Tom Murphy

Murphy enters the year as the de facto primary catcher in Seattle, but he will be challenged for playing time throughout the year. He played sparingly with the Rockies from 2015 through 2018, then broke out with the Mariners in 76 games in 2019. However, the power he showed that season (.262 ISO) was likely inflated due to the juiced ball, and he logged just a .193 xBA, .290 xwOBA and .347 xSLG last season. Murphy has made himself into a good enough defender that he should remain in the mix, especially with no minor-league options remaining, but Cal Raleigh and Luis Torrens could cut into his playing time if he doesn't show some improvement at the plate.

The 60-game schedule last season meant it was quite easy for one injury to wipe out a player's entire campaign. That's what happened with Murphy, who fouled a ball off his foot in early July and wound up missing the entire season with a fracture. He's expected to be fully healthy heading into 2021, but the year off makes a player who was already somewhat difficult to evaluate even tougher to place. Murphy's .273/.324/.535 slash line in 2019 would be good for any player, let alone a catcher, but that came in just 76 games and was preceded by four partial seasons in which he hit a combined .219/.271/.439 in 81 contests. Heading into his age-30 season, he'll likely open in a timeshare with Luis Torrens. He's shown higher highs than most backstops available in his range, but those highs were brief and now more than a year in the past, so there's no guarantee he comes close to repeating them.

After four partial seasons in Colorado, Murphy joined Seattle for the 2019 campaign to play behind Omar Narvaez. By the end of the season, Murphy had become one of the premier backup catchers in baseball, compiling a .273 average and 18 home runs in 260 at-bats. The 28-year-old's emergence was not entirely a surprise as he had tallied a .286 average and 47 homers in 215 Triple-A games. Strikeouts have long been a problem for Murphy -- he holds a career 34.4 K% -- but his power is undeniable. Murphy's .262 ISO and 14.4 AB/HR each ranked third among catchers last season (minimum 250 PA), and the 18.9 degree average launch angle he generated portends many homers to come. With Narvaez now with Milwaukee, Murphy should start for Seattle in 2020. His propensity to swing and miss makes his batting average volatile, but he is a mixed-league catcher based on his power potential and expected playing time.

The list of would-be Rockies catchers expected to be a fantasy stud is dotted with names like Todd Greene, J.D. Closser, Ben Petrick, Wilin Rosario, Yorvit Torrealba, Miguel Olivo and Charles Johnson. Murphy has his work cut out for him to keep his name from being added. He posted an impressive 1.006 OPS in September of 2016, heightening expectations for 2017. Hidden in that impressive month was a not-so-impressive 39 percent strikeout rate. In the spring, Murphy broke his arm, getting hit by an Anthony Rizzo swing while attempting to thwart a steal attempt. When he finally returned, Murphy struggled with Triple-A Albuquerque, fanning at a 36 percent clip with a middling .736 OPS. He was promoted when rosters expanded and played sparingly down the stretch, recording a terrible .198 OPS in 26 plate appearances. Murphy is still young, but Colorado brought back Chris Iannetta, so Murphy is going to have to have a big spring to carve out a significant role. Let someone else draft the uniform.

A dreadful spring training left Murphy in the minor leagues to start the season, but the 25-year-old turned things around in a flash while catching for Triple-A Albuquerque. In 80 games with the Isotopes, Murphy throttled opposing pitchers for 26 doubles, seven triples, and 19 home runs to run his slash line up to a ridiculous .327/.361/.647. Though his strikeout and walk rates look horrific, both actually improved in 2016. The best part of it all is that the top prospect's power tool translated to the big leagues during his September callup, as he logged five home runs and two doubles in just 44 at-bats. An improvement in his K:BB ratio would be more than welcome for the Rockies and fantasy owners alike, but there's no denying that Murphy's power is ready to take stage in Denver. Now that Nick Hundley is out of the picture, the Rockies' starting catching job is Murphy's to lose.

Murphy spent most of 2015 in the minors, where he showed excellent power-hitting ability. In 294 plate appearances with Double-A New Britain, the 24-year-old had a .788 OPS and improved it to an outstanding .836 after his promotion to Triple-A Albuquerque. This strong showing and injuries at the major league level led to his first big-league action in September. He only batted .257 in 39 plate appearances, but still showed his impressive power with three homers and a double. Murphy's season was cut short with another shoulder injury in October -- he missed most of 2014 with a shoulder issue -- but no structural damage was found and he should compete for a spot on the Rockies' roster in the spring if he can stay healthy.

The Rockies’ top catching prospect, Murphy was viewed as a dark horse to reach the majors at some point last season, but that never materialized as he batted .213/.321/.415 through mid-May at Double-A Tulsa and then missed the remainder of the campaign with a shoulder issue. He’s expected to be healthy for the start of the upcoming season and figures to slot back in as the primary catcher at the same level again, but the 24-year-old will need to rediscover the plus power and on-base skills that he previously demonstrated in the California League. Murphy isn’t nearly as skilled defensively as he is with the bat, but the Rockies seem to believe his receiving abilities and throwing arm are competent enough for him to avoid a position change. In any case, it’s Murphy’s offense that will dictate his eventual arrival to the majors, so if he’s able to rebound swiftly from the long injury layoff, he could still have an outside chance at usurping the disappointing Wilin Rosario for the Rockies’ everyday catching gig some point later in the season.

The Sally League proved to be no challenge for Murphy, who slashed an impressive .288/.385/.590 with 19 homers before getting the call to Double-A Tulsa, skipping High-A entirely. He was able to maintain his success at the plate following the promotion, but still seems likely to spend most of the 2014 campaign at Tulsa for further defensive polish and some light refinement to his swing. Though Murphy doesn’t possess the game-changing power of Wilin Rosario, the Rockies’ anointed catcher of the present and future, he appears to be much more adequate as a game-caller and pitch-blocker, and has thus far proven capable with the bat. Colorado's pursuit of Carlos Ruiz in free agency in the offseason suggests the organization is somewhat skeptical Rosario can make the necessary defensive improvements to stay behind the plate long-term, which could open the door for Murphy at some point if he continues to thrive in the upper minors.