Friday's Catcher Value Rankings
Here are theScore's catcher value rankings for Friday, May 6 (all stats exclude Thursday's games):
Value Rankings
C | 1B/DH | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP
Top Options
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Carlos Ruiz (PHI) | at MIA | 10 |
| Jason Castro HOU) | vs. SEA | 9 |
| J.T. Realmuto (MIA) | vs. PHI | 9 |
| Buster Posey (SF) | vs. COL | 9 |
| Welington Castillo (ARI) | at ATL | 9 |
| Dioner Navarro (CWS) | vs. MIN | 8 |
| A.J. Pierzynski (ATL) | vs. ARI | 8 |
| Brian McCann (NYY) | vs. BOS | 8 |
Ruiz has not only provided veteran leadership on an upstart Phillies team, but the 37-year-old is currently having his best offensive season since 2012. He is hitting .311/.380/.578, and will face Marlins LHP Wei-Yin Chen. For his career, Ruiz has an OPS of .820 against southpaws - well above the league average OPS of .710.
Realmuto's value stems from his scorching-hot start and his status as Miami's new leadoff hitter. It's rare for a catcher to hit leadoff (the last one to do it consistently might have been Jason Kendall for the A's), but Realmuto is hitting .329 on the season and .463 in his last 10 games.
Mid-Tier Targets
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Jarrod Saltalamacchia (DET) | vs. TEX | 7 |
| Jonathan Lucroy (MIL) | at CIN | 7 |
| Stephen Vogt (OAK) | at BAL | 7 |
| Francisco Cervelli (PHI) | at STL | 6 |
| Yadier Molina (STL) | vs. PIT | 6 |
| Yasmani Grandal (LAD) | at TOR | 5 |
| Matt Wieters (BAL) | vs. OAK | 5 |
| Chris Iannetta (SEA) | at HOU | 5 |
Wieters, a switch hitter, has been much more successful hitting from the right side of the dish in his career. That bodes well against Oakland's LHP Rich Hill, but Wieters' .288 OBP this season make him a contrarian option in tournaments at best.
Nothing to See Here
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Yan Gomes (CLE) | vs. KC | 4 |
| Russell Martin (TOR) | vs. LAD | 4 |
| Salvador Perez (KC) | at CLE | 3 |
| Brett Nicholas (TEX) | at DET | 3 |
| Christian Vazquez (BOS) | at NYY | 2 |
| Hank Conger (TB) | at LAA | 1 |
Perez is a very aggressive hitter, and Danny Salazar is one of the game's best pitchers when it comes to missing bats. This is not a good matchup for the former World Champion backstop, who has an OBP of just .280 on the season.