2026 Fantasy Baseball Catcher ADP: Top Targets and Draft Values

Let's continue our breakdown of fantasy baseball average draft position data by going over the catcher position.

We have already gone over starting pitchers, shortstops, third basemen, outfielders and designated hitters, and looked at things overall. Keep checking back for position breakdowns!

More fantasy baseball average draft position data can be found on FantasySP. Draft Genius now has custom head-to-head scoring options and on demand AI expert help for every pick.

The Top Catcher

The top catcher off draft boards is Seattle's Cal Raleigh. He's going at pick 11.75 on average and is the No. 11 player overall.

Raleigh is coming off an incredible showing in 2025. Over 159 games, he posted a .247 average and .359 on-base percentage, but his 60 homers, 125 RBIs and 110 runs scored was where most of his fantasy value lied. He had 24 doubles as well among his 147 total hits, and also had 97 walks and 188 strikeouts.

The homers, RBIs and runs scored are great marks, and his OBP makes up for a lower average and high strikeout totals. The really big thing with Raleigh is the games played, as most catchers don't play that much.

It makes Raleigh a high-end fantasy hitter, not just the best fantasy catcher option. He's the clear No. 1 pick at the position, and is worth an early draft pick.

You wouldn't even need to draft a second catcher, as my latest mock draft showed. Even if Raleigh regresses a bit, he's got a great chance to be the No. 1 fantasy catcher - he might just not live up to his ADP.

The Next-Best Option

Milwaukee's William Contreras is the next catcher off draft boards, but isn't going until pick 54.25 on average.

Contreras is another catcher who plays pretty much every game. He logged 150 contests in 2025, and delivered pretty good marks for the Brewers.

He had a .260 average and .355 OBP over his 659 plate appearances. Contreras had 147 total hits, including 28 doubles and 17 home runs. He also had 76 RBIs, 89 runs scored, six stolen bases, 84 walks and 120 strikeouts.

Contreras will be hitting in the heart of the Brewers' lineup again in 2026, giving him a good fantasy outlook and chance to deliver big again. He's capable of outperforming his ADP, so I like his current draft slot a lot.

Other Top-100 Picks

Los Angeles Dodgers' Will Smith, Athletics' Shea Langeliers and Atlanta's Drake Baldwin are the other catchers going in the top-100 picks.

Smith is going at pick 81.13 on average.

Smith is the catcher for the most stacked team in baseball. He'll likely hit fifth or so in the lineup, giving him a great fantasy outlook for 2026.

In 110 games last season, Smith had a .296 average and .404 OBP over 436 plate appearances. He had 20 doubles, a triple and 17 homers among his 107 total knocks, plus 61 RBIs, 64 runs scored, two stolen bases, 64 walks and 89 strikeouts.

He had played between 126-137 games in the four seasons before last year, so I wouldn't worry too much about last year's lower mark. When healthy, Smith has high-end fantasy catcher upside, so I like his value at his current ADP.

Langeliers is sitting at pick 89.38 on average.

He got in 123 games last season, after playing 135 and 137 in the two seasons before that, so Langeliers is in a similar boat to Smith, just in a worse lineup. Langeliers should hit near the top of the order though, upping his fantasy outlook a bit more.

Langeliers had a .277 average and .325 OBP over his 523 plate appearances last season. He had 133 total hits, including 31 homers and 32 doubles. Langeliers had 72 RBIs, 73 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 36 walks and 103 strikeouts.

He broke out last season, and if he takes another positive step in 2026, Langeliers will be a draft steal. I like having him as a top fantasy catcher, but like anyone not named Raleigh or Contreras, a second fantasy catcher is probably needed, for the games that your catcher isn't playing in.

Baldwin is being picked at 94.38 on average.

He showed some good signs in his rookie season, which spanned 124 games. Baldwin had a .274 average and .341 OBP over 446 plate appearances. He had 111 total hits, including 19 homers and 18 doubles, and also produced 80 RBIs, 56 runs scored, 38 walks and 68 strikeouts.

Baldwin is on the rise and is just 24 years old. He could take his game to the next level this season, and it could lead to a higher finish than his ADP says right now. I'd love drafting Baldwin around pick 100.

Other Draftable Catchers

There's 10 more catchers currently on the ADP list, so let's go over them to wrap this article up.

Baltimore's Adley Rutschman is sitting at pick 108.8 on average. 

Rutschman had a 2025 season to forget. He only played 90 games and he posted a .220 average and .307 OBP (career low marks) when he was out there.

He's capable of so much more, but needs to prove it again in 2025 before fantasy owners can trust him completely. If Rutschman bounces back, he could be one of the top draft steals of 2026.

Kansas City's Salvador Perez and Miami's Agustin Ramirez are at picks 125.75 and 128.25 on average, respectively.

Perez regressed pretty hard in 2025 with his average and OBP, but he still delivered big power numbers, so he was a fine fantasy asset. Add in that he's also eligible at first base and Perez is a pretty good value pick near his ADP.

Ramirez had a .231 average and .287 OBP over 136 games in his rookie year, but flashed power and some speed to be a good fantasy asset. He could be another big draft steal if he improves - I'd expect that as he's just 24 years old.

Colorado's Hunter Goodman is sitting at pick 136.71 on average.

Goodman broke out in 2025, posting a .278 average and .323 OBP over 144 games, with good power and run production. I'm really not sure why he's going so late in fantasy drafts, as he has top-five upside at the position.

Houston's Yainer Diaz (147.5 ADP) and Baltimore's Samuel Basallo (148.5) are the next catchers off draft boards. 

Diaz regressed in his average and OBP last season, but had good power and run production yet. He played 143 games as well, so he's a nice value pick and bounceback option in 2026.

Basallo is another catcher for Baltimore, but could also help at first base and designated hitter, so he and Rutschman should be in the lineup daily. Basallo only had a .165 average and .229 OBP in 31 games in his first taste of the big leagues.

Basallo has been a highly-regarded prospect for a while, which explains his ADP right now. If he takes off, he'll maybe be the biggest draft steal of 2026.

Arizona's Gabriel Moreno (163.5) and Toronto's Alejandro Kirk (165.2) are the next catchers off draft boards.

Moreno has struggled to stay healthy over the past couple years, but he's delivered when healthy. He could shine in a fully healthy season, but this ADP is fair based on his past.

Kirk is the catcher for a very good Toronto team. He got in 130 games last season and had a good average and OBP, just not as much power as some other catchers. I love his ADP and think he offers great draft value.

Philadelphia's J.T. Realmuto and New York Yankees' Austin Wells round out the list, both sitting at pick 186 on average right now.

Realmuto played 134 games last season, but his power numbers were way down, and they aren't likely to bounce way back in his age-34/35 season. He's worth trying in most leagues yet, but he's not the fantasy stud he used to be.

Wells got in 126 games in 2025, but had just a .219 average and .275 OBP. He flashed some pop, but could be in for a little regression as he's expected to hit near the bottom of the Yankees' order. Anyone in that lineup can be a good/great fantasy asset, so maybe Wells could bounce back in 2026.