You’ve come to the right place to find all the catchers that are fit to stream. Here’s a look at each team’s schedule and their starting and backup catcher options. Scroll to the right to see the full week’s worth of matchups.
Depth Chart and Matchups
Playing Time Changes
Primary Catchers:
- Austin Wells (NYY) should be back next Tuesday; don’t hang too tightly to J.C. Escarra.
- Alejandro Kirk (TOR) should be back this weekend, though no official announcement has been made.
- Cal Raleigh (SEA) is likely to make his return early next week.
- Kyle Higashioka (TEX) will start most days with Danny Jansen out. Elias Díaz may end up sharing the role.
- Austin Wynns (ATL) would likely be the favorite over Sandy León. Drake Baldwin is unlikely to return this coming week.
- Francisco Alvarez (NYM) returns, pushing Luis Torrens into the backup job. Torrens may still start more than a classic backup, as Alvarez has DH’ed one of his three games back.
- Dalton Rushing (LAD) will start most days with Will Smith out.
Backup Catchers:
New faces in backup roles who are unlikely to find a way into substantial playing time include:
- Collin Price (HOU)
- Logan Porter (LAA)
- Rafael Flores Jr. (PIT)
- Brett Sullivan (COL)
- Chuckie Robinson (LAD)
Elias Díaz (TEX) is a new addition and may split time with Kyle Higashioka if the former ends up hitting well.
Streaming Options
Dalton Rushing – LAD (17% on Yahoo!): Rushing will start every day in Will Smith’s absence. He may be back in his early-season form, with a 1.008 OPS in June.
Brandon Valenzuela – TOR (18% on Yahoo!): Valenzuela has been scorching hot, batting .368 with two HR in the last week. He comes with the caveat that Alejandro Kirk is slated to return this weekend. Valenzuela may get a full dose of playing time as Kirk eases back in, but he could just as easily be optioned over Tyler Heineman, who would have to be outrighted. My gut feeling is that one way or another, Valenzuela won’t play much next week, and I’d look elsewhere.
Freddy Fermin – SDP (1% on Yahoo!): Luckily, other surging players don’t have the same playing time concerns. Over the past week, Fermin has three HR and is batting .294. The Cardinals are a positive matchup early next week, though he’ll see Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi in a series against the Rangers next weekend.
Henry Davis – PIT (0% on Yahoo!): Davis will be back from paternity leave before the week is through. We have the classic new-dad-strength angle here, plus extremely favorable ballparks @Sacramento and @Denver. It might not be enough, as he holds an OPS of .526 on the season.
Logan O’Hoppe – LAA (3% on Yahoo!): Draws the A’s in Sacramento next week and is hitting slightly better than Davis (.667 OPS in June).
