Sport: MLB
As I was doing my NL- and AL-Only catcher rankings, it quickly became clear that the American League is deeper at the catcher position. It begins with Cal Raleigh and just continues from there. If you have to start two catchers, then things certainly drop off, but it’s just a slower ramp down in the AL with more higher-level options.
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There’s always going to be a balance between drafting the best player available and filling out a roster. Position scarcity is real, but based on your team build, I have no issues going 15 deep here.
No one is going to argue with Raleigh, Ben Rice, or Shea Langeliers, but there’s also an opportunity cost. This season, my strategy is going to be to draft two options in the 10 to 15 range. Now, let’s jump into the 2026 AL-Only Catcher Rankings.
American League Only Catcher Notes
Carter Jensen, Kansas City Royals
Talk about a September. After a strong minor league season, Carter Jensen kept the momentum going upon his promotion to Kansas City. In 20 games with the Royals, Jensen hit .300 with three home runs and 13 RBI. That came after he hit .290 in 111 minor league games (68 in Double-A and 43 in Triple-A) with 20 home runs, 10 stolen bases, and 76 RBI.
It was a limited sample size, but Jensen only struck out 17.4% of the time, along with a 13% walk rate. Seeing Jensen with a double-digit walk rate tracks from his minor league track record, but we do need to keep an eye on the strikeouts.
Jensen had a .211 ISO in the minor leagues last season, followed by a .250 ISO with the Royals. Beyond the production, it was also hard to ignore Jensen’s 20.8% barrel rate and 58.3% hard hit rate. He also had a .550 SLG to go along with a .611 xSLG.
We certainly don’t want to run the risk of drawing major conclusions from a 20-game stretch, but it’s hard to ignore what we saw from Jensen. He also showed some level of power and speed production in the minor leagues, but last year was his career best, albeit not necessarily an outlier.
At this point, Salvador Perez is slotted in as Kansas City’s starting catcher, but I’d expect him to receive ample time at DH. That opens up playing time and upside for Jensen.
Yainer Diaz, Houston Astros
Can we just take pieces of Yainer Diaz’s performance over the last three seasons and combine them?
After seeing his home runs dip from 23 to 16 in 2024, Diaz bounced back to hit 20 home runs last season. That came while his batting average fell from .299 to .256. Perhaps the bigger concern, though, is seeing Diaz’s ISO drop from .256 to .161.
Overall, Diaz is a solid option, but at this point, he’s not someone who should be overvalued. He will bat in the middle of a solid Houston Astros lineup and, once again, will be a solid run producer. Diaz had a solid 9.7% barrel rate last season, but simply makes too much medium contact (53.1%). The age and regular at-bats will put him towards the top of the rankings, but what you see is what you get. And this is more of a batting average play than anything else.
Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles
At what point is Adley Rutschman no longer the former first-round pick and simply who he is?
Over the past three seasons, Rutschman’s home run totals have gone from 20, to 19, and then all the way down to nine. His batting average has gone from .277 to .250, and then to .220. Injuries were an issue, though, as Rutschman only played in 90 games last season. If you give him a full slate of at-bats, then the home runs and RBI are likely more in line with the two previous seasons.
The bigger issue is the fact that Rutschman simply doesn’t generate any power with ISO’s of .158, .140, and .146. With a 7.5% barrel rate and 38.6% hard hit rate, the quality of contact is simply not there. Don’t draft based on name recognition here. While Rutschman is still one of the better options, it’s based more on his batting average and lineup depth. Instead, it’s proof that you can wait at the position.
Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota Twins
While Ryan Jeffers’ batting average bounced back from .226 to .266, his home run total fell from 21 to 9. His ISO followed a similar path, going from .206 to .131.
Entering 2026, Jeffers figures to receive regular playing time again, but is he playing too much? As his at-bats have increased over the past two seasons, Jeffers’ barrel rates have decreased. In the second half of 2025, Jeffers did hit .297, although the power simply wasn’t there.
Jeffers should be good for another 120 games this season and 15 home runs and 55 RBI should be a solid expectation. If you wait at the catcher position, you can do worse.
2026 AL-Only Catcher Rankings
RnkPlayerTeam
1Cal RaleighSEA
2Ben RiceNYY
3Shea LangeliersATH
4Salvador PerezKC
5Yainer DiazHOU
6Adley RutschmanBAL
7Alejandro KirkTOR
8Samuel BasalloBAL
9Kyle TeelCWS
10Logan O’HoppeLAA
11Carter JensenKC
12Dillon DinglerDET
13J.T. RealmutoFA
14Austin WellsNYY
15Ryan JeffersMIN
16Edgar QueroCWS
17Bo NaylorCLE
18Carlos NarvaezBOS
19Danny JansenTEX
20Nick FortesTB
21Kyle HigashioakaTEX
22Connor WongBOS
23Mitch GarverSEA
24Tyler HeinemanTOR
25Josue BricenoDET
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