Top 10 Best MLB Catchers In The World 2025

In Major League Baseball, the catcher position is one of the hardest because it requires a unique mix of defensive skills, offensive skills, and leadership. In 2025, the MLB has a lot of great catchers, including both young stars and experienced veterans. Based on their 2024 performances, projected 2025 stats, and overall impact on their teams, this article ranks the top 10 catchers for the 2025 season. The rankings take into account things like game-calling and leadership, as well as offensive stats like batting average, home runs, RBIs, OPS, and wRC+, and defensive stats like framing, caught stealing percentage, and defensive runs saved.

List Of Top 10 Best MLB Catchers In The World 2025

1. Adley Rutschman

Adley Rutschman, the 27-year-old star of the Orioles, had a bad 2024. He had a slump in the second half of the season (.207/.282/.303), which may have been because of a hand injury that wouldn’t go away. Even so, he had a good 2.8 fWAR and was still a good defender (0 OAA). Rutschman was picked first overall in 2019. He has 13.1 WAR in his first three seasons and has been named an All-Star twice. His contact rate is still high, but his power and the quality of his batted balls went down in 2024. With Baltimore’s fences moving back in 2025, experts think it will be a bounce-back season for him, possibly bringing him back to the top of the league.

2. William Contreras

William Contreras, a 27-year-old star for the Brewers, comes in a close second. He has the best OPS (.831) of any catcher with at least 1,000 plate appearances since he joined the league in 2020. He hit 167 times, had an OPS+ of 129, and a fWAR of 5.4 in 2024. This earned him his second straight Silver Slugger Award and a fifth-place finish in the NL MVP voting. His career-highs in hard-hit rate, walk rate, and strikeout rate show how well he can hit. Defensively, Contreras is better than most, with a 25% caught stealing rate and good game-calling.

3. Cal Raleigh

Cal Raleigh, a switch-hitting catcher for the Mariners who is 28 years old, combines exceptional power and defense throughout his career. For the third consecutive season, he led all catchers in home runs with 34, drove in 100 runs batted in, and won the American League Platinum Glove and Gold Glove for his outstanding performance behind the plate (+14 Fielding Run Value). Other accomplishments included driving in 100 runs. On the other hand, his 117 wRC+ and 5.4 fWAR tied him with Contreras for the most among catchers, despite the fact that his batting average was only.220. What makes Raleigh a standout is his ability to thrive in Seattle’s pitcher-friendly park and his durability, which allowed him to play 153 games in 2024.

4. Yainer Diaz

Yainer Diaz, a catcher for the Astros who is 26 years old, led all catchers in batting average (.299) in 2024, demonstrating excellent bat-to-ball skills. Through his contact-oriented approach, he was able to reduce his strikeout rate, but at the expense of power in comparison to his 23-homer season in 2023. While Diaz’s blocking and running game management are above average, his defensive performance is slightly below average but is showing signs of improvement. When it comes to catchers with 600 or more plate appearances, his 121 wRC+ and 5.5 fWAR over the past two seasons are only surpassed by the Contreras brothers. Diaz’s projection for 2025 indicates that he will have a combination of high average and moderate power, which will make him a rising star. He will be playing in Houston’s stacked lineup.

5. Sean Murphy

As a result of his departure from Oakland, where he was a Gold Glove winner, Sean Murphy, a 30-year-old catcher for the Braves, has been a disappointment. Although he only played in 68 games in 2024 due to injuries and a lack of consistency in his playing time, his slugging percentage of.405 and his above-average defense (+5 Fielding Run Value) demonstrate his incredible potential. If he is healthy, Murphy’s 2023 season (21 home runs, 3.5 fWAR) indicates that he has the potential to return to top-tier form. His projection for 2025 indicates a rebound, despite the fact that trade rumors and the prospect Drake Baldwin are looming. This is because Atlanta has a potent lineup.

6. Will Smith

In 2025, Will Smith will be the best catcher in baseball. Smith has been a consistent offensive threat over the past four seasons, hitting 22 home runs and driving in 79 runs, with a 121 OPS+. He caught the most runners stealing in 2024 (27), showing off his elite defensive skills even though he struggled in the second half of the season (.626 OPS post-All-Star, possibly because of an ankle problem that wouldn’t go away). Smith signed a 10-year, $140 million extension. He is the best catcher because he can hit in the middle of the Dodgers’ lineup and is reliable on defense and when framing pitches. His 2025 projection shows that he will bounce back, which keeps him at No. 1.

7. Patrick Bailey

Patrick Bailey, a catcher for the Giants who is 25 years old, is widely considered to be the best defensive catcher of all time in baseball. He led catchers in 2024 with 4.3 fWAR, threw out 27.1% of base stealers, and led the National League with 25 runners caught stealing while excelling in pitch-framing. He also led the league in catchers with 4.3 fWAR. In the early rankings for 2025, his batting average is still below average (.172), and his strikeout rate is 32.7%. However, his defensive impact is unparalleled. As a result of his first-round pedigree in 2020 and his control through 2029, Bailey is an indispensable member of the San Francisco 49ers. Because of his glove, his projection for 2025 indicates that he will make a slight improvement offensively, which will keep him among the elite.

8. Alejandro Kirk

Alejandro Kirk, the 26-year-old Blue Jays catcher, is one of baseball’s best defensive players, ranking fourth in defensive value among position players in 2024 (FanGraphs). His framing and blocking are elite, and with Danny Jansen now in Tampa, Kirk has the starting role to himself. Offensively, his .253 average is solid, but his power (5 HR in 2024) remains limited. Reports of improved fitness could boost his output in 2025. His 2.8 fWAR in 103 games and projected 3.0 fWAR for 2025 make him a reliable, defense-first catcher.

9. Francisco Alvarez

Francisco Alvarez, a catcher for the Mets who is 23 years old, has the potential to become a star. The year 2024 saw him participate in 100 games, during which he hit 11 home runs and drove in 47 runs despite experiencing health issues. His swing has been reworked during the offseason with the intention of enhancing his ability to elevate the ball, which could potentially unlock more power. Alvarez’s defensive performance is below average, but he is making progress, with a caught stealing rate of twenty percent. As a young player, he has hit 36 home runs over the course of the last two seasons, and it is projected that he will have 3.6 fWAR in 2025. This makes him a high-upside option in New York’s talented lineup.

10. Austin Wells

In 2024, Austin Wells, a catcher for the Yankees who was 25 years old at the time, was a finalist for the Rookie of the Year award. As a result of the trade involving Jose Trevino, Wells is now the established starter. He has a 3.4 fWAR in 115 games. Despite the fact that his defense is strong (+3 Fielding Run Value), his offensive potential is highlighted by his.342 on-base percentage and 13 home runs. Wells, who is a member of New York’s formidable lineup, has benefited from the lineup’s buoyancy, as evidenced by his 31 RBIs at the beginning of the 2025 rankings. His projection for the year 2025 indicates that he may climb higher, which would make him a candidate for a breakthrough.