2024 MLB Power Rankings: Who are the best catchers?

The start of the 2024 MLB season is near and that means rankings season. The league is filled with many talented catchers. But, who are the best MLB catchers entering the 2024 season? We’ve got our picks, as we rank the five best catchers who excel both behind the plate and at the dish.

5. William Contreras

Some interesting candidates nearly made this list, including slugger Cal Raleigh and defensive wizards Gabriel Moreno and Jonah Heim. But we’ll start with William Contreras, who’s been one of the best offensive catchers in the game over the past two seasons. No catcher in the game has a higher OPS+ (129) than Contreras, who’s belted 37 home runs and 91 extra-base hits between 2022-23.

Defensively, Contreras has made major strides in his game. With the Braves, the 26-year-old ranked poorly in both pitch framing and blocks above average. But in 2023 with the Brewers, Contreras’ blocks were above average (85th percentile), and framing (93rd percentile) were both well above average.

4. Sean Murphy

Next up is Sean Murphy, who was acquired by the Braves in the three-team deal that sent the ex-Athletic to Atlanta. The 2023 NL All-Star had a fine season overall for the Braves, despite a poor second half. Murphy hit .251/.365/.478 (.845) with a career-high 21 home runs for the Braves as he tandemed with former NL Silver Slugger Travis d’Arnaud.

Murphy’s bat is solid but his glove is the standout tool. Per Statcast, Murphy led the Majors in blocks above average (16) last season and ranked well above average in framing and pop time.

3. Will Smith

The 2023 campaign wasn’t as strong from an offensive standpoint for Will Smith. After two seasons in which Smith blasted at least 24 home runs, the 2023 NL All-Star hit just 19 but posted a very respectable .261/.359/.438 (.797 OPS) slash line for the Dodgers. Over the last two seasons, just one catcher has more total bases (439) than the 28-year-old.

Smith’s also a capable defensive catcher, as well. The Dodgers backstop might not be a terrific framer but he’s reliable in terms of throwing runners out. He led the league in the stat two years ago and finished tied for 10th last year with Sean Murphy.

2. J.T. Realmuto

At #2 of our 2024 MLB best catchers list is the man who was in the top slot last year, and that’s J.T. Realmuto. The 2023 campaign was a strong one, who belted 20 regular season home runs and posted a .825 OPS in the 2023 MLB Postseason. Over the last two seasons, Realmuto ranked in the top seven in home runs (42) and OPS (.792), second in hits (262), and first in stolen bases (37).

Framing is a metric where Realmuto has declined in recent years. Last season, the 32-year-old ranked in the second percentile (-13) in pitch framing. However, he’s still very stable behind the plate and owned the league’s best pop time. In 2023, Realmuto finished sixth in successful caught stealing throws.

1. Adley Rutschman

No catcher in the Majors (min. 600 PA) has a higher on-base percentage than Adley Rutschman (.369) over the last two seasons. The Orioles phenom has emerged as the franchise cornerstone for Baltimore, a team that played the playoffs in 2023 for the first time since 2016.

Rutschman is a very good catcher but Baltimore’s also used him in the DH slot and at first throughout the early parts of his career. It’s a strategic ploy, as Rutschman’s bat and eye are incredibly valuable to the Orioles, and doing so allows Baltimore to get him in the lineup as much as possible. That’s allowed Rutschman to accrue the most plate appearances (1,157) among primary catchers.