When Los Angeles Dodgers C Will Smith smacked a game-winning, three-run home run to beat the rival San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night, it was a reminder not only how good Smith is, but how blocked catching prospect Keibert Ruiz is. Smith is 26, among the top catchers in fantasy baseball, and will be a fixture in this lineup for a while. Ruiz, one of the top catching prospects in the sport, boasts a lofty .949 OPS at Triple-A Oklahoma City, and may be trade bait at next week's deadline.
Ruiz, who turned 23 this week, has appeared in the majors already, earning eight at-bats last season and seven more so far in 2021, but Smith is the starter. Austin Barnes is an affordable backup with another year remaining on his contract. Ruiz could linger in Triple-A for another season, in theory, but if the Dodgers have a need at the big-league level in their quest to win another World Series -- and they do have needs -- then Ruiz figures to be asked about by other organizations. He could start for quite a few of them right now.
None of this means that fantasy managers should run out and grab Ruiz in standard, redraft formats, because for those in ESPN leagues there is only one catcher spot. Besides, even if Ruiz sees a big-league opportunity in a few weeks, he could certainly have some growing pains. For dynasty formats, however, get interested. Ruiz is slugging .582 this season, but has mostly been known for his impressive contact skills, offering batting average upside. Few project big power numbers, but he should offer modest pop.
Waiting behind a Giant
As for the first place team in the NL West, future Hall of Fame catcher Buster Posey seems likely to garner Comeback Player of the Year attention since he sat out the 2020 season and currently boasts the highest OPS of his stellar career. Posey, 34, also seems unlikely to play elsewhere in 2022, so what happens to prospect Joey Bart and his impressive .950 OPS at Triple-A Sacramento?
Bart shows power but little plate discipline, capping his potential offensive upside for fantasy purposes in batting average. Still, he was the No. 2 pick in the 2018 amateur draft, after Detroit Tigers RHP Casey Mize. Bart is not the hitter that Ruiz is, and the Giants lack the farm system that the Dodgers have. It would be a surprise if the Giants trade Bart, so he may remain blocked for quite a while.
Other catching prospects
There still seems to be little momentum for the Baltimore Orioles to promote Adley Rutschman past Triple-A this summer. Rutschman is hitting .268 with both power and plate discipline for Double-A Bowie, and the switch-hitter homered from each side of the plate Wednesday versus Hartford, knocking in seven runs. Among players currently in the minor leagues, Rutschman is certainly one of the top prospects for dynasty purposes. Colleague Tristan H. Cockcroft lists Rutschman and Ruiz as his fantasy All-Star catchers for 2025.
The Oakland Athletics must be enjoying what Tyler Soderstrom is doing at Low-A Stockton, showing a combination of power and plate discipline in his age-19 season. There seems little question that Soderstrom, a first round pick in the 2020 draft, will hit, but the Athletics may move him away from catcher -- and we might see him in the majors sooner. Fantasy managers should never worry about which positions prospects play. Get the top sluggers and covet the aces, and the rest usually falls into place.
The Seattle Mariners promoted Cal Raleigh to the majors just before the All-Star break, and he registered his first base hit in his fourth game. Raleigh, 24, hit .324 with a .985 OPS at Triple-A Tacoma, and the Mariners are getting below-average production from catchers. Still, they have been using catcher Luis Torrens as their regular DH, while Tom Murphy remains the backup. It's very odd. I have no idea if Raleigh will hit right away, or struggle like Jarred Kelenic did the first time around. Either way, he is worth an add in multi-catcher formats.
New York Mets prospect Francisco Alvarez slugged a home run in the Futures Game, but he is only 19, so it is going to be a while before we see him in the majors. Alvarez boasts a hefty 1.213 OPS over 15 games at High-A Brooklyn, with twice as many walks as whiffs, so look for him to get another promotion soon. James McCann signed a four-year contract this past winter. Alvarez should supplant him as starter before it ends.
Gabriel Moreno of the Toronto Blue Jays is still out with a thumb fracture, and it may be tough for him to reach the majors this season, since he is still at Double-A New Hampshire. Moreno, hitting .373 with a nice 1.092 OPS, remains someone to watch for fantasy for 2022.
The Philadelphia Phillies have J.T. Realmuto to catch for the next four seasons so, similar to the Dodgers and Giants, it makes prospect Rafael Marchan a top trade candidate. Marchan debuted for the Phillies late last season and slugged a home run, which was shocking because he still has yet to hit a home run over 979 minor-league plate appearances. Marchan is not someone likely to carry a fantasy team, but an opportunity to play regularly in the majors could come rather soon.