The catcher position opens up in a hurry once the elite options are gone, making upside plays like Hunter Goodman and Agustín Ramírez critical to roster construction in 2026 fantasy baseball drafts. Both bring power, improving batted-ball profiles, and paths to steady at-bats, but their value hinges on approach gains and team context.
C5 – Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies (NFBC ADPs – 75)
Over the first 56 games last season, Goodman hit .267 over 210 at-bats with 25 runs, seven home runs, and 31 RBIs while striking out 57 times. He found his rhythm at the plate over the final four months (.285/48/24/60 over 330 at-bats). His approach (strikeout rate – 26.3 and walk rate – 5.7) still needs work.
Goodman posted a high contact batting average (.387), aligning with his minor league success in 2022 (.414). He had more power on the road (.243/31/18/43 over 266 at-bats), but his batting average was much better in Colorado (.307/42/13/48/1 over 274 at-bats).
He had a jump in his exit velocity (90.8) and hard-hit rate (46.9) while upping his launch angle (17.3). Goodman has a flyball swing path (42.8%), with a high floor in his HR/FB rate (18.6%).
Over four seasons in the minors, the Rockies’ top catcher hit .280 over 1,114 at-bats with 202 runs, 80 home runs, 255 RBIs, and eight steals, painting him as a 100/40/125 guy with over 550 at-bats.
Hunter Goodman 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook
Fantasy Outlook: It’s been a while since the Rockies developed a home-edge bat, ala Nolan Arenado or even Todd Helton. Goodman isn’t where he needs to be with his approach, but there are plenty of signs that last year wasn’t a fluke. Any improvement in runs and RBIs starts with Colorado playing better as a team offensively. I expect him to be a three-category advantage at catcher, with an intriguing ceiling.
C6 – Agustin Ramirez, Miami Marlins (NFBC ADP – 83)
Miami Marlins catcher Agustin Ramirez (50) circles the bases after hitting a home run against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at loanDepot Park. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Over six seasons in the minors, Ramirez hit .266 over 1,393 at-bats with 240 runs, 60 home runs, 266 RBI, and 53 steals. He walked 11.1% of the time with a favorable strikeout rate (18.9%). Before arriving in the majors, Ramirez had 319 at-bats of experience at AAA (.248/47/12/56/14 with 40 walks and 78 strikeouts).
Miami called him up on April 21st, creating some high fantasy bids from teams looking to upgrade the catcher position. Five games into his major league career, Ramirez went 9-for-19 with four runs, three home runs, five RBI, and one stolen base, showing his balanced five-category skill set for a catcher. He gave his supporters helpful stats over the following four months (.229/55/16/55/10 over 411 at-bats). Thirteen of his 16 steals over the final two months of the season.
Ramirez struggled more against left-handed pitching (.213/18/6/14/4 over 150 at-bats with 43 strikeouts) and at home (.218/24/7/30/11 over 238 at-bats with 53 strikeouts). His exit velocity (90.8) and hard-hit rate (47.0%) graded well while having a groundball-favoring swing path (46.0%) and launch angle (8.3). He barreled 11.0% of balls in play.
Last season, the Marlins gave Ramirez 63 games at DH, which gives him a higher floor in playing time. Miami hit him between second and fourth in their lineup for 93.7% of his at-bats in his rookie season, highlighting his value in counting stats.
Agustin Ramirez 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook
Fantasy Outlook: Ramirez ranked 89th for hitters in FPGscore (-0.67). His approach (strikeout rate – 19.3% and walk rate – 6.2%) wasn’t that far off from his minor league career. I expect him to take more walks this year, suggesting a push to the league average in batting average. Ramirez projects as a four-category asset, giving him potentially more fantasy value than Ben Rice, William Contreras, Shea Langeliers, and Hunter Goodman.
In the end, his value comes down to team structure. Next step: .260/80/25/80/20, and that could be the low end of his range in multiple categories.
Hunter Goodman vs. Agustin Ramirez 2026 Fantasy Baseball Verdict
Goodman’s Coors Field edge and flyball power profile give him legitimate three-category upside if his approach continues to stabilize. Ramírez offers the more complete fantasy package, pairing power with speed and lineup placement, making him one of the most intriguing catcher values if his batting average takes even a modest step forward. I’m taking a shot on Ramirez over Goodman.
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