The Dodgers understand the importance of a top catcher. While superstars Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman grab plenty of headlines, Will Smith remains one of the pillars of Los Angeles’ success. Since he debuted in 2019, Smith ranks second among all Major League catchers with an 18.5 fWAR, trailing only J.T. Realmuto’s 23.2 in that span. He’s made two All-Star teams, been part of five NL West division titles and most importantly captured two World Series championships, including in 2024 when he started in all 16 of L.A.'s postseason games.

Having a consistent performer around like Smith -- who signed a 10-year, $140 million extension last year -- at such a premium position is a huge boost for contending organizations, and if they can get one from the farm system, all the better.

We view MLB Pipeline’s latest update of the Top 10 catching prospects through that prism.

Orioles backstop Samuel Basallo claims the top spot on a preseason list for the first time, having checked in at No. 2 last year. The left-handed slugger reached Triple-A Norfolk two weeks after his 20th birthday last August, and despite more pedestrian numbers at the Minors’ top level, he flashed well-above-average exit velocities that strengthened the belief in his future as a plus power hitter.

Both Basallo and the No. 2 player on the list, Dalton Rushing, are blocked by strong backstops in Adley Rutschman and Smith respectively, meaning it’s possible they see time at other positions by the time they arrive in the Majors as early as this summer. But catching depth can be just as important in the pursuit of hardware.

The Top 10 (ETA)

1. Samuel Basallo, Orioles (2025)
2. Dalton Rushing, Dodgers (2025)
3. Kyle Teel, White Sox (2025)
4. Ethan Salas, Padres (2027)
5. Jeferson Quero, Brewers (2025)
6. Blake Mitchell, Royals (2027)
7. Drake Baldwin, Braves (2025)
8. Harry Ford, Mariners (2025)
9. Edgar Quero, White Sox (2025)
10. Moises Ballesteros, Cubs (2025)
Complete list »

Top tools

Hit: Ballesteros (60)
The 21-year-old Cubs prospect has batted above .285 in the past two seasons and sported a career-best .289 average in 124 games between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. He tends to have good bat-to-ball skills leading to healthy K rates, and cutting down on some of his chase could make him a candidate to hit .300 in the Majors at his peak.

Power: Basallo, Mitchell (60)
Standing at 6-foot-4, Basallo has good size in the box as a left-handed hitter and strong exit velocities to match. His 47.2 percent hard-hit rate at Triple-A was similar to those of noted sluggers Mark Vientos (47.4) and Matt Wallner (47.4) despite his age gap from that pair. Mitchell crushed 18 homers in his first full season and has the strength and lofted left-handed swing to push for 30 homers down the line.

Run: Ford (60)
Catchers aren’t meant to be burners, but Ford continues to challenge that definition. His 35 steals for Double-A Arkansas in 2024 were tied for fifth-most in the Texas League regardless of position, while his 82 steals since his first full season in 2022 are the most by a Minor League backstop by far. No other catcher has more than 58 in that span.

Arm: Basallo, Mitchell (70)
Basallo may not be the most agile defender behind the plate, in part because of his large frame, but his plus-plus arm strength is better used at catcher than first base and gives him a shot to stick at the position. Mitchell was clocked up to 97 mph off the bump as a high-school pitcher and has utilized that cannon as part of his defensive work in pro ball.

Field: Salas, J. Quero (70)
Even during a down year offensively, Salas built on his strong defensive reputation in his age-18 season, and remaining with High-A Fort Wayne for all of 2024 helped him work on building game plans with pitchers over multiple outings. He remains an easy receiver capable of winning future Gold Gloves. Jeferson Quero could have made the Majors last season on the strength of his glove alone in 2024, if not for a shoulder injury that ended his season after one game with Triple-A Nashville.

Superlatives

Highest ceiling: Salas
Signed by the Padres for $5.6 million in January 2023, Salas entered pro ball with ample hype, and the aggressive San Diego front office pushed him to Double-A at just 17, giving that train plenty of steam. The Venezuela native took a step back in 2024 with a .206 average and .599 OPS in 111 games at High-A Fort Wayne but showed promise after a stance adjustment in the Midwest and Arizona Fall Leagues. His aforementioned defense gives him a strong floor, and if he can prove last year’s struggles were just a blip, he still has the ceiling of a well-rounded catcher capable of making multiple All-Star teams.

Highest floor: Teel
You won’t find any plus grades on Teel’s scouting report -- he tops out at 55s for hitting and throwing -- but you won’t find anything below a 45 either. The 2023 14th overall pick was a steady performer in his first full season with a .288/.386/.433 line and 13 homers in 112 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, and unlike the pair above him, he’s yet to play a professional game at a defensive position besides catcher. His balanced profile was a big reason why he was the top prospect moved from the Red Sox to the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet blockbuster.

Rookie of the Year candidate: Teel
Basallo is blocked by Rutschman, Rushing by Smith and Baldwin by Sean Murphy. Korey Lee is the presumptive Opening Day starter behind the plate on Chicago’s South Side, but the White Sox shouldn’t stand in the way of getting Teel or Edgar Quero looks once they’re ready. Both have Triple-A experience, but we’ll lean on the better overall prospect here as the one more likely to win the job and get enough MLB time to compete for a year-end award.

Highest riser: Baldwin
A third-round pick in 2022, Baldwin opened the 2024 season as Atlanta’s No. 11 prospect but sailed into Top 100 territory especially following his 72-game spin at Triple-A Gwinnett, where he slashed .298/.407/.484 with 12 homers and a 54/52 K/BB ratio. With Travis d’Arnaud heading to the Angels, the Missouri State alum has a clearer lane to Atlanta’s MLB roster in his age-24 season.

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Humblest beginning: The Queros
Both Queros signed for $200,000 18 months apart; Jeferson with the Brewers in July 2019 and Edgar with the Angels in January 2021. Both skipped over the Dominican Summer League to make their pro debuts, though Jeferson did so after missing a full year of Minor League ball due to the lost pandemic season in 2020. Their placements on this list and the upcoming Top 100 serve as reminders that talent can be found at any signing bonus size ahead of the opening of the international window on Wednesday.

Most to prove: Salas
Sure, Salas’ turnaround in August and September (when he posted a 109 wRC+ in the Midwest League) steadied his stock some, but scouts are still scratching their heads on who the 18-year-old will be moving forward. Can he carry his adjustments into 2025, conquer High-A over a larger sample and make the upper Minors again as a teenager? Or is he the latest warning sign that predicting catching prospects is hard considering all they have on their plates as hitters and anchors of a pitching staff?

Keep an eye on: Carter Jensen, Royals
More evaluators across the game are buying into Jensen’s profile after he clubbed a career-high 18 homers between High-A and Double-A during his age-20 season last year. The left-handed-hitting backstop worked on being less passive at the plate to hunt pitches he could drive, but his uptick in aggression didn’t hurt his overall chances of being a high-OBP type. With another solid year in 2025, Jensen would likely beat Mitchell to Kansas City, and he might just be good enough to hold him off to be Salvador Perez’s long-term successor.