Three Catchers Who Are Raking Out of Nowhere So Far in 2026
The catcher position is generally not known for offensive firepower, but early in the 2026 season, a handful of backstops are changing that narrative with strong production at the plate. Last year, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh delivered one of the most notable breakout seasons in baseball history. Meanwhile in 2026, several others appear to be following a similar path. These three catchers are off to outstanding starts, backed by underlying metrics that show that it is not just luck.
Gary Sánchez - Milwaukee Brewers
One early breakout that has flown under the radar across the league is what veteran backstop Gary Sánchez has been doing in Milwaukee. The 33-year-old has been in the league for 12 seasons now. He’s most known for his time in New York with the Yankees, which is where he spent his first seven seasons. The former Silver Slugger Award winner has always been more known for his bat rather than his defense. He has two career 30+ homer seasons, both of which came during his time in the Bronx. The two-time all-star’s career seemingly took a downward turn after he was traded away from New York to Minnesota, where he only spent one season. This will be his fifth season since he left New York, and he’s been quite the journeyman, spending time with the Twins, Mets, Padres, and Orioles, and now on his second stint with the Brewers. This offseason was his fourth time as a free agent, and he clearly didn’t get too much interest on the open market coming off a season where he posted a negative bWAR. He ultimately signed with Milwaukee on a one-year deal worth under two million. However, that’s looked like one of the best signings of the entire offseason, as the veteran backstop has been raking out of nowhere to start 2026. Through his first 11 games, the former Rookie of the Year finalist has already homered five times and owns an OPS of 1.128. He’s been able to find the barrel at an absurd 26.3% clip, which puts him in the 99th percentile amongst major league hitters. The Dominican Republic native also has an expected slugging percentage of .645, which is in the 97th percentile. Sánchez has yet to find a spot outside New York where he’s matched his previous power numbers, but he may be rediscovering that form in Milwaukee.
Francisco Alvarez - New York Mets
Mets fans are obviously very frustrated with their ball club's overall performance right now, as the team just lost its eighth straight game. However, fans have to be pleased with what they’ve seen out of their former top prospect, Francisco Alvarez. It’s easy to forget that he’s only 24, since he made his debut at just 20. The young catcher put together a decent season offensively last year but was limited to just 76 games due to a hand injury. He still hit a solid .256 while hitting 11 homers and putting up an above-league-average .787 OPS. The Venezuela native has been the Mets' full-time catcher this season, and he's easily been the team's best hitter. Through 17 games, he’s hitting a slightly better .271, but where he’s really seemed to have taken a step forward is in the power department. He’s already got four homers and has improved his slugging percentage by 95 points, up to .542 so far in 2026. He’s also got some of the best underlying metrics in baseball. The highly touted young catcher has an expected slugging percentage of .676, which is in the 98th percentile. He’s also finding the barrel at a 21.6% rate, which is also amongst the league's best, in the 96th percentile. After being ranked as the number one overall prospect by MLB Pipeline in 2022, Alvarez is starting to look like the type of player who can live up to those extremely high expectations.
Dillon Dingler - Detroit Tigers
Shifting over to the American League now, Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler has been one of baseball’s best hitters so far in 2026. The now 27-year-old did not get a full season of big league baseball under his belt until he was 26. He made his debut during the 2024 season but played only 27 games with Detroit. Last season was his first full season in the majors as the Tigers' full-time catcher. He was one of the best defensive catchers in the game in 2025. On the offensive side, he was decent, putting up a slightly above-average .752 OPS in 126 games. So far in 2026, Dingler’s bat has been as elite, if not better than, his defense behind the plate. Through his first 15 games, he’s already got four homers and is batting .283 with a .933 OPS. The former second-round pick’s expected numbers rank amongst the league's best. His expected batting average suggests that even though his actual numbers are great, he’s still getting unlucky. His expected batting average is 23 points higher at .306, which is in the 92nd percentile. The Ohio State product has been hitting the cover off the ball with a hard-hit rate of 57.9%, which is in the 95th percentile. With his already outstanding defense behind the plate to go along with his elite offensive numbers, Dingler has looked like one of the most well-rounded catchers in the game for the Tigers.
While it’s still early in the 2026 season, the performances of these three catchers highlight a potential offensive surge at the position. The three catchers mentioned are all at different stages of their major league careers, but they all look to have greatly improved at the plate. They are also backed by underlying metrics that point to sustainable success. If these trends continue, they could reshape expectations for offensive output at the catcher position.
