Top of the Order
The All-Star break is right around the corner which means it’s time to hand out the inaugural Runs Produced Midseason Catcher Awards (RPMCAs).
AL Most Valuable Catcher
Cal Raleigh
.262/.377/.631
36 HR 76 RBI
WAR 4.8 / OPS+ 188
What more can we say about Cal Raleigh? By the end of the season, we could be looking at the greatest offensive season by a catcher ever. Raleigh currently has the third most home runs before the All-Star break and has a real chance at American League MVP. He only trails Barry Bonds (39 home runs in 2001), and a few players who are tied at (37): Mark McGwire (1998), Reggie Jackson (1969), and Chris Davis (2013). The Big Dumper even has a beer named after him now - brewed by the appropriately named Scuttlebutt Brewing. The drink releases next month.
NL Most Valuable Catcher
Will Smith
.326/.430/.548
12 HR 45 RBI
WAR 3.9 / OPS+ 176
Will Smith is also having himself a standout season and would probably be getting more attention if not for Raleigh’s feats. Smith leads the National League in batting and on-base percentage. While likely not a frontrunner for MVP, he still could finish toward the top of NL MVP voting if he can keep this up in the second half.
AL Rookie Catcher of the Year
Dillon Dingler
.263/.302/.412
8 HR 34 RBI
WAR 1.5 / OPS+ 99
Dingler has shown marked improvement from his cup of coffee last season (27 games, 87 at-bats) and has been the man behind the dish for an elite Detroit pitching lineup. Dingler is having a solid, not spectacular, but solid, season at the plate. He will play a key piece of the Tigers’ second half and potential lengthy postseason run.
NL Rookie Catcher of the Year (Co-Winners)
Drake Baldwin
.276/.351/.486
11 HR 31 RBI
WAR 1.9 / OPS+ 133
Agustin Ramirez
.245/.292/.480
14 HR 40 RBI
WAR 0.1 / OPS+ 110
This is a tough race between Drake Baldwin and Agustín Ramirez and could actually mirror the real NL Rookie of the Year Race. Both players have had hot-and-cold streaks as is expected for young players. In the month of May, Baldwin hit .389/.411/.593 but only hit .200 in the month of June.
He also has a jarring home/road split:
Home Games: .341/.411/.588
Away Games: .219/.299/.396
Ramirez’s average jumped from .245 in May to .255 in June, before dropping off to .184 in July.
Despite the inconsistencies, both players look like strong fantasy assets of the future and will find more consistency with more experience. Ramirez has hit an impressive 14 home runs and 40 RBI in just 68 games and possesses a power swing. Baldwin looks like the more complete hitter.
Other RPMCA Winners:
AL Most Improved Catcher - Carlos Narvaez
NL Most Improved Catcher - Hunter Goodman
NL Defensive Catcher of the Year - Patrick Bailey
AL Defensive Catcher of the Year - Alejandro Kirk
AL Ageless Wonder Award - Salvador Perez
NL Ageless Wonder Award - J.T. Realmuto
Catcher News Clippings
Patrick Bailey was the first catcher in nearly a century to hit a walk-off inside-the-park home run in Tuesday’s contest against the Phillies. Bailey blasted a pitch off of embattled Phillies closer Jordan Romano that was very nearly a home run, but it bounced off the top of the brick wall in right field at Oracle Park. The race was on, and Bailey won the game for the Giants.
Austin Wells went deep in three straight games this week and has totaled a stat line of three home runs, five RBI, and a .368 average over the past week. The young Yankees backstop is hitting .226 with 14 home runs and 50 RBI this season. With a strong second half, Wells could approach 25-30 home runs and 90+RBI in the powerful Yankees lineup.
Gary Sanchez was looking like a waiver wire hero after his recent re-awakening with the Orioles, but unfortunately the Kraken could not stay healthy. Sanchez is going to be out 8-to-10 weeks with a right knee sprain. He hit .354/.415/.646 with four home runs and 18 RBI in the month of June, showing that he still has plenty of juice left in the tank. Sanchez was filling in for Adley Rutschman, who is himself still recovering from an oblique injury.
As Ivan Herrera begins a rehab assignment, there has been some chatter at moving him away from playing catcher to try and keep him healthy. When healthy, Herrera played in a combined 114 games in 2024-2025 and slashed .309/.380/.470 with 13 home runs and 63 RBI.
Salvador Perez is already one of the best hitters in Royals history and on Wednesday night, he put another entry into K.C.’s record book with a two-home run game against the Pirates. With the effort, Perez tied all-time franchise great and Hall of Famer George Brett. Perez is now hitting .245 with 13 home runs and 54 RBI in his age 35 season. He’s 14 home runs away from 300 in his career, a mark only seven primary catchers have ever achieved.
Waiver Wire Pick of the Week
Victor Caratini
This week’s pick is another fantasy deep cut and only relevant if you are looking truly desperate in a two-catcher league.
Caratini is only owned in 8% of Yahoo fantasy leagues, but that number has jumped five percentage points over the past week behind his hot play. Over the past two weeks, Caratini has hit .278 with three home runs and 12 RBI, including smashing two grand slams this month. He’s behind Yainer Diaz on the depth chart, but does hit well for a catcher when given the chance.
He hit .269 last season with eight home runs and 30 RBI, and is up to nine home runs and 30 RBI this season. He’s hitting .255/.302/.431 in 2025.
Catcher Rankings
1. Cal Raleigh
2. Will Smith
3. Hunter Goodman
4. Salvador Perez
5. William Contreras
6. Adley Rutschman
7. Alejandro Kirk
8. Agustín Ramirez
9. Ivan Herrera
10. Yainer Diaz
11. Austin Wells
12. Logan O’Hoppe
13. Shea Langeliers
14. J.T. Realmuto
15. Drake Baldwin
16. Dillon Dingler
17. Ben Rice
18. Sean Murphy
19. Ryan Jeffers
20. Kyle Teel
On the bubble:
Kyle Teel, Samuel Basallo
Dropped out:
Gary Sanchez (injured out 8-10 weeks), Gabriel Moreno, Edgar Quero