{"id":526132,"date":"2026-01-18T07:10:27","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T07:10:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/526132\/"},"modified":"2026-01-18T07:10:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T07:10:27","slug":"catcher-c-fantasy-baseball-rankings-points-leagues-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/526132\/","title":{"rendered":"Catcher (C) Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Points Leagues (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"William <\/p>\n

January 17, 2026 <\/p>\n

2026 points fantasy baseball catcher rankings, tiers, draft strategy for catcher and points leagues. Nick Mariano is a top-accuracy fantasy baseball ranker.<\/p>\n

At RotoBaller HQ, we continue on with our point leagues positional rankings. Today, we review catchers. Most point formats do not start two catchers. With the exception of drafting Mariners star catcher Cal Raleigh<\/a>, fantasy managers can wait until the later rounds to draft their starting backstop. There are some options to consider in the middle rounds, such as William Contreras<\/a> and Ben Rice<\/a>, but it’s a position usually drafted later on. Below, we break it down with our 2026 fantasy baseball catcher rankings for points leagues and head-to-head (H2H) points leagues.<\/p>\n

The catcher rankings below are specifically designed for points leagues. We also have many other fantasy baseball rankings<\/a>, tools, and resources to help you win in 2026. Throughout the preseason and MLB season, we’ll be publishing rankings, tools, and analysis articles, all geared for fantasy baseball points and H2H points leagues<\/a> — so bookmark that link and be sure to check back often.<\/p>\n

In the article below, we will be taking a look at our catcher points rankings list put together by RotoBaller’s MLB expert Nick Mariano. These rankings cover the top 20 catchers. Be sure to also download our free fantasy baseball mobile app<\/a> so you can stay on top of all the MLB news and analysis articles.<\/p>\n

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Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools<\/a> and resources:<\/p>\n

2026 Catcher Rankings: Points Leagues<\/p>\n

These C rankings are for points and head-to-head points leagues. You can also see our roto fantasy baseball rankings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Before we get to the rankings, let’s quickly review points leagues and how they differ from other formats. Typically, points leagues have different league settings and scoring formats than other fantasy baseball leagues. Different MLB stats and categories are assigned different point values, and those can vary by individual league settings. Those different point buckets are then added up over the course of a scoring period or season.<\/p>\n

In many cases, hitters who walk more and strike out less are preferred for points leagues. Also, many league formats tend to give more weight to pitchers than normal, as they can easily accrue points through categories like Innings Pitched. These are the general frameworks that we use for our points league rankings below, and explain why they look different than more standard 5×5 roto fantasy baseball rankings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fantasy Baseball Catcher News<\/p>\n

J.T. Realmuto, Philadelphia Phillies<\/p>\n

The Philadelphia Phillies have reached an agreement to bring back free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto<\/a>. They’ve agreed on a three-year, $45 million deal, which could total to $60 million with incentives. A deal between the two seemed inevitable as a return to Philly makes sense for both sides.<\/p>\n

The 34-year-old has seen a regression in production in recent years, but still offers around a 3.0 WAR. Last season, Realmuto slashed .257\/.315\/.384 with 12 home runs, 52 RBI, and eight steals in 134 games with the Phillies. Realmuto has spent the last seven years with the Phillies organization. He’s familiar with their pitching staff and is a trustworthy option behind the plate.<\/p>\n

Victor Caratini<\/a>, Minnesota Twins<\/p>\n

The Minnesota Twins have agreed to a deal with free-agent catcher Victor Caratini<\/a> on Friday. They’ve agreed on a two-year, $14 million deal, according to Robert Murray. At first glance, this seems like an odd fit given the Twins already have Ryan Jeffers<\/a>. There’s still a scenario that the rebuilding Twins trade Jeffers and use Caratini as the starting catcher. The 32-year-old has posted back-to-back strong campaigns with the Houston Astros.<\/p>\n

Last season, Caratini slashed .259\/.324\/.404 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI across 114 games. It seems unlikely that Caratini would play over 100 games in Minnesota, assuming Jeffers remains in the picture. His fantasy value will be dependent on his playing time, but Caratini isn’t likely to be a strong fantasy option anyway.<\/p>\n

Sam Huff<\/a>, Baltimore Orioles<\/p>\n

The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to a minor-league contract with free-agent catcher Sam Huff<\/a>, according to MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko. Huff is expected to attend big league spring training as a non-roster invitee. The 28-year-old has appeared in parts of five major league seasons, hitting 12 home runs while slashing .247\/.301\/.430 across 272 plate appearances.<\/p>\n

A former seventh-round pick out of Arizona, Huff was once a top prospect for the Rangers but has not been able to establish himself at the MLB level. He owns a 35.7% career strikeout rate and defensively struggles with blocking balls in the dirt and controlling the running game.<\/p>\n

To make the Orioles’ roster, Huff would likely need to outperform catcher Maverick Handley<\/a>, who appeared in 16 games last season. From a fantasy perspective, Huff would only be relevant if he made the team and starting catcher Adley Rutschman<\/a> or top prospect Samuel Basallo<\/a> suffered an injury. For now, he can safely be left off fantasy radars.<\/p>\n

Samuel Basallo, Baltimore Orioles<\/p>\n

Baltimore Orioles catching prospect Samuel Basallo<\/a> could see nearly every day at-bats with the Orioles to open the 2026 season. The top catching prospect in the sport and the overall No. 7-ranked per MLB Pipeline, made his long-awaited MLB debut in August of the 2025 season. Through his first 31 games in Baltimore, Bassalo showed some growing pains, posting a .165\/.229\/.330 line with a modest .559 OPS.<\/p>\n

He hit four home runs but carried a 30:6 K:BB. Through 70 games with Triple-A Norfolk, Basallo posted an impressive .270\/.377\/.589 line with 17 doubles and 23 home runs. During his brief stint with the Orioles last season, Basallo logged 22 games behind the dish with seven at DH and two at first base. With Pete Alonso<\/a> now on the roster, Basallo will likely only rotate between catcher and DH.<\/p>\n

Managers should expect Basallo to open the campaign, rotating with Adley Rutschman<\/a> behind the dish and at DH, given his usage last summer. However, if Basallo sees these struggles continue, he could lose DH at-bats to Tyler O’Neill<\/a> or Ryan Mountcastle<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Carter Jensen, Kansas City Royals<\/p>\n

Kansas City Royals catching prospect Carter Jensen<\/a> made his MLB debut late in the 2025 season and immediately flashed high upside. With the Royals, Jensen posted a .300\/.391\/.550 line with six doubles, three home runs, and a 12:9 K:BB across a 20-game stint. Under the hood, the No. 1-ranked prospect in the system per MLB.com generated a remarkable .447 xwOBA, .336 xBA, and a .633 xSLG, suggesting he was not only making contact with the ball, but was flashing high raw power.<\/p>\n

Earlier in 2025, Jensen began the season with Double-A but needed only 68 games to earn the call to Triple-A. Through 43 games with the top level of the Kansas City system, Jensen held a .288\/.404\/.647 line with 14 home runs. In 2026, Jensen is expected to split the job with Salvador Perez<\/a> behind the dish and likely shift to the DH spot on his off days from catching.<\/p>\n

In his brief stint last summer, he logged 10 games behind the dish and nine at DH. If he continues to perform at this level, Jensen has the upside to be an everyday player and carry high-end sleeper appeal at the catching position.<\/p>\n

Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota Twins<\/p>\n

According to Matt Gelb and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Philadelphia Phillies have shown interest in Minnesota Twins backup catcher Ryan Jeffers<\/a> on the trade market. The Phillies are currently in discussions to re-sign catcher J.T. Realmuto<\/a>, but have been unable to agree on a contract. Additionally, Gelb and Rosenthal noted that they could also look to sign free agent Victor Caratini<\/a> if they cannot reach an agreement with Realmuto.<\/p>\n

Jeffers has spent his entire six-year MLB career with the Twins. Last season, Jeffers posted a .266\/.356\/.397 line with 26 doubles and nine long balls. In 2024, Jeffers hit a career-best 21 home runs. Jeffers could be worth a look in deeper two-catcher leagues if he were to sign in Philadelphia, as he would be joining a deeper lineup, which could boost his counting stats.<\/p>\n

William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers<\/p>\n

Catcher William Contreras<\/a> (finger) and the Milwaukee Brewers were unable to agree on a contract for 2026, and Contreras is now likely headed for an arbitration hearing, according to MLB insider Mark Feinsand. Contreras played through a broken left middle finger for the entire 2025 season and underwent surgery to repair it in November.<\/p>\n

Despite the injury, the 28-year-old backstop slashed .260\/.355\/.399 with 17 home runs, 76 RBI, 89 runs scored, and six stolen bases. Contreras is expected to be a full participant in spring training, and if he can stay healthy, he has the upside to be the No. 1 catcher in fantasy for 2026. He should be drafted as a top-four catcher in all fantasy drafts.<\/p>\n

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