"Salvador Perez doesn't exist"; "Will Smith is not better than Cal Raleigh" - Fans annoyed by MLB's Top 10 catchers list

Being a catcher in the MLB is not an easy job. You have to be locked in from the first to the very last pitch of the game and on top of that, you are expected to be a big part of the offense.

Luckily, there are quite a few elite athletes who have stepped up to the challenge. On Thursday, the league put together their list of the best catchers, with William Contreras taking the top spot.

In order, it goes Austin Wells, Sean Murphy, Alejandro Kirk, Gabriel Moreno, and Yanier Diaz. Then, J.T. Realmuto comes in at five, Cal Raleigh at four, Will Smith at three, Adley Rutschman at two, and William Contreras at one.

Fans are up in arms over these rankings. They do not think the league got it right, praising some players more than they should and leaving off some catchers entirely.

"I guess Salvador Perez doesn't exist" one fan posted.

MLB Instagram Comment Section

"Will Smith is not better than Cal Raleigh" said another.

MLB Instagram Comment Section

"Does Patrick Bailey not exist?" said another.

Fans believe both Salvador Perez and Patrick Bailey are missing from this list. Some also do not believe Will Smith deserves to be higher than Cal Raleigh.

"Francisco Alvarez 2025 breakout loading.." said another.

"I got Wells over many of those guys" said another.

"Sean Murphy shouldn't be on here" said another.

MLB's fan vote turned out much differently

MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers - Will Smith (Photo via IMAGN)

While MLB had their vote, fans were also able to vote for their top 10 catchers. In their vote, the results greatly differed from the one that the league put out on Thursday.

In order, it goes Francisco Alvarez, Yainer Diaz, Austin Wells, Patrick Bailey, and J.T. Realmuto. Salvador Perez comes in at five, then Adley Rutschman, Cal Raleigh, William Contreras, and Will Smith.

Perez, Bailey, and Alvarez did not make the league's list, but they did the fan's list. Watch out for all three of these players in 2025 as they could certainly turn some heads in 2025.

For Smith, he is an all-around great catcher. He can get things going with his bat, is a wall behind the plate, can throw out runners on the basepaths, and can withstand some tough stretches.

He will also be another player to watch out for next season with the threat of the Los Angeles Dodgers defending their World Series title.