Prospects to Target in Redraft (NFBC Draft & Holds): Catcher

This week, I will be breaking down prospects that you should be targeting in NFBC Draft and Hold formats. These articles will be evergreen all offseason and applicable to NFBC formats and all redrafts. This article will go extremely deep, given the nature of the 50-round draft and hold format that NFBC hosts.

All ADPs referenced will be from NFBC Draft Champions, and I will give thoughts on their potential value in relation to that ADP.

Catcher Prospects to Target in Redraft

Dalton Rushing, C/OF, 24, Los Angeles Dodgers, 6’1”/220, AAA (ADP: 347)

Rushing has hit and hit some more since being drafted by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2022 draft. After spending his first two seasons behind Henry Davis at Louisville, Rushing broke out during his junior year, hitting 23 home runs with a .314/.401/.542 slash. He continued to hit at every stop, with the 2024 season arguably being his best performance yet.

Splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024, Rushing mashed 24 home runs and had 48 extra-base hits while posting an impressive .271/.385/.512 slash. That all led to a 142 wRC+, one of the top marks of any full-season minor leaguer. He did all this at the plate while showing improvements behind the plate, throwing out 30 percent of runners that attempted to steal and learning a new position in the outfield.

It is the combination of skills that makes Rushing one of the most well-rounded hitting prospects in baseball. He makes contact, rarely chases, hits the ball hard, and hits it at ideal angles. The barrel rates are elite for Rushing, thanks to a 90th percentile exit velocity of 106 mph, which already puts him in the plus territory of MLB hitters. Considering the low ground ball rates, Rushing put the ball in the air over 63 percent of the time, leading to ideal launch angles and many barrels.

Starting slightly open in the box, Rushing utilizes a small leg kick but keeps his timing exceptional. There is minimal hand movement pre-swing before he gets on the plane, and he generates a ton of bat speed from quick hands and a strong lower half.

The contact skills with Rushing are also impressive. With an overall mark near 77 percent, the number jumps north of 83 percent in-zone. He knows the strike zone well and picks up spin. He chased less than 19 percent of the time out of the zone.

From a pure data standpoint, Rushing checks every box you want to see in a hitter. He also checks all the scouting boxes. This is a hitter that will be very good for a very long time.

Verdict: Rushing is likely going to struggle to find playing time unless traded. The Dodgers signed Michael Conforto and Teoscar Hernandez to take the corner outfield spots, DH is locked in with Shohei Ohtani, and even if Rushing catches two days a week, it is hard to justify the price tag here. PASS

Adrian Del Castillo, C, 25, Arizona Diamondbacks, 5’10”/208, MLB (ADP: 423)

Del Castillo enjoyed a massive breakout in 2024, which earned him a spot in the majors where he was actually quite effective for 25 games. In the Majors, Del Castillo posted a .313/.368/.525 slash with four home runs. He mashed 26 home runs in Triple-A to give him 30 on the year and he posted an OPS north of 1.000.

Del Castillo was a second-round pick in the 2021 draft out of the University of Miami. He has always shown some pop and good OBP skills. Entering his draft year, he was considered one of the top players in the draft, showing his pedigree and talent. 2024 was the year we saw it all come together.

His exit velocities were quite strong, with an average exit velocity north of 90 mph and a 90th percentile of 105 mph. The contact numbers are reflective of his batting average as well as Del Castillo posted a 77 percent overall contact rate and an 85 percent in-zone clip. The chase rate is a modest 26 percent, showing quite a well-rounded profile.

The question of whether he sticks behind the plate is real. For fantasy purposes, you hope he catches enough to maintain eligibility but plays either first or DH long-term. The bat will play wherever he winds up.

Verdict: The Diamondbacks traded for Josh Naylor, and the team seems set on playing Pavin Smith, who will take DH reps. Del Castillo won’t catch over Moreno but could catch a couple of days a week to get his bat in the lineup. Most likely, he starts in Triple-A. PASS

Edgar Quero, C, 21, Chicago White Sox, 5’10”/210, AAA (ADP: 468)

Quero had a massive 2022 season, which saw his stock take off as a 19-year-old catcher with good skills behind the plate and a good bat. He hit 17 home runs and slashed .312/.435/.530. A down 2023 saw him traded from the Angels to the White Sox, but Quero took to a swing change in 2024 and put together a strong season.

With a simple swing from both sides of the plate, Quero makes a ton of contact. While he does hit the ball on the ground too much at times, Quero still has a knack for line drives and fly balls to the pull side. The splits are also acceptable, even though Quero mashed left-handed pitching from the right side in a smaller sample. He had a 1.025 OPS and ten extra-base hits in 90 trips to the plate versus a .775 OPS and 22 extra-base hits from the left side over 311 plate appearances.

The contact skills have always been strong, as Quero ran an overall contact rate of nearly 78 percent and an in-zone mark of north of 82 percent. The power gains were notable in 2024 as well, and Quero adjusted his setup and weight distribution. The power showed up as he hit 16 home runs, and the exit velocity data was improved. Having an average exit velocity north of 88 mph, Quero also saw his launch angle and barrel rate up from 2023.

Considering he will still be 21 on Opening Day 2025, Quero has made impressive strides, both behind the plate and with his bat. He should spend at least half of the season with the big league team where he already has the skills to succeed.

Verdict: The acquisition of Kyle Teel complicates this a bit, but Korey Lee and Matt Thaiss aren’t blocking anyone. At the price tag, it may be worth a shot at Quero as a C3 in DC format.

Agustin Ramirez, C, 23, Miami Marlins, 6’0”/210, AAA (ADP: 469)

Ramirez was one of the hottest hitting prospects in baseball over the first few months of the season, mashing home runs in what felt like every other game. The trade deadline rolled around, and we saw Ramirez be moved to Miami as part of the Jazz Chisholm trade. Ramirez settled in nicely to his new Triple-A home in Jacksonville over the final month of the year.

Overall for the year, Ramirez mashed 25 home runs and had 53 extra-base hits while posting a strong .267/.358/.487 slash line. He struck out in just 18 percent of his plate appearances and posted respectable contact rates of around 75 percent overall and 84 percent in-zone. Ramirez walked at a rate north of 11 percent, chasing just 26 percent of pitches out of the zone.

The power is legitimate, and the exit velocity data backs it. Ramirez posted a 90th percentile exit velocity near 107 mph and hit some impressive home runs. The biggest issue is the swing can get a bit flat at times, leading to far too many ground balls. The air percentage was just 52.5 percent this year, but when Ramirez lifted the ball to the pull-side, it went a long way. Around 44 percent of his pulled batted balls were in the air.

There is a lot to like in Ramirez’s profile at the plate. If he cleans up the catching and can stick behind the dish at least a couple of days a week while DHing in other games, he could provide a lot of value to fantasy managers, given the power upside and the feel to hit.

Verdict: Ramirez has a path to playing time with Nick Fortes and Liam Hicks, not likely blocking him. The bat is good, and Ramirez could find time at catcher, first base, and designated hitter. Buy at ADP

Kyle Teel, C, 23, Chicago White Sox, 6’0”/190, AAA (ADP: 508)

Teel has quietly put together a solid season in Double-A and Triple-A, slashing .288/.386/.433 with 13 home runs, 23 doubles, and 12 stolen bases. Being a strong athlete, Teel moves well behind the plate and in the box, making contact often.

Starting slightly open and with his hands high, Teel uses a leg kick to get slightly closed and uses his hips to start his swing. Considering the pre-swing movement, Teel controls his body quite well in the box and gets to the barrel often. The hips lead the swing, so Teel’s strong hands allow him to get to power and control the barrel.

While it is not a sexy batted-ball profile, Teel exhibits skills that should make him a solid fantasy asset for a long time. He ran a contact rate near 75 percent this year and rarely chases out of the zone. On pitches in the zone, Teel made contact on more than 80 percent of his swings.

The power is average, and while Teel is not likely to be a huge home run threat, he could be a consistent 15-home run bat in the majors. He topped out at 110 mph but ran a 90th-percentile exit velocity around 102 mph.

Being a strong athlete behind the plate, Teel has quick pop times that have ranged from 1.8-1.9 seconds. However, he only threw out 20 percent of runners in 2024. He is a great game-caller and should be the Red Sox's future catcher for a long time. He should debut by mid-season in 2025.

Verdict: Like Quero, there are obstacles to playing time, but Teel is the better defensive catcher between the two. The upside is that after pick 500, Teel could get 250 plate appearances, which has value in a deeper DC format.

Drake Baldwin, C, 23, Atlanta Braves, 6’0”/210, AAA (ADP: 558)

Baldwin flew under radars since being drafted. Despite posting strong underlying data, it never really translated to production, at least until he hit Triple-A this year. An important thing to note for all Braves hitting prospects is that their stadiums largely play pitcher-friendly until Triple-A. Augusta is a fine place to hit, but Rome and Mississippi will skew hitters' surface numbers fast. That was the case for Baldwin.

Having 72 games in Triple-A, Baldwin looks more than ready for the Majors, considering he posted a .298/.407/.484 slash with 12 home runs there. He added four home runs in Double-A to give him 16 home runs on the year with 36 extra base hits. The contact skills have been plus or better all year and the overall mark sits around 81 percent with an in-zone mark north of 85 percent. Baldwin rarely expands the zone, chasing at a 23 percent clip, which leads to a higher OBP.

The power has been pretty impressive all year too, with an average exit velocity north of 92 mph and the 90th percentile up over 106 mph. The bat is going to play, and Baldwin is actually pretty solid behind the dish, too. If Travis d’Arnuad is not back in Atlanta next year, Baldwin might be the backup to Sean Murphy. We know how Atlanta operates with catchers, so that could lead to him being a platoon. Baldwin has fully broken out and is deserving of the top spot in the system.

Verdict: Sean Murphy has not been the picture of health for the last few years, and the Braves currently have Chadwick Tromp as the backup. Baldwin is likely to begin the year in Triple-A, but the Braves will want his bat in the lineup soon. I would bet on 250 plate appearances from Baldwin at a minimum, and he is worth the price of admission at his ADP.