Dynasty managers are always trying to find the next… fill-in-the-blank. Every dynasty manager wants to find the next Juan Soto or Ronald Acuña Jr. The kind of prospect that can come up and take your dynasty team to the next level. We often get so caught up in the upside certain prospects possess that we fail to recognize the risk in this profile. The purpose of this upcoming article series is to help dynasty managers dive into what their prospects could become and how that translates to fantasy value. Looking at historical seasons, floor and ceiling comps were identified for what five of the biggest-name catching prospects could become in the coming years.
Catcher Dynasty Comps
Samuel Basallo – BAL
Dynasty Floor Comp: 2019 Robinson Chirinos
.238 AVG | .347 OBP | .443 SLG | 17 HR | 58 RBI| 1 SB | 28.6 K% | 11.7 BB%
Robinson Chirinos was one of many players whose 2019 season was helped by the juiced ball. But for a 35-year-old catcher to put up the offensive numbers he had for the 2019 American League Champion Houston Astros, Chirinos surprised many with his best season by bWAR (3.8). If Chirinos best season is the floor for any catcher, it’s very telling of their talent levels, and that’s the case for the Orioles top prospect, Samuel Basallo. Basallo’s strikeout flaws have been more exposed in Triple-A and the majors, as he had a 25.4% strikeout rate in 118 plate appearances with the Orioles in 2025, still a bit lower than Chirinos’s rate back in 2019. Even if Basallo’s strikeout rate isn’t dropping in his first full season in 2026, he will still be providing plenty of power in the Orioles lineup, as he had 27 home runs between Norfolk and Baltimore in 2025. Basallo’s floor is one of the best any catching prospect can have. Playing at such a demanding position, it’s a coin toss on how long catchers can hold up high offensive production for such a long time. Being only 21, he will have a lot to prove, but starting his career with numbers similar to a 2019 Robinson Chirinos would be a solid floor to build up from.
Dynasty Ceiling Comp: 2017 Gary Sánchez
.278 AVG | .345 OBP | .531 SLG | 33 HR | 90 RBI | 2 SB | 22.9 K% | 7.6 BB%
At the end of 2017, Gary Sánchez looked as though he would be the best-hitting catcher in baseball for years to come. Three years later, and along with some bad defense, all that talent Sanchez once possessed seemed to be gone, but his 2017 season was one of the best offensive seasons for a catcher in the last decade. If Basallo’s power can flourish in his first full season in the majors, then there’s a real chance he could hit up to 30-35 home runs and produce a much higher walk rate than Sanchez had that season. Basallo had a 13.7% walk rate over 321 plate appearances with Triple-A Norfolk in 2025, and 23.7% strikeout rate. If Basallo’s peak burns as fast and bright as Sanchez’s did, then it may be a concerning outlook for his future, but if Basallo can replicate something close to Sanchez’s 2017 season and maintain it, then Basallo will be the catcher to hold onto years to come.
True Projection:
Basallo is much closer to his ceiling comp than he is to his floor as we enter 2026. He has incredible power for a 21-year-old catcher and one of the best throwing arms of any prospect. The only downside with him is not knowing what kind of playing time he will get at catcher, as he and Adley Rutschman will be platooning behind the plate for the Orioles. Any dynasty that wants to build for the future behind the plate will want to have Basallo as their guy. He’s one of the biggest catchers in the league since Joe Mauer, standing at 6’4″, 180 lbs. As he grows into himself more, the power in his swing should be a longevity fantasy owners can bank on.
Carter Jensen – KCR
Dynasty Floor Comp: 2024 Austin Wells
.229 AVG | .322 OBP | .395 SLG | 13 HR | 55 RBI| 1 SB | 21 K% | 11.4 BB%
Only four years senior to the player he is being comped to, Austin Wells was a pleasant surprise to the Yankees lineup in 2024, finishing third in American League Rookie of the Year voting only behind Colton Cowser of the Orioles and his teammate Luis Gil. Wells put up decent numbers for a rookie catcher while struggling to hit for average, but maintained a decent walk rate. Carter Jensen has had slightly more power and a better strike zone judgment in his climb through the minors than Wells had in 2024 with the Yankees. However, if pitchers across the league adapt well against Jensen and exploit his weaknesses, then his 2026 season could look something similar to Wells’s rookie year.
Dynasty Ceiling Comp: 2023 William Contreras
.289 AVG | .367 OBP | .457 SLG | 17 HR | 78 RBI| 6 SB | 20.6 K% | 10.3 BB%
William Contreras had one of his best all-around seasons at the plate in 2023, and it’s reminiscent of what Jensen was able to do in the minors in 2025. Jensen had a .290/.377/.501 slash line, 20 home runs, 76 RBI, 12.2% walk rate, and 24.8% strikeout rate over 492 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A, and was able to build off that with a strong debut in 205 with a .300/.391/.550 three home runs, and 13 RBI in 69 plate appearances with the Royals. While Jensen had a hot streak to start his MLB career, having a season like that of Contreras in 2023 would be a strong floor to set in his rookie season. He’s well-balanced with both power and contact, and that should help bolster the Royals’ lineup for their chance at the American League Central title in 2026.
True Projection:
Jensen is living the dream, getting drafted and playing for his hometown Kansas City Royals. He will get plenty of help from the tutelage of Salvador Perez behind the plate, and help balance out the workload for both of them and the Royals’ starting rotation. Jensen won’t turn 23 until July 3rd and has shown incredible bat-to-ball skills in 2025 that show he could do a lot of damage from the left side of the plate. Dynasty owners, especially Royals fans in dynasty leagues, should look to add Jensen into their lineup. His power may not be as high a ceiling as Basallo’s, but he’s the next best thing when it comes to all-around offensive performance from a catcher.
Moisés Ballesteros – CHC
Dynasty Floor Comp: 2021 Willson Contreras
.237 AVG | .340 OBP | .438 SLG | 21 HR | 57 RBI | 5 SB | 28.6 K% | 10.8 BB%
Unlike Willson Contreras, Moisés Ballesteros has been able to hit for a high average for most of his minor league career, but the power and on-base numbers are much more similar to what could be Ballesteros’s floor in his first full MLB season. Ballesteros maintained a much better slash line (.298/.394/.474), strikeout rate (18.2%), and walk rate (13.6%) than Contreras had in 2021, but as is the case for many young hitters, opposing pitchers will be trying to find their weakness, and Contreras’s 2021 season reprsents the floor Ballesteros could fall to if he’s unable to make adjustments as pitchers adjust to him. Ballesteros has been aggressive at the plate so far in his career, but that can still come with strong results for power production.
Dynasty Ceiling Comp: 2025 Will Smith
.296 AVG | .404 OBP | .497 SLG | 17 HR | 61 RBI | 2 SB | 20.4 K% | 14.7 BB%
Will Smith made his second All-Star team in 2025 and leaned a lot more into hitting for contact than power as he has in recent years. Since Ballesteros is still developing his power, a hot rookie season for him could look very similar to the season Smith had last year. Ballesteros is still an aggressive hitter who could put up 17 home runs and over 60 RBI if he gets anywhere from 350-400 plate appearances minimum in 2026, but the most notable numbers that could playout similar to Smith’s are the strikeout to walk rate. If Ballesteros doesn’t try to trade his already strong contact hitting for more power in his rookie season, then he will also be able to draw a higher walk rate than most other rookies in his class.
True Projection:
Ballesteros saw much more time at DH than behind the plate for the Cubs in his 21 games with them in 2025, but he looks to get some more time behind the plate alongside Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya. Ballesteros is the least likely of these three catching prospects to remain behind the plate long-term. His bat is strong enough that he could eventually be moved over to first base or remain permanently at DH. He would be one of the smallest first basemen in the league if he were to make the move, though, standing only at 5’8″. Ballesteros bat will always be to his advantage, no matter where he’s pencilled in on the field, and that should make him an obtainable target for any dynasty owners looking for an offensive boost at the catcher position. He is still developing power into his swing, but once it’s there, he can hit anywhere between 20-25 home runs in addition to the strong contact skills.
