2 The Bigs

By Sal Corso: November 18th, 2025:

Each week of the winter, I’m going to give you a new position ranking. If you’re new this week, welcome, and feel free to check out all of our 2026 Position Rankings here:

This week: catchers. The primary fielding position in baseball has become a more prominent bat in the lineup over the past two decades. The hitting catcher is not just a rarity anymore, it’s almost a necessity on winning teams. Given there is some duplication with our Corner Infielders (1B/C is somewhat of a norm now), I’m going to give you 12 names. Let’s do it.

Rank. Name (Team) [Upside/Likeliness]

10. Marco Dinges (MIL) [74/LOW]

.300/.412/.500 13 HR 62 RBI

Some have Dinges much higher than this. I think 2026 will be his prove-it year for me. He’s got a fast swing, but hits a lot of balls on the ground. However, when he does get it in the air, it usually leaves the park. He’ll be 22 with a full season in AA and no rush to get him up to the bigs (a position blocked by pro and minor league players). With his rising value I could see him as part of a trade deadline deal if the Brewers want to finally get over that playoff hump.

9. Jesus Rodriguez (SF) [71/MED]

.307/.393/.403 7 HR 59 RBI

Part of the deadline trade that sent Doval to the Yankees, Jesus is another catcher that’s been shipped out from New York (Agustin Ramirez, Rafael Flores, Edgleen Perez and more). The Yankees have done well developing the position as of late, and Rodriguez is another example. This guy has hit his entire 6-year career (.309 AVG across 400+ games). The power isn’t much, but if he can stay at the position (so-so defender), that type of barrel rate will be extremely valuable at the pro-level.

8. Eduardo Tait (MIN) [76/LOW]

.253/.311/.427 14 HR 71 RBI

I had Tait as one of my top-10 international prospects going into 2025. He had a very strong DSL stint the year prior, but struggled once he hit stateside. Outside of a quick 7-games in A+ before his trade to the Twins, that happened again in 2025. The .250 AVG / 20% K-rate isn’t going to cut it long term. But that doesn’t take away from his beautiful left-handed swing that leads to hard contact. He’s still young for his experience and level, so 2026 will be a big year for Tait to show that advanced development.

T-7. Harry Ford (SEA) [75/MED]

.283/.405/.428 16 HR 74 RBI

See the next name…

T-7. Jeferson Quero (MIL) [71/HIGH]

.271/.361/.478 11 HR 57 RBI

I have these two tied because they’ve both been around for some time. Also, I have ranked both almost identically dating back to the beginning of 2024.

Quero chased a lot of breaking balls when he entered the minors. He’s now laying off those pitches. However, I think he still has a slightly lower hit tool than Ford, given the latter’s ability to have consistently tough at-bats. But Quero is the stronger defensive catcher, who has a bit more pop.

– 2 The Bigs in our 2024 Top Catchers Ranking

6. Khadim Diaw (MIN) [73/LOW]

.297/.450/.445 4 HR 24 RBI

I have Diaw higher than most outlets. Can you guess why? You got it, he puts the bat on the ball. A .450 OBP across 170 plate appearances in 2025 (High-A), but he brings some sneaky bat speed (25% hard-hit and 25% line-drive rate). This is a unique kid who swings a lot (41% swing) but hits the ball a lot as well (80% contact rate). Diaw hasn’t had a lot of experience, but he’ll likely get a majority of his time in 2026 at AA. If he fares well, other outlets will catch up to my ranking.

5. Cooper Ingle (CLE) [73/HIGH]

.260/.389/.419 10 HR 55 RBI

MLB.com gave him a 60-hit-tool grade coming out of the 2023 draft. Since, he’s got a .281/.389 average and on-base in 230 career games. A lefty-bat who last year, hit the ball hard (23% hard-hit) and had an exact 1:1 BB:K ratio. That’s the kind of prospect we love here. At 23 years old, he’ll be competing for that opening day spot against Bo Naylor, who hit below the Mendoza Line (.197) in 2026.

4. Rainiel Rodriguez (STL) [77/LOW]

.272/.397/.548 20 HR 63 RBI

If you gave me one argument to explain how significant the hitting-catcher has become to MLB organizations, I would say “Rainiel is the 5th best hitting catcher. Meanwhile, at nearly every other position, this guy would likely be top-3”. That shows you the depth of hitting talent at the catcher position. This kid can flat out hit, and hit it far, an extreme amount of potential in this kid, one that is progressing very fast at the young age of 18.

T-3. Alfredo Duno (CIN) [78/LOW]

.287/.430/.518 18 HR 81 RBI

Big Al doesn’t have much more to prove. He had a stellar 2025 campaign that forced analysts and prospectors to shoot him up ranks. His .948 OPS and 18 HR, 81 RBI stint in Daytona (A-ball) was no fluke, and he showed that by adding a very successful AFL stint to his resume, one which included a three-homer game to close out the season. He’ll spend most of next year in AA while only turning 20 before the start of this year. He’s tied with the next name because these two are some of my favorite younger prospects in all of the sport.

T-3. Josue Briceno (DET) [79/LOW]

.266/.383/.500 20 HR 60 RBI

Briceno was also featured in the Corner Infielders Ranking:

Briceno is a monster. 6’4”, 200 pounds, and just turned 21 last month. Josue was one of those guys who started appearing on top-100 lists mid-last year. He showed up in my analysis during the offseason, in my 2025 Bowman Baseball checklist report. He hit his way through the A-levels with ease, so much so that the Tigers GM added him to the “Untouchable” list of prospects during last years’ trade deadline, alongside McGonigle and Clark. He had a much tougher time in AA (.232/.335/.381, 23% K-rate), but he’ll have plenty of time in 2026 to make up for that. Look for him to have a full year in the minors before the possibility of a 2027 opening day promotion.

2. Moises Ballesteros (CHC) [78/HIGH]

.289/.371/.457 13 HR 76 RBI

Moises Ballesteros is my Sal Stewart of catchers. Funny enough, they both started at separate positions, and could end up at 1B. For now, I’ll keep Moises as a catcher. Like Stewart, Moises is all over our site. Like Stewart, he’s been one of my favorite prospects since he was outside the top-100. Also like Stewart, he was a contact and approach bat who developed power later on. And finally, like Stewart, Moises debuted at the pro level late last season. Big Bally is a mediocre fielder, but his bat will force the Cubs to keep him in the lineup. His minor league career .290 AVG .371 OBP is something that can very easily carry over to the bigs. One of the more over-looked hitting prospects in the sport and a sneaky NL ROY candidate for 2026.

1. Samuel Basallo (BAL) [88/MED]

.270/.377/.589 23 HR 49 RBI

Basallo was also featured in the Corner Infielders Ranking:

The best prospect in baseball. A potential centerpiece for the Orioles and the reason why there have been rumors that Baltimore could give up on Adley soon. I have had Basallo at the top of my ranks since the beginning of last year. He went on a tear in AAA, and like many, struggled in his MLB debut. I’m not worried, whether he replaces Adley behind the plate, or stays at 1B, he’ll be hitting in the middle of that Orioles order for the entire season. A true 40 homer potential bat.