Eric Haase

Coming off something of a breakthrough 2021 campaign, when he hit 22 home runs and drove in 61, Haase was productive again in 2022 but took a bit of a step back. Despite playing in 12 more games, he only mustered 14 home runs and 44 RBI. Haase at least was clearly a better offensive option behind the plate than Tucker Barnhart, and that led to Haase essentially supplanting Barnhart as the No. 1 catcher as the season went along. Haase also displayed some defensive versatility, as he made 11 starts in the outfield, though that was down from 22 outfield starts in 2021, as the Tigers turned him into more of an everyday backstop. Catcher is a notoriously thin position in fantasy, so there is value in someone who can simply get to double figures in home runs and not be too much of a drain on batting average. That's what Haase has done the last two years for the Tigers, and he seems poised to enter 2023 as a starter, with Barnhart moving on to the Cubs. Now 30 years old, Haase is unlikely to take another significant leap as a player, so fantasy managers should continue to expect steady if not spectacular production. Read Past Outlooks