Dynasty Catcher Targets

Fantasy baseball is all about offense. From a hitting perspective, we are evaluated based on what our players do both at the plate and on the basepaths. I know, that’s really groundbreaking commentary there, but stick with me.

Between the white lines of a major league baseball field, though, there’s another aspect to the game that deserves our attention: defense. But wait, I don’t get any fantasy points for defense, so why should I care? That’s because you also don’t get fantasy production if your players are sitting on the bench and not on the field. Unless they are the designated hitter, defense matters. And for catchers, it matters a whole lot more.

Every single player has a learning curve and adjustment period when they reach the major leagues. Hitting major league pitching is not easy. Yes, there’s a directional relationship between minor and major league success, but it’s not a guarantee. Young catchers, though, have it worse. Their main job is to play defense. That could entail calling the game, framing pitches, throwing out baserunners, and, most importantly, working with their pitching staff. For obvious reasons, that generally takes precedent over what happens at the plate.

Unfortunately, from our perspective, the offense initially takes a back seat to the defense. That means there’s a substantial learning curve for young catchers to deal with. It also makes evaluating catchers for the purpose of dynasty fantasy baseball that much harder. We are forced to look at things differently for multiple reasons. Given the nature of the position, injuries are often more prevalent, and more players receive playing time. Additionally, the barrier to entry is focused more on defense than offense, so the fantasy production often times leaves something to be desired.

As you prepare for the 2026 season and shape your dynasty roster, we have you covered from the catching perspective. We know that Samuel Basallo, Kyle Teel, and Carter Jansen are the young catchers to know. That’s the easy part. What we need to find is who will be this year’s Drake Baldwin or Hunter Goodman? Which young catcher is currently flying under the radar and is likely available for a modest (at most) price? Again, we are digging deep here, but that’s part of the fun of dynasty leagues.

All of these catchers have major league experience, but none have a guaranteed role entering the season. In fact, two of them might not even be catcher eligible at this point, depending on your league settings.Let’s take a look at some catchers I have my eye on in dynasty leagues.

Harry Ford, Washington Nationals

141 PLIVE+, OOPSY Peak Projection: .240/.353/.384 16 HR, 13 SB, 13.3% BB, 21.5% K

Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas

Yes, the Washington Nationals did commit to Keibert Ruiz with a contract extension a few years ago, but it’s not large enough to be prohibitive. Ruiz’s power has never developed and he also struggled with a concussion last season and never really got going from a performance perspective.

The Nationals are in the midst of a rebuild so they won’t be showing any loyalty to Ruiz. We also know that they are going to slant towards youth and it’s notable that they traded for Harry Ford this off-season. Washington traded a legitimate reliver, Jose Ferrer, for Ford so there’s some level of commitment there.

From a performance perspective, it’s been a slow rise for Ford. Since being drafted out of high school, Ford has spent a season per level since 2021. That culminated in 97 games at Triple-A in 2025 in which Ford hit .283 with 16 home runs, 74 RBI, and 68 runs scored. As a nice bonus from the catcher position, Ford also stole seven bases.

Ford brings a solid skill set and approach with him to Washington. The opportunity is also there, and from a dynasty perspective, that’s the ideal combination.

Joe Mack, Miami Marlins

131 PLIVE+, OOPSY Peak Projections: .236/.310/.406 22 HR, 4 SB, 8.9% BB, 25.8% K

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