2026 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Rankings: Yainer Díaz vs. Will Smith

Yainer Díaz and Will Smith headline the “steady but capped” catcher tier, where dependable at-bats and solid ratios come with limited upside in 2026 fantasy baseball drafts.

Houston Astros designated hitter Yainer Diaz (21) reacts after hitting a double during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

As the catcher pool deepens in 2026 drafts, fantasy managers are increasingly forced to decide between chasing upside or locking in stable production. Yainer Díaz and Will Smith represent the latter tier, offering reliable skills with far less ceiling than their name value once suggested.

C9 – Yainer Diaz, Houston Astros (NFBC ADP – 109)

In his third season with starting at-bats for the Astros, Diaz saw a sharp decline in his contact batting average (.311) and failed to regain his momentum, with his average hit rate (1.626 – 1.910 in 2023). He has yet to find consistency in any of his key fantasy stats since arriving in the majors.

His strikeout rate (16.8) was the best of his career. He continues to have a low walk rate (3.5%). Diaz opened the season with struggles in batting average (.185/8/2/12 over 92 at-bats). His stats graded better over the final five months (.271/48/18/58/1 over 450 at-bats). He has the same power (10 home runs) home and away, along with a tight range in batting average vs. left (.257) and right (.256) pitching.

Diaz corrected his swing path, highlighted by his lower groundball rate (46.2% - 51.2% in 2024) and his flyball rate (35.1% - 26.3% in 2024). His exit velocity (90.0) aligned with his career average, with a slight rebound in his barrel rate (9.6%). He finished with a step back in his hard-hit rate (42.2% - 47.5% in 2024).

Yainer Diaz 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: At this point in his career, Diaz falls into the steady category with a questionable ceiling in power. His runs tend to rate lower than his RBI. Despite his regression in RBIs (14 fewer last year), he had 80 fewer RBI chances with a drop in his RBI rate (14.0 – 16.9 in 2024), hinting at a higher outcome in his area with better success at the plate.

C10 – Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers (NFBC ADP – 115)

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) celebrates after hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the eleventh inning during game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Smith ended last season on the injured list with a slight fracture to his right hand. The Dodgers gave him fewer starts in May (19), June (18), and July (16), lowering his ceiling in the fantasy markets. He finished with a considerable jump in his contact batting average (.392). His strikeout rate (20.4%) remained better than the league average, but it was a four-year high. Smith posted the highest walk rate (14.7%) of his career.

The Dodgers gave him 55.2% of his at-bats in the third and fourth slots in the batting order, which doesn’t seem viable in 2026 with Kyle Tucker added to the roster, along with healthier seasons from Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Smith was on a career high pace over the first half of the year (.318/40/10/43 over 220 at-bats).

His exit velocity (91.3) was the best of his career while also finishing at the top of his range in hard-hit rate (47.1%) and barrel rate (12.2%). Smith continues to have a flyball swing path (46.0%), supported by his high launch angle (18.3).

Will Smith 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: Smith is another catcher who falls into the steady range in four categories, but he doesn’t have an opportunity to see receive more at-bats at another position or at DH. His average hit rate (1.682) no longer points to a chance at hitting 30 home runs.

More of the same in his counting stats while offering a neutral to positive batting average. Last year, 109 batters finished with more fantasy value in FPGscore (-1.44), suggesting that Smith is overpriced by about 40 hitters in fantasy drafts this year. I don’t expect him to receive 500 at-bats this year, with Dalton Rushing expected to see more playing time.

Yainer Diaz vs. Will Smith 2026 Fantasy Baseball Verdict

Díaz remains a safe RBI-oriented option whose value hinges on improved contact efficiency and more frequent run-producing opportunities in Houston’s lineup. Smith’s skills are still intact, but reduced playing time and a crowded Dodgers offense cap his ceiling, making him a name-brand catcher best treated as a late, low-risk option rather than a draft-day target. Diaz is the slightly superior option.

2026 Fantasy Baseball Catcher Analysis

• Is Cal Raleigh Worth A Top-20 Pick in 2026 Fantasy Baseball Drafts?

• Ben Rice vs. William Contreras

• Shea Langeliers 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Breakout or Overpriced Catcher?

• Hunter Goodman vs. Agustin Ramirez

• Drake Baldwin vs. Salvador Perez