Catchers have an immense impact on the game of baseball. However, the present-day MLB is home to incredible hitters who also catch, including Salvador Perez, Shea Langeliers, and 2025 AL MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh. So, how did we align these in our catcher power rankings? Let’s take a look.
10. Yainer Diaz
Our top ten starts with Astros catcher Yainer Diaz, who remained one of the better offensive catchers in the game last season.
Diaz hit 20 home runs last season for the Astros, a team that dealt with significant injury troubles last season. The Astros did try to keep him in the lineup as much as possible, which resulted in him seeing time at first and DH. Still, the frame job for Diaz wasn’t terrible, as the 27-year-old had the 12th-most called strikes on pitches out of the zone (256) last season.
There are rough areas in Diaz’s game. Namely, Diaz has to hit his way on base to get there. His 3.5% BB% in 2025 was the fifth-lowest in the game last season.
9. Patrick Bailey
It feels weird to put Patrick Bailey on this list for one singular season: the bat.
Bailey was, statistically, one of the worst, if not the worst, offensive catchers in baseball last season. His .265 wOBA last season was the lowest among regular catchers last season (min. 350 PA). It was part of a season where Bailey slashed .222/.277/.325 on the season.
Bailey, though, could easily be considered the best defensive catcher in the game. Last season, Bailey led all MLB catchers in total called strikes on outside pitches (391), well ahead of Austin Wells for the league lead. Additionally, Bailey rated in the top 1% of the league in pop time (1.86s), an illustration of how quick to the draw he is on a stolen base attempt.
8. Salvador Perez
Even though we likely won’t see Salvador Perez behind the plate as much moving forward, the slugger remains a force at the dish.
Now entering his 15th season, Perez’s 14th year was a special one. The longtime Royals catcher hit 30 home runs and drove in 100, marking the third time in five years that he had at least 100 RBI in a single season.
Perez’s ability behind the plate has dipped over the year, not surprisingly, given that the 35-year-old has a lot of mileage behind him. Four years ago, his Blocks Above Average was a +5, compared to the -15 from 2025. However, he still has a very good arm, as his pop time rated in the top half of the league.
7. Hunter Goodman
Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman had a career season in 2025.
Goodman moved around between catcher and the outfield in the early portion of his MLB career. However, last season, he was strictly a catcher, aside from seeing time in the DH slot to keep his bat in the lineup. The 26-year-old hit a career-high 31 home runs, and only 13 of those came in Coors Field.
He will chase outside the zone often, as well as swing and miss. That led to a K% over 26% last season and one of the lowest walk rates (5.7%) in the game last season. But on another note, he didn’t do too badly with framing, as he landed in the top-15 in called strikes outside of the zone.
6. Drake Baldwin
The 2025 NL Rookie of the Year makes this list.
Drake Baldwin had a strong 2025 season after he made the Braves out of camp. The 24-year-old was one of baseball’s most productive offensive catchers, as Baldwin hit 19 home runs and 39 extra-base hits, as well as an OPS over .800. Baldwin has a strong mix of bat speed and ability to adjust to the soft stuff.
Baldwin was rated as a terrific blocker (+7) behind home plate last season. His framing rate was roughly average. His total called strikes on pitches outside of the zone rated outside the top 25, as Baldwin only played 97 games behind the dish last season.
5. William Contreras
After a quiet first half, William Contreras was one of baseball’s best hitters in the second half.
Contreras slashed .281/.365/.486 with 11 home runs and 21 extra-base hits for the Brewers after the All-Star break. That lifted him up to 17 home runs and 45 extra-base hits on the year, the third straight year that Contreras had at least 17 HR and 40 XBH.
The 28-year-old is a premium offensive asset. He works counts, makes consistent contact, and can drive the ball. But aside from that, Contreras is also rated as one of the better all-around catchers in the game. Including, in the framing category, his 287 called strikes on balls out of the zone ranked as the sixth-most.
4. Shea Langeliers
It wouldn’t be hyperbole to state that Shea Langeliers may have been a top-five player overall during the second half of last season.
Langeliers went on a rip after the All-Star break. He finished with the most extra-base hits (34) in the league during that stretch, posted an OPS north of 1.000, and hit 17 home runs. Those 17 home runs were second-most among catchers, behind only someone else on this list.
The 28-year-old concluded the 2025 season with his first-ever 30+ home run season. Additionally, Langeliers had one of the best pop times (1.89s) in the game, as well.
3. Alejandro Kirk
The Blue Jays likely don’t get to the 2025 World Series without Alejandro Kirk.
After two down seasons at the plate, Kirk had a terrific 2025 season. He slashed .282/.348/.421 with 15 home runs, and then added five more in the playoffs for Toronto. Kirk was also arguably the best pure contact hitter among players at his position, as his 11.7% K% was the lowest among backstops.
Kirk finished 2025 with the third-most called strikes (338) on pitches out of the zone, plus a +21 Blocks Above Average that was the best in the game last season.
2. Will Smith
Will Smith has been one of baseball’s best catchers for years, and he certainly proved his value to the Dodgers in the postseason.
Smith did his job in a loaded Dodgers offense last season, as he hit 17 home runs and 38 extra-base hits, plus posted a .901 OPS for the World Series champions. The 2025 campaign marked the third-straight All-Star nod for Smith, who also finished with the third-best OBP (.404) among hitters with 350+ PA last season.
And like his contemporaries on this list, he can also hold his own behind the dish.
1. Cal Raleigh
It shouldn’t shock you that Cal Raleigh is the #1 catcher here.
Raleigh had an otherworldly season at the dish. His 60 home runs last season were not only a career-best but also the most for a catcher in a single season. It was the third-straight season that Raleigh hit at least 30 home runs on the season.
Defensively, Raleigh can hold his own, too. The one true blemish on his record is blocking (-4). However, he was one of the best framers (321 called strikes out of the zone – 4th-most) and didn’t let a passed ball get by him until the playoffs.
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