The 2025 season, highlighted by Cal Raleigh‘s record-setting, MVP-caliber performance, turned out to be an exceptional year for catchers overall. The position collectively produced more home runs (606) and RBIs (2,216) than five of the other nine positions, which included left field and third base (with designated hitter, first base, and right field leading). Many top players at this position were young: of the ten catchers who hit 19 or more homers, only Salvador Perez exceeded the age of 28, and five were 25 or younger. Notably, Iván Herrera fell just short of eligibility last year but is expected to regain it in 2026.
Given the current depth at catcher, only those fully backing Raleigh should invest heavily in a backstop in mixed leagues. This list features nine players with solid potential beyond just high floors. Importantly, Herrera is likely to rank within the top four if he becomes eligible again. Missing out on one of these key players isn’t catastrophic either; there are several more capable of hitting near 20 homers behind them.
This brings us to the catcher options for mixed leagues in 2026, starting with a familiar name.
Other position previews:
⚾️ Coming soon: MLB is set to return to NBC and Peacock in 2026! Along with Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will air MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day,” Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and more.
⚾ 2026 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Rankings
** Rotoworld staff consensus rankings **
| Rank | Player | Pouliot | Samulski | Schiano | Short | Montanez | Bissell | Shovein | Crawford | Consensus Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cal Raleigh | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | William Contreras | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2.25 |
| 3 | Ben Rice | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3.63 |
| 4 | Hunter Goodman | 5 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4.63 |
| 4 | Shea Langeliers | 7 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4.63 |
| 6 | Agustín Ramírez | 6 | 5 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 6.5 |
| 7 | Drake Baldwin | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 7.25 |
| 8 | Salvador Perez | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 |
| 9 | Will Smith | 9 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8.25 |
| 10 | Yainer Diaz | 11 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 10.63 |
| 11 | Adley Rutschman | 12 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | Alejandro Kirk | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 12.75 |
| 13 | Francisco Alvarez | 19 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 13 | 13.88 |
| 14 | Gabriel Moreno | 10 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14.38 |
| 15 | Kyle Teel | 15 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15.75 |
| 16 | J.T. Realmuto | 13 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 12 | 17 | 16.38 |
| 17 | Samuel Basallo | 20 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 17 | NR | 17.13 |
| 18 | Carter Jensen | 16 | NR | 16 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 17.25 |
| 19 | Austin Wells | NR | 18 | NR | 16 | 20 | 18 | 22 | 18 | 20.25 |
| 20 | Logan O’Hoppe | 17 | 15 | NR | 19 | NR | 19 | NR | 19 | 20.5 |
Editor’s Note: Projections and dollar values from Matthew Pouliot; player rankings are based on consensus.
⚾ 2026 Catcher Projections and Previews
1) Cal Raleigh — Seattle Mariners
2026 Outlook: Raleigh likely had the best fantasy season for a catcher ever. Although not a complete surprise after finishing 18th and 12th in AL MVP voting in the previous two seasons, his fantasy hopefuls seemed limited by Seattle’s tough hitting environment. While he only batted .247 in 2025, his other statistics were astounding. He hit a league-leading 60 homers and established MLB records for catchers as well as switch-hitters, with 125 RBIs and an impressive 14 stolen bases.
After an exceptional season, there’s a chance Raleigh will experience some regression. His exit velocity metrics were slightly above his career averages, and he hit homers on 75% of his barrels compared to 64% previously. Although he’s projected to have more plate appearances than any catcher, durability can be a concern; a single foul tip could derail his season. The premium price may be justified, but may not be worth the investment given the current depth at catcher.
2026 projection: (Mixed $18) 547 AB, 85 R, 38 HR, 90 RBI, 6 SB, 21 2B, 1 3B, .225/.323/.475
