Matt Wieters 2009

Not only is Matt Wieters considered one of the top prospects in baseball, but he's being included in discussions of the top catchers in baseball, despite the fact that he hasn't yet played above AA ball. Make no mistake - Wieters is a terrific hitter, and could potentially equal the on base percentage of a player like Joe Mauer, while putting up a lot more home runs. That said, I think he's being drafted too high in some mock drafts. It's true that by letting Ramon Hernandez go, Baltimore has opened a spot for Wieters in their lineup. But I would still expect them to limit his playing time...and if he happens to slump, they're likely to send him down to the minors temporarily. Young players always have less margin for erro to remain in the everyday lineup than those who are already established. Also, I believe that part of Wieters' fantasy appeal is a perception that he's fast for a catcher...one set of projections has him with 7 steals. I'm not sure where that came from though...he only stole 2 bases in the minors last year (and was caught twice). Wieters in 2009 is actually a guy I like more for the daily contests like Snapdraft, Drafthero, and FantasySportsLive (and for Rotohog) than for traditional leagues where you'll be stuck with him on your bench on his days off or if he's sent down to the minors.