SEC Baseball: Top 10 catchers entering 2023 season

Our latest rankings release ahead of the 2023 SEC baseball season comes at the catcher position, where one clear name sits atop the list entering the spring.

Honorable Mention

• Mac Guscette – Alabama Crimson Tide
• Ryan Dyal – Auburn Tigers
• Brady Neal – LSU Tigers

Top 10 catchers entering 2023 SEC baseball season

10. Nate LaRue – Auburn Tigers

We begin here at No. 10 with LaRue, who is one of the top returning defensive catchers in SEC baseball. Offensively, LaRue is coming off a 2022 season in which he slashed .211/.272/.382 with six HR and 34 RBI.

9. Jack Bulger – Vanderbilt Commodores

Coming in at No. 9 is Bulger, who enters his junior season at Vanderbilt. Across 58 games a year ago with the Commodores, Bulger slashed .269/.363/.368 with five HR, 25 RBI, and seven SB.

8. Dominic Tamez – Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama’s starting catcher from a year ago, Tamez comes in here at the No. 8 spot. Starting in all 55 games in which he played, Tamez slashed .289/.341/.393 a year ago for the Crimson Tide with five HR and 34 RBI.

7. Fernando Gonzalez – Georgia Bulldogs

There are two Georgia catchers on this list, the first of which is Gonzalez, who was the Bulldogs primary defensive option a year ago. Across 50 games, Gonzalez slashed .258/.368/.424 with four HR and 22 RBI.

6. Jonathan French – South Carolina Gamecocks

Coming in at No. 6 is French, who transferred to South Carolina during the offseason from in-state rival Clemson. Across 44 games a year ago with the Tigers, French slashed .217/.333/.428 with eight HR and 22 RBI.

5. Hayden Travinski – LSU Tigers

The top five begins here with Travinski, who enters the 2023 season as one of SEC baseball’s more experienced names at the position. The redshirt junior played in 33 games a year ago for LSU, slashing .242/.356/.581 with six HR and 13 RBI.

4. Calvin Harris – Ole Miss Rebels

A versatile player who saw time at catcher, as well as in the outfield a year ago, Harris comes in here at the No. 4 spot. Across 43 games for the Rebels last season, Harris slashed .336/.417/.500 with three HR and 21 RBI.

3. Corey Collins – Georgia Bulldogs

The second of those two Georgia catchers on this list is Collins, who despite having primarily seen time at DH each of the past two seasons, still saw a significant amount of time at the position for the Bulldogs a year ago catching 18 games. Offensively, Collins would slash .256/.387/.453 across 57 total games, hitting 11 HR with 37 RBI.

2. Chase Stanke – Kentucky Wildcats

Coming in at No. 2 is Stanke, who is one of the conference’s top transfer additions at the catcher position, joining Kentucky from Minnesota. A senior, Stanke slashed .228/.323/.513 across 51 games a year ago at Minnesota, along with 13 HR, 42 RBI, and four SB.

1. BT Riopelle – Florida Gators

The clear top catcher in SEC baseball entering 2023 is Riopelle, who returns for his senior season at Florida coming off a 2022 campaign in which he was a First Team All-SEC selection. Riopelle led all SEC catchers in multiple statistical categories a year ago as a junior, slashing .304/.371/.551 across 64 games with 15 HR, 55 RBI, and six SB, and should be one of the top offensive catchers in all of college baseball this season.