers and catchers report to spring training starting this Friday! No question, it is time to get excited. With the Super Bowl in the rear-view mirror, those into fantasy sports can fully turn their attention to baseball. Of course, Belly Up is ahead of the curve, as many articles on fantasy baseball have already been published. In the last edition, we took a look at the top ten fantasy catchers. However, those that are in a 12-team or larger league, someone is going to be left out in the cold. With that in mind, may I present this fantasy baseball catcher values edition? These players will shore up a fantasy roster and won’t cost much draft capital to do so. Without wasting another moment, let’s get to it.

Tyler Stephenson, Cincinatti Reds

If the previous article had been on any more than the top 10 catchers in fantasy, Tyler Stephenson would certainly have been featured. Because he wasn’t, that qualifies him to be included on this fantasy baseball catcher values list. Really, the only thing holding Stephenson back is the fact that he is coming off an injury plagued 2022 season. Appearing in only 50 games, his stats were a far cry from what he delivered in 2021.

In that season, Stephenson appeared in 132 games in his first full year in the majors. Hitting .286, Stephenson added 10 homers and 45 RBIs. He also provided a .366/.431/.797 stat line. His SO% of 18.7 and BB% of 10.2 were excellent for any hitter, let alone one in his first season. Unfortunately, those totals fell to a SO% of 25.7 and BB% of 6.6 in 2022. Was it because of the injuries? There isn’t enough of a track record to draw any firm conclusions.

When Stephenson was sidelined, he was hitting an excellent .319 with six home runs and 35 RBIs in 166 at-bats. His stat line of .372/.482/.854 was also excellent. As he did play in 132 games just a season ago, Stephenson looks capable of being in the lineup most every day. He is expected to also play first base and get at bats as the DH in 2023.

Without doubt, that will keep his bat in the starting lineup more often than most other catchers. As he is only 26, Stephenson is young enough to put the injury behind him going forward. If waiting for a catcher is the strategy this coming fantasy season, Stephenson clearly meets the need.

Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners

When it comes to risk/reward, few players match that description like Cal Raleigh. First, a question: which player led all catchers in home runs a year ago? The answer: Raleigh. Did you know that without having to look it up? No worries if you did. Raleigh was one of those players that came out of nowhere last season. As for RBIs, Raleigh was tied for fifth among catchers with 63. The player with whom he was tied with, Alejandro Kirk, played in 20 more games.

All of the above is good news. However, often when there is the good, bad news isn’t far behind. Certainly, that is the case with Raleigh. If it weren’t for the home runs and RBIs, he would be completely lost in the waiver wire bin, probably never to be seen on a fantasy roster. Raleigh hit just .211 and had a miniscule .284 OBP. Worst of all, he struck out an abysmal 122 times in just 370 at bats.

As last season was his first full year in the majors, there is nothing to suggest that he will turn that around except possibly maturity and experience. He is a right-handed batter, which means that the shift ban will not help him, either. The home runs and RBIs can’t be ignored, though. With that strike out rate, Raleigh is a clear risk in points leagues. Even in that setting, ranked 202 by FantasyPros, he can return real value if selected in that range.

Christian Vazquez, Minnesota Twins

No question, Christian Vázquez deserves to be on this fantasy baseball catcher values addition. At age 32, Vazquez is one of the true veterans at the position. Don’t let that age scare you away from him if your intention is to wait until way late in a draft to select a backstop. In his last three full seasons, Vazquez has appeared in at least 119 games, with two seasons of 138 sprinkled in. There is every reason to expect that to continue in his first season in the Twin Cities.

Splitting 2022 in Boston and Houston in 2022, Vazquez hit .274-9-52 with a .315/.399/.714 slash line. Unlike Raleigh above, those playing in points leagues have nothing to fear selecting Vazquez, as he only struck out 69 times in 398 at-bats. In fact, Vazquez has never struck out more than 101 times in a season in his major league career.

Despite all of that good news, fantasy managers should see that it is unreasonable to expect Vasquez will ever come close to the 23 homers he hit in 2019. Even so, that .274-9-52 stat line looks fine for a player that should be available in the later stages of a draft. Managers unwilling to take someone from the top ten catchers list really can’t be picky with whom they do draft. Those that find themselves in that situation will be pleased with Vazquez on the roster.

Keibert Ruiz, Washington Nationals

When it comes to young catchers, one that intrigues is Keibert Ruiz. As he is just 24 and coming off of his first full major league season, trying to predict what he can do going forward is anyone’s guess. However, those waiting this late to draft a catcher really can’t afford to be too selective. Playing in 112 games in 2022, Ruiz hit .251-7-36 while adding a .313/.360/.673 slash line. Unlike most other young hitters, Ruiz doesn’t have a strikeout problem, as his excellent 11.6 SO% indicates.

As Ruiz had a .271 BAbip last year, that indicates that there is room for better luck in that area. The problem for Ruiz and the manager that selects him is the Washington Nationals look to have one of the weakest lineups in baseball this season. Of course, that will cut into his opportunities to both score and drive in runs.

Ranked 238th overall by FantasyPros, Ruiz will be available in the later stages of any draft regardless of format. At that late stage, Ruiz can return value for the selection.

The Last Word

Thank you for joining me for this fantasy baseball catcher values edition! As always, I welcome any and all suggestions, comments and input from my readers. Let’s discuss! Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports for all the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and the latest sports news!