We aren’t playing around anymore, it’s time for the big dogs to come out and play! The Dynasty Guru’s top tiers of consensus catcher prospects are loaded with star power that like to flex their muscles. Behold the stars of tomorrow along with comments and thoughts from Brian and Daniel Labude.

Tier 1 #1 – 2

This top tier for catchers has two potentially high impact rookies ready to make their mark in 2026. Samuel Basallo and Carter Jensen both got a taste of the big leagues last season and have high potential in the future. Basallo, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, was one of the top power hitters in the minor leagues in 2025. As a 20-year-old, he hit 27 home runs between Triple-A Norfolk and the big leagues. His slash line did falter at the major league level over 31 games, coming in at .165/.229/.330. His zone-contact and contact rates overall were still pretty good, so it was mostly just a young hitter facing super advanced pitching for the first time that likely hindered his output. Expect Basallo to get reps in 2026, but he could start out as a strong side platoon until he finds his groove like he had at Triple-A. There, he hit .270/.377/.589. That could be where he settles eventually in the major leagues, a true impact power bat at catcher. Jensen fared much better in his 20 game major league debut, hitting .300/.391/.550, with three home runs, and a 156 wRC+. He had 23 home runs over three levels in 2025, so even if he doesn’t have the raw power of Basallo, he could be a solid source of home runs at the catcher position. Especially noteworthy is that Kansas City is moving in their fences for the coming year. Jensen probably has a better hit tool than Basallo, but less high-end power potential. They both project as top tier catchers in the major leagues, maybe as soon as this year. (Daniel Labude)

I think our top tier of catching prospects has a decent amount of separation between it and the second tier. Samuel Basallo and Carter Jensen have really no other equal at the position in the minor leagues. In fact, both should be on major league rosters when teams break camp and head home from spring training. If you really want to try and differentiate between them within their tier, it’s actually nearly impossible. This tells me you might come to expect similar production out of them on the season and in their careers. In the minor leagues last year, both Basallo and Jensen had very similar counting stats: 23 home runs to 20, 17 doubles to 20, a .270 average to .290, and they each even had the same OBP of .377. Their statcast data from their times at Triple-A were also very close to the same: a 94.2 mph exit velocity to 93.4 mph and also a 57.4% hard hit rate to 58.8%. What I think is actually the divider here, is Basallo’s ability to barrel up far more balls than Jensen. Jensen had a 14.7% barrel rate last year, while Basallo came in with a barrel rate of 21.0%. Couple this with Basallo’s 99th percentile, 29.9% flyballs per home run rate and I think he will be far more effective as a run producer and power hitter in the major leagues. For dynasty purposes, this is where I break the tie and would prefer Basallo over Jensen by the slimmest of margins. (Brian Labude)

Tier 2 #3 – 7

Watch out for Eduardo Tait in this tier. Tait could be this year’s version of 2025 Rainiel Rodriguez. Tait really didn’t take off as an 18-year-old at Single-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids, like he did the prior year as a 17-year-old at the Complex League and Single-A. He still didn’t strikeout a lot (20.4%) and had a solid wRC+ given his young age (103). If his bat comes around again as he gains more experience versus better pitching, watch out. He could take off in value similar to Rodriguez this season. (Daniel Labude)

In this second tier, Moises Ballesteros is someone I am fading on this off-season and it’s not because of his ability, but it’s his cost compared to the type of fantasy production you could expect. He hit a lot of doubles in Triple-A last year, 29 to be exact and it was good enough to be in the 97th percentile. What has me worried about fantasy production for value, is the 13 home runs he hit and the 90.2 mph average exit velocity with only a 9.1° average launch angle. He’s a high contact hitter that won’t strikeout a lot, but will have a high average and a lot of doubles. His profile is great for baseball, just not for big production in the fantasy baseball world. Players below him such as Josue Briceño and Rainiel Rodriguez I think can have more of a potential impact in that regard at a lower cost. If you are looking for proximity and a high floor, he’s your guy. If you are looking for the next Cal Raleigh, keep shopping. This brings me to Rodriguez, I love his ability with the bat in his hands and how well he is with regards to plate discipline. If you are searching for a high upside catcher, but one that has a wide variability floor, check out my prospect spotlight on Rodriguez coming out later today. He could be a perfect combination of Ballesteros and Briceño. Alfredo Duno is another catcher which I think may have a seriously high upside at the position. He is extremely patient at the plate, seeing an average of 4.2 pitches per plate appearance last season at Low-A. This led to an extremely high walk rate of 19.2%, to go along with a strikeout rate south of that at 18.4%. Not only was his plate discipline excellent, he hit .287/.430/.518, had 18 home runs, and a crazy 32 doubles. I think by this time next year, your number one and number two catching prospects could in fact be Rodriguez and Duno. So get ready for the launch countdown when the season starts, because there could be a few rocketships you want to jump onto and ride to the top of the catcher position with. (Brian Labude)