Top 30 Catching Prospects For 2024 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues

The off-season grinds on, and for dynasty managers, this is no exception. The off-season allows us to dig deep and load up our minor league systems in deep league formats. This week I am diving into the top 30 catching prospects to target in dynasty leagues. There are more names I wish could make the list and I’m sure I’ll be writing about them in 2024 as I did with Samuel Basallo and Creed Willems in 2023. For Now, let us dive into the top 10 catching prospects to target in your dynasty leagues.

Top 10 Catching Prospects

Samuel Basallo, BAL

(114 GP, .313/.402/.551, 20 HR, 75 R, 86 RBI, 12 SB)

The Baltimore Orioles are on the rise and Samuel Basallo is rising right along with them. Basallo played 114 games spread between Low-A up to Double-A Bowie getting better every step of the way. Combined Basallo slashed .313/.402/.551 with 20 home runs, 86 RBIs, and swiped 12 bases in 114 games played showing solid walk rates at every stop and striking out under 20.7% at every level.

BAL C/1B Samuel Basallo has been on fire this season. So far in Low-A and High-A he has.

98 GP
.299 AVG
.385 OBP
.504 SLG
14 HR
70 RBI
9 SB

The stock is rising fast with Basallo get some while you can. #Birdland @Fantrax https://t.co/OYTwZfGsdY

— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) August 19, 2023

Samuel Basallo has big-time power coming from the catcher position though I have heard that he is more than likely going to move off to first base long term. For dynasty, you are looking at a potential 30-home run bat coming (for now at least) from the catcher’s position with solid bat-to-ball skills.

Ethan Salas, SDP

(66 GP, .248/.331/.421, 9 HR, 40 R, 41 RBI, 5 SB)

One of the most hyped prospects coming into the 2023 season was Ethan Salas. The 17-year-old phenom played three levels, starting at Low-A and finishing the season in Double-A. Despite the aggressive push by the Padres, Salas was solid, slashing a combined .248/.331/.421 with nine home runs, 41 RBIs, and five stolen bases. Salas played the majority of his games at Low-A where we saw a 10.9% walk rate paired with a 25.9% strikeout rate across 48 games played.

⬆️ SDP C Ethan Salas is heading up to AA San Antonio. The 17 year old catcher has been fantastic this season. In 57 GP Salas is hitting.

• .257/.335/.447
• 9 HR
• 38 RBI
• 5 SB

Keep your eyes on Salas as he finishes his first professional season. #bringthegold @Fantrax https://t.co/1fHmqAIysI

— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) August 21, 2023

This is a hard prospect to gauge long term as the Padres pushed him aggressively and with only nine games in High-A and Double-A after the 48 in Low-A we don’t have a clear picture as to what he will be long term. What I can say is the defense is elite so he will get regular playing time, the bat is advanced with a solid eye at the plate leading to solid OBP upside paired with at least average to above average power.

Harry Ford, SEA

(118 GP, .257/.410/.430, 15 HR, 89 R, 67 RBI, 24 SB)

One of the most rock-steady catching prospects in the minor leagues right now, Harry Ford had a solid 2023 campaign. Ford played the entire season in High-A where he slashed .257/.410/.430 with 15 home runs, 89 runs scored, and 24 stolen bases in 118 games played. The ability to draw walks was strong with Ford as he finished the season with an 18.3% walk rate while striking out just 19.4% of the time.

🌵🏜️SEA C Harry Ford is heading out for the Arizona Fall League. On the year Ford hit.

• .257
• .410
• .430
• 15 HR
• 89 R
• 24 SB

Excited to see Ford on a STACKED Javelinas team! #Seausrise @Fantrax @Mariners https://t.co/p715AG1Lr5

— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) October 2, 2023

For dynasty managers, this is a solid prospect to bank on the long term as Ford has above-average pop and could get to 20-25 home runs at the major league level. While providing a high OBP for dynasty managers, Harry Ford should also give you 20-plus stolen bases early on in his career.

Austin Wells, NYY

(96 GP, .240/.333/.442, 17 HR, 46 R,  72 RBI, 7 SB)

The Yankees have been piecing a catching tandem together for the past two seasons with Gary Sanchez gone and it seems Austin Wells might be their solution. For now. Austin Wells played 96 games across Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton in 2023 where he slashed .240/.333/.442 with 17 home runs, 72 RBIs, and seven stolen bases. The Yankees called Wells up to the majors for 19 games to finish off the season. In 75 plate appearances Wells slashed .229/.257/.486 with four home runs, and 13 RBIs for the Bronx Bombers. Throughout Wells’s minor league career, he has displayed a solid walk percentage with 11% at both Double-A and Triple-A and had a 23.3% strikeout rate prior to the call-up.

📝💪Welcome to AAA @wellsius16, NYY C Austin Wells had a 11% BB and a 22% K rate before the promotion.

Season long Wells is slashing .234/.325/.434 with 12 HR, 52 RBIs and 5 SB 🔒#RepBX @ArizonaBaseball @swbrailriders @Yankees https://t.co/rj5bxOgO5u

— Richard Haake (@Mustbethehawk) July 24, 2023

For dynasty purposes, Austin Wells can be a 25-30 home run bat with solid OBP long-term and even if he eventually moves off the position to first base he could still be considered an excellent dynasty asset.

Dalton Rushing, LAD

(89 GP, .228/.404/.452, 15 HR, 55 R, 53 RBI, 1 SB)

The Dodgers continue to develop top-tier catching prospects with Dalton Rushing shooting past Diego Cartaya in 2023. Rushing played the entire season in High-A where he slashed .228/.404/.452 with 15 home runs and 53 RBIs in 89 games played. Rushing continued to show solid walk rates walking 18.9% and only striking out 24.4% of his 381 plate appearances. He had a very low BABIP of .276 in 2023 making him a candidate for a bounce-back in a major way this coming season. For dynasty Dalton Rushing is more than likely going to debut in 2025. The fact that the Dodgers are already getting him some reps at first base makes him intriguing for dynasty managers long term.

Jeferson Quero, MIL

(90 GP, .262/.339/.441, 16 HR, 47 R, 49 RBI, 5 SB)

Both Quero brothers are among the game’s best catching prospects right now with Jeferson Quero getting the edge for me. Quero played the entire 2023 season in Double-A Biloxi where he slashed .262/.339/.441 while slugging 16 home runs, and swiping five bases in 90 games played. Throughout his minor league career, Jeferson Quero has displayed excellent discipline at the plate and he continued that in 2023, walking 10% while only striking out 17.8% of the time. With William Contreras firmly entrenched as the starting catcher, it’s hard to see Quero getting 90-plus games at the major league level but should have Dynasty upside as a backup to Contreras barring a trade.

Kyle Teel, BOS

(26 GP, .363/.483/.495, 2 HR, 15 R, 22 RBI, 3 SB)

In Teel, you are looking at an everyday catcher in the big leagues who can have a very long career. In his pro debut, Kyle Teel impressed, ascending three levels and finishing the season in Double-A Portland. At every stop, Teel showed excellent plate discipline and slashed .363/.483/.495 across 26 games. Teel should get to average to plus power at roughly 20-25 home runs per season at the major league level with a solid OBP. If you told me he was a top 5 dynasty catcher at the end of the 2025 season I would not be surprised.

Tyler Soderstrom, OAK

(77 GP, .252/.307/.526, 21 HR, 49 R, 62 RBI, 2 SB)

Truth be told, I was torn if I was going to hold Soderstrom back for the first base rankings but so far he has played 15 games at catcher and just 10 games at first base with the Athletics when called to the majors. The numbers for Soderstrom were solid but not spectacular at Triple-A Las Vegas leading up to his Major League debut. In 77 games, Soderstrom slashed .252/.307/.526 with 21 home runs, 62 RBIs, and two stolen bases. Once in the major leagues, Soderstrom didn’t exactly wow, slashing just .160/.232/.240 with three home runs, nine runs, and seven RBIs across 45 games.

I want to see more from Soderstrom if he is going to eventually move off catcher to first base. The walk percentage was just okay at 7.5% at Triple-A and he will have to get back to the 26.3% strikeout rate to remain in the Athletics lineup because the 31.2% he had in 138 plate appearances is not going to cut it.

Diego Cartaya, LAD

(93 GP, .189/.278/.379, 19 HR, 51 R, 57 RBI)

The 2023 season was a major step back for Diego Cartaya who was praised for his plus bat-to-ball skills. After slashing .189/.278/.379 across 93 games, there are major questions about his dynasty value. Cartaya played the entire season in Double-A Tulsa and still hit 19 home runs but the 9.2% walk rate was about 5% down from 2022 while the strikeout percentage was up to a career high of 29%. I still believe in Cartaya and hope he can turn it back around in 2024 and make his major league debut backing up Will Smith.

Alfredo Duno, CIN

(45 GP, .303/.541/.493, 6 HR, 36 R, 41 RBI, 6 SB)

The Reds signed Duno in the 2023 international signing period and sent him to the Dominican Summer League. Across 45 games played Duno slashed .303/.541/.493 with six home runs, 36 runs scored 41 RBIs, and stole six bases. Duno displayed an excellent eye at the plate walking 19.5% while striking out just 21% in 195 plate appearances. For dynasty, Alfredo Duno gives me a lot of Fransisco Alverez vibes at the plate as he should get to plus power as he fills out his 6’2” and 210-pound frame. There is a chance he could move off position but he could carry catching eligibility as he ascends the Reds farm system.

2024 Top 30 Catching Prospect Rankings