2024 Dynasty Targets at C & 1B

Good morning, everyone. This week and into next week, I’ll be putting out a series of posts that will go over targets at each position. Today we’re going to go over Catcher and 1st Base.

There are so many value plays outside of the tried and true and rather than pursuing an Adley Rutschman or a Freddie Freeman at their cost, we’ll look at who’s being overlooked and where you might be able to get valuable production for lesser cost. I’ll be going over each one and more. So let’s get started:

CATCHER

The data above represents 5 catchers from July 1st onward in 2023. Can you guess who is who? The bottom row is Adley Rutschman who still leads the pack in Total Bases and doubles with a solid line-drive-level Launch Angle. He’s also had at least ~100 more plate appearances compared to the other four on this list. Adley is the safest option at C given his playing time and his recent track record for success but that doesn’t mean he’ll finish as the top Catcher in fantasy.

If we look further, the other four on this list all had a higher Slugging percentage, OPS, wRC+, and TB/PA. The reason I use Total Bases/Plate Appearance is because I think it’s a good gauge of power output rather than just relying on HR. Also, more and more leagues are adopting Total Bases as a replacement for HR as categorically HR, RBI, Runs, and OPS are all directly correlated through one batted ball event. This takes out the redundancy of one action dictating four categories. I’m experimenting in such a league this year and will share my thoughts as the year goes on. Now let’s take a look at who these four catchers are: