In preparation for our early mock draft, we will go position-by-position with some preliminary rankings for Draft Day 2009. We start with the catcher position.

Our rankings are based on position eligibility for next season, which requires 20 games at a position to be eligible. If a player has not played 20 games, his primary position will be defined as what position he has played the most games at -- unless it is a current AL player (that player -- ie a Dan Johnson -- will be listed at DH). So, this is why you won't see Giants 1B Pablo Sandoval, who has little chance to be catcher-eligible, since he should get 20 games at first base before the end of the season.

Early catcher rankings for 2009
RK Player TM The thinking is as follows ...
1 Brian McCann ATL This spot will be up for debate but McCann has the best pop at the position.
2 Russell Martin LAD A bad September is keeping us from ranking him tops at his position.
3 Geovany Soto CHC Breakout rookie might warrant No. 1 spot, but there's just more experience above him.
4 Joe Mauer MIN A very consistent guy, but we might grow old waiting for the true power to come.
5 Victor Martinez CLE Annual No. 1 was a monster disappointment and now has injury risk weighing him down.
6 Bengie Molina SF Very few backstops are their team's leading RBI man, but Molina is getting old.
7 Ryan Doumit PIT He has always been a great bat, but he has given the Pirates confidence defensively.
8 Chris Iannetta COL Among the many breakthroughs at this position and we expect more improvement.
9 Kelly Shoppach CLE He discovered his stroke and now the Indians have a decision to make this winter.
10 Jorge Posada NYY Shoulder hopefully will be corrected via surgery, but there is still a lot of risk here.
11 A.J. Pierzynski CHW Veteran is a steady option year-to-year, but age suggests you should let him fall to you.
12 Ramon Hernandez BAL He is a solid veteran, but will the Orioles slot him or their elite prospect next spring?
13 Yadier Molina STL A career year has finally come, but we still think he can wind up being the best Molina.
14 Chris Snyder ARI Yet another solid season of useful pop, but will he share at-bats in Arizona forever?
15 Jarrod Saltalamacchia TEX Not only did he have a bad year, but Rangers catching prospects are gaining on him.
16 Dioner Navarro TB He is a poor man's Mauer with a consistent bat but one that lacks real power.
17 Jesus Flores WAS The Mets made a real mistake letting him go via the Rule-5 draft. He is the Nats' future.
18 Kurt Suzuki OAK He has stamped himself as a solid starter for the A's but a borderline Fantasy one.
19 Ivan Rodriguez NYY His end of the season swoon with the Yankees should convince you he is low end.
20 Mike Napoli LAA The power is intriguing, but he is not a guy you should trust; he is far too streaky.
21 Jason Varitek BOS Boston's captain is an ornamental Fantasy pick now; he looks nice but doesn't produce.
22 Taylor Teagarden TEX He has been hot down the stretch, but the top prospect was underwhelming in minors.
23 Gerald Laird TEX We've waited for him to be dealt for years, but maybe he finally gets full-time job.
24 Jeff Clement SEA He might have the most offensive potential of anyone on this list, but it is merely "potential."
25 Matt Wieters BAL Elite catcher prospect is one of the few who could have a Soto-like breakthrough.
26 John Baker FLA We don't think he is as good as he has shown, but he might have earned starting look.
27 Rod Barajas TOR He had a nice comeback year, but he is the type of guy you can find off waivers annually.
28 Brandon Inge DET He regained catcher eligibility, but his numbers suggest he probably should be starting.
29 Chris Coste PHI He might be at the age of breakdown for a catcher, but this journeyman can really hit.
30 Miguel Olivo KC Every time you try to sweep Olivo under the rug, he surprises owners in deeper leagues.
31 John Buck KC It doesn't say a whole lot for you as a starter if you cannot make Olivo go away.
32 Miguel Montero ARI His power is much better than we saw this year, but he still is Snyder's caddy.
33 Jeff Mathis LAA If you find yourself salivating over catcher prospects, Mathis is your cautionary tale.
34 Jason Kendall MIL The veteran was a favorite of Ned Yost, but with Yost out of town might Kendall be, too?
35 J.R. Towles HOU For every Soto, we suppose their has to be a Towles; maybe he is next year's Iannetta.
36 Brian Schneider NYM Despite rave reviews about his defense, he really didn't live up to minimal hype this year.
37 Kenji Johjima SEA What a waste of money he will be for the next few years; no wonder the GM lost his job.
38 Carlos Ruiz PHI He was the Phillies' catcher of the future, but now he looks like a career backup.
39 Max Ramirez TEX His minor league OPS portends a masher, but can he catch and will he get at-bats?
40 Nick Hundley SD The punchless Padres might have found a backstop, but he won't help much in Fantasy.

Did we sell someone short? Overrate someone? You can e-mail Emack your Fantasy Baseball comments about our rankings to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Catcher rankings in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses to all questions.