Top Five Catchers in the MLB
There aren’t many great catchers throughout the league, but the elite ones are really, really good. There are some good catchers who are left off this list, so I’m going to put in two honorable mentions. The Contreras brothers, Wilson and William, are both very good offensively and defensively, but not at the level of the guys I have ranked in the top five. I think you can easily swap around the players ranked two through five, while there is one undisputed best catcher in baseball. Let’s get into it!
5. Sean Murphy
Sean Murphy absolutely balled out in his first year in Atlanta. The 28-year-old batted .251 with 21 home runs, drove in 68 runs, and had a 4.2 WAR on the season in 2023. He is also one of the best catchers defensively, with eight defensive runs saved. Murphy does an amazing job at handling that Braves rotation and is a key hitter in their lineup.
4. Will Smith
Will Smith has been a staple of the Dodgers lineup since debuting in 2019, and he is coming off one of his better seasons. In 2023, Smith hit .261 with 19 home runs, 76 RBIs, and a 4.4 WAR. What puts him above Murphy is defense. Last season Smith had 12 defensive runs saved, leading the Dodgers in that category. Smith and Murphy are very similar players, but Smith just barely ranks higher.
3. Jonah Heim
Jonah Heim is fresh off winning the World Series with the Rangers paired with an American League Gold Glove. In a breakout 2023 season, Heim hit .258 with 18 home runs, 95 RBIs, and a 4.1 WAR. A big reason Heim made the jump all the to number three on this list is because of how well he handled the Rangers pitching staff. Without the success of their pitchers in the postseason, the Rangers probably wouldn’t have won the World Series, and I credit a lot of that success to Heim. Heim also put up six defensive runs saved on the season.
2. J.T. Realmuto
J.T. Realmuto is the last guy in the top five that is interchangeable with the other guys. In 2023 with the Phillies, Realmuto hit .252 with 19 home runs, 63 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. This was a down season for Realmuto, who put up a 1.5 WAR, four full points lower than his 2022 season. He was also pretty bad defensively with -4 defensive runs saved. Even though he struggled in 2023, it’s hard to keep Realmuto out of the top five and I expect Realmuto to have a great season in 2024.
1. Adley Rutschman
Ever since he broke into the league, Rutschman has not only been the best catcher but one of the best overall players. In his first full season in 2023, he hit .277 with 20 home runs, 80 RBIs, and a 5.1 WAR. He only had 2 defensive runs saved but handles the pitching staff very well. I’m excited to see how Corbin Burnes and Rutschman can do next season. When he got called up in 2022, the Orioles looked like a totally different team. He led them to winning the American League East in 2023 and is going to see a lot of success in Baltimore for years to come.
