Sport: MLB

It’s all about at-bats. Well, let’s be real, it’s about the production too. For better or worse, we do need to fill out every spot on our fantasy baseball roster. Finding two catchers when you have the entire player pool is difficult to begin with. But when you chop that pool in half, things become even more difficult. That’s the challenge I faced when I was building these 2026 NL-Only Catcher Rankings.

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The problem, though, is that the talent is not evenly split between leagues. Every National League team will be starting a catcher in each game, but the rankings do thin out quickly. That also leaves some room for other options to emerge throughout the season.

When building our team, we have to manage our draft and avoid reaching. Let’s jump into the 2026 National League Catcher Rankings while searching for some value.

National League Catcher Notes
Ivan Herrera, St. Louis Cardinals

As you dig into the rankings, there’s a clear omission. After dealing with an elbow injury and being limited to being the designated hitter last season, Ivan Herrera no longer has eligibility at the catcher position in most fantasy baseball leagues. He had surgery in November and should be ready to go at the start of Spring Training. From our perspective, though, the problem is that it might take Herrera a while to regain eligibility behind the plate.

The one thing we can’t question, though, is the production. In 450 plate appearances last season, Herrera hit .284 with 19 home runs and 66 RBI. That production would place him at the sixth spot in the rankings, but can we trust him?

Ultimately, it all comes down to the price on draft day and your roster construction. It also depends on your league settings as to how many games Herrera would need to regain catcher eligibility. Prior to that point, Herrera will clog up your utility spot. Until then, you will need a value option to start at catcher.

Pedro Pages, St. Louis Cardinals

And look at that segue. While Herrera works his way back, Pedro Pages will be starting behind the plate for the Cardinals. Not to say he’s going to be a league winner, but he can be a solid option.

The batting average isn’t going to be there. Pages hit .230 last year, but he was serviceable in 389 plate appearances. He finished with 11 home runs and 45 RBI and should produce at a similar level in 2026.

Keibert Ruiz, Washington Nationals

The best thing we can say about Keibert Ruiz is that he’s likely going to play every day this season. For multiple reasons, 2025 was a disaster for Ruiz, and it was more than just his season-ending concussion.

In 68 games, Ruiz finished with just two home runs and 25 RBI while batting .247. Yes, Ruiz doesn’t strikeout, but he also had a 47.8% ground ball rate last season. His ISO dropped from .131 to .071 to go along with a barrel rate of just 2.2%.

Since Ruiz’s contract extension in 2023, things have gone downhill for the catcher. The good news is that he did have a .273 xBA last season, but the quality of the contact was just not good despite a .348 xSLG (.318 SLG).

While I’m not too keen on the bounce back, Ruiz is still just 27 years old and will receive the at-bats.

Liam Hicks, Miami Marlins

If you are looking for at-bats, especially early in the season, Liam Hicks will be playing every day. The power isn’t there as Hicks only hit six home runs in 390 plate appearances. He did walk 11% of the time while only striking out 14.4%, but Hicks hit just .247.

Between his 3.5% barrel rate and .099 ISO, Hicks isn’t going to be a difference maker. But depending on where he bats in the lineup, he could be an RBI threat after driving in 45 runs last season.

Jeferson Quero, Milwaukee Brewers

The next at-bat Jeferson Quero takes in the major leagues will be his first. Injuries held Quero back from making his debut last season.

In his 55 games in Triple-A, Quero finished with six home runs and 44 RBI while batting .255. The defense is what sets Quero apart, and it’s also going to get him to the big leagues and give him playing time. In deeper leagues, though, that’s ultimately what we are looking for. But to be fair, he’s not a total loss at the plate either.

Through multiple minor league levels, Quero finished with 11 home runs in 69 games with 57 RBI and a .271 average. Quero strikes out just 13.6% of the time to go along with a 10.9% walk rate. His defense should get his bat in the lineup, as the Brewers have shown a willingness to use William Contreras at designated hitter.

Keep an eye on the playing time, as you can do a lot worse than Quero.

2026 National League Catcher Rankings

RnkPlayerTeam

1William ContrerasMIL

2Hunter GoodmanCOL

3Agustin RamirezMIA

4Drake BaldwinATL

5Will SmithLAD

6Gabriel MorenoARI

7Francisco AlvarezNYM

8J.T. RealmutoFA

9Tyler StephensonCIN

10Keibert RuizWSH

11Freddy FerminSD

12Joey BartPIT

13Carson KellyCHC

14Patrick BaileySF

15Dalton RushingLAD

16Pedro PagesSTL

17Liam HicksMIA

18Jefferson QueroMLW

19Miguel AmayaCHC

20Sean MurphyATL

21Harry FordWAS

22Joe MackMIA

23Luis TorrensNYM

24Henry DavisPIT

25James McCannARZ

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