BaseballNewsOnline.com

For years now the catcher position in fantasy baseball has been one of very little excitement. There are a select few players who can truly impact your fantasy baseball team in a good way, and many that can pull you down. This has meant that most drafts were spent trying to find a catcher that would not hurt your team and might give you some additional points in one or two categories. With the 2009 baseball season looming ever closer, the landscape is changing for the catchers due to an infusion of youth into the league at the position.

Even with hot young talents starting to work their way into the big leagues, the upper echelon of the fantasy baseball world for catchers has not changed very much. There is still a clear line between the haves and the have nots, and the names are pretty much a familiar bunch.
Here are the top five catchers to draft in fantasy baseball and why they are among the best:

1. Joe Mauer – 2008 saw a return to the upper echelon among catchers for Mauer due in large part to the left handed stroke that he is known for. Mauer scorched his way through the season with a sweet .328 average in a year when he stayed healthy all season. His 80+ RBI total marked a return to the 2006 year that put him on the map in the first place as well. As a bonus, Mauer contributed 98 runs scored as well. When healthy, Mauer is the best hitting catcher in the game, bar none. Mauer is healthy going into 2009 and should be near the top of most draft lists at the catcher position.

2. Geovany Soto – Soto is a bonafide superstar in the making in the windy city, and his NL Rookie of the Year Award proves it. He burst onto the scene and never really let up in 2008. The final tally is impressive to be sure. He hit 23 homers and knocked home 86 RBIs for the Cubs, and did so while hitting a respectable .285. The most impressive part of these numbers is the fact that they were produced by a rookie player. Expect nothing but improvements across the board for Soto in 2009.

3. Russell Martin – Martin brings what very few catchers actually can. Speed. That is the big calling card for Martin, but he is also quite beneficial in other categories as well. 2008 saw him steal 18 bases, score 87 runs, hit 13 homers, and drive in 69 runners. Not bad numbers across the board though his homer total was a bit lower than some fantasy owners had hoped. Martin also hit only .280 last season which might bring his value down a bit. Take advantage of that fact and try to steal him at your draft.

4. Brian McCann – McCann is the wildcard in the bunch as he could very well end up near the top of the bunch. Many people do not realize just how good his numbers were in 2008. Not only did he hit .300, but he also hit 23 long balls, drove in 89 runs, and even threw in 5 steals for good measure. He does not score a ton of runs, but that may change with an improved lineup this year. As he continues his steady growth, McCann may just end up as the fantasy catcher everybody wants to have on their team. As it is now, he is among those potential catchers.

5. Victor Martinez – 2008 was a complete abberation for the Indians and Martinez. This guy is a machine at the plate that is capable of huge numbers as shown in 2007. 2008 was spent recovering from injuries and Martinez never even got started. This makes Martinez the most likely candidate to rebound huge this season as he is still in his prime. The end of last season saw his skills coming back, and he should be quite a bargain on most draft boards this year.