Mike Napoli

2013

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2012

The Angels might regret this. Texas acquired Napoli from the Blue Jays (via the Angels) over the winter, and all the big guy managed was a .320/.414/.631 line with 30 homers in just 369 at-bats, fueled solely by a monster second half (.383/.466/.706 in 214 at-bats). His first half was a typical Napoli season: low average (.232), some walks (25 in 155 at-bats) and some power (12 homers). His second half is obviously not repeatable, but any concerns of his breakout being attributed to home cooking alone can be discounted with a tidy .332/.414/.663 line on the road. He's a lock to be catcher-eligible until at least 2013 now, as he was universally praised for his work behind the plate in 2011 after rumblings that his time as a catcher was going to be limited at best going forward. Paying for last year's stats is never a good idea, and it seems to apply to Napoli more than others, but there's still a nice season all but assured here.

2011

Napoli was a part-time catcher who had never played first base before last season, but an injury to Kendry Morales left a big hole in the Angels' lineup and provided him an opportunity to see extend action. Napoli played in a career-high 140 games last season, including 70 at first, a bonus for fantasy owners who were able to essentially play a first baseman at the catcher spot. Though Napoli's .238 batting average was nothing to write home about, his career-best 26 home runs was tops among all catcher-eligible players. Despite the strong season Napoli is sure to lose playing time in 2011 to a healthy Morales, so expect his production to slip a bit along with his at-bats.

2010

Increased playing time made up for some reduced effectiveness at the plate, and you can expect him to have more years like 2009 again. If there's a concern, it's that manager Mike Scioscia doesn't seem to have a lot of faith in him, pinch-hitting for Napoli with startling frequency and even starting Jeff Mathis ahead of him in the playoffs. Any kind of slow start could cause Napoli to go the way of Chris Iannetta, so slide him down a couple of notches.

2009

Napoli only played in 78 games in 2008, so finishing with 20 home runs is a pretty impressive feat. He also chipped in seven stolen bases, a big bonus from the catcher position. Napoli's combination of power and speed is rare among catchers, and if he's able to stay on the field more often, fantasy owners could get a lot of value out of him in 2009. He had arthroscopic surgery in October, but is expected to be ready for spring training. Watch closely to see how well he throws - if that's an issue because of the surgery, he could lose some playing time to Jeff Mathis.

2008

Napoli was one of the big surprises of 2006 and it looked like he was on track to build upon that effort and become a solid power-hitting catcher with the Angels for years to come. Unfortunately, Napoli only played 75 games due to injury. One the plus side, he still hit ten home runs and stole five bases over that time despite hitting just .247. If Napoli can stay healthy and improve his eye at the plate, he could develop into a solid fantasy option at a weaker position, and he's slated to begin the season as the Halos' starter behind the plate.

2007

July 1. On that day against the Dodgers, Napoli hit two homers, walked once, and had an OPS nearing 1100 at the end of the game. He was useless after that, dropping into an 0-for-11 slump and getting worse from there. The end result--low BA, lots of walks, good power--is a reasonable expectation going forward. He's better than Jeff Mathis, will likely open the season with the starting catcher job over Mathis, and when he hits his peak, he'll be an All-Star candidate.

2006

Napoli was solid, if unimpressive, offensively at Double-A Arkansas in 2005. As long as he remains a catcher he has a shot at major league playing time and projects as above-average offensively for a catcher. Look for him to have a cup of coffee with the Angels at some point late in 2006.

2005

Napoli doesn't project as a catcher and he'd never previously had the kind of power he hit for last season. It's safe to say he's emerged, but whether he can do it at Double-A will be a better measure of future performance.