Dynasty/Keeper Catcher Buys Heading Into 2026

I guess you can call this buy week at the Dynasty Dugout. No, we are not taking a bye week, but rather giving you all the players to buy or pick up before the season ends.

This article series will feature some MLB hitters that may be worth buying low on. Today, we talk about five catchers who may be worth buying now. Maybe it is an injured player. Perhaps it was just someone who struggled and saw their stock fall, but still has things under the hood to like. All players can buy now!

Catchers to Buy or Stash for 2026

Kyle Teel, C, Chicago White Sox

I am a bit surprised that Teel has not gotten more hype in the dynasty community, but he deserves it. Sure, you may look at the six home runs in 234 plate appearances and push him aside, but looking at the larger picture, Teel has been highly impressive at the plate and is only getting better.

Between 447 Triple-A and MLB plate appearances, Teel has 14 home runs and has even chipped in ten stolen bases. The MLB slash is rather impressive at .286/.386/.427. But, since August 10, Teel has a .337/.433/.518 slash with four of his six MLB homers.

Under the hood, things look sound as well. Teel’s 50 percent sweet-spot rate is the best in baseball, meaning he is creating ideal launch angles in half of his at-bats. The 23 percent chase rate also stands out in a big way, and when you pair it with average swing decisions on pitches in the zone, it makes for a good recipe for success.

While the contact numbers are average, Teel does seem to be getting more comfortable and choosing his spots well. Having a max exit velocity of 113.7 mph paired with ideal launch angles shows his ability to get to power. The 9.5 percent barrel rate stands out and it is important to remember Teel is just 23 and very early into his MLB career.

Teel is a priority get for me in shallow leagues and a solid trade target in the offseason.

Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles

What a fall from grace for Rutschman. After 2023, Rutschman was at the top of nearly every dynasty rankings for catchers. Hitting 20 home runs with an .809 OPS had many excited about Rutschman’s potential outlook. Then, 2024 happened, and Rutschman saw his OPS fall by .100 points, even though he still managed 19 home runs. The chase rate soared upward, and the zone-contact rate fell by three percentage points.

This year, it only got worse. Injuries limited him, but Rutschman has just 348 trips to the plate in which he has a .227/.310/.373 slash with nine home runs. The interesting thing is, Rutschman has career-best markers in nearly every category under the hood. His 90 mph average exit velocity is a career best by 1.5 mph, and the 7.8 percent barrel rate is in line with what he posted during his rookie season.

Rutschman is getting the ball in the air and to the pull side consistently with what we have seen in the past. The zone-contact rate of 91 percent is also a career best mark, as is the 21.8 percent chase rate. Even looking at bat tracking metrics, it is hard to find why Rutschman struggled.

Given the consistent injuries this year and all the underlying data and expected markers being good, I expect a huge bounce-back from Rutschman in 2026. Remember, the head injury affected him in May, and then the oblique has bothered him since June. To me, it seems like there were some highs, but also lows during the injury, where he struggled to lift and get to any power

Dillon Dingler, C, Detroit Tigers

We haven’t been talking enough about Dingler, the Tigers' starting catcher who has been quite good this year. Twelve home runs to pair with a .276/.325/.427 slash across 407 plate appearances looks okay on the surface, but Dingler has made steady strides and has continued to get better all year while showing major improvements. Since the All-Star break, Dingler is slashing .297/.362/.453 with four home runs and 11 extra-base hits in 142 trips to the plate.

Dingler has also been hitting the cover off the ball. While he has a 9.5 percent barrel rate for the year, it has jumped to 11.3 percent in the second half with an average exit velocity of 91.5 mph. To show the quality of contact, Dingler has a .445 xwOBAcon, and the league average is .369.

The home/road splits are pretty drastic, which is not surprising given that Detroit is a hard place to hit. Dingler has seven of his 12 homers on the road despite having over 20 fewer plate appearances. At Comerica, Dingler has a .243/.274/.374 slash compared to .316/.382/.491 on the road.

It is something to keep in mind, but regardless, Dingler has evolved into a fantasy-relevant catcher, but has not been treated as such. He is a solid option heading into 2026.

Francisco Alvarez, C, New York Mets

Will injuries to his hands hold Alvarez back for his entire career? Over the last two seasons, Alvarez has torn UCLs in both of his thumbs and has broken bones in both his hands and wrists. Injuries have limited him to just 221 MLB plate appearances, but Alvarez also spent time in Triple-A, where he blasted 13 home runs in 143 plate appearances.

After returning from Triple-A post-All-Star break, Alvarez slashed .323/.408/.645 with four home runs and 11 extra-base hits in just 71 plate appearances. Alvarez, unfortunately, got injured again and has returned to the field despite not being 100 percent recovered.

Alvarez has as much power as any catcher not named Cal Raleigh and has the potential to put up some big numbers. The question is, can he stay on the field for enough of the season to put up big home run totals? His career high games played sits at 123 back in 2023, and that number has dropped in both seasons since.

Still 23 years old, Alvarez has a bright future ahead of him, as long as he can push past the hand issues. Sure, there is whiff in the profile, but we have seen Alvarez push his batting average up every season thanks to improved quality of contact and exit velocities that are some of the best in baseball.

The talent is too good here not to take a chance on.

Pedro Pagés, C, St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals find themselves in an interesting predicament. They have loads of talented catching options. While Iván Herrera is basically just a DH now, the team also called up Jimmy Crooks, who appears to be on the strong side of a platoon. Meanwhile, the organization has Leonardo Bernal and Rainiel Rodriguez lurking. So, where does Pagés fit into all of this?

Pagés could find himself as part of a trade this offseason, which could open more playing time, but his bat and defense have value. Having great framing skills, Pagés also has above-average pop times, which help pair with a solid bat.

Sure, you might look at the savant page and see a lot of blue in power metrics, but what Pagés has perfected is the ability to pull the ball in the air. The angles have helped him run an 8.2 percent barrel rate, despite below-average exit velocities. Things have improved, though, as Pagés has a 14 percent barrel rate and a 90 mph average exit velocity since the start of August.

Sure, Pagés is aggressive and struggles with contact at times, but there is plenty of upside here. The biggest question is, can Pagés find consistent playing time? Maybe it is on a new team, which makes this a risky play. But, I do find enough positives in the profile to make Pagés an intriguing deep league play.