This season is full of intriguing two-player “Showdowns” that beg comparison and invite debate. In each Showdown we pit two players from the same position against each other, scrutinize their age, injuries (if applicable), and statistics, with only one coming out on top.

The fifth ticket on our Showdown supercard features two Catchers, and former teammates, who have both moved on to different teams: Gattis vs McCann

These two have enough in common, just by virtue of the fact that they both came through the Braves organization. But there’s more: they have both been acquired by American League clubs; they are both big power-hitting catchers (at least, as far as Fantasy Baseball 2015 is concerned); and they both have averaged 21.5 HR per year, to date.

Evan Gattis  is a slightly smaller version of Adam Dunn, at 6’4″ and 260 lb., whose days behind the plate may be over. The Astros want to use him primarily as a 1B/DH, because they want his bat in the lineup. This gives an immediate boost to his Fantasy value, as he still has Catcher eligibilty, but won’t suffer the punishment of the position.

In 2013, he managed 21 HR in 105 GP with the Braves,  in a platooned situation with McCann – a big reason why the Braves felt they could let McCann go. In 2014, he clobbered 22 HR in 108 GP.

Gattis came out of the Minors with 45 HR and 17o RBI in 231 GP, and finished with a .913 OPS. 

The 28 yr. old is one of the hottest commodities in the Fantasy world right now, but he could be getting hyped beyond his value, as experts seem to be forgetting the reason why he won’t be catching any longer – his big frame can’t take the pounding. Gattis ended up on the DL last June with a bulging disc. He also had issues with his right wrist back in May – the same wrist that he’s having issues with in the Grapefruit League this year. His 108 games last year were the most he’s ever played, including the Minors.

So, fair warning: everyone seems to be jumping on his “eligibility bandwagon”, but we can’t project him playing more than 125 games, even outside the catcher position. This may still be enough for 25 dingers, but you’ll still suffer about the same number of games missed as you do with most other catchers.

Brian McCann has been one of the most offensively consistent catchers over the past 10 years. It’s unCanny (ugh, sorry, couldn’t resist) how little his home run totals have wavered over his 9 full seasons:

The 31 yr. old has shown tremendous resilience, as well. He played 140 games last season, and has averaged 135 GP over his career (excluding the platoon situation with Gattis in 2013). This average is 15 games more than the top 30 starting catchers averaged in 2014. The 140 GP last year gives every indication that he’s not wearing down yet.

McCann is almost a lock for 20 HR and 70 RBI. If you are looking for a safe pick after the first 7 or 8 catchers come off the board, you can’t get much safer than McCann.

The Decision

Gattis has Adam Dunn-type size, power and potential. This gives him a lot of upside in his new role as DH/1B in Houston. He’ll be sharing these roles with Chris Carter and Jon Singleton. If he can stay healthy, then we could be looking at 25-30 HR.

However, regular days off may be the norm, especially with Jon Singleton potentially sitting on the bench looking for any playing time he can muster. Keep in mind, of the three, Singleton is the only one who hits from the left side, and has hardly been given a solid chance to prove himself to this point (13 HR in 310 AB last year). So, this situation is not as cut and dry as it looks.

Despite the fact that McCann is the one that remains as a backstop, he will probably have more at bats than Gattis. So, we should temper our expectations for Gattis and not get caught up in all the hype.

Some sites seem to include Gattis in their top 5 catchers. Don’t buy into this. He remains about as valuable as McCann, who will prove to be the better value pick in 2015.

The Winner: Draw