2008 Fantasy Baseball Preview: Catchers

1. Russell Martin, Los Angeles Dodgers
When was the last time we had a 20/20 catcher in the big leagues. Last year Martin was one home run shy of that mark and he should be able to reach it in 2008. Unlike most catchers Martin is able to hit for average and power, while also able to produce runs with his legs. In his first full season a year ago, Martin nearly had a .300 batting average in addition to 87 runs and RBIs. The young catcher should be even better in 2008 as more young Dodgers, James Loney, Matt Kemp, and Andy LaRoche continue to improve. With the addition of Loney and LaRoche to the everyday lineup Martin's overall stats should make him the top fantasy catcher in 2008.

2. Victor Martinez, Cleveland Indians
Victor Martinez had an incredible year at the plate in 2007, batting .301 with 114 RBIs, and 25 home runs. Martinez is arguably the top power hitting catcher with a slugging percentage over .500 in 2008. However, he fails to meet Martin’s ability to steal bases and score runs with his legs. Martinez may post great power numbers once again but expect Martin to have a better overall season.

3. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves
McCann was a little inconsistent in 2007, but he still turned out a pretty successful campaign while sharing time with Jarrod Saltalamacchia. His numbers dropped a little bit, but the left handed catcher still wound up with some solid power numbers, 18 home runs and 92 RBIs. With Saltalamacchia shipped out of town to Texas, McCann will once again be the Braves' every day catcher. Because of this, expect him to hit for a decent average but lead all catchers in homers and RBIs.

4. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
If Mauer was able to stay healthy in 2007, maybe he would have reverted back to his 2006 form in which he was named A.L. rookie of the year. However, even when Mauer is healthy he does not look like the ultra-catcher that he’s hyped up to be. So far in his big league career Mauer has failed to post more than 13 home runs and 80 RBIs in one season. These aren’t bad numbers but Mauer has failed to prove that he is the undisputed top catcher.

5. Jorge Posada, New York Yankees
Posada picked a good time to have a career year in 2007. While in the final year of his contract, Posada hit .338 with 20 home runs and 90 RBIs. However, do not be delusional and expect these same numbers from Posada in 2008. Jorge has always puts up respectable numbers, but for most of his career he has failed to post stats similar to last year's. At 36 years old, expect there be a significant drop off in his production so be careful expecting too much from Posada.

Just missed...
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Texas Rangers
7. Ivan Rodriguez, Detroit Tigers
8. Kenji Johjima, Seattle Mariners
9. Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs
10. Josh Bard, San Diego Padres