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Catcher rankings (part two)

Here are the top-10 catchers.

And the rest:

11. Paul Lo Duca, Mets

You'll find him high on many 'bust' lists going into 2007 drafts. However, Lo Duca hit .318 in his first year with the Mets and exceeded 500 at-bats for the fourth time in five seasons. He also scored 80 runs. At 34-years-old, he hit .338 in the second half of '06 and has hit .280 or better in five of the last six seasons.

12. Jason Varitek, Red Sox

He was awful last year, hitting .238 with 12 homers and 55 RBIs. Varitek was banged up and played in only 103 games, his lowest total since 2001. At 34-years-old, expecting a serious bounce-back year is probably a stretch. However, if he stays healthy, Varitek's numbers have to improve from '06.

13. Bengie Molina, Giants

San Francisco signed the 32-year-old to a three-year, $16 million contract in the offseason. Molina set a career-high with 19 homers with the Blue Jays in '06 and he's hit .275 or better in four straight seasons.

14. A.J. Pierzynski, White Sox

He was productive in his second season in Chicago, hitting .295 with 15 homers, 66 RBIs and 65 runs. Pierzynski is certainly capable of hitting around .280 or .290, but he could find himself out of the lineup against lefties after the White Sox signed Toby Hall in the offseason.

15. Johnny Estrada, Brewers

He finished seventh among catchers with 71 RBIs in '06 despite having just 414 at-bats. There's plenty to like about Estrada. He's hit over .300 in two of the past three seasons, he hits from both sides of the plate and he doesn't strike out much (40 times in '06).

16. Gerald Laird, Rangers

With Rod Barajas moving on to Philadelphia, the 27-year-old Laird is a popular sleeper candidate on many draft lists. But be careful. Laird first has to prove he can stay healthy, and he didn't finish '06 strong, batting .191 with no homers or RBIs in 68 September at-bats.

17. Miguel Olivo, Marlins

He set career-highs in average (.263), homers (16) and RBIs (58) last season. However, look closer and you'll see Olivo wasn't as productive, striking out 103 times and drawing just nine walks.

18. Jason Kendall, Athletics

His durability is tremendous. Kendall has had 545 at-bats or more in seven straight seasons. To say he's not much of a power threat is being kind. Kendall has hit 13 homers in the past five seasons...total. However, he hit .295 last season and is capable of matching that in '07.

19. David Ross, Reds

He hit 21 homers in 247 at-bats last season, and Ross now gets a chance to be Cincinnati's everyday starter. So why isn't he higher in the rankings? Ross struck out 75 times in those limited at-bats and hit .203 after the All-Star break. Having never played in more than 90 games in a season, he has to prove he can be a No. 1 guy.

20. Chris Iannetta, Rockies

Colorado's 23-year-old prospect hit .260 with a couple homers and 10 RBIs in 77 major league at-bats last season. Iannetta is a popular sleeper candidate and for good reason -- he hit .351 in Triple-A last year.

Comments

Thanks for waiting so long to get around to posting rankings. I've already had two drafts prior to your even having finished the first position! Seriously, get with the program!

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About this blog

Dave Golokhov
Fantasy sports are to Dave Golokhov what a lack of power is to the Orioles lineup; it is not just a hobby, it is a way of life. Dave has been a fantasy expert for Rotowire and hosts a weekly fantasy show on Saturdays at 12 p.m. EST on Hardcore Sports Radio, Channel 186 on Sirius Satellite Radio. From draft day decisions to waiver-wire watching, he'll be the fantasy version of your fantasy Dr. Phil: just ask the questions and he'll dole the advice. E-mail Dave
Dean Jones
Dean Jones Jr. is a Web producer at baltimoresun.com. Thanks to fantasy sports, he is able to make decisions that he wishes the Orioles and Ravens would make for their teams. He will be a regular contributor to the fantasy blog.
E-mail Dean
2008 MLB positional rankings Catchers
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