2013 Fantasy Baseball: AL Central Catchers

By Brian Fischler
Derick Hingle US Presswire

If Paul Simon were to write his legendary song Mrs. Robinson today, his infamous lyric of “Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio,” might be, “Where have you gone Joe Mauer power!” Since the Minnesota Twins Joe Mauer exploded with 28 homers in 2009, he hasn’t come close to repeating anywhere near his career numbers.

So what can we expect out of Mauer in fantasy baseball 2013? Look for 78 runs, 10 HRs, 72 RBI, three SBs, and a .301 AVG. While they won’t be anywhere near his 2009 numbers, he will still get you some of the best numbers among Catchers.

The Cleveland Indians’ Carlos Santana is another one of the best options at catcher. While he won’t hit for the average that Mauer will, Santana will put up significantly better power numbers. Unlike Mauer who also has first base eligibility, using Santana in that slot won’t kill you, as Santana will put up numbers equal to a mid-tier first baseman. Expect 80 runs, 22 HRs, 78 RBI, three SBs, and a .257 AVG.

One of the most intriguing options at catcher is the Kansas City Royals‘ Salvador Perez. 2013 will be Perez’s first full season behind the dish, as injuries prevented him from being one of last seasons best rookies. Look for 59 runs, 15 HRs, 67 RBI, zero SBs, and a .287 AVG.

Calling the signals for the Detroit Tigers will be Alex Avila. The question with Avila is will we get the 2011 or 2012 version of him? Avila saw his numbers drop across the board from his career highs in 2011. He went from 63 runs to 42, 19 HR to nine, 82 RBI to 48, and his AVG dropped from .295 to .243. Talk about a real Jekyll and Hyde. In 2013, look for 54 runs, 13 HRs, 65 RBI, two SBs, and a .260 AVG.

Many have been waiting for the catcher job for the Chicago White Sox to be Tyler Flowers full time. My only question is why? There is nothing about his minor league numbers or his part time role in Chicago to lead me to believe that he is much of a value in fantasy baseball. Expect Flowers to put up 53 runs, 15 HRs, 54 RBI, two SBs, and a .226 AVG.

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