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Top-200 Hitters 2026 Fantasy Rankings

by
March 12, 2026
Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Overview

As usual, my rankings have a heavy projection base and, for now, will closely mirror the auction calculator.  I suspect more changes as I receive feedback and dive further into the player pool.

Two items. The rank is not specific to the tier order. For the tiers, I grouped batters by their skill type (e.g., power, speed, etc). Also, the placement of the catchers in the overall ranks will be league-specific, especially between one and two-catcher leagues. I need to dive into the current market on them. I’ll write a full analysis in a future update or separate article.

Changelog

    • 12/5/2025 – First release
    • 1/5/2026 – Post-holiday update.  A few movers.
    • 1/21/2026 – Update with a few players on new teams.
    • 2/2/2026 – Update, little movement
    • 2/10/2026 – Update
    • 2/12/2026 – Spring Training update. I have bullets of the bullets
      • Dinged Lindor, Corbin Carroll, and Jackson Holliday on plate appearances and a 5% talent reduction.
      • Kyle Schwarber and Ivan Herrera should take a round or two hit in leagues where they are Utility-only.
      • Previously, for a player to be in the “Change” column, they needed to move 20 or more spots. I dropped the minimum mark down to 10 spots.
      • Updated ADP data from NFBC Draft Champions to NFBC Online Championships.
    • 2/25/2026 – Just moving a few players around
    • 3/12/2026 – Minor moves with some injury updates

Ranking Methodology

  • ADP is based on 30-day rolling NFBC Online Championship Leagues.
  • $ Values are based on a standard 5×5 12-team league using the FanGraphs Depth Charts and these Auction Calculator settings. They default to a player’s most valuable position, so if the first base list includes a catcher, it will show that player’s value at catcher.
  • ADP and $ Values are updated as of the last update date on this post.
  • 5-game eligibility was used for these lists to cast the widest net.

Five-Category Studs

These hitters provide value in every aspect of the game with speed, power, and batting average. There are no flaws in their game.
Five-Category Studs
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
1 Shohei Ohtani LAD DH – 1 $48
2 Aaron Judge NYY OF – 2 $37
3 Bobby Witt Jr. KCR SS – 3 $35
4 Juan Soto NYM OF – 5 $36
5 Jose Ramirez CLE 3B – 6 $30
6 Elly De La Cruz CIN SS – 8 $28
7 Julio Rodriguez SEA OF – 10 $30
8 Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL OF – 6 $33
9 Kyle Tucker LAD OF – 13 $30
10 Fernando Tatis Jr. SDP OF – 14 $28
11 Gunnar Henderson BAL SS – 12 $27
18 Corbin Carroll ARI OF – 15 $26
30 Francisco Lindor NYM SS – 27 $19

Four-Category Studs

Some of these hitters may be better real-life players than those in the above tier, but lack in one roto category, usually steals.
Four-Category Studs
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
13 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. TOR 1B – 18 $30
17 Junior Caminero TBR 3B – 17 $28
20 Nick Kurtz ATH 1B – 18 $22
22 Pete Crow-Armstrong CHC OF – 32 $24
23 Brent Rooker ATH OF – 46 $24
25 Pete Alonso BAL 1B – 24 $25
31 James Wood WSN OF – 34 $19
36 Yordan Alvarez HOU OF – 33 $20
37 Matt Olson ATL 1B – 49 $17
47 Rafael Devers SFG 1B – 58 $17

Five-Category Pillars

These hitters are good across the board, but don’t match up to those in the first tier.
Five-Category Pillars
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
14 Jackson Chourio MIL OF – 19 $24
16 Trea Turner PHI SS – 26 $21
19 Zach Neto LAA SS – 28 $22
21 Jazz Chisholm Jr. NYY 2B/3B – 20 $16
26 Josh Naylor SEA 1B – 65 $17
27 Manny Machado SDP 3B – 38 $15
28 Bryce Harper PHI 1B – 47 $22
29 Ketel Marte ARI 2B – 32 $18
32 Mookie Betts LAD SS – 58 $19
35 Wyatt Langford TEX OF – 41 $18
39 Christian Yelich MIL OF – 127 $12
40 Byron Buxton MIN OF – 71 $15
43 Brice Turang MIL 2B – 52 $11
49 Geraldo Perdomo ARI SS – 77 $15
50 Michael Harris II ATL OF – 100 $15
51 Jarren Duran BOS OF – 70 $10

Elite Power Bat, Nothing Else

These bats have 40+ home run power with a ton of counting stats. They provide very little in speed and batting average.
Elite Power Bat, Nothing Else
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
15 Kyle Schwarber PHI OF – 24 $23

Elite Catchers

These catchers are the best available, and drafting one will provide a team with a nice anchor at the position.
Elite Catchers
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
12 Cal Raleigh SEA C – 18 $30
24 William Contreras MIL C – 55 $22
33 Shea Langeliers ATH C – 55 $21
38 Hunter Goodman COL C – 64 $23
44 Ivan Herrera STL C – 165 $22
46 Ben Rice NYY C/1B – 53 $18
52 Salvador Perez KCR C/1B – 92 $18
55 Agustin Ramirez MIA C – 83 $13
63 Drake Baldwin ATL C ▲14 83 $19
77 Yainer Diaz HOU C – 110 $13
78 Samuel Basallo BAL C – 174 $7
84 Will Smith LAD C – 100 $13

Balanced 2nd Division Bat (Pick Your Poison Tiers)

This tier and the next six tiers comprise the point in the draft where the talent starts to level off, and fantasy managers can focus on category specialists. Some of the unbalanced bats may provide some other category juice, but most of their value is wrapped up in a single category. This is another balanced tier, but in these instances, their trait is not being a drag in any category. They won’t allow a manager to catch up in any category.
Balanced 2nd Division Bat (Pick Your Poison Tiers)
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
34 CJ Abrams WSN SS – 65 $15
41 Freddie Freeman LAD 1B – 67 $21
45 Trevor Story BOS SS – 110 $15
53 Cody Bellinger NYY 1B/OF – 80 $16
54 George Springer TOR OF – 92 $13
57 Maikel Garcia KCR 2B/3B/SS/OF – 67 $14
64 Roman Anthony BOS OF – 53 $12
65 Jeremy Pena HOU SS ▼11 100 $10
67 Andy Pages LAD OF – 135 $13
68 Steven Kwan CLE OF – 168 $11
69 Lawrence Butler ATH OF – 156 $10
71 Seiya Suzuki CHC OF – 91 $12
72 Jose Altuve HOU 2B/OF – 116 $10
75 Ceddanne Rafaela BOS 2B/OF – 132 $11
79 Brandon Nimmo TEX OF – 146 $7
89 Ian Happ CHC OF – 183 $9
92 Luke Keaschall MIN 2B – 127 $5
97 Heliot Ramos SFG OF – 219 $9
100 Ezequiel Tovar COL SS – 207 $11
102 Ozzie Albies ATL 2B – 156 $6
105 Xander Bogaerts SDP SS – 240 $5
106 Brenton Doyle COL OF – 168 $7
110 Otto Lopez MIA 2B/SS – 226 $4
116 Daylen Lile WSN OF – 204 $5
117 Noelvi Marte CIN 3B/OF – 139 $2
124 Caleb Durbin BOS 2B/3B – 226 $4
125 Masyn Winn STL SS – 308 $6
131 Ramon Laureano SDP OF – 223 $4
133 TJ Friedl CIN OF – 264 $3
134 Andres Gimenez TOR 2B/SS – 377 $4
136 Royce Lewis MIN 3B – 181 $6
154 Jackson Holliday BAL 2B/SS – 198 -$5
155 Joey Ortiz MIL SS – 737 $2
169 Harrison Bader SFG OF – 477 $1
171 Connor Norby MIA 3B – 722 -$3
177 Austin Hays CHW OF – 635 -$3
181 J.P. Crawford SEA SS – 746 -$5

Power and Average but zero Speed (Pick Your Poison Tiers)

The major contributions from these hitters are home runs and batting average, but no stolen bases.
Power and Average but zero Speed (Pick Your Poison Tiers)
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
58 Vinnie Pasquantino KCR 1B – 78 $13
60 Bo Bichette NYM SS – 97 $17
76 Corey Seager TEX SS – 97 $11
83 Yandy Diaz TBR 1B – 137 $15
88 Tyler Soderstrom ATH 1B/OF – 83 $10
90 Alex Bregman CHC 3B – 119 $9
93 Alec Burleson STL 1B/OF – 177 $11
95 Jackson Merrill SDP OF – 71 $15
111 Jonathan Aranda TBR 1B – 195 $9
112 Bryan Reynolds PIT OF – 204 $5
115 Gleyber Torres DET 2B – 247 $6
141 Jordan Beck COL OF – 232 $4
151 Jordan Westburg BAL 2B/3B – 429 -$1
162 Carlos Correa HOU 3B/SS – 281 $1
164 Nolan Arenado ARI 3B – 687 $2
167 Nolan Schanuel LAA 1B – 565 $4
183 Josh Bell MIN 1B – 640 $1
185 Spencer Steer CIN 1B/OF – 325 -$10
198 Jeff McNeil ATH 2B/OF – 511 $2

Power Focused (Pick Your Poison Tiers)

The major contribution from these hitters is home runs.
Power Focused (Pick Your Poison Tiers)
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
48 Eugenio Suarez CIN 3B – 100 $12
59 Riley Greene DET OF – 78 $18
61 Teoscar Hernandez LAD OF – 131 $15
62 Austin Riley ATL 3B – 63 $17
81 Michael Busch CHC 1B – 106 $12
82 Jo Adell LAA OF – 120 $12
86 Taylor Ward BAL OF – 150 $12
98 Spencer Torkelson DET 1B – 181 $8
101 Willson Contreras BOS 1B – 169 $8
103 Christian Walker HOU 1B – 207 $4
107 Kyle Stowers MIA OF – 132 $8
113 Addison Barger TOR 3B/OF – 199 $2
118 Daulton Varsho TOR OF – 201 $9
119 Jake Burger TEX 1B – 243 $7
127 Brandon Lowe PIT 2B – 182 $1
132 Isaac Paredes HOU 3B – 237 -$1
135 Jorge Polanco NYM 2B/3B – 215 $4
146 Marcell Ozuna PIT DH – 370 -$1
150 Mike Trout LAA OF – 179 $4
160 Andrew Vaughn MIL 1B – 294 -$1
163 Miguel Vargas CHW 1B/3B – 291 $1
168 Giancarlo Stanton NYY OF – 255 -$5
170 Josh Jung TEX 3B – 606 -$1
174 Trent Grisham NYY OF – 253 $0
175 Jac Caglianone KCR 1B/OF – 193 -$1
178 Colson Montgomery CHW 3B/SS – 237 $2
186 Max Muncy LAD 3B – 247 -$5
187 Kazuma Okamoto TOR 3B – $6
199 Brooks Lee MIN 2B/3B/SS – 519 -$2
200 Mark Vientos NYM 3B – 498 -$4
201 Nolan Gorman STL 1B/2B/3B – 678 -$3

Speed Focused (Pick Your Poison Tiers)

The major contribution from these hitters is stolen bases.
Speed Focused (Pick Your Poison Tiers)
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
80 Jakob Marsee MIA OF – 139 $5
138 Victor Scott II STL OF – 356 $0
193 Chase Meidroth CHW 2B/SS – 595 -$4
194 Jordan Lawlar ARI 2B/3B – 300 -$7

Average Focused (Pick Your Poison Tiers)

The major contribution of these hitters is batting average.
Average Focused (Pick Your Poison Tiers)
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
94 Jacob Wilson ATH SS – 186 $12
108 Luis Arraez SFG 1B/2B – 283 $7
137 Ernie Clement TOR 1B/2B/3B/SS – 340 $6
145 Alec Bohm PHI 1B/3B – 251 $7
158 Jung Hoo Lee SFG OF – 329 $3
172 Brendan Donovan SEA 2B/SS/OF – 272 $0

Speed and Power but Average Sink (Pick Your Poison Tiers)

These hitters provide a combination of home runs and stolen bases, but are a major drag on batting average.
Speed and Power but Average Sink (Pick Your Poison Tiers)
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
42 Randy Arozarena SEA OF – 89 $12
66 Oneil Cruz PIT OF – 96 $9
70 Willy Adames SFG SS – 129 $11
73 Luis Robert Jr. NYM OF – 107 $10
74 Dansby Swanson CHC SS – 149 $9
85 Adolis Garcia PHI OF – 219 $12
91 Matt Chapman SFG 3B – 164 $12
96 Dylan Crews WSN OF – 167 $8
109 Matt McLain CIN 2B/SS – 177 $5
114 Colton Cowser BAL OF – 256 $1
121 Munetaka Murakami CHW 1B – $10
153 Marcus Semien NYM 2B – 257 $5
190 Anthony Volpe NYY SS – 669 -$6

Speed and Average (Pick Your Poison Tiers)

These hitters provide a combination of speed and batting average.
Speed and Average (Pick Your Poison Tiers)
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
56 Nico Hoerner CHC 2B/SS – 105 $11
87 Bryson Stott PHI 2B/SS – 186 $7
99 Xavier Edwards MIA 2B/SS – 187 $6
139 Sal Frelick MIL OF – 217 $0
140 Chandler Simpson TBR OF – 182 $3
173 Justin Crawford PHI OF ▲19 $3

Acceptable Catchers

The catcher position talent drops off after this tier. Expect to be streaming catchers if waiting after this point.
Acceptable Catchers
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
104 Adley Rutschman BAL C – 150 $13
122 J.T. Realmuto PHI C – 214 $8
123 Alejandro Kirk TOR C – 157 $9
126 Gabriel Moreno ARI C – 179 $8
144 Austin Wells NYY C – 259 $5
147 Ryan Jeffers MIN C – 313 $7
152 Francisco Alvarez NYM C – 173 $8
156 Kyle Teel CHW C ▼20 187 $0
159 Dillon Dingler DET C – 274 $2
165 Logan O’Hoppe LAA C – 249 $3
176 Tyler Stephenson CIN C – 278 $1
180 Willi Castro COL 2B/3B/SS/OF – 261 $0
188 Carter Jensen KCR C – $1
191 Bo Naylor CLE C – 652 $2
192 Patrick Bailey SFG C – 746 $0
197 Carlos Narvaez BOS C – 432 -$2

Platoon Bats

These guys are strong-side platoon bats who will max out around 400 to 500 plate appearances.
Platoon Bats
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
128 Kerry Carpenter DET OF – 236 $5
129 Wilyer Abreu BOS OF – 211 $4
130 Evan Carter TEX OF – 279 -$3
142 Luis Garcia Jr. WSN 2B – 250 $2
143 Josh Lowe LAA OF – 304 $2
149 Mickey Moniak COL OF – 249 $6
157 Brandon Marsh PHI OF – 659 -$1
161 Ryan O’Hearn PIT 1B/OF – 279 $1
182 Cedric Mullins TBR OF – 325 -$4
184 Kyle Manzardo CLE 1B – 244 -$1
189 Colt Keith DET 1B/2B/3B – 424 -$2
195 Matt Wallner MIN OF – 382 -$2

Time Shares

Time Shares
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
148 Sal Stewart CIN 1B/3B – 184 $4
196 Jose Caballero NYY 2B/3B/SS/OF – 205 -$12

Top Prospects, No MLB Experience

These touted prospects have a clear role to start the season.
Top Prospects, No MLB Experience
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
120 Konnor Griffin PIT SS – $5
166 Jonathan Wetherholt STL SS ▲17 $1
179 Kevin McGonigle DET SS – $4

Full Rankings Without Tiers

No tiers. Just the rankings.
Full Rankings Without Tiers
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
1 Shohei Ohtani LAD DH – 1 $48
2 Aaron Judge NYY OF – 2 $37
3 Bobby Witt Jr. KCR SS – 3 $35
4 Juan Soto NYM OF – 5 $36
5 Jose Ramirez CLE 3B – 6 $30
6 Elly De La Cruz CIN SS – 8 $28
7 Julio Rodriguez SEA OF – 10 $30
8 Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL OF – 6 $33
9 Kyle Tucker LAD OF – 13 $30
10 Fernando Tatis Jr. SDP OF – 14 $28
11 Gunnar Henderson BAL SS – 12 $27
12 Cal Raleigh SEA C – 18 $30
13 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. TOR 1B – 18 $30
14 Jackson Chourio MIL OF – 19 $24
15 Kyle Schwarber PHI OF – 24 $23
16 Trea Turner PHI SS – 26 $21
17 Junior Caminero TBR 3B – 17 $28
18 Corbin Carroll ARI OF – 15 $26
19 Zach Neto LAA SS – 28 $22
20 Nick Kurtz ATH 1B – 18 $22
21 Jazz Chisholm Jr. NYY 2B/3B – 20 $16
22 Pete Crow-Armstrong CHC OF – 32 $24
23 Brent Rooker ATH OF – 46 $24
24 William Contreras MIL C – 55 $22
25 Pete Alonso BAL 1B – 24 $25
26 Josh Naylor SEA 1B – 65 $17
27 Manny Machado SDP 3B – 38 $15
28 Bryce Harper PHI 1B – 47 $22
29 Ketel Marte ARI 2B – 32 $18
30 Francisco Lindor NYM SS – 27 $19
31 James Wood WSN OF – 34 $19
32 Mookie Betts LAD SS – 58 $19
33 Shea Langeliers ATH C – 55 $21
34 CJ Abrams WSN SS – 65 $15
35 Wyatt Langford TEX OF – 41 $18
36 Yordan Alvarez HOU OF – 33 $20
37 Matt Olson ATL 1B – 49 $17
38 Hunter Goodman COL C – 64 $23
39 Christian Yelich MIL OF – 127 $12
40 Byron Buxton MIN OF – 71 $15
41 Freddie Freeman LAD 1B – 67 $21
42 Randy Arozarena SEA OF – 89 $12
43 Brice Turang MIL 2B – 52 $11
44 Ivan Herrera STL C – 165 $22
45 Trevor Story BOS SS – 110 $15
46 Ben Rice NYY C/1B – 53 $18
47 Rafael Devers SFG 1B – 58 $17
48 Eugenio Suarez CIN 3B – 100 $12
49 Geraldo Perdomo ARI SS – 77 $15
50 Michael Harris II ATL OF – 100 $15
51 Jarren Duran BOS OF – 70 $10
52 Salvador Perez KCR C/1B – 92 $18
53 Cody Bellinger NYY 1B/OF – 80 $16
54 George Springer TOR OF – 92 $13
55 Agustin Ramirez MIA C – 83 $13
56 Nico Hoerner CHC 2B/SS – 105 $11
57 Maikel Garcia KCR 2B/3B/SS/OF – 67 $14
58 Vinnie Pasquantino KCR 1B – 78 $13
59 Riley Greene DET OF – 78 $18
60 Bo Bichette NYM SS – 97 $17
61 Teoscar Hernandez LAD OF – 131 $15
62 Austin Riley ATL 3B – 63 $17
63 Drake Baldwin ATL C ▲14 83 $19
64 Roman Anthony BOS OF – 53 $12
65 Jeremy Pena HOU SS ▼11 100 $10
66 Oneil Cruz PIT OF – 96 $9
67 Andy Pages LAD OF – 135 $13
68 Steven Kwan CLE OF – 168 $11
69 Lawrence Butler ATH OF – 156 $10
70 Willy Adames SFG SS – 129 $11
71 Seiya Suzuki CHC OF – 91 $12
72 Jose Altuve HOU 2B/OF – 116 $10
73 Luis Robert Jr. NYM OF – 107 $10
74 Dansby Swanson CHC SS – 149 $9
75 Ceddanne Rafaela BOS 2B/OF – 132 $11
76 Corey Seager TEX SS – 97 $11
77 Yainer Diaz HOU C – 110 $13
78 Samuel Basallo BAL C – 174 $7
79 Brandon Nimmo TEX OF – 146 $7
80 Jakob Marsee MIA OF – 139 $5
81 Michael Busch CHC 1B – 106 $12
82 Jo Adell LAA OF – 120 $12
83 Yandy Diaz TBR 1B – 137 $15
84 Will Smith LAD C – 100 $13
85 Adolis Garcia PHI OF – 219 $12
86 Taylor Ward BAL OF – 150 $12
87 Bryson Stott PHI 2B/SS – 186 $7
88 Tyler Soderstrom ATH 1B/OF – 83 $10
89 Ian Happ CHC OF – 183 $9
90 Alex Bregman CHC 3B – 119 $9
91 Matt Chapman SFG 3B – 164 $12
92 Luke Keaschall MIN 2B – 127 $5
93 Alec Burleson STL 1B/OF – 177 $11
94 Jacob Wilson ATH SS – 186 $12
95 Jackson Merrill SDP OF – 71 $15
96 Dylan Crews WSN OF – 167 $8
97 Heliot Ramos SFG OF – 219 $9
98 Spencer Torkelson DET 1B – 181 $8
99 Xavier Edwards MIA 2B/SS – 187 $6
100 Ezequiel Tovar COL SS – 207 $11
101 Willson Contreras BOS 1B – 169 $8
102 Ozzie Albies ATL 2B – 156 $6
103 Christian Walker HOU 1B – 207 $4
104 Adley Rutschman BAL C – 150 $13
105 Xander Bogaerts SDP SS – 240 $5
106 Brenton Doyle COL OF – 168 $7
107 Kyle Stowers MIA OF – 132 $8
108 Luis Arraez SFG 1B/2B – 283 $7
109 Matt McLain CIN 2B/SS – 177 $5
110 Otto Lopez MIA 2B/SS – 226 $4
111 Jonathan Aranda TBR 1B – 195 $9
112 Bryan Reynolds PIT OF – 204 $5
113 Addison Barger TOR 3B/OF – 199 $2
114 Colton Cowser BAL OF – 256 $1
115 Gleyber Torres DET 2B – 247 $6
116 Daylen Lile WSN OF – 204 $5
117 Noelvi Marte CIN 3B/OF – 139 $2
118 Daulton Varsho TOR OF – 201 $9
119 Jake Burger TEX 1B – 243 $7
120 Konnor Griffin PIT SS – $5
121 Munetaka Murakami CHW 1B – $10
122 J.T. Realmuto PHI C – 214 $8
123 Alejandro Kirk TOR C – 157 $9
124 Caleb Durbin BOS 2B/3B – 226 $4
125 Masyn Winn STL SS – 308 $6
126 Gabriel Moreno ARI C – 179 $8
127 Brandon Lowe PIT 2B – 182 $1
128 Kerry Carpenter DET OF – 236 $5
129 Wilyer Abreu BOS OF – 211 $4
130 Evan Carter TEX OF – 279 -$3
131 Ramon Laureano SDP OF – 223 $4
132 Isaac Paredes HOU 3B – 237 -$1
133 TJ Friedl CIN OF – 264 $3
134 Andres Gimenez TOR 2B/SS – 377 $4
135 Jorge Polanco NYM 2B/3B – 215 $4
136 Royce Lewis MIN 3B – 181 $6
137 Ernie Clement TOR 1B/2B/3B/SS – 340 $6
138 Victor Scott II STL OF – 356 $0
139 Sal Frelick MIL OF – 217 $0
140 Chandler Simpson TBR OF – 182 $3
141 Jordan Beck COL OF – 232 $4
142 Luis Garcia Jr. WSN 2B – 250 $2
143 Josh Lowe LAA OF – 304 $2
144 Austin Wells NYY C – 259 $5
145 Alec Bohm PHI 1B/3B – 251 $7
146 Marcell Ozuna PIT DH – 370 -$1
147 Ryan Jeffers MIN C – 313 $7
148 Sal Stewart CIN 1B/3B – 184 $4
149 Mickey Moniak COL OF – 249 $6
150 Mike Trout LAA OF – 179 $4
151 Jordan Westburg BAL 2B/3B – 429 -$1
152 Francisco Alvarez NYM C – 173 $8
153 Marcus Semien NYM 2B – 257 $5
154 Jackson Holliday BAL 2B/SS – 198 -$5
155 Joey Ortiz MIL SS – 737 $2
156 Kyle Teel CHW C ▼20 187 $0
157 Brandon Marsh PHI OF – 659 -$1
158 Jung Hoo Lee SFG OF – 329 $3
159 Dillon Dingler DET C – 274 $2
160 Andrew Vaughn MIL 1B – 294 -$1
161 Ryan O’Hearn PIT 1B/OF – 279 $1
162 Carlos Correa HOU 3B/SS – 281 $1
163 Miguel Vargas CHW 1B/3B – 291 $1
164 Nolan Arenado ARI 3B – 687 $2
165 Logan O’Hoppe LAA C – 249 $3
166 Jonathan Wetherholt STL SS ▲17 $1
167 Nolan Schanuel LAA 1B – 565 $4
168 Giancarlo Stanton NYY OF – 255 -$5
169 Harrison Bader SFG OF – 477 $1
170 Josh Jung TEX 3B – 606 -$1
171 Connor Norby MIA 3B – 722 -$3
172 Brendan Donovan SEA 2B/SS/OF – 272 $0
173 Justin Crawford PHI OF ▲19 $3
174 Trent Grisham NYY OF – 253 $0
175 Jac Caglianone KCR 1B/OF – 193 -$1
176 Tyler Stephenson CIN C – 278 $1
177 Austin Hays CHW OF – 635 -$3
178 Colson Montgomery CHW 3B/SS – 237 $2
179 Kevin McGonigle DET SS – $4
180 Willi Castro COL 2B/3B/SS/OF – 261 $0
181 J.P. Crawford SEA SS – 746 -$5
182 Cedric Mullins TBR OF – 325 -$4
183 Josh Bell MIN 1B – 640 $1
184 Kyle Manzardo CLE 1B – 244 -$1
185 Spencer Steer CIN 1B/OF – 325 -$10
186 Max Muncy LAD 3B – 247 -$5
187 Kazuma Okamoto TOR 3B – $6
188 Carter Jensen KCR C – $1
189 Colt Keith DET 1B/2B/3B – 424 -$2
190 Anthony Volpe NYY SS – 669 -$6
191 Bo Naylor CLE C – 652 $2
192 Patrick Bailey SFG C – 746 $0
193 Chase Meidroth CHW 2B/SS – 595 -$4
194 Jordan Lawlar ARI 2B/3B – 300 -$7
195 Matt Wallner MIN OF – 382 -$2
196 Jose Caballero NYY 2B/3B/SS/OF – 205 -$12
197 Carlos Narvaez BOS C – 432 -$2
198 Jeff McNeil ATH 2B/OF – 511 $2
199 Brooks Lee MIN 2B/3B/SS – 519 -$2
200 Mark Vientos NYM 3B – 498 -$4
201 Nolan Gorman STL 1B/2B/3B – 678 -$3

Mining the News (3/10/26)

by
March 10, 2026


Brad Mills-Imagn Images

American League

Guardians

• Joey Cantillo hopes to upgrade his slider.

“My slider has been pretty dog-water the last couple of years,” Cantillo said. “Honestly, it’s been bad. It’s been something we’ve just kind of hoped to throw in the zone, and it’s been a pitch where you really have to throw it to a great location for me to have the results that I want with it.”

Cantillo is coming off a 2025 season in which he logged a 3.21 ERA over 34 appearances (including 13 starts). Heading into a key spring in which he is competing for a spot in the Guardians’ rotation, he honed in on upgrading his slider to not only make it a more viable option for him in ‘26, but to hopefully make his other, stronger offerings even more effective.

The result? Cantillo made a slight grip adjustment that he and the Guardians hope will pay dividends this season, as the 26-year-old looks to make the next step in his evolution as a big league starting pitcher.

Read the rest of this entry »


Mining the News (3/6/26)

by
March 6, 2026


Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

 

• An interesting quote on how catchers might be graded on how well they challenge with ABS.

Within that, the Twins are among many teams giving catchers vastly more leeway than pitchers to challenge borderline calls, with hitters likely falling somewhere in between. That’s backed by minor-league data, in addition to a general sense that the emotional bias of pitchers clouds their objectivity.

For years, there’s been lots of talk about the ABS system reducing the value of catchers by making pitch framing a less essential skill, but I’m becoming increasingly convinced the opposite is true. Catchers who master the art of ABS challenges could have a bigger impact than ever. It will change games.

Read the rest of this entry »


Comparing Spring Training & Regular Season Fastball Velocity

by
March 5, 2026


David Frerker-Imagn Images

In a recent article, I wanted to show the average fastball velocity increase from Spring Training to the regular season. I went to Mike Fast’s classic article, “Spinning Yarn: Do Spring Speeds Matter?” at Baseball Prospectus, and noticed it was 15 years old. In the article, he found a 0.6 mph increase from Spring Training to the regular season. As much as I trust Mike’s work, it’s time for an update. After looking at the numbers, the velocity difference has shrunk to almost zero.

To find the change, I took the available Spring Training fastball velocities from the past three seasons for both sinkers and four-seamers. Then I calculated the average and median differences, along with the standard deviation. Additionally, it seems like relievers are down more than starters (>=50% GS/G in regular season) in Spring Training, so I split them up.

That’s pretty much it, so here are the results.

Fastball Velocity Increase from Spring Training to the Regular Season
Pitch (Role) Average Median SD 1 SD (68% chance) 2 SD (95%) 3 SD (99%)
FF (All) 0.26 0.22 0.94 -0.7 to 1.2 -1.4 to 2.4 -2.0 ti 3.6
FF (SP) 0.08 0.07 0.87 -0.8 to 0.9 -1.6 to 1.9 -2.4 to 2.8
FF (RP) 0.37 0.34 0.96 -0.6 to 1.3 -1.2 to 2.7 -1.8 to 4.0
SI (All) 0.18 0.13 0.89 -0.7 to 1.1 -1.4 to 2.1 -2.1 to 3.2
SI (SP) 0.01 0.01 0.81 -0.8 to 0.8 -1.6 to 1.7 -2.4 to 2.5
SI (RP) 0.29 0.24 0.92 -0.6 to 1.2 -1.3 to 2.4 -1.9 to 3.6
2023 to 2025

The overall increase is cut in half from the original study, with starters seeing almost no increase … on average. All the standard deviations approach 1 mph, so there can be some major differences from one pitcher to the next. I included the velocity ranges for different standard deviations. In the best-case scenarios (3 SD), starters gain about 2.5 mph while relievers are adding 4 mph.

With that knowledge, feel free to navigate our player pages to see who is up and who is down. And for me, it’s back to Mining the News.


Jeff Zimmerman’s 2026 Bold Predictions

by
March 4, 2026


Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

For all the rankings mentioned in those bold takes, I will use our 12 end-of-season fantasy values from the Auction Calculator.

1. The baby gloves come off, and the Nationals allow James Wood to break the MLB strikeout record.

Last season, the Nationals limited Wood’s plate appearances later in the season (average 105 PA in the first three months, 94 PA over the last three). Even with the throttling of playing time, Wood missed tying the total by just two strikeouts.

Single-Season Strikeout Leaders
Name Year Total
Mark Reynolds 2009 223
Adam Dunn 2012 222
James Wood 2025 221
Chris Davis 2016 219
Elly De La Cruz 2024 218
Yoán Moncada 2018 217
Kyle Schwarber 2023 215
Eugenio Suárez 2023 214
Joey Gallo 2021 213
Chris Carter 2013 212

It’s time the team lets him have the crown he deserves. Read the rest of this entry »


Mining the News (3/2/26)

by
March 2, 2026


Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

American League

Angels

• Mike Trout is feeling better and wants to run fast.

Mike Trout wants to let you know he’s aiming to reach 30 feet per second, which is considered an elite sprint speed by Statcast.

Trout showed that he still has plenty of speed on Saturday, when he reached 29.9 feet per second trying to beat out an infield single against the D-backs. It was Trout’s fastest sprint speed since he first sustained his meniscus tear in his left knee in late April 2024, which he believes is a good sign.
…
For context, Trout, 34, averaged 27.9 feet per second last year, which ranked in the 62nd percentile and his fastest sprint speed was 29.7 feet per second. It was a drop off for Trout, who averaged 29.5 feet per second in ’23 (96th percentile) and 28.9 in ’24 (90th percentile) and regularly hit 30 feet per second.

But the drop was due to his issues with his left knee, as he tore his meniscus twice and had surgery twice in ’24. He returned last season but sustained a bone bruise in his left knee on April 30 when he stepped awkwardly on the first-base bag in Seattle. His fastest sprint speed of the season also came on that play. He returned May 30 but his speed wasn’t at his usual level.

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Mining the News (2/27/26)

by
February 27, 2026

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

American League

Angels

• Robert Stephenson hopes he can manage his thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms.

RHP Robert Stephenson
Injury: Right elbow inflammation
Expected return: 2026
Status: Dealt with a nerve issue and thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms in the offseason after ending last year on the injured list, but believes he can manage it. Has been throwing bullpens with no issues this spring and said on Feb. 23 he expects to be ready for Opening Day.

Read the rest of this entry »


Mining the News (2/24/26)

by
February 24, 2026


Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

• A solid article from Pitcher List on hitters who will add a new position.

American League

Astros

• The team wants Mike Burrows to throw his sinker and changeup more.

Burrows relied mostly on four pitches last year — four-seamer, changeup, slider and curveball — but the Astros are hoping he can throw his sinking two-seamer more and give him a weapon to right-handers, similar to what Hunter Brown did in 2024. Burrows threw the pitch just 5.6% of the time last season.

“We think it could be really even more effective to right-handers,” Brown said. “He’s got the good changeup. We’ll have him throw his changeup more to righties too at times. So there’s some things that we thought that we could do with him that could even get him to take another step forward.”

Read the rest of this entry »


Mining the News (2/20/26)

by
February 20, 2026


Syndication: Detroit Free Press

American League

Astros

• The team wants its young prospects to get full-time at-bats instead of sitting on the major league bench.

“I want some of these young players, if they’re not going to have the at-bats at the major-league level, going to Triple A and getting at-bats so we can finish their development,” manager Joe Espada said on Friday, reiterating a refrain he’s sung throughout his three-year managerial tenure. “I think that’s important.”

Houston’s current roster construction may not allow for such a luxury. Smith, Cole and Joey Loperfido — whom the Astros acquired in exchange for Sánchez — all have an inside track to the Opening Day roster, barring a total collapse during spring training. The three players have combined for 911 major-league plate appearances.

Read the rest of this entry »


Mining the News (2/18/26)

by
February 18, 2026


Syndication: Arizona Republic

American League

Astros

• Isaac Paredes will practice fielding at first, second, and third base.

Any path for Paredes to play regularly must involve a true rotation at designated hitter. Paredes’ defensive versatility is limited, though Espada said Sunday he will see time at first base, third base and second base for however long he is in Astros camp.

Read the rest of this entry »


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