Martin Maldonado

Martin Maldonado

37-Year-Old CatcherC
 Free Agent  
Free Agent
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Maldonado set a new career high with 15 homers. Unfortunately, that's where the plaudits end as he finished the season looking up at the Mendoza line for the second straight season. Even more disheartening is Maldonado's defense is slipping. He still calls a good game, but his framing is below average, and he only threw out 26% of would-be base stealers, the second lowest mark of his career. The Astros sensed the decline, so they acquired Christian Vazquez at the trade deadline and have been in the market for another backstop in the offseason. Maldonado had offseason surgery for a sports hernia but is expected to be ready for spring training. Regardless of your philosophy with respect to drafting catchers, if you end up with Maldonado, it's time to rethink your approach. Read Past Outlooks
RANKSFrom Preseason
#575
ADP
$Signed a one-year, $5 million contract extension with the Astros in April of 2021. $4.5 million team option for 2023 vested in August of 2022.
Pads lead Wednesday
CHouston Astros  
September 27, 2023
Maldonado went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Mariners.
ANALYSIS
Maldonado is hitting .224 (11-for-49) with four homers and eight RBI over 16 games in September. That's an improvement on his .193 batting average for the year, and he's up to 15 homers this season. The catcher has added a mediocre .616 OPS, 36 RBI, 33 runs scored and 12 doubles through 114 contests in 2023.
Read More News
Batting Stats
Loading Batting Stats...
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2023 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Batting Game Log...
2022 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Batting Game Log...
2021 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Batting Game Log...
2020 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Batting Game Log...
2019 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Batting Game Log...
2018 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Batting Game Log...
2017 MLB Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Batting Game Log...
Minor League Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Loading Minor League Batting Game Log...
Batting Order Slot Breakdown
vs Right-Handed Pitchers
vs RHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
1
79
vs Left-Handed Pitchers
vs LHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
36
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2021
 
 
+39%
OPS vs LHP
2023
 
 
+52%
OPS vs LHP
2022
 
 
+43%
OPS vs LHP
2021
 
 
+25%
OPS vs LHP
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2021vs Left .742 335 41 19 52 0 .220 .295 .447
Since 2021vs Right .535 877 72 23 65 0 .168 .247 .289
2023vs Left .816 99 12 6 13 0 .239 .316 .500
2023vs Right .538 308 21 9 23 0 .175 .239 .299
2022vs Left .763 110 16 8 21 0 .212 .278 .485
2022vs Right .534 269 24 7 24 0 .176 .236 .298
2021vs Left .665 126 13 5 18 0 .212 .294 .372
2021vs Right .533 300 27 7 18 0 .154 .263 .269
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2021
 
 
+4%
OPS at Home
2023
 
 
+13%
OPS at Home
2022
 
 
+10%
OPS at Home
2021
 
 
+10%
OPS on Road
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2021Home .604 600 47 19 47 0 .187 .273 .331
Since 2021Away .582 612 66 23 70 0 .178 .247 .335
2023Home .645 195 13 7 16 0 .215 .272 .373
2023Away .569 212 20 8 20 0 .168 .245 .324
2022Home .628 183 19 7 21 0 .181 .272 .356
2022Away .573 196 21 8 24 0 .190 .226 .348
2021Home .546 222 15 5 10 0 .167 .275 .271
2021Away .601 204 25 7 26 0 .177 .270 .331
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Martin Maldonado compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • BB/K
    Walk to strikeout ratio
  • BB Rate
    The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a walk.
  • K Rate
    The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a strikeout.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many of a batter’s balls in play go for hits.
  • ISO
    Isolated Power. Slugging percentage minus batting average. A computation used to measure a batter's raw power.
  • AVG
    Batting average. Hits divided by at bats.
  • OBP
    On Base Percentage. A measure of how often a batters reaches base. Roughly equal to number of times on base divided by plate appearances.
  • SLG
    Slugging Percentage. A measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats.
  • OPS
    On base plus slugging. THe sum of a batter's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
  • wOBA
    Weighted on-base average. Measures a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. wOBA combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Hard Hit Rate
    A measure of contact quality from Sports Info Solutions. This stat explains what percentage of batted balls were hit hard vs. medium or soft.
  • Barrels/PA
    The percentage of plate appearances where a batter had a batted ball classified as a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Expected BA
    Expected Batting Average.
  • Expected SLG
    Expected Slugging Percentage.
  • Sprint Speed
    The speed of a runner from home to first, in feet per second.
  • Ground Ball %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are on the ground.
  • Line Drive %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are line drives.
  • Fly Ball %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are fly balls.
BB/K
0.22
 
BB Rate
7.4%
 
K Rate
34.2%
 
BABIP
.260
 
ISO
.157
 
AVG
.191
 
OBP
.258
 
SLG
.348
 
OPS
.606
 
wOBA
.271
 
Exit Velocity
88.4 mph
 
Hard Hit Rate
32.0%
 
Barrels/PA
4.9%
 
Expected BA
.187
 
Expected SLG
.357
 
Sprint Speed
18.8 ft/sec
 
Ground Ball %
35.2%
 
Line Drive %
21.5%
 
Fly Ball %
43.4%
 
Advanced Batting Stats
Loading Advanced Batting Stats...
Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
Loading Games Played by Position...
Loading MLB Defensive Stats...
Batted Ball Stats
Loading Batted Ball Stats...
Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
Want more matchup stats?
Loading Matchup Stats...
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Martin Maldonado See More
ALCS Betting Picks: Best Bets for Rangers vs Astros, Game 5
45 days ago
Eric Timm dials up his best picks and player props for a critical ALCS Game 5 after Houston evened the series at 2-2. Can Jordan Montgomery be the stopper for the Rangers?
MLB DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Friday, Oct. 20
45 days ago
Chris Bennett makes his recommendations for Friday's FanDuel slate featuring both the ALCS and NLCS.
The Z Files: NFBC - Postseason Hold 'Em Rankings
59 days ago
Todd Zola offers some strategy tips for the NFBC's Post-Season Hold 'Em Contest and has Mookie Betts at the top of his rankings once he equalizes for games played.
MLB Barometer: 2023 All-Risers Team
74 days ago
Erik Halterman's All-Risers Team highlights a group of players who have far outpaced preseason expectations, featuring Braves first baseman Matt Olson.
AL FAAB Factor: Waiver Pickups of the Week
92 days ago
Erik Siegrist looks over the influx of talent into the September player pool as Jasson Dominguez joins a group of top prospects remaking the Yankees' lineup.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
El Machete is a quality catcher in real baseball as he is quite the backstop and can cut down runners on the basepaths nearly at will. He can take aim at the Crawford Boxes and yank homers over the short wall. The problem is he can do little else as he struggles to hit for average, even as someone who has gotten better earning walks in recent years. It isn't quite clear why pitchers would be working around an AL catcher who hits poorly, but Maldonado has posted double-digit walk rates each of the past two seasons. His expected batting average has been .210 or worse each of the last four seasons and there is little reason to believe it gets better in 2022. At best, he is a low-end second catcher option in AL-only leagues.
Maldonado was signed by the Astros, who were paying for his glove and not his bat, and he manned the backstop for what would become more of a makeshift pitching staff than expected. From 2016-2019, Maldonado posted a wRC+ between 72 and 78, but he was a solid pitch framer and among the league leaders in defensive runs saves behind the plate. Small sample alert, but Maldonado's wRC+ leaped to 110, solely a result of a 16.4 BB%, more than twice his career mark. However, his defensive metrics slipped, but again it was only in a 60-game season. Even if Maldonado retains his newfound on-base ability, he remains tough to deploy in fantasy, especially since he's in danger of playing less as his defense can no longer overcome his weak run production.
The catcher position as a whole got a lift in 2019, but Maldonado did not get the memo. He had pretty much the exact same season he had in 2017 and 2018, only this time his year was split between three teams (Royals, Cubs and Astros) instead of two as in 2018. Maldonado struck out 23% of the time and hit in the low-.200s with double-digit homers and middling run-production stats. His rate stats have been remarkably consistent, but consistently bad. His OPS has ranged from .627 to .683 over the last four seasons while his wRC+ has ranged from 72 to 78 in that time. Maldonado can still provide value behind the plate at 33 years old and his abilities on that side of the ball earned him a two-year, $7 million deal with Houston. Despite being atop the depth chart at press time, he can still reasonably go undrafted in 15-team, two-catcher mixed leagues.
Maldonado opened the 2018 season with the Angels before being traded to the Astros at the end of July with Los Angeles out of playoff contention. Overall it was another typical year for the veteran backstop, who provided elite defense behind the dish while struggling to produce on offense. After appearing in a career-high 137 games in 2017, Maldonado appeared in 119 contests in 2018, posting a combined .225/.276/.351 line with nine homers. His 2018 slash line was right in line with both his 2017 performance (.221/.276/.368) and his career slash line (.220/.289/.350), suggesting Maldonado's offensive production entering his age-32 season is unlikely to improve. That said, he was in the running to win a second consecutive American League Gold Glove, so Maldonado should see a sizable workload behind the plate after signing with Kansas City.
Maldonado's first season as a full-time starter went pretty much as expected; top-notch defense with inconsistent offense. After hitting a respectable .253/.313/.412 with nine homers in the first half of the season, he finished with a .221/.276/.368 line, dragged down by his second-half struggles (.183/.227/.312). The Angels attributed his drop-off to the increased workload, which is understandable given Maldonado led all catchers with 137 games caught despite having never played in more than 79 games in any season prior. However, the 31-year-old struggled to produce offensively even when his workload was reduced, hitting a combined .217/.299/.342 in five seasons (352 games) as the Brewers' backup. Still, he further solidified himself as one of the best defensive backstops in the game, earning his first American League Gold Glove, so he figures to reprise his role as the Angels' starting catcher in 2018.
Maldonado took over primary catching duties for the Brewers after they traded away Jonathan Lucroy, but he'll handle a new pitching staff in 2017 after getting traded to the Angels in December. Despite the extra opportunities, Maldonado showed little offensive upside last season. While he managed a career-best .332 on-base percentage thanks to a 13.8 percent walk rate, he still hasn't posted an OPS better than his .729 mark from his rookie year in 2012. Unless he shows signs of breaking that streak early in 2017, he's in danger of falling into a timeshare, though the Halos' willingness to part with Jett Bandy in order to get Maldonado could make him the bridge behind the plate until 2015 first-round pick Taylor Ward is deemed ready for the big leagues. Even with the potential for a full season as a starter in Anaheim, Maldonado's value is limited to deep leagues that require the use of two catchers.
Maldonado saw extended playing time this season due to some injury woes for regular starter Jonathan Lucroy, but Maldonado was largely unremarkable. In 79 games, the backstop slashed .210/.282/.293 with four homers and 22 RBI. His strong suits are his glove and game-calling ability, which bodes well for his chances to stay on the 25-man roster despite his hitting woes. However, as long as Lucroy stays healthy, Maldonado will probably remain a backup in 2016.
Maldonado worked as the backup behind starting catcher Jonathan Lucroy last season. Lucroy did not sit much, and Maldonado was limited to just 111 at-bats as a result, but he did post a respectable .707 OPS thanks to 11 walks and nine extra-base hits. Maldonado is a quality defensive catcher and under team control for several more years, so it would likely take an injury for him not to open next season as the Brewers’ backup catcher once again.
Maldonado is a valuable backup catcher thanks to his defense and game-calling abilities, but he struggled with the bat in 2013 while primarily seeing spot action with regular catcher Jonathan Lucroy healthy all season. Despite the struggles, Maldonado is young and cheap, so expect him to serve as the Brewers’ backup catcher again in 2014.
Known primarily as a defensive catcher and average prospect while in the minors, Maldonado rounded out his game last season in the most unlikely of places - Milwaukee. Maldonado filled in admirably in Jonathan Lucroy's absence and proved to be a more-than-capable backup catcher when Lucroy returned, finishing the season with a .266 batting average and eight home runs over 78 games. Maldonado will enter 2013 with the same backup job, but he will play more than your regular reserve catcher.
Maldonado is essentially the Brewers' third or fourth catcher, and will likely serve as organizational depth at Triple-A Nashville in 2012 with Jonathan Lucroy and George Kottaras in position to handle the big league staff.
More Fantasy News
Sitting again Sunday
CHouston Astros  
September 24, 2023
Maldonado is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Heads to bench
CHouston Astros  
September 23, 2023
Maldonado will be on the bench for Saturday's game against the Royals.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Receives Tuesday off
CHouston Astros  
September 19, 2023
Maldonado is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against Baltimore.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Not in Wednesday's lineup
CHouston Astros  
September 13, 2023
Maldonado is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Takes seat Sunday
CHouston Astros  
September 10, 2023
Maldonado is not in the lineup Sunday against the Padres.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.