Fantasy baseball season has officially begun. In our first 2026 fantasy baseball mock draft, we ran a 12-team head-to-head roto mock using standard 5×5 categories (AVG, HR, RBI, R, SB / W, ERA, WHIP, K, SV). The goal wasn’t perfection — it was to uncover early ADP trends, positional pressure points, and draft strategies that will shape the 2026 season.
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2026 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft
Below is a round-by-round breakdown, highlighting key picks, values, and early themes. And check out the full podcast episode with every fantasy baseball draft pick below.
Round 1 Highlights
- Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani go 1–2, as expected.
- Jose Ramirez continues to be undervalued relative to his elite five-category production and premium 3B eligibility.
- Pitchers enter the first round (Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal), signaling growing confidence in elite SP anchors.
- Junior Caminero emerges as a surprise late-Round 1 power play, reflecting confidence in his bat speed and contact quality.
Early takeaway: Elite hitters still dominate, but ace pitchers are no longer taboo in Round 1.
Round 2 Highlights
- Gunnar Henderson and Ketel Marte reinforce early positional scarcity at SS and 2B.
- Catcher value appears early with Cal Raleigh, but drafters remain split on paying up.
- Several elite outfielders slide slightly as managers prioritize infield stability.
Draft signal: Middle infield is already thinning — waiting too long is risky.
Round 3–4 Highlights
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto becomes a popular SP1 target after his postseason dominance.
- Kyle Schwarber cements himself as a bankable power anchor even with AVG risk.
- Jacob deGrom goes earlier than many expected, reflecting optimism around health and workload.
- Mookie Betts slides into Round 4 — a major ADP storyline we’ll track all offseason.
Middle Rounds (5–10): Team Construction Phase
This is where draft identities formed:
- Managers who faded pitching early began stacking upside arms (George Kirby, Nolan McLean, Chase Burns).
- Closers were intentionally pushed down by several teams, creating value pockets.
- Power bats like Eugenio Suárez and Seiya Suzuki became lineup stabilizers for teams that chased speed earlier.
Key pattern: Teams either:
- Built elite SP cores early, or
- Went all-in on hitter depth and chased upside arms later.
Late Rounds (11+): Upside & Buybacks
Late rounds focused heavily on:
- Buyback veterans (Zack Gallen, Shane McClanahan)
- Young pitchers with breakout potential
- Multi-category bench bats
These selections will evolve drastically by March, but they offer a clear look at early market psychology.
Final Takeaways
This first mock wasn’t about rankings — it was about how people are thinking.
And right now, fantasy managers are:
- Willing to take pitching risks earlier
- Comfortable punting saves
- Aggressively targeting positional scarcity
Expect all three trends to shape 2026 drafts.
