Catching Up: Top Ten Fantasy Baseball Catchers for the 2012 Season

With the end of the 2011 baseball season comes the preparations for the 2012 fantasy baseball season. It is never too early to get a jump on your competition and start considering your strategy for next year. If you are involved in a dynasty league (or keeper league), all the more reason to review each position and decide on who your keepers will (or should) be.

When considering the top fantasy catchers for 2012, it is definitely worth taking a look at the top ten catchers for the 2012 season and determining the value of each of these backstops from a fantasy baseball perspective.

1)  Carlos Santana (CLE) –

Hitting in the middle of the Tribe's batting order and delivering 27 HR and 97 BB speak volumes about Santana's ability at the dish. A low BA (.239) is the one area he can improve upon. As he continues to show discipline at the plate, the average should come around. In year 3, he should be the class of the position.

2)  Victor Martinez (DET) –

With 26 games behind the plate, V-Mart maintains his catcher status for 2012. That is great news for fantasy owners as he should continue to collect the lion's share of the Tigers' DH at bats. The lessened playing time at catcher means less chance of injury and more chance of delivering key offensive fantasy stats.

3)  Mike Napoli (TEX) –

After a first half in which he hit for only a .232 BA, Napoli led all catchers (min. 175 PA) in the second half in HR (14), BA (.385), OBP (.468) with a major league best 1.158 OPS. Considering his eligibility at 1B as well his ability to pick up AB as the DH, Napoli ranks high at a shallow position.

4)  Brian McCann (ATL) –

A steady performer, McCann's penchant for missing games to nagging injury and enduring prolonged slumps are the only thing keeping him from the top of this list.

5)  Joe Mauer (MIN) –

Once the crown jewel of the fantasy world, Mauer has displayed a persistent knack for being injury-prone recently, knocking him down a peg. Throw in the fact that he may be moved to first base and Mauer simply doesn't deliver the necessary production to merit top status any longer.

6)  Miguel Montero (ARI) –

 He proved that 2009 was no fluke by turning his game up a notch this season. Having a catcher who hits cleanup on a contending ball club is a nice building block for your fantasy team. The only question is if he can repeat his 2011 season.

7)  Buster Posey (SF) –

Posey's recovery from leg and ankle injuries has been ahead of schedule making the Giants optimistic for a full return by spring training. Temper your expectations a little and you won't be disappointed.

8)  Matt Wieters (BAL) –

Everyone's favourite uber-prospect finally started to show some consistency in 2011. After 2 years of poor first half production, he finally had a balanced season. His defense had already established him as a valuable player on the field and his offense is starting to catch up.

9)  Alex Avila (DET) –

After looking like he wasn't ready to face big league pitching, Avila burst out of the gate with 10 HR and a .286 BA in the first half. With a second half of 9 HR and a .306 BA, Avila proved he is here to stay.

10)              J.P. Arencibia (TOR) –

If you can weather the BA (.219) and OBP (.282), "JPA" should continue to deliver the power. He hit 23 HR and 78 RBI (both 4th among all MLB catchers) as a rookie. If he moves up in the line up, his numbers should improve.

When considering fantasy baseball catchers for 2012, these ten backstops should definitely be considered. Unlike some other shallow positions, you would be well served with any of these players manning your catcher spot. They all bring value from a fantasy baseball perspective.