Fantasy Baseball toughest catchers to rank for 2027: Cal Raleigh leads a volatile catcher position, tell me about this news in (https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/fantasy-baseball-toughest-catchers-to-rank-for-2027/)

In the CBS Sports article written by Chris Towers, the focus is on how volatile the catcher position remains in Fantasy Baseball and how difficult it is to project value heading into early drafts for 2027. Despite a strong first-half renaissance across the position, widespread second-half attritioninjuries, slumps, and fatiguehas once again turned catcher into one of the most unpredictable spots on fantasy rosters.Here is an overview of the key takeaways and the toughest catchers to rank highlighted in the piece:Core Position Overview

• High Attrition & Volatility: At the All-Star break, five catcher-eligible players were inside the top 100 overall fantasy rankings, but that dwindled to just three in the second half. Very few names (such as Drake Baldwin, Hunter Goodman, and William Contreras) maintained consistent top-120 production throughout the entire year.
• Elevated Draft Stakes: Catchers are expected to be drafted earlier than usual for 2027, making it critical not to overpay or misjudge bounce-back and breakout profiles.

The Toughest Catchers to Rank

• Cal Raleigh (Seattle Mariners)
  • The Dilemma: After a historic, MVP-caliber offensive season in 2025, Raleigh endured significant regression in 2026, marking one of the toughest full seasons of his career amid early oblique issues and strikeout increases.
  • The Outlook: His elite pulled-fly-ball power remains intact, and his second-half performance looked much closer to form. While he likely will not repeat his peak season, 40-home-run upside at catcher makes him a firm top-10 option and a compelling draft target at a discounted draft-day cost.
• Dillon Dingler (Detroit Tigers)
  • The Dilemma: Dingler started on fire with 19 home runs by the All-Star break and added seven more shortly after, briefly looking like a top-five fantasy catcher. However, he fell off a cliff down the stretch, batting around .123 with collapsing exit velocity and poor plate discipline.
  • The Outlook: His second-half slump dragged his expected metrics below last season’s baseline, making him hard to trust as a surefire top-five catcher heading into 2027.
• Samuel Basallo (Baltimore Orioles)
  • The Dilemma: While some fantasy managers may feel fatigue given how long he has been hyped as an elite prospect, he is still only 22 years old and produced roughly league-average offense in his first extended MLB exposure.
  • The Outlook: Despite contact and plate-discipline concerns, his raw power and quality of contact give him rare 30-home-run upside at the position. He is positioned to be drafted higher than his baseline numbers might suggest due to that youth and raw physical ceiling.
• Ivan Herrera (St. Louis Cardinals)
  • The Dilemma: In his first full, healthy season, Herrera proved to be a solid real-life hitter with great run-scoring and occasional stolen-base contributions. However, his quality-of-contact metrics regressed as his workload increased, and he projected to finish with fewer than 20 home runs.
  • The Outlook: With catching depth rising behind him in St. Louis, he could be an offseason trade candidate. If he lands somewhere without everyday plate appearances, his fantasy upside is somewhat limited, putting him around the fringe of the top 12.
• Carter Jensen (Kansas City Royals)
  • The Dilemma: Jensen demonstrated legit pop (24 homers) and elite patience with a double-digit walk rate, but paired it with a high strikeout rate (over 28%).
  • The Outlook: His in-zone contact rate is near league average; the elevated strikeouts stem largely from working deep into two-strike counts. If he balances his approach, he could take another step forward in 2027.
• Liam Hicks (Tampa Bay Rays)
  • The Dilemma: Hicks showed virtually no raw power metrics, yet produced an impressive second half after joining Tampa Bay, boosting his expected wOBA via elite contact rates, strong discipline, and pulled fly balls.
  • The Outlook: It remains difficult to buy into him as a consistent .290, 20-homer threat long term, making him a divisive boom-or-bust name hovering right on the edge of top-12 consideration.