Friday's Catcher Value Rankings
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Here are theScore's catcher rankings for Friday, September 16 (all stats exclude Thursday's games):
Value Rankings
C | 1B/DH | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP
Top Options
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Gary Sanchez (NYY) | at BOS | 9 |
| Nick Hundley (COL) | vs. SD | 9 |
| Jonathan Lucroy (TEX) | vs. OAK | 8 |
It's early, but Sanchez's first 125 plate appearances against his fellow righties have been encouraging to say the least. He's slashing .378/.448/.784 with 12 of his 14 HRs coming against RHPs. Clay Buchholz is coming off a start where he allowed six earned runs in the game's first three innings. Sanchez is expensive but has the tools to return GPP value against a middling veteran.
Hundley has the second-highest OPS among catchers with at least 90 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers this season. He owes some of his success to the hitter-friendly park factors at home in Colorado where he has a .340/.385/.574 line against LHPs this season. His price is steep, but that's the cost of doing business at Coors Field. He's a solid cash-game play.
Mid-Tier Targets
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| Yasmani Grandal (LAD) | at ARI | 7 |
| Yadier Molina (STL) | at SF | 6 |
| Tyler Flowers (ATL) | vs. WAS | 5 |
Grandal has been struggling over his last 10 games: he has recorded a .194 batting average with no walks, though three of his six hits in that span have been home runs. He offers excellent GPP value against righty Zack Greinke, who has posted an ugly 5.08 ERA at home in his first season in the desert.
Molina is a great bargain play at his price, though he doesn't offer enough of a power profile to make for much more than a cash-game option at this point in his career.
Flowers has a strikeout-heavy approach but could still be a contrarian play against Max Scherzer. The Braves' catcher has a .807 OPS against righties this season. Scherzer will likely cruise through this one; if Flowers can wait for him to lower his guard, he could return value with an extra-base hit.
Nothing to See Here
| NAME | OPPONENT | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| J.T. Realmuto (MIA) | at PHI | 3 |
| Salvador Perez (KC) | vs. CWS | 2 |
| Jarrod Saltalamacchia (DET) | at CLE | 1 |
Realmuto has an .611 OPS against LHPs, so even though the Phillies' starter Adam Morgan isn't an intimidating opponent, he should still have the upper-hand over an otherwise dependable backstop.
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