Max Stassi

32-Year-Old CatcherC

Los Angeles Angels

10-Day IL

Injury Hip

Est. Return 4/14/2023

2023 Stats

AVG

.000

RBI

Rest-of-Season Projections

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RBI

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2023 Fantasy Outlook

In his 10th season as a big-leaguer, Stassi was as close to being the top option behind the plate in 2022 as he's ever been, logging career highs with 102 games and 375 plate appearances. However, after two strong campaigns to get to that point, the veteran cratered as a hitter, posting a 63 wRC+ and recording a 29.9% strikeout rate. Stassi still has two years left on his contract and has likely earned some grace due to the strong start to his tenure as an Angel. Kurt Suzuki, whom Stassi had become accustomed to sharing time with, announced his plans to retire following the 2022 campaign, but a more imposing threat to Stassi's playing time looms in Logan O'Hoppe, whom Los Angeles acquired from the Phillies last season. O'Hoppe crushed Double-A pitching -- especially after joining the Angels organization -- and held his own during a brief cup of coffee with the big club. Odds are that Stassi will open 2023 as the team's primary catcher, but O'Hoppe is waiting in the wings and could win the Opening Day nod with a strong spring training. Read Past Outlooks

RANKSFrom Preseason

#568

ADP

Overall

League Majors

Bats R

Throws R

40 Man Yes

Height 5'10"

Weight 200

DOB 3/15/1991

Born Woodland, CA

College None

Drafted 4th Rd 2009 OAK

Move to IL official

CLos Angeles Angels

Hip

March 29, 2023

The Angels placed Stassi (hip) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

ANALYSIS
As anticipated, Stassi will begin the season on the IL while he recovers from the left hip strain he suffered while appearing in a minor-league spring training game last weekend. The Angels will have room for both Logan O'Hoppe and Matt Thaiss as the catching options on their Opening Day roster, though manager Phil Nevin hasn't specified whether the team will have the two work in a timeshare or have one serve as the primary option in Stassi's stead.

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Batting Stats

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2023 MLB Game Log

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2021 MLB Game Log

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Left/Right Batting Splits

Since 2021

+35%

OPS vs RHP

2023

No Stats

2022

+38%

OPS vs RHP

2021

+22%

OPS vs RHP

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2021vs Left	.525	206	15	3	14	0	.174	.259	.266
Since 2021vs Right	.708	488	62	19	51	0	.223	.309	.399
2023vs Left	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2023vs Right	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2022vs Left	.457	129	6	1	7	0	.162	.234	.222
2022vs Right	.632	246	26	8	23	0	.190	.285	.347
2021vs Left	.642	77	9	2	7	0	.194	.299	.343
2021vs Right	.786	242	36	11	28	0	.256	.335	.451
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Home/Away Batting Splits

Since 2021

+25%

OPS at Home

2023

No Stats

2022

+15%

OPS on Road

2021

+75%

OPS at Home

	OPS	PA	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Since 2021Home	.729	345	39	12	30	0	.236	.333	.395
Since 2021Away	.581	349	38	10	35	0	.182	.256	.325
2023Home	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2023Away	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2022Home	.530	185	16	3	11	0	.168	.276	.255
2022Away	.608	190	16	6	19	0	.192	.259	.349
2021Home	.957	160	23	9	19	0	.314	.400	.557
2021Away	.547	159	22	4	16	0	.169	.252	.296
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers

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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Max Stassi See More

AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

5 days ago

Erik Siegrist digs into the American League free-agent pool ahead of Opening Day as Anthony Volpe appears ready to take over the starting shortstop role for the Yankees.

Spring Training Job Battles: American League

28 days ago

Erik Halterman breaks down the competition for AL jobs, including in Minnesota where Nick Gordon likely will spend time at several spots around the diamond this season.

MLB Barometer: End-of-Season Risers and Fallers

175 days ago

For his end-of-year-wrap-up, Erik Halterman goes by round to list his risers to see how they performed vs. their earned auction value ranking, starting with Mookie Betts in Round 1.

AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

180 days ago

Erik Siegrist provides a final look at available AL free agents for the 2022 season as Drew Waters looks to establish himself ahead of 2023.

AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week

215 days ago

Erik Siegrist looks over the free-agent pool in the AL before September roster expansion and thinks Shea Langeliers could provide a boost at a shallow position.

Past Fantasy Outlooks

2022

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Stassi has posted 136 and 107 wRC+ marks in the last two seasons, respectively, so he has some offensive punch relative to the position. He'll likely split playing time with Kurt Suzuki. Stassi hit .241/.326/.426 with 13 homers in 87 games last season, though his 31.7 percent strikeout rate creates some risk.

Stassi and Jason Castro began the year sharing catching duties in Anaheim, with Stassi starting against southpaws. His hot start along with a Castro injury tipped the scale in Stassi's favor until Stassi himself was placed on the IL with a knee contusion. After a two-week stay, Stassi returned as the primary backstop with Castro having been dealt to San Diego. Stassi posted a career-high .885 OPS, which he credited to an alteration to his stance and swing. However, for the second straight offseason, Stassi needed hip surgery, this time on a torn left labrum. He was able to recover in a timely manner from the 2019 procedure on his right hip, though Opening Day is still in doubt. Assuming full recovery, Stassi should be in line for significant playing time while serving in a catching tandem alongside Kurt Suzuki.

Stassi was exactly league average at the plate by wRC+ in 2018, and when factoring in defense, was worth 2.7 wins above replacement that year (by FanGraphs' WAR). However, his offense slid down the stretch in 2018 and those issues carried over to 2019. He posted a .460 OPS in 18 games before going down with a knee injury, and the Astros eventually dumped him off to the Angels after acquiring an upgrade in Martin Maldonado. Things only got worse in Anaheim, with Stassi going 3-for-42 before being shut down and sent for right hip surgery. His recovery time was estimated at 4-to-6 months, putting Opening Day in question. While Stassi remains a significant plus behind the plate, and his abilities as a backstop should keep him around when healthy, his bat is extremely limited. He will always have those first few months of 2018, but it was a flash in the pan.

Finally given an Opening Day roster spot after playing a total of 44 big-league games over the previous five seasons, Stassi proved to be an adequate backup catcher. He hit .226/.316/.394 (good for a league-average 100 wRC+) with eight homers in 250 plate appearances, spending stretches as the primary catcher while Brian McCann battled knee injuries. The Astros were hesitant to trust Stassi with a starting job, however, and brought in Martin Maldonado for the stretch run. After both McCann and Maldonado left in free agency, the team signed Robinson Chirinos. Stassi's excellent framing metrics will likely afford him a few starts per week, but that's it.

Those looking to fill the second catcher spot on the cheap in 15-team leagues should consider Stassi. He displayed improved patience with Triple-A Fresno last season, lifting his walk rate from 7.5 percent to 13.2 percent. Stassi also flashed more power, hitting 12 homers with a .207 ISO in 287 plate appearances with Fresno and adding two more long balls in just 31 trips with the big club. He hit .338/.430/.613 against left-handed pitching with Fresno, and got on base at a .361 clip against right-handers. Brian McCann has been durable throughout his career, but McCann made two trips to the DL last season (concussion, knee) and is now entering his age-34 season. With Evan Gattis likely to serve as the primary designated hitter, Stassi has a clear path to semi-regular at-bats, and he's one injury away from a primary role in an elite American League offense.

Stassi was once again a September call-up for the Astros, making it four years in a row. Although Stassi hit well in his extremely limited big league action from 2013-2015, he got just one hit in 13 at-bats in 2016 after hitting .230 with seven home runs for Triple-A Fresno. While he flashed average power at lower levels, Stassi has averaged just 10 home runs while walking at a rate of well under 10 percent the last three years. He's never hit above .280 in any full season, and at just 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, there's little to suggest the potential for major improvements in the power department. Jason Castro is gone, but the Astros traded for 32-year-old catcher Brian McCann in the offseason as a replacement. It's clear the Astros don't think much of Stassi's chances to become a viable starting catcher.

Stassi, who has been a September callup for the Astros each of the past three seasons, hit .211/.279/.384 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI over 84 games for Triple-A Fresno last season. It was the fourth time he's posted 13 or more homers during a season in the minors, but it also marked the second consecutive season in which he posted an OBP below .300. Hank Conger was traded to Tampa Bay in the offseason, creating an opening for the backup job behind Jason Castro, Stassi has shown little to suggest he's worthy of anything more than sporadic opportunities.

The Astros have a logjam at the catcher position and Stassi currently has the least big league experience of the backstops on their 40-man roster. Known for his bat as opposed to his arm and defense behind the plate, the soon-to-be 24-year-old struggled last season for Triple-A Oklahoma City, hitting .247/.296/.378 with nine home runs and 45 RBI in 101 games. While it was his first full season with fewer than 13 long balls, Stassi remained healthy for the most part, logging 425 plate appearances. It's possible that he'll repeat Triple-A again, but his future in Houston is currently undecided. His clearest path at playing time would likely come as the backup to Hank Conger if Jason Castro is traded. Then again, Stassi could be a trade candidate himself if the Astros choose experience over youth and upside.

Stassi, a right-handed hitting catcher known for his excellent bat and average defense behind the plate, put together a fine offensive campaign for Double-A Corpus Christi after undergoing sports hernia surgery last offseason. In 76 games, the soon-to-be 23-year-old slashed .277/.333/.529 with 17 home runs and 60 RBI before an injury to Astros backup catcher, Carlos Corporan, opened the door for him in Houston. Stassi's time in the majors was short-lived, however, after he was forced to the disabled list with a concussion. Stassi has been hampered by a number of injuries throughout his career, but if he can stay healthy and keep hitting like he has in the minors, he could easily overtake Corporan as the backup behind Jason Castro. He will most likely return to Triple-A for the start of the 2014 campaign, but there's a good chance he will spend more time in Houston next season.

The A's selected Stassi in the fourth round of the June draft, but he's considered to be first-round talent and signability concerns led to his slide down the draft board. The track record for high school catchers isn't great, and we won't have a feel for Stassi's pro prospects for several more seasons, but the scouting report on him is pretty favorable.

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Headed to injured list

CLos Angeles Angels

Hip

March 27, 2023

The Angels plan to place Stassi (hip) on the 10-day injured list to begin the season, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

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Injures hip Sunday

CLos Angeles Angels

Hip

March 27, 2023

Angels manager Phil Nevin said Sunday that Stassi is unlikely to be included on the Opening Day roster after experiencing hip soreness while playing in a minor-league spring training game, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

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Still seen as starter

CLos Angeles Angels

March 18, 2023

Stassi appears set to win the starting catcher job for the Angels despite hitting just .231 with a .615 OPS in 13 at-bats this spring, MLB.com reports.

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Solo shot in win

CLos Angeles Angels

September 29, 2022

Stassi went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Athletics.

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Day off Wednesday

CLos Angeles Angels

September 21, 2022

Stassi isn't starting Wednesday against the Rangers.

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