With MLB right around the corner, we take a look at the current 2017 Fantasy Baseball catcher rankings. Does Gary Sanchez lead the way?

Catcher is the thinnest position in fantasy baseball this year and to be honest, it’s ugly.

Once you get out of the top three catchers, you can make a case for any other catcher to be between numbers four through 10. I would suggest one of two things when it comes to drafting a catcher this year. Either be the first to draft a catcher or be the last to go with your backstop.

Catcher won’t win you your league in most cases, but it can hurt you if you draft poorly.

The first tier of catchers are the elite catcher options for 2017. These are the names that go by Sanchez, Posey and Lucroy.

But don’t be scared. There are plenty of options to choose from, despite its scarcity on the surface. Here are our Top 10 fantasy baseball catchers heading into 2017:

Advice for drafting catchers

Catcher is not very deep in 2017. As we already discussed, either be the first to draft one or hold out until last.

There is no need to draft a Brian McCann before others haven’t filled in their position yet. Know your league and know when they will draft catchers. If your league drafts catchers late, then take Posey in rounds 10-12 and get him at a good value.

Where you draft guys is how well your time will be. If you reach for a catcher and pass up a better outfielder or pitchers, the lack of depth will come back and hurt you during the long season.

When it comes to drafting a catcher you should figure out which type of catcher you want. If you want a power hitting catcher with a low average, then target Russell Martin, Brian McCann or Evan Gattis. If you want a catcher who is safe in average, go after Posey or Realmuto.

There are a few catchers who can be major factors in dynasty leagues such as Gary Sanchez, Wilson Contreras or Kyle Schwarber.

Overall, catcher isn’t great and I’ll most likely be drafting catcher last in all of my drafts. You shouldn’t draft any catcher before the 10th round. I wouldn’t draft a catcher until rounds 15-20 at the earliest.

Buster Posey or Gary Sanchez will give you good numbers for catchers but compared to other positions you should wait. Let your catcher come to you at this draft; don’t overdraft your catcher. It will make your team weaker at other positions and the statistics they put up won’t make it worth it where they are being drafted.

Top catching prospects

Chance Sisco, Baltimore Orioles

In Double-A ball last year he hit .319 with four home runs and 44 RBIs. Besides the average, those numbers aren’t eye-popping, but a catcher who can hit .300 is a great catcher to keep your eye on.

Players develop power as they get older. He also had a .405 OBP which means he gets on base and in the right lineup he can score a bunch of runs. 

He can be a Joe Mauer type hitter at the next level.

Francisco Mejia, Cleveland Indians

He hit .342 in the minors (A-ball) with 11 home runs and 80 RBIs. He is still a couple of levels away from getting to the minors, but if he can do it at the Double-A level, he can be a serious candidate to be called up by the start of the 2018 season.

This would be a very good pick in deeper keeper leagues and dynasty leagues. Keep this player’s name in mind.

Tom Murphy, Colorado Rockies

He has played in the majors the last two seasons and he has a .266 average and eight home runs in 32 big league games. He has shown to have 20-plus home run power in the minors and to hit with a good average.

Why is he on this list? He plays in Colorado.

If he gets the everyday job in Colorado, he can put up good numbers and you can get him late in drafts. He isn’t young (25) for a prospect, but anybody who can get regular at bats needs to be on your radar in fantasy.

Notables who can help you win your league

Kyle Schwarber, Chicago Cubs

When this guy is healthy, he may be the best hitting catcher in the league. The tough part is, he may not get catcher eligibility until the second or third month of the season.

If you wait on catcher in your draft and play Schwarber at utility or outfield, it can pay off for you in the long run. He is the rare case in catcher where he can give you 30 home runs and drive in a bunch of runs.

He is worth the pick-up, especially in dynasty and keeper leagues. He can be the next Mike Piazza.

Wilson Ramos, Tampa Bay Rays

For anyone that had him last year in fantasy, he was a monster up until he got hurt. He batted .307 with 22 home runs and collected 80 RBIs. He has been an injury risk his whole career but when he has been healthy, there has been no doubt about his offensive skill set.

He tore his ACL for the second time in the last five years. Without injury, he could have been a top three catcher, but he may not be able catch at all in 2017.

The good news is he signed with Tampa Bay which means he can DH once he comes back. He may give you only a third of a season, but he can be a good add towards the end of the season if you are struggling at the position to make a playoff run.

Welington Castillo, Baltimore Orioles

This guy will help you win your fantasy league next year. He is a consistent hitter that you can acquire very late in your drafts in the spring. If you don’t take a catcher until the last couple of rounds, this is your guy.

He plays in a good hitter’s ballpark while having the advantage of hitting in a solid lineup. Playing in the AL can only help him because now he can DH.

My advice: Don’t draft a catcher and snag this guy late in your draft.

10. Brian McCann, Houston Astros

This guy can kill your team’s average some weeks, yet he can also help you win your team’s matchup in the next week. If he can play first base, his ranking will go up because now he can stay in the lineup.

Houston is just as good to left hitters as Yankee stadium is, so he won’t lose too much in the power category. Two years ago he tallied 94 RBIs. That could be a reach now, but 75-plus RBIs is definitely a possibility.

9. Russell Martin, Toronto Blue Jays

He is in one the best lineups in baseball and he will continue to have plenty of opportunities to hit in runs and also score some. His batting average has dropped off the last couple of year but I believe is that he has done that to better up his home run numbers.

A catcher who can give you 20 home runs and 70-plus RBIs needs to be on your radar.

8. Yasmani Grandal, Los Angeles Dodgers

is an under the radar catcher for the upcoming season, He hit 27 home runs and had 72 RBIs while posting a .339 OBP which is very respectful at catcher. His average could hurt you but by giving you home runs and some decent RBIs, you can afford to take a hit in average with him.

7. Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals

This guy will give you top five to seven power numbers from the position and will have a respectful average but he plays way too many games behind the plate and I wouldn’t be surprised if his numbers started to show that.

For OBP leagues, he isn’t very good, but he will be in the lineup most days which puts him ahead of some of the other catchers on the list.

6. Willson Contreras, Chicago Cubs

looked good when being called up in the spring but with Kyle Schwarber coming back, he may cut into starts behind the plate. Contreras has very good potential and is a top three in dynasty leagues. He has good power and can have a solid average next year. He will be in the best lineup in the National league.

5. J.T. Realmuto, Miami Marlins

This veteran will showcase a good average, some stolen bases, and that is about it. He is pretty safe for when it comes to catchers.

4. Evan Gattis, Houston Astros

As a Braves fan, it was tough to see this guy get traded. He is the definition of a pure power hitter. He hit 32 home runs and drove in 72 RBI’s in 128 games. The addition of Brian McCann doesn’t scare me since McCann is going to be used at DH and first base.

Gattis can hit 40 home runs next year and be drafted outside the top ten at catcher. This guy will be on a lot of my roster because of the power upside and a guy who bats with no batting gloves on has a special place in my heart.

3. Jonathan Lucroy, Texas Rangers

Jonathan Lucroy is a safe bet to finish within the top three of catchers. He hit 11 home runs in only 47 games while playing for Texas a season ago. It is one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in the league and he can also DH some games which can save his legs.

A career average of .284 for an OBP of .345 gives him a pretty good fantasy floor for the year. If he can bat in the top five in the lineup, he’ll put up good numbers all year.

2. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

This three-time champion played in 146 games in every year since 2012. What helps him is that he is first base eligible on most sites and that helps his legs throughout the season. Last season, he played 1069 innings behind the plate, which was the most of his career and that could have been the reason why he hit his lowest HR (14) and RBI (80) totals since 2012 plus his average dropped 30 points from the year below.

His OBP is still at .362 which is elite at the catcher position. Posey will give you a high number of starts, OBP and should be near the top in average at the position.

To me, that isn’t enough to rank as the top catcher for the season. Still, he’s a phenomenal catcher for keeper and dynasty leagues, even if he’s on the downslope of his catching career.

1. Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees

New York Yankees stud phenom Gary Sanchez was a man on a mission last year. In only 201 ABs, he smacked 20 HRs, 42 RBIs and hit .299/.376 OBP. His slugging percentage of .657 and OPS of 1.033 were amazing and would almost impossible to keep up throughout a whole season.

Sanchez has the ability to put up a realistic stat line of 30 HR, 100 RBIs and hit .275. This, for a catcher, would be by far the top at the position. He comes with some risk of being a young player and now opposing teams have tape on him and can find the holes in his swing.

He has the highest upside of any catcher in baseball next year and if you take a chance on him and he continues to put up those type of numbers, you now will have the top catcher in fantasy who will give you a big lead on other team’s catchers. He is

He is, far and away, the top catcher in keeper and dynasty leagues. If you have him, you will be set at catcher for the next five to seven years.