Top 10 MLB catchers for 2022 season

Age During 2022 Season: 39
2021 Statistics: .252/.297/.370 with 11 home runs, 66 RBIs, 24 walks, .667 OPS, 86 OPS+, six defensive runs saved, -2.0 framing and a 1.0 fWAR

A year after Buster Posey concluded a career likely headed for Cooperstown, Molina is expected to play the final season of his Hall of Fame-caliber career in 2022. The 10-time All-Star is still an above-average defender with some pop left in his bat. It's hard to imagine anyone but Yadi catching for the Cardinals.

Age During 2022 Season: 31
2021 Statistics: .256/.358/.517 with 13 home runs, 34 RBIs, 31 walks, .875 OPS, 139 OPS+, zero defensive runs saved, 0.3 framing and a 2.1 fWAR

Garver may never top the offensive production that he put up during the 2019 season when he homered 31 times in just 311 at-bats, en route to winning the American League Silver Slugger Award. Still, his .546 slugging percentage is second among all catchers over the past three seasons, evidence that he's one of the better offensive performers at the position.

Age During 2022 Season: 27
2021 Statistics: .216/.306/.405 with 17 home runs, 59 RBIs, 40 walks, .710 OPS, 98 OPS+, 10 defensive runs saved, 9.7 framing and a 3.3 fWAR

After finishing fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2020, Murphy won the AL Gold Glove Award at catcher in 2021. He's not going to hit for a high batting average, but has enough of a combination of patience and power at the plate that should allow him to have an extended career as an above-average catcher.

Age During 2022 Season: 32
2021 Statistics: .246/.335/.369 with eight home runs, 53 RBIs, 49 walks, .704 OPS, 92 OPS+, 21 defensive runs saved, 8.8 framing and a 2.6 fWAR

Quietly, the Marlins made an excellent pickup this offseason when they acquired Stallings in a trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Stallings walked a career-high 49 times last year, and is pretty clearly the best defensive catcher in baseball right now. In 2021, Stallings posted a staggering 21 defensive runs saved, en route to winning the National League Gold Glove Award.

Age During 2022 Season: 31
2021 Statistics: .216/.301/.559 with 33 home runs, 62 RBIs, 34 walks, .860 OPS, 138 OPS+, seven defensive runs saved, eight framing runs and a 4.5 fWAR

Zunino is a boom-or-bust player at the plate, but when you homer 33 times and post an .860 OPS as a catcher, teams will be happy to live with that approach. On top of that, Zunino grades out well behind the plate, meaning that he's turned into one of the more valuable players on the Rays.

Age During 2022 Season: 30
2021 Statistics: .237/.340/.438 with 21 home runs, 57 RBIs, 52 walks, .778 OPS, 108 OPS+, eight defensive runs saved, -4.5 framing and a 2.1 fWAR

A two-time All-Star, Contreras is entering his walk year. While teams aren't normally eager to commit to catchers in their early-30s, Contreras remains one of the better performers at the position. For a team that has already allowed traded Kris Bryant, Javier Báez and Anthony Rizzo in the past year, throwing a bone to the fanbase and re-signing Contreras might make some sense.

Age During 2022 Season: 33
2021 Statistics: .240/.420/.520 with 23 home runs, 62 RBIs, 87 walks, .939 OPS, 157 OPS+, -1 defensive runs saved, -0.8 framing and a 3.7 fWAR

Grandal only played in 93 games last year, but put up more offensive production than most teams get from their catcher over the course of a full season. In addition to hitting for power, Grandal walked in 23.2% of his at-bats, which allowed him to post a pretty amazing .420 on-base percentage. Since the start of the 2019 season, Grandal's 226 walks lead all catchers, with no other player at his position even above 110 over the period.

Age During 2022 Season: 32
2021 Statistics: .273/.316/.544 with 48 home runs, 121 RBIs, 28 walks, .859 OPS, 126 OPS+, -5 defensive runs saved, -19.5 framing and a 3.4 fWAR

Already one of the greatest players in Royals history, Pérez is coming off the best season of his career. After never homering more than 27 times in a single season, Pérez led all of baseball with 48 home runs, a new single-season record for catchers. 2021 may turn into an outlier power wise, but the seven-time All-Star continues to build his case for Cooperstown.

Age During 2022 Season: 31
2021 Statistics: .263/.343/.439 with 17 home runs, 73 RBIs, 48 walks, .782 OPS, 110 OPS+, zero defensive runs saved, 8.6 framing and a 4.4 fWAR

There have been three All-Star Games in the last four years, and Realmuto has represented the National League at all three. Since the Miami Marlins traded him to the Phillies ahead of the 2019 season, Realmuto leads all catchers in fWAR at 11.8. He's maybe taken a step back defensively since winning the National League Gold Glove Award in 2019, but Realmuto is still very much in the mix for the title of best catcher in baseball.

Age During 2022 Season: 27
2021 Statistics: .258/.365/.495 with 25 home runs, 76 RBIs, 58 walks, .860 OPS, 130 OPS+, five defensive runs saved, 1.8 framing and a 4.6 fWAR

A first-round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, Smith has emerged as arguably the best catcher in baseball. He hits for power, has the patience to work walks and grades out well defensively. Expect Smith to make his first All-Star team in 2022. The Dodgers are in an incredible position at catcher -- and pretty much everywhere else -- with Smith not set to become arbitration eligible until 2023.