Initial 2009 rankings: Catchers

In preparation for our early mock draft, we will go position-by-position with some preliminary rankings for Draft Day 2009. We start with the catcher position.

Our rankings are based on position eligibility for next season, which requires 20 games at a position to be eligible. If a player has not played 20 games, his primary position will be defined as what position he has played the most games at -- unless it is a current AL player (that player -- ie a Dan Johnson -- will be listed at DH). So, this is why you won't see Giants 1B Pablo Sandoval, who has little chance to be catcher-eligible, since he should get 20 games at first base before the end of the season.

Early catcher rankings for 2009
RK	Player	TM	The thinking is as follows ...
1	Brian McCann	ATL	This spot will be up for debate but McCann has the best pop at the position.
2	Russell Martin	LAD	A bad September is keeping us from ranking him tops at his position.
3	Geovany Soto	CHC	Breakout rookie might warrant No. 1 spot, but there's just more experience above him.
4	Joe Mauer	MIN	A very consistent guy, but we might grow old waiting for the true power to come.
5	Victor Martinez	CLE	Annual No. 1 was a monster disappointment and now has injury risk weighing him down.
6	Bengie Molina	SF	Very few backstops are their team's leading RBI man, but Molina is getting old.
7	Ryan Doumit	PIT	He has always been a great bat, but he has given the Pirates confidence defensively.
8	Chris Iannetta	COL	Among the many breakthroughs at this position and we expect more improvement.
9	Kelly Shoppach	CLE	He discovered his stroke and now the Indians have a decision to make this winter.
10	Jorge Posada	NYY	Shoulder hopefully will be corrected via surgery, but there is still a lot of risk here.
11	A.J. Pierzynski	CHW	Veteran is a steady option year-to-year, but age suggests you should let him fall to you.
12	Ramon Hernandez	BAL	He is a solid veteran, but will the Orioles slot him or their elite prospect next spring?
13	Yadier Molina	STL	A career year has finally come, but we still think he can wind up being the best Molina.
14	Chris Snyder	ARI	Yet another solid season of useful pop, but will he share at-bats in Arizona forever?
15	Jarrod Saltalamacchia	TEX	Not only did he have a bad year, but Rangers catching prospects are gaining on him.
16	Dioner Navarro	TB	He is a poor man's Mauer with a consistent bat but one that lacks real power.
17	Jesus Flores	WAS	The Mets made a real mistake letting him go via the Rule-5 draft. He is the Nats' future.
18	Kurt Suzuki	OAK	He has stamped himself as a solid starter for the A's but a borderline Fantasy one.
19	Ivan Rodriguez	NYY	His end of the season swoon with the Yankees should convince you he is low end.
20	Mike Napoli	LAA	The power is intriguing, but he is not a guy you should trust; he is far too streaky.
21	Jason Varitek	BOS	Boston's captain is an ornamental Fantasy pick now; he looks nice but doesn't produce.
22	Taylor Teagarden	TEX	He has been hot down the stretch, but the top prospect was underwhelming in minors.
23	Gerald Laird	TEX	We've waited for him to be dealt for years, but maybe he finally gets full-time job.
24	Jeff Clement	SEA	He might have the most offensive potential of anyone on this list, but it is merely "potential."
25	Matt Wieters	BAL	Elite catcher prospect is one of the few who could have a Soto-like breakthrough.
26	John Baker	FLA	We don't think he is as good as he has shown, but he might have earned starting look.
27	Rod Barajas	TOR	He had a nice comeback year, but he is the type of guy you can find off waivers annually.
28	Brandon Inge	DET	He regained catcher eligibility, but his numbers suggest he probably should be starting.
29	Chris Coste	PHI	He might be at the age of breakdown for a catcher, but this journeyman can really hit.
30	Miguel Olivo	KC	Every time you try to sweep Olivo under the rug, he surprises owners in deeper leagues.
31	John Buck	KC	It doesn't say a whole lot for you as a starter if you cannot make Olivo go away.
32	Miguel Montero	ARI	His power is much better than we saw this year, but he still is Snyder's caddy.
33	Jeff Mathis	LAA	If you find yourself salivating over catcher prospects, Mathis is your cautionary tale.
34	Jason Kendall	MIL	The veteran was a favorite of Ned Yost, but with Yost out of town might Kendall be, too?
35	J.R. Towles	HOU	For every Soto, we suppose their has to be a Towles; maybe he is next year's Iannetta.
36	Brian Schneider	NYM	Despite rave reviews about his defense, he really didn't live up to minimal hype this year.
37	Kenji Johjima	SEA	What a waste of money he will be for the next few years; no wonder the GM lost his job.
38	Carlos Ruiz	PHI	He was the Phillies' catcher of the future, but now he looks like a career backup.
39	Max Ramirez	TEX	His minor league OPS portends a masher, but can he catch and will he get at-bats?
40	Nick Hundley	SD	The punchless Padres might have found a backstop, but he won't help much in Fantasy.

Did we sell someone short? Overrate someone? You can e-mail Emack your Fantasy Baseball comments about our rankings to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Catcher rankings in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses to all questions.