Catchers are such a difficult position to draft because they could be great one year, but become inconsistent the next year. It also takes a big strain on the body. Sometimes it isn’t always physical though, as language barriers can also keep a player from under performing. For example, Mike Napoli has been of and on when it comes to injuries. He’s finally healthy and performing very well. Kenji Johjima is from Japan and the language barrier for a catcher to overcome in order to communicate with pitchers is huge. That leaves Russell Martin who it seems was just a bit tired out this year. Could you really blame him though? He’s been the cornerstone of the Dodgers and looks to have regained fantasy value next season.
Gold Medal:
Mike Napoli (C - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) - Napoli has hands down been the best catcher this week. His numbers have been amazing. He had nice power numbers, but his main value has come in the hits he’s collected. He was 10 for 15, which is just amazing. His average has been insane and strong enough to carry an owners’ entire average category. He may not be able to repeat this too many times in the future, but he really ended the season with a bang. Owners couldn’t have asked for anything more.
10/15, 3 runs, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 SB, .667 AVG
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Silver Medal:
Kenji Johjima (C - Seattle Mariners) - The media is completely concentrated on the whole Ichiro scenario in which players said they wanted to beat him up. However, their other Japanese player has been playing better but hasn’t been getting much recognition. Johjima has mostly been a bust since the Mariners signed him, yet they then signed him to an extension which left many people scratching their heads. Now Johjima is finally showing why he’s capable of being an MLB catcher. He may not call the best game yet, and has trouble communicating with pitchers, but his offense is the important thing for fantasy baseball and it has finally showed up. Who knows how long it’ll last, but hopefully it lasts into next season so owners have another catcher who’ll be draft worthy.
6/18, 2 runs, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, .333 AVG
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Bronze Medal:
Russell Martin (C/3B - Los Angeles Dodgers) - Martin is still one of the best fantasy catchers in the league, but his numbers are a bit of a disappointment compared to last year. Last year he put up some great fantasy friendly numbers, but this year his were good, but not great. However, it looks like he’s been better with his pitch selection and is a better field general. That could be a big reason why the Dodgers and not the D-Backs are going to the playoffs. However, expect Martin to work hard this off-season because he wants to regain the numbers he put up last season. His value slipped a little bit so he’ll probably drop a little lower than he should be. That’s great news for a smart owner.
6/15, 4 runs, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB, .400 AVG
Other Top Performances:
C
| 1B
| 2B
| 3B
| SS
| LF
| CF
| RF
| RP
| SP