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Top-200 Hitters 2026 Fantasy Rankings

by
March 19, 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
    • 3/19/2026 – Not much movement among these top guys, dig through the positional ones for late movers.

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 $47
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 – 9 $28
7 Julio Rodriguez SEA OF – 10 $30
8 Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL OF – 5 $33
9 Kyle Tucker LAD OF – 13 $30
10 Fernando Tatis Jr. SDP OF – 14 $28
11 Gunnar Henderson BAL SS – 12 $28
18 Corbin Carroll ARI OF – 15 $27
31 Francisco Lindor NYM SS – 26 $21

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 – 19 $22
22 Pete Crow-Armstrong CHC OF – 32 $23
23 Brent Rooker ATH OF – 44 $24
25 Pete Alonso BAL 1B – 25 $24
30 James Wood WSN OF – 35 $19
36 Yordan Alvarez HOU OF – 33 $20
37 Matt Olson ATL 1B – 49 $17
47 Rafael Devers SFG 1B – 59 $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 $22
19 Zach Neto LAA SS – 30 $23
21 Jazz Chisholm Jr. NYY 2B/3B – 20 $15
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 $17
32 Mookie Betts LAD SS – 58 $20
35 Wyatt Langford TEX OF – 41 $18
39 Christian Yelich MIL OF – 126 $12
40 Byron Buxton MIN OF – 72 $15
43 Brice Turang MIL 2B – 51 $10
49 Geraldo Perdomo ARI SS – 77 $16
50 Michael Harris II ATL OF – 100 $15
51 Jarren Duran BOS OF – 67 $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 – 65 $23
45 Ivan Herrera STL C – 171 $22
46 Ben Rice NYY C/1B – 54 $19
52 Salvador Perez KCR C/1B – 92 $19
55 Agustin Ramirez MIA C – 84 $13
63 Drake Baldwin ATL C – 80 $19
76 Yainer Diaz HOU C – 111 $14
81 Samuel Basallo BAL C – 172 $7
84 Will Smith LAD C – 98 $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 $16
41 Freddie Freeman LAD 1B – 67 $20
44 Trevor Story BOS SS – 109 $16
53 Cody Bellinger NYY 1B/OF – 80 $16
54 George Springer TOR OF – 93 $13
57 Maikel Garcia KCR 2B/3B/SS/OF – 66 $15
64 Roman Anthony BOS OF – 52 $12
65 Jeremy Pena HOU SS – 114 $11
67 Andy Pages LAD OF – 134 $13
68 Steven Kwan CLE OF – 169 $11
69 Lawrence Butler ATH OF – 158 $10
71 Jose Altuve HOU 2B/OF – 115 $10
74 Ceddanne Rafaela BOS 2B/OF – 129 $11
77 Brandon Nimmo TEX OF – 143 $7
79 Seiya Suzuki CHC OF – 99 $11
89 Luke Keaschall MIN 2B – 123 $6
90 Ian Happ CHC OF – 183 $9
96 Heliot Ramos SFG OF – 218 $9
100 Ezequiel Tovar COL SS – 208 $12
102 Ozzie Albies ATL 2B – 153 $5
105 Xander Bogaerts SDP SS – 239 $5
106 Brenton Doyle COL OF – 168 $7
110 Otto Lopez MIA 2B/SS – 229 $5
116 Daylen Lile WSN OF – 206 $5
123 Caleb Durbin BOS 2B/3B – 224 $4
124 Noelvi Marte CIN 3B/OF – 142 $0
125 Masyn Winn STL SS – 326 $7
131 Ramon Laureano SDP OF – 223 $3
133 TJ Friedl CIN OF – 263 $3
134 Royce Lewis MIN 3B – 185 $6
135 Andres Gimenez TOR 2B/SS – 373 $5
143 Jackson Holliday BAL 2B/SS ▲11 199 -$1
155 Joey Ortiz MIL SS – 744 $3
169 Harrison Bader SFG OF – 504 $1
170 Connor Norby MIA 3B – 725 -$3
177 Austin Hays CHW OF – 630 -$3
183 J.P. Crawford SEA SS – 747 -$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 – 77 $13
60 Bo Bichette NYM SS – 95 $17
75 Corey Seager TEX SS – 95 $12
83 Yandy Diaz TBR 1B – 137 $15
88 Tyler Soderstrom ATH 1B/OF – 83 $10
91 Alex Bregman CHC 3B – 118 $9
93 Alec Burleson STL 1B/OF – 177 $11
95 Jackson Merrill SDP OF – 70 $15
111 Jonathan Aranda TBR 1B – 196 $9
112 Bryan Reynolds PIT OF – 204 $5
114 Gleyber Torres DET 2B – 249 $6
140 Jordan Beck COL OF – 231 $4
154 Jordan Westburg BAL 2B/3B – 549 -$2
162 Carlos Correa HOU 3B/SS – 283 $1
164 Nolan Arenado ARI 3B – 675 $2
167 Nolan Schanuel LAA 1B – 582 $4
182 Josh Bell MIN 1B – 654 $1
186 Spencer Steer CIN 1B/OF – 328 -$10
199 Jeff McNeil ATH 2B/OF – 485 $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 – 129 $15
62 Austin Riley ATL 3B – 62 $16
80 Michael Busch CHC 1B – 106 $12
82 Jo Adell LAA OF – 119 $12
86 Taylor Ward BAL OF – 150 $12
97 Spencer Torkelson DET 1B – 183 $8
101 Willson Contreras BOS 1B – 168 $8
104 Christian Walker HOU 1B – 209 $3
107 Kyle Stowers MIA OF – 133 $8
113 Addison Barger TOR 3B/OF – 196 $2
117 Daulton Varsho TOR OF – 199 $9
118 Jake Burger TEX 1B – 238 $7
126 Brandon Lowe PIT 2B – 183 $1
132 Isaac Paredes HOU 3B – 238 -$1
136 Jorge Polanco NYM 2B/3B – 213 $4
146 Marcell Ozuna PIT DH – 364 -$1
151 Mike Trout LAA OF – 179 $4
159 Andrew Vaughn MIL 1B – 280 -$1
163 Miguel Vargas CHW 1B/3B – 299 $1
168 Giancarlo Stanton NYY OF – 257 -$5
172 Josh Jung TEX 3B – 631 -$2
174 Trent Grisham NYY OF – 251 $0
175 Jac Caglianone KCR 1B/OF – 180 -$1
178 Colson Montgomery CHW 3B/SS – 245 $2
187 Max Muncy LAD 3B – 241 -$5
188 Kazuma Okamoto TOR 3B – $6
200 Brooks Lee MIN 2B/3B/SS – 522 -$1

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 $
78 Jakob Marsee MIA OF – 138 $5
144 Victor Scott II STL OF – 367 -$1
185 Jordan Lawlar ARI 2B/3B – 269 -$5
192 Chase Meidroth CHW 2B/SS – 633 -$3
195 Luisangel Acuna CHW 2B/3B/SS – 422 -$8

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 – 192 $13
108 Luis Arraez SFG 1B/2B – 283 $7
137 Ernie Clement TOR 1B/2B/3B/SS – 346 $6
145 Alec Bohm PHI 1B/3B – 245 $7
157 Jung Hoo Lee SFG OF – 349 $3
171 Brendan Donovan SEA 2B/SS/OF – 269 $1

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 – 90 $12
66 Oneil Cruz PIT OF – 95 $9
70 Willy Adames SFG SS – 130 $12
72 Luis Robert Jr. NYM OF – 106 $10
73 Dansby Swanson CHC SS – 149 $10
85 Adolis Garcia PHI OF – 217 $12
92 Matt Chapman SFG 3B – 165 $12
99 Dylan Crews WSN OF – 173 $7
109 Matt McLain CIN 2B/SS – 164 $6
115 Colton Cowser BAL OF – 254 $1
120 Munetaka Murakami CHW 1B – $9
153 Marcus Semien NYM 2B – 260 $5
191 Anthony Volpe NYY SS – 633 -$5

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 – 104 $11
87 Bryson Stott PHI 2B/SS – 186 $7
98 Xavier Edwards MIA 2B/SS – 186 $6
138 Sal Frelick MIL OF – 217 $0
139 Chandler Simpson TBR OF – 184 $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 $
103 Adley Rutschman BAL C – 151 $13
121 J.T. Realmuto PHI C – 214 $8
122 Alejandro Kirk TOR C – 158 $9
130 Gabriel Moreno ARI C – 180 $8
147 Austin Wells NYY C – 256 $5
148 Ryan Jeffers MIN C – 306 $7
152 Francisco Alvarez NYM C – 168 $8
158 Dillon Dingler DET C – 267 $2
161 Kyle Teel CHW C – 230 $0
165 Logan O'Hoppe LAA C – 245 $3
176 Tyler Stephenson CIN C – 281 $1
179 Willi Castro COL 2B/3B/SS/OF – 259 $1
189 Carter Jensen KCR C – $1
193 Bo Naylor CLE C – 647 $2
194 Patrick Bailey SFG C – 746 $0
198 Carlos Narvaez BOS C – 414 -$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 $
127 Kerry Carpenter DET OF – 235 $6
128 Wilyer Abreu BOS OF – 206 $4
129 Evan Carter TEX OF – 279 -$3
141 Luis Garcia Jr. WSN 2B – 253 $2
142 Josh Lowe LAA OF – 305 $2
150 Mickey Moniak COL OF – 246 $6
156 Brandon Marsh PHI OF – 646 -$1
160 Ryan O'Hearn PIT 1B/OF – 281 $1
180 Kyle Manzardo CLE 1B – 246 $0
184 Cedric Mullins TBR OF – 324 -$4
190 Colt Keith DET 1B/2B/3B – 453 -$2
196 Matt Wallner MIN OF – 364 -$1

Time Shares

Time Shares
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
149 Sal Stewart CIN 1B/3B – 176 $4
197 Jose Caballero NYY 2B/3B/SS/OF – 205 -$11

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 $
119 Konnor Griffin PIT SS – $6
166 Jonathan Wetherholt STL SS – $2
173 Justin Crawford PHI OF – $3
181 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 $47
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 – 9 $28
7 Julio Rodriguez SEA OF – 10 $30
8 Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL OF – 5 $33
9 Kyle Tucker LAD OF – 13 $30
10 Fernando Tatis Jr. SDP OF – 14 $28
11 Gunnar Henderson BAL SS – 12 $28
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 $22
17 Junior Caminero TBR 3B – 17 $28
18 Corbin Carroll ARI OF – 15 $27
19 Zach Neto LAA SS – 30 $23
20 Nick Kurtz ATH 1B – 19 $22
21 Jazz Chisholm Jr. NYY 2B/3B – 20 $15
22 Pete Crow-Armstrong CHC OF – 32 $23
23 Brent Rooker ATH OF – 44 $24
24 William Contreras MIL C – 55 $22
25 Pete Alonso BAL 1B – 25 $24
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 $17
30 James Wood WSN OF – 35 $19
31 Francisco Lindor NYM SS – 26 $21
32 Mookie Betts LAD SS – 58 $20
33 Shea Langeliers ATH C – 55 $21
34 CJ Abrams WSN SS – 65 $16
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 – 65 $23
39 Christian Yelich MIL OF – 126 $12
40 Byron Buxton MIN OF – 72 $15
41 Freddie Freeman LAD 1B – 67 $20
42 Randy Arozarena SEA OF – 90 $12
43 Brice Turang MIL 2B – 51 $10
44 Trevor Story BOS SS – 109 $16
45 Ivan Herrera STL C – 171 $22
46 Ben Rice NYY C/1B – 54 $19
47 Rafael Devers SFG 1B – 59 $17
48 Eugenio Suarez CIN 3B – 100 $12
49 Geraldo Perdomo ARI SS – 77 $16
50 Michael Harris II ATL OF – 100 $15
51 Jarren Duran BOS OF – 67 $10
52 Salvador Perez KCR C/1B – 92 $19
53 Cody Bellinger NYY 1B/OF – 80 $16
54 George Springer TOR OF – 93 $13
55 Agustin Ramirez MIA C – 84 $13
56 Nico Hoerner CHC 2B/SS – 104 $11
57 Maikel Garcia KCR 2B/3B/SS/OF – 66 $15
58 Vinnie Pasquantino KCR 1B – 77 $13
59 Riley Greene DET OF – 78 $18
60 Bo Bichette NYM SS – 95 $17
61 Teoscar Hernandez LAD OF – 129 $15
62 Austin Riley ATL 3B – 62 $16
63 Drake Baldwin ATL C – 80 $19
64 Roman Anthony BOS OF – 52 $12
65 Jeremy Pena HOU SS – 114 $11
66 Oneil Cruz PIT OF – 95 $9
67 Andy Pages LAD OF – 134 $13
68 Steven Kwan CLE OF – 169 $11
69 Lawrence Butler ATH OF – 158 $10
70 Willy Adames SFG SS – 130 $12
71 Jose Altuve HOU 2B/OF – 115 $10
72 Luis Robert Jr. NYM OF – 106 $10
73 Dansby Swanson CHC SS – 149 $10
74 Ceddanne Rafaela BOS 2B/OF – 129 $11
75 Corey Seager TEX SS – 95 $12
76 Yainer Diaz HOU C – 111 $14
77 Brandon Nimmo TEX OF – 143 $7
78 Jakob Marsee MIA OF – 138 $5
79 Seiya Suzuki CHC OF – 99 $11
80 Michael Busch CHC 1B – 106 $12
81 Samuel Basallo BAL C – 172 $7
82 Jo Adell LAA OF – 119 $12
83 Yandy Diaz TBR 1B – 137 $15
84 Will Smith LAD C – 98 $13
85 Adolis Garcia PHI OF – 217 $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 Luke Keaschall MIN 2B – 123 $6
90 Ian Happ CHC OF – 183 $9
91 Alex Bregman CHC 3B – 118 $9
92 Matt Chapman SFG 3B – 165 $12
93 Alec Burleson STL 1B/OF – 177 $11
94 Jacob Wilson ATH SS – 192 $13
95 Jackson Merrill SDP OF – 70 $15
96 Heliot Ramos SFG OF – 218 $9
97 Spencer Torkelson DET 1B – 183 $8
98 Xavier Edwards MIA 2B/SS – 186 $6
99 Dylan Crews WSN OF – 173 $7
100 Ezequiel Tovar COL SS – 208 $12
101 Willson Contreras BOS 1B – 168 $8
102 Ozzie Albies ATL 2B – 153 $5
103 Adley Rutschman BAL C – 151 $13
104 Christian Walker HOU 1B – 209 $3
105 Xander Bogaerts SDP SS – 239 $5
106 Brenton Doyle COL OF – 168 $7
107 Kyle Stowers MIA OF – 133 $8
108 Luis Arraez SFG 1B/2B – 283 $7
109 Matt McLain CIN 2B/SS – 164 $6
110 Otto Lopez MIA 2B/SS – 229 $5
111 Jonathan Aranda TBR 1B – 196 $9
112 Bryan Reynolds PIT OF – 204 $5
113 Addison Barger TOR 3B/OF – 196 $2
114 Gleyber Torres DET 2B – 249 $6
115 Colton Cowser BAL OF – 254 $1
116 Daylen Lile WSN OF – 206 $5
117 Daulton Varsho TOR OF – 199 $9
118 Jake Burger TEX 1B – 238 $7
119 Konnor Griffin PIT SS – $6
120 Munetaka Murakami CHW 1B – $9
121 J.T. Realmuto PHI C – 214 $8
122 Alejandro Kirk TOR C – 158 $9
123 Caleb Durbin BOS 2B/3B – 224 $4
124 Noelvi Marte CIN 3B/OF – 142 $0
125 Masyn Winn STL SS – 326 $7
126 Brandon Lowe PIT 2B – 183 $1
127 Kerry Carpenter DET OF – 235 $6
128 Wilyer Abreu BOS OF – 206 $4
129 Evan Carter TEX OF – 279 -$3
130 Gabriel Moreno ARI C – 180 $8
131 Ramon Laureano SDP OF – 223 $3
132 Isaac Paredes HOU 3B – 238 -$1
133 TJ Friedl CIN OF – 263 $3
134 Royce Lewis MIN 3B – 185 $6
135 Andres Gimenez TOR 2B/SS – 373 $5
136 Jorge Polanco NYM 2B/3B – 213 $4
137 Ernie Clement TOR 1B/2B/3B/SS – 346 $6
138 Sal Frelick MIL OF – 217 $0
139 Chandler Simpson TBR OF – 184 $3
140 Jordan Beck COL OF – 231 $4
141 Luis Garcia Jr. WSN 2B – 253 $2
142 Josh Lowe LAA OF – 305 $2
143 Jackson Holliday BAL 2B/SS ▲11 199 -$1
144 Victor Scott II STL OF – 367 -$1
145 Alec Bohm PHI 1B/3B – 245 $7
146 Marcell Ozuna PIT DH – 364 -$1
147 Austin Wells NYY C – 256 $5
148 Ryan Jeffers MIN C – 306 $7
149 Sal Stewart CIN 1B/3B – 176 $4
150 Mickey Moniak COL OF – 246 $6
151 Mike Trout LAA OF – 179 $4
152 Francisco Alvarez NYM C – 168 $8
153 Marcus Semien NYM 2B – 260 $5
154 Jordan Westburg BAL 2B/3B – 549 -$2
155 Joey Ortiz MIL SS – 744 $3
156 Brandon Marsh PHI OF – 646 -$1
157 Jung Hoo Lee SFG OF – 349 $3
158 Dillon Dingler DET C – 267 $2
159 Andrew Vaughn MIL 1B – 280 -$1
160 Ryan O'Hearn PIT 1B/OF – 281 $1
161 Kyle Teel CHW C – 230 $0
162 Carlos Correa HOU 3B/SS – 283 $1
163 Miguel Vargas CHW 1B/3B – 299 $1
164 Nolan Arenado ARI 3B – 675 $2
165 Logan O'Hoppe LAA C – 245 $3
166 Jonathan Wetherholt STL SS – $2
167 Nolan Schanuel LAA 1B – 582 $4
168 Giancarlo Stanton NYY OF – 257 -$5
169 Harrison Bader SFG OF – 504 $1
170 Connor Norby MIA 3B – 725 -$3
171 Brendan Donovan SEA 2B/SS/OF – 269 $1
172 Josh Jung TEX 3B – 631 -$2
173 Justin Crawford PHI OF – $3
174 Trent Grisham NYY OF – 251 $0
175 Jac Caglianone KCR 1B/OF – 180 -$1
176 Tyler Stephenson CIN C – 281 $1
177 Austin Hays CHW OF – 630 -$3
178 Colson Montgomery CHW 3B/SS – 245 $2
179 Willi Castro COL 2B/3B/SS/OF – 259 $1
180 Kyle Manzardo CLE 1B – 246 $0
181 Kevin McGonigle DET SS – $4
182 Josh Bell MIN 1B – 654 $1
183 J.P. Crawford SEA SS – 747 -$5
184 Cedric Mullins TBR OF – 324 -$4
185 Jordan Lawlar ARI 2B/3B – 269 -$5
186 Spencer Steer CIN 1B/OF – 328 -$10
187 Max Muncy LAD 3B – 241 -$5
188 Kazuma Okamoto TOR 3B – $6
189 Carter Jensen KCR C – $1
190 Colt Keith DET 1B/2B/3B – 453 -$2
191 Anthony Volpe NYY SS – 633 -$5
192 Chase Meidroth CHW 2B/SS – 633 -$3
193 Bo Naylor CLE C – 647 $2
194 Patrick Bailey SFG C – 746 $0
195 Luisangel Acuna CHW 2B/3B/SS – 422 -$8
196 Matt Wallner MIN OF – 364 -$1
197 Jose Caballero NYY 2B/3B/SS/OF – 205 -$11
198 Carlos Narvaez BOS C – 414 -$2
199 Jeff McNeil ATH 2B/OF – 485 $2
200 Brooks Lee MIN 2B/3B/SS – 522 -$1


Outfield 2026 Fantasy Rankings

by
March 19, 2026


David Banks-Imagn Images

Changelog

  • 12/19/2025 – First Release
  • 1/7/2026 – Update with summaries for Harris, Pages, Anthony, Lile, Burleson, Trout, Wood, Rooker, Langford, and Chourio.
  • 1/22/2026 – Update with summaries for Schwarber, Alvarez, Buxton, Yelich, Arozarena, Duran, Garcia, Bellinger, Altuve, and Hernandez.
  • 2/02/2026 – Update and summaries for Cowser, Steer, Frelick, Carter, Soderstrom, Garcia, Friedl, and Laureano
  • 2/10/2026 – Small update
  • 2/12/2026 – Several items
    • Summaries for Abreu, Varsho, Springer, and Lowe
    • Updated ADP data from NFBC Draft Champions to NFBC Online Championships.
    • Changed the threshold for the amount a player moved in the rankings to 5 spots.
  • 2/24/2026 – Small update, no real changes.
  • 3/12/2026 – Small update with more injury information
  • 3/19/2026 – Not much movement at the top, but some at the bottom.

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 Aaron Judge NYY OF – 2 $37
2 Juan Soto NYM OF – 5 $36
3 Julio Rodriguez SEA OF – 10 $30
4 Kyle Tucker LAD OF – 13 $30
5 Fernando Tatis Jr. SDP OF – 14 $28
6 Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL OF – 5 $33
10 Corbin Carroll ARI OF – 15 $27

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 $
9 Pete Crow-Armstrong CHC OF – 32 $23
11 Brent Rooker ATH OF – 44 $24
12 James Wood WSN OF – 35 $19
14 Yordan Alvarez HOU OF – 33 $20

Pete Crow-Armstrong is going to be a divisive player in drafts. First, he’s way better in Roto using batting average with the extra emphasis on stolen bases and no downgrade for a sub-300 OBP. He has the potential to be a platoon bat(career .769 OPS vs RHP, .591 OPS vs LHP), but his elite defense will keep him on the field. Running some comps, they point to a career similar to Javier Báez and Rougned Odor.

Brent Rooker is no longer an enigma; he’s a steady source of 30 HR or more with 180 Runs+RBI. This past season, he seems to have traded off a hit of power (91.9 avgEV to 90.7) for more contact (68% Contact% to 72%). He even throws in a half dozen stolen bases.

Which James Wood will show up this season? The one who hit 24 HR with a .915 OPS in the first half or the one with just 7 HR and a .690 OPS (39% K%) in the second half. I dug and could not find why his Contact% dropped from 72% to 65%. Think of the hype if the halves were switched. Wood’s bat speed and the subsequent batted balls are comparable to the league’s best hitters. Depending on his Contact%, his range of outcomes could be a 50 HR hitter or a frustration who will dominate for a few weeks but be a drag for the rest of the season (see Oneil Cruz).

After three straight seasons of 30+ home runs, Yordan Alvarez’s injured ankle caused him to miss most of last season. I’m worried it’s not 100% healthy, since the team says he will be the primary DH. Besides the injury, his home run per flyball rate has dropped in each of the last three seasons (25% to 21% to 16% to 10%). High risk play. Note: Could be Util-only in league with a 20-game minimum.

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 $
7 Jackson Chourio MIL OF – 19 $24
13 Wyatt Langford TEX OF – 41 $18
15 Byron Buxton MIN OF – 72 $15
17 Jarren Duran BOS OF – 67 $10
20 Michael Harris II ATL OF – 100 $15
26 Christian Yelich MIL OF – 126 $12

Jackson Chourio has almost the exact same stats over the last two seasons, down to the seven caught stealings, four triples, and three hit-by-pitches. Some growth should be expected from the 21-year-old, but how much and when are the keys. One issue is that he might be slowing down with a 0.5 ft/s loss in Sprint Speed and only six stolen base attempts in the second half compared to 22 in the first half. In 2024, he was the 40th overall player and 59th last year, according to our player rater. That’s a nice floor. The key will be if he can improve on the 20 HR power AND continue to steal bases.

The arrows are heading in all directions with Wyatt Langford. He improved his power (43% HardHit% to 48%), but his contact rate got worse (80% Contact% to 76%). He stole more bases (19 SB to 22) with a slower Sprint Speed (29.8 ft/s to 28.9). Additionally, he missed time twice for oblique injuries while playing through them before taking time off. He quit running as much in the second half (15 SB vs 7), and maybe he didn’t want to re-injure the oblique. It’s tough to evaluate him with so many moving parts. The 24-year-old will be useful, but the way and amount are still up in the air.

Byron Buxton finally stayed “healthy” (126 games, highest since 2017) and posted the season everyone hoped he could (35 HR, 24 SB, .264 AVG). Besides health, there was no real skill improvement or degradation.

Jarren Duran regressed a bit after a career year in 2024, but still hit 24 HR with 24 SB. I’m not sure there is another gear for the 29-year-old. He seemed to sell out for power, with his average exit velocity up 1 mph and his average launch angle up 2.5 degrees. At the same time, his Contact% dropped over 4% points.

The projections love Michael Harris II as a 20/20 talent with a positive batting average. Those projections are of no help to the fantasy managers who started the 24-year-old when he hit .210/.234/.317 with 6 HR in the first half last season. Around the All-Star game, he changed his swing and hit .299/.315/.530 in the second half. One factor keeping his fantasy value down is that he’ll be hitting at the bottom of the Braves lineup, thereby suppressing his plate appearances.

Christian Yelich hit over 20 HR (29) for the first time since 2019. At 34-years-old, no one seems to be buying a breakout with a full season, career high 26% K%, and career-low 90.2 mph Average Exit Velocity. Besides not hitting the ball as hard, his 2 degree Launch Angle was the lowest since his rookie season. Note: He might only be Utility-only in leagues that require 20 games for a position.

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 $
8 Kyle Schwarber PHI OF – 24 $23

Kyle Schwarber knocks the crap out of the ball. Since the shift was banned, he’s been posting better batting averages, removing his one weakness.

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 $
18 Cody Bellinger NYY 1B/OF – 80 $16
19 George Springer TOR OF – 93 $13
21 Roman Anthony BOS OF – 52 $12
22 Maikel Garcia KCR 2B/3B/SS/OF – 66 $15
27 Andy Pages LAD OF – 134 $13
28 Steven Kwan CLE OF – 169 $11
29 Lawrence Butler ATH OF – 158 $10
30 Seiya Suzuki CHC OF – 99 $11
31 Jose Altuve HOU 2B/OF – 115 $10
33 Ceddanne Rafaela BOS 2B/OF – 129 $11
34 Brandon Nimmo TEX OF – 143 $7
39 Ian Happ CHC OF – 183 $9
42 Heliot Ramos SFG OF – 218 $9
45 Brenton Doyle COL OF – 168 $7
49 Daylen Lile WSN OF – 206 $5
50 Noelvi Marte CIN 3B/OF – 142 $0
55 Ramon Laureano SDP OF – 223 $3
56 TJ Friedl CIN OF – 263 $3
68 Harrison Bader SFG OF – 504 $1
72 Austin Hays CHW OF – 630 -$3
84 Josh Smith TEX 1B/3B/SS/OF – 481 -$7
85 Cam Smith HOU OF ▲11 381 -$5
87 Lars Nootbaar STL OF – 736 -$4
94 Jonathan India KCR 2B/3B/OF ▼5 604 -$10
96 Luis Rengifo MIL 2B/3B/OF – 620 -$11
103 Alek Thomas ARI OF – -$11
105 Kyle Isbel KCR OF – -$7
110 Jasson Dominguez NYY OF – 323 -$27

Cody Bellinger raised his launch angle and hit for more power, leading to a six-year high of 29 HR. The problem is that he’s had similar power strokes, and they’ve quickly disappeared. Additionally, last season was the first time he accumulated over 600 PA since 2019. With such variance, pay for the projection, knowing the results are hopefully better but could be way worse.

After a career-best season, George Springer is hoping for a repeat, and if so, it would be a historic first.

Usually, top prospects get all the love, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with Roman Anthony going after pick 50. While he only hit 8 HR in just over 300 PA, signs point to elite power. He led the league with a 60% HardHit%. He was fifth in the league with a 94.5% avgEV. He hit 27 Barrels, but only 8 of them went for HR (normally 1 HR for every two Barrels). The 21-year-old’s only weakness was a 28% K%.Upside of 30 HR.

After being a speed-only option in his first two seasons, Maikel Garcia hit 16 HR in 2025. He didn’t hit the ball harder, but he started elevating (6 deg to 10 deg LA, 49% GB% to 43% GB%) and pulling (33% Pull% to 39% Pull%) the ball more. Hopefully, he keeps or improves on those gains. In most leagues, he will only qualify at third base.

The last memory of Andy Pages is of his post-season struggles (.078 AVG) and benching. I examined similar players and found that a horrible postseason doesn’t affect the hitter’s next season’s production (article coming later this week). The market disagrees on his projection (.255 AVG, 25 HR, 10 SB), so take the discount and roster away.

Steven Kwan is a consistent source of batting average and steals with at least double-digit home runs.

After a breakout 2024 campaign, Lawrence Butler took a step back, likely because of a couple of knee injuries, one chronic. Additionally, he started getting platooned to end the season. Mute expectations because his talent and playing time could be at risk.

Seiya Suzuki’s power took a step forward with 35 HR being a possible outcome if he can stay on the field. The rest of his profile shows no signs of aging.

Jose Altuve posted a career-low (excluding 2020) batting average (.262 AVG) along with his lowest stolen base total in four years (10 SB). He posted nearly the same line in three of the past four seasons. I expect the same or worse results as he ages.

While his surface stats don’t show it, Ceddanne Rafaela took a major step forward in 2025.

Boring, old Brandon Nimmo has shown no signs of slowing down, and the change in home park could boost his production.

While Ian Happ’s hitting skills should repeat, his stolen base skills are deteriorating, and 5 SB might be his upside.

Heliot Ramos has settled into 20 HR to 25 HR with a half dozen stolen bases and a .260 AVG. He was able to post a career-low 23% K% to help keep his batting average up. Otherwise, he hasn’t changed, and he become a consistent productive player.

The 2025 season was a turbulent season for Brenton Doyle on and off the field. I’m going to give him a mulligan and rewind to his 2025 projections.

Daylen Lile may not have one standout trait, but he doesn’t seem to have a weakness besides being on the Nationals. Projections have him around a 15/15 guy with a .270 AVG (Jeremy Pena/Otto Lopez production, but 100 picks later). He ended the season hitting cleanup and sat against just one of the last seven lefties the team faced. Nice sleeper.

Over his first three seasons, Noelvi Marte showed several different versions of himself, with any narrative having an explanation. His value is tough to set beyond a basic projection.

If Ramón Laureano can keep the contact and power gains he made in 2025 while playing a full season, he becomes a solid sleeper

TJ Friedl is a high-variance play in home runs and stolen bases. When looking at his projections, I would take the over in home runs and the under in stolen bases.

Jasson Domínguez has struggled to live up to the hype surrounding him. In 2025, he was better than an average hitter (103 wRC+), but wasn’t good enough to crack a healthy Yankees outfield. With Bellinger gone, he is back in the outfield mix even after being the fifth-worst fielding outfielder according to Baseball Savant’s Out-Above-Average. (Note: As of December 18th, he is just hitting .184/.304/.263 in the Dominican Winter League).

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 $
25 Jackson Merrill SDP OF – 70 $15
40 Alec Burleson STL 1B/OF – 177 $11
46 Bryan Reynolds PIT OF – 204 $5
60 Jordan Beck COL OF – 231 $4
76 Spencer Steer CIN 1B/OF – 328 -$10
79 Jeff McNeil ATH 2B/OF – 485 $2
91 Andrew Benintendi CHW OF – 743 -$3
112 Miguel Andujar SDP 3B/OF – 736 -$11

I was fully invested in Jackson Merrill last season, and that idea did not go as planned. After being a five-category contributor in 2024 (24 HR, 16 SB, .292 AVG), he was barely replacement-level in 2025 (16 HR, 1 SB, .264 AVG). He ranked as the 59th outfielder, just ahead of Gavin Sheets. Before a June concussion, he was batting .304/.349/.474 with 5 HR and 1 SB (2 CS) in 186 PA. After returning from the concussion and until an ankle injury, he hit just .219/.286/.354. And when he returned from the ankle injury, he hit .275/.320/.626 with 7 HR in September. I’m not sure the steals will return, so pay or a .280 AVG with 25 HR. A Yandy Díaz or Corey Seager clone.

With the trade of Willson Contreras to the Red Sox, Alec Burleson takes over first base duties for the Cardinals. The 27-year-old improved both his Contact% (83% to 84%) and Hardhit% (41% to 43%) last year. The increase in hard contact led to a career-high .290 AVG and .169 ISO. While he didn’t get platooned to end last season, it is a possibility (career .606 OPS vs LHP, .775 OPS vs RHP).

If Bryan Reynolds’s shoulder heals, I could see him return to 25 HR and double-digit steals instead of the projected 20 HR/6 SB. I want to see him playing in the field and attempting steals in Spring Training to show that his shoulder is no longer an issue.

A shoulder injury ruined the first two months of Spencer Steer’s season, but he turned it around. With his current projections, I might expect a higher batting average and home runs but fewer stolen bases.

Power Focused (Pick Your Poison Tiers)

The major contribution from these hitters is home runs. The major contribution from these hitters is stolen bases.
Power Focused (Pick Your Poison Tiers)
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
23 Riley Greene DET OF – 78 $18
24 Teoscar Hernandez LAD OF – 129 $15
36 Jo Adell LAA OF – 119 $12
38 Taylor Ward BAL OF – 150 $12
44 Kyle Stowers MIA OF – 133 $8
47 Addison Barger TOR 3B/OF – 196 $2
51 Daulton Varsho TOR OF – 199 $9
63 Mike Trout LAA OF – 179 $4
67 Giancarlo Stanton NYY OF – 257 -$5
70 Trent Grisham NYY OF – 251 $0
71 Jac Caglianone KCR 1B/OF – 180 -$1
74 Kody Clemens MIN 1B/2B/OF – 703 -$20
92 Jorge Soler LAA OF – 668 -$4
98 Tyler O’Neill BAL OF – 521 -$3
104 Owen Caissie MIA OF – 592 -$9

Riley Greene has transitioned into a solid power option against righties (32 HR vs RHP, 4 HR vs LHP). Even as the 25-year-old struggled against lefties (career .680 OPS vs LHP, .825 OPS vs RHP), the Tigers started him in 157 games. The 30 HR power is legit, but he has a couple of flaws. He struckout 31% of the time last year as he struggled with fastballs (12% SwStr%). Additionally, I don’t expect him to start stealing bases with his Sprint Speed dropping from 28.1 ft/s (71st percentile) to 27.7 ft/s (59th percentile) to 26.7 ft/s (31st percentile) over the past three seasons.

Teoscar Hernandez is more well-rounded than just a power bat by chipping in a few stolen bases and ~.250 AVG. The 33-year-old’s power has been on a steady five-year decline. If the decline continues, he could be closer to 20 HR than his projected mid-to-high 20 HR totals.

Jo Adell may have improved his plate discipline enough to be a consistent home run threat.

Taylor Ward is projected for ~25 HR, 5 SB, and a .245 AVG. I could see bumping the home run number up to 30, but not any more.

Kyle Stowers turned his career around with career bests in power and contact metrics. He should be good for 25 HR to 35 HR. His batting average could dip as his BABIP regresses downward, but at least the average isn’t a major drain like in his first two seasons.

After coming off shoulder surgery, Daulton Varsho traded off contact for more power. He could be a source of 30+ HR and dozen or so stolen bases but a drain in batting average.

Over the past three seasons, Mike Trout has averaged 18 HR, 3 SB, and a .232 AVG. Those results are similar to those of Max Kepler and Kody Clemens. And I’m not sure of Trout’s upside at this point. He’s not running. A ballooning strikeout rate (32% last season) limits his batting average. Maybe managers will latch onto his late-season swing changes to make him more than a bench streamer.

Trent Grisham improved in two ways to help him the most: make more contact (80% Contact%, 2nd highest of his career) and hit the ball harder (career-high Barrel% and HardHit%). The 34 HR were double his previous high in 2022, and now all signs point to some downward regression. His 51 Barrels would normally produce 27 HR. Projections tag him with ~25 HR. Baseball Savant has him with 27.9 xHR, and had him with 29 HR if all his batted balls were in Yankee Stadium. Also, I would not expect any stolen bases after he stole a total of four over the past two seasons. I see him around a .230 AVG, 25 HR, and 2 SB.

Fantasy managers need to have a reality check when it comes to Jac Caglianone. Since he’s only shown the ability to hit for power in the majors, he’s just an accumulator. There is no hope for more than 1 or 2 SB, but he could be a positive contributor in batting average. Or he could repeat 2025 and be nearly unplayable. Gamble away.

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 $
35 Jakob Marsee MIA OF – 138 $5
57 Victor Scott II STL OF – 367 -$1
89 Jake Meyers HOU OF – 744 -$6
106 Victor Robles SEA OF – 705 -$15

Jakob Marsee should be amongst the league leaders in stolen bases with double-digit home runs if given a full-time role. The biggest disagreement will be with his batting average. Will it be closer to the projections, .200 AVG to .220 AVG, or the nearly .300 AVG hitter he was in 2025.

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 $
65 Jung Hoo Lee SFG OF – 349 $3
69 Brendan Donovan SEA 2B/SS/OF – 269 $1
99 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ARI OF – 691 $0

Jung Hoo Lee: Before the season began, Lee dealt with a back issue that flared up in mid-June. His back could have bothered him for a while but after resting at the All-Star break, he hit .293/.345/.414 from then on. While he should post a great batting average, all signs point to 10 HR and 10 SB. Also, he could end up getting platooned with a career .610 OPS against lefties and .756 OPS against righties.

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 $
16 Randy Arozarena SEA OF – 90 $12
32 Luis Robert Jr. NYM OF – 106 $10
37 Adolis Garcia PHI OF – 217 $12
41 Dylan Crews WSN OF – 173 $7
43 Oneil Cruz PIT OF – 95 $9
48 Colton Cowser BAL OF – 254 $1
73 Willi Castro COL 2B/3B/SS/OF – 259 $1
88 Isaac Collins KCR OF – 664 -$7
95 Jordan Walker STL OF – 427 -$5
100 Christopher Morel MIA OF – -$11
101 Wenceel Perez DET OF ▼7 747 -$11

During his age-30 season, Randy Arozarena may have posted his career year with highs in plate appearances (709 PA) and home runs (27 HR). At the same time, his .238 AVG was a drag. Besides the $7 he earned in 2024, he’s earned at least $17 in every season since 2021. Steady add.

While Luis Robert has been a 30/30 “full-time” player over his career, he doesn’t play enough to reach that level. Roster only if getting an extreme discount.

The 32-year-old Adolis Garcia has struggled for two straight seasons while dealing with several injuries. He’s going to need to stop and reverse several negative trends as he ages into his mid-30’s.

As Dylan Crews enters in age-24 season, he needs to show improvement with his power and/or contact skills to take a step forward to be at least a league-average hitter (77 wRC+ in ’15). His steals can be valuable as long as he’s not a drain in other categories. If he were on a better team, there would be a risk of a demotion, but the Nationals will have nothing to play for and will keep sending him out.

Oneil Cruz needs to improve in several areas (health, platoon issues, strikeout rate) while not backtracking in any other area. He is a solid source of power and speed. Just make sure to have a solid batting average in place before adding him.

It’ll be tough to target Colton Cowser since he’s a platoon bat with major contact issues. If a fantasy team is set on batting average, he could be an option for his home run and stolen bases.

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 $
58 Sal Frelick MIL OF – 217 $0
59 Chandler Simpson TBR OF – 184 $3
117 Jake Mangum PIT OF – 650 -$10

Sal Frelick took a positive step forward in both his contact and hard hit rates last season. The key for him going forward is maintaining or improving on them … and not regressing backwards.

Only a narrow roto build will fully utilize Chandler Simpson’s skills. He does feel like a corrective action if a team misses on steals and needs to catch up.

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 $
52 Kerry Carpenter DET OF – 235 $6
53 Wilyer Abreu BOS OF – 206 $4
54 Evan Carter TEX OF – 279 -$3
61 Josh Lowe LAA OF – 305 $2
62 Mickey Moniak COL OF – 246 $6
64 Brandon Marsh PHI OF – 646 -$1
66 Ryan O’Hearn PIT 1B/OF – 281 $1
75 Cedric Mullins TBR OF – 324 -$4
77 Matt Wallner MIN OF – 364 -$1
80 Dominic Canzone SEA OF – 479 -$7
81 Jesus Sanchez TOR OF – 585 -$5
82 Trevor Larnach MIN OF ▲5 747 -$9
83 Tommy Edman LAD 2B/3B/OF – 727 -$2
90 Nick Castellanos SDP OF – 605 -$11
93 Mike Yastrzemski ATL OF ▲6 656 -$6
97 Parker Meadows DET OF ▼17 -$9
102 Gavin Sheets SDP 1B/OF – 725 -$7
113 Javier Baez DET 2B/3B/SS/OF – 743 -$10
115 Jake Fraley TBR OF – -$9
119 Nathan Lukes TOR OF – -$15
120 Luke Raley SEA 1B/OF – -$14

While a strong-side platoon bat, the consistent Kerry Carpenter is a solid bet to hit around a .265 AVG with 25 HR.

Wilyer Abreu is a solid platoon bat whose upside is limited until he can prove that he can hit lefties.

A significant platoon disadvantage and checkered injury history limits Evan Carter’s upside.

Hopefully, Josh Lowe improves from his 2025 season, where he struggled in all aspects of his game, but I have little hope the Angels can help him rebound.

Mickey Moniak has turned into a solid platoon bat (career .497 OPS vs LHP, .760 OPS vs RHP) with some decent road numbers (career .745 OPS at home, .701 on the road, 92 wRC+ for both). He took a step forward in 2025 with a 74% Contact% and 45% HardHit%, both career highs. With more and harder contact, he hit 24 HR with a .270 AVG. I could see a repeat of the 25 HR with a solid .260 AVG with six to 12 stolen bases.

Parker Meadows is heading in the wrong direction. His HardHit% and Contact% have dropped every season. Prorating his 213 PA (missed time due to arm and quad injuries) to 639 PA, he is at 12 HR and 12 SB with a .215 AVG. The team has sat him against lefties (.502 OPS in ’25), but he’s not been good against righties (.653 OPS in ’25). I’d prefer to add him late and use him as a bench streaming option.

Time Shares

These hitters don’t have a set role just yet, but have the skills to be positive fantasy contributors.
Time Shares
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
78 Jose Caballero NYY 2B/3B/SS/OF – 205 -$11
86 Dylan Beavers BAL OF – 431 -$8
107 Zach McKinstry DET 2B/3B/SS/OF – 493 -$11
108 Gavin Lux TBR 2B/3B/OF – 747 -$13
109 Tyler Freeman COL 2B/OF – 747 -$14
111 Jake McCarthy COL OF – 608 -$9
114 Brooks Baldwin CHW 2B/3B/SS/OF – 747 -$10
116 Garrett Mitchell MIL OF – 691 -$9
118 Mauricio Dubon ATL 2B/3B/SS/OF – 747 -$11

Combining his minor league and major league numbers, Dylan Beavers accrued 22 HR and 25 SB. Steamer600 puts him at 17 HR and 16 SB with a .243 AVG, which seems reasonable. Accruing full-time at-bats will be the biggest issue for him since the Orioles have four regular outfielders and several options at the DH spot. His 26% K% could be a drag on his batting average, like in September when he hit .167 AVG.

Full Rankings Without Tiers

No tiers. Just the rankings.
Full Rankings Without Tiers
Rank Name Team Pos Change ADP $
1 Aaron Judge NYY OF – 2 $37
2 Juan Soto NYM OF – 5 $36
3 Julio Rodriguez SEA OF – 10 $30
4 Kyle Tucker LAD OF – 13 $30
5 Fernando Tatis Jr. SDP OF – 14 $28
6 Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL OF – 5 $33
7 Jackson Chourio MIL OF – 19 $24
8 Kyle Schwarber PHI OF – 24 $23
9 Pete Crow-Armstrong CHC OF – 32 $23
10 Corbin Carroll ARI OF – 15 $27
11 Brent Rooker ATH OF – 44 $24
12 James Wood WSN OF – 35 $19
13 Wyatt Langford TEX OF – 41 $18
14 Yordan Alvarez HOU OF – 33 $20
15 Byron Buxton MIN OF – 72 $15
16 Randy Arozarena SEA OF – 90 $12
17 Jarren Duran BOS OF – 67 $10
18 Cody Bellinger NYY 1B/OF – 80 $16
19 George Springer TOR OF – 93 $13
20 Michael Harris II ATL OF – 100 $15
21 Roman Anthony BOS OF – 52 $12
22 Maikel Garcia KCR 2B/3B/SS/OF – 66 $15
23 Riley Greene DET OF – 78 $18
24 Teoscar Hernandez LAD OF – 129 $15
25 Jackson Merrill SDP OF – 70 $15
26 Christian Yelich MIL OF – 126 $12
27 Andy Pages LAD OF – 134 $13
28 Steven Kwan CLE OF – 169 $11
29 Lawrence Butler ATH OF – 158 $10
30 Seiya Suzuki CHC OF – 99 $11
31 Jose Altuve HOU 2B/OF – 115 $10
32 Luis Robert Jr. NYM OF – 106 $10
33 Ceddanne Rafaela BOS 2B/OF – 129 $11
34 Brandon Nimmo TEX OF – 143 $7
35 Jakob Marsee MIA OF – 138 $5
36 Jo Adell LAA OF – 119 $12
37 Adolis Garcia PHI OF – 217 $12
38 Taylor Ward BAL OF – 150 $12
39 Ian Happ CHC OF – 183 $9
40 Alec Burleson STL 1B/OF – 177 $11
41 Dylan Crews WSN OF – 173 $7
42 Heliot Ramos SFG OF – 218 $9
43 Oneil Cruz PIT OF – 95 $9
44 Kyle Stowers MIA OF – 133 $8
45 Brenton Doyle COL OF – 168 $7
46 Bryan Reynolds PIT OF – 204 $5
47 Addison Barger TOR 3B/OF – 196 $2
48 Colton Cowser BAL OF – 254 $1
49 Daylen Lile WSN OF – 206 $5
50 Noelvi Marte CIN 3B/OF – 142 $0
51 Daulton Varsho TOR OF – 199 $9
52 Kerry Carpenter DET OF – 235 $6
53 Wilyer Abreu BOS OF – 206 $4
54 Evan Carter TEX OF – 279 -$3
55 Ramon Laureano SDP OF – 223 $3
56 TJ Friedl CIN OF – 263 $3
57 Victor Scott II STL OF – 367 -$1
58 Sal Frelick MIL OF – 217 $0
59 Chandler Simpson TBR OF – 184 $3
60 Jordan Beck COL OF – 231 $4
61 Josh Lowe LAA OF – 305 $2
62 Mickey Moniak COL OF – 246 $6
63 Mike Trout LAA OF – 179 $4
64 Brandon Marsh PHI OF – 646 -$1
65 Jung Hoo Lee SFG OF – 349 $3
66 Ryan O’Hearn PIT 1B/OF – 281 $1
67 Giancarlo Stanton NYY OF – 257 -$5
68 Harrison Bader SFG OF – 504 $1
69 Brendan Donovan SEA 2B/SS/OF – 269 $1
70 Trent Grisham NYY OF – 251 $0
71 Jac Caglianone KCR 1B/OF – 180 -$1
72 Austin Hays CHW OF – 630 -$3
73 Willi Castro COL 2B/3B/SS/OF – 259 $1
74 Kody Clemens MIN 1B/2B/OF – 703 -$20
75 Cedric Mullins TBR OF – 324 -$4
76 Spencer Steer CIN 1B/OF – 328 -$10
77 Matt Wallner MIN OF – 364 -$1
78 Jose Caballero NYY 2B/3B/SS/OF – 205 -$11
79 Jeff McNeil ATH 2B/OF – 485 $2
80 Dominic Canzone SEA OF – 479 -$7
81 Jesus Sanchez TOR OF – 585 -$5
82 Trevor Larnach MIN OF ▲5 747 -$9
83 Tommy Edman LAD 2B/3B/OF – 727 -$2
84 Josh Smith TEX 1B/3B/SS/OF – 481 -$7
85 Cam Smith HOU OF ▲11 381 -$5
86 Dylan Beavers BAL OF – 431 -$8
87 Lars Nootbaar STL OF – 736 -$4
88 Isaac Collins KCR OF – 664 -$7
89 Jake Meyers HOU OF – 744 -$6
90 Nick Castellanos SDP OF – 605 -$11
91 Andrew Benintendi CHW OF – 743 -$3
92 Jorge Soler LAA OF – 668 -$4
93 Mike Yastrzemski ATL OF ▲6 656 -$6
94 Jonathan India KCR 2B/3B/OF ▼5 604 -$10
95 Jordan Walker STL OF – 427 -$5
96 Luis Rengifo MIL 2B/3B/OF – 620 -$11
97 Parker Meadows DET OF ▼17 -$9
98 Tyler O’Neill BAL OF – 521 -$3
99 Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ARI OF – 691 $0
100 Christopher Morel MIA OF – -$11
101 Wenceel Perez DET OF ▼7 747 -$11
102 Gavin Sheets SDP 1B/OF – 725 -$7
103 Alek Thomas ARI OF – -$11
104 Owen Caissie MIA OF – 592 -$9
105 Kyle Isbel KCR OF – -$7
106 Victor Robles SEA OF – 705 -$15
107 Zach McKinstry DET 2B/3B/SS/OF – 493 -$11
108 Gavin Lux TBR 2B/3B/OF – 747 -$13
109 Tyler Freeman COL 2B/OF – 747 -$14
110 Jasson Dominguez NYY OF – 323 -$27
111 Jake McCarthy COL OF – 608 -$9
112 Miguel Andujar SDP 3B/OF – 736 -$11
113 Javier Baez DET 2B/3B/SS/OF – 743 -$10
114 Brooks Baldwin CHW 2B/3B/SS/OF – 747 -$10
115 Jake Fraley TBR OF – -$9
116 Garrett Mitchell MIL OF – 691 -$9
117 Jake Mangum PIT OF – 650 -$10
118 Mauricio Dubon ATL 2B/3B/SS/OF – 747 -$11
119 Nathan Lukes TOR OF – -$15
120 Luke Raley SEA 1B/OF – -$14

Mining the News (3/18/26)

by
March 18, 2026


Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

• While this blurb is directly about Seiya Suzuki, it points out that players can cut their IL stint from 10 to seven days if they don’t play in the last three Spring Training games. If a guy is not playing in a regular Spring Training game this upcoming weekend (back fields appearances don’t count), they may be headed to the IL, with a chance to be back in seven rather than 10 games.

The big question for the Cubs right now, in relation to both the WBC and the regular season, is whether Seiya Suzuki’s PCL sprain will prevent him from being available on Opening Day. The Cubs will see how Suzuki feels by the end of this weekend, and then make a decision on whether it’s an Injured List situation or not. The timing there matters, as an IL stint can be backdated by up to three days. In other words, the Cubs will want to know by this weekend whether they want to put Suzuki into the final few Cactus League games to ramp him up, or whether they need to hold him out so that they can backdate the maximum three days (and thus turn his 10-day minimum IL stint, effectively, into a 7-day minimum IL stint). Read the rest of this entry »


Jeff Zimmerman’s Tout Wars Mixed Auction Recap

by
March 17, 2026


John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

This past weekend, I participated in the Tout Wars mixed auction. I’ve been in the league for about a decade and have won the league a couple of times. Previously, when I won the league, I used a value approach, but over the last few years, the league winners have leaned stars and scrubs. After some middling performances, I needed to find a way to get back to the top. I decided to lean into the league’s tendencies and rules to get ahead.

Read the rest of this entry »


Mining the News (3/16/26)

by
March 16, 2026

Eric Canha-Imagn Images

American League

Angels

• Alek Manoah is still in the mix to make the rotation, with Jack Kochanowicz and George Klassen also being considered.

Manoah still remains the favorite, but right-hander Jack Kochanowicz has pitched well with a 2.08 ERA with one walk in 8 2/3 innings this spring to make himself a candidate for the fifth starter role, while No. 5 prospect George Klassen has also excelled with a 2.25 ERA and nine strikeouts in eight innings.

“He’s still definitely in the mix,” manager Kurt Suzuki said of Manoah. “We haven’t decided on anything. There’s a lot of guys still going, still pitching.”

Manoah still remains the favorite, but right-hander Jack Kochanowicz has pitched well with a 2.08 ERA with one walk in 8 2/3 innings this spring to make himself a candidate for the fifth starter role, while No. 5 prospect George Klassen has also excelled with a 2.25 ERA and nine strikeouts in eight innings.

“He’s still definitely in the mix,” manager Kurt Suzuki said of Manoah. “We haven’t decided on anything. There’s a lot of guys still going, still pitching.”

Read the rest of this entry »


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.

Read the rest of this entry »


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