Frank Ammirante | Thu, Feb 5th 2026, 7:20am EST

10 Must-Have Pitchers (2026 Fantasy Baseball)

It’s fantasy baseball draft season, so it’s time to think about some of our favorite targets. In this article, we share 10 must-have pitchers for 2026 fantasy baseball leagues. You’re able to get each of these pitchers in the third round or later. I’m not going to include pitchers with an average draft position (ADP) in the first two rounds because I prefer to target hitters at that price.

Without further ado, let’s get into my 10 must-have pitchers for the 2026 fantasy baseball season.

Must-Have Fantasy Baseball Pitchers

Cole Ragans (SP – KC)

Cole Ragans put up insane numbers last season, including a 2.52 SIERA, a 38.1% strikeout rate and a 7.8% walk rate. The 28-year-old lefty was limited to only 61.2 innings due to a rotator cuff strain, which is why some fantasy players are steering clear of him this season.

But current reports indicate Ragans is fully healthy now. When he returned from injury last season, he registered a 2.77 ERA and 0.77 WHIP in 13 innings. Ragans is an ace you can get as late as the fourth round.

Kyle Bradish (SP – BAL)

Kyle Bradish looked better than ever in his return from Tommy John surgery, registering a 2.63 SIERA, a 37.3% strikeout rate and a 7.9% walk rate in 32 innings.

You have to feel confident about his health because once pitchers get this surgery, they’re usually good to go for a couple of years. Just look at Jacob deGrom last season. Bet on the Orioles to lean on Bradish this year, giving him all the volume they can. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him become a dark-horse Cy Young candidate.

Eury Perez (SP – MIA)

Eury Perez is another pitcher who looked terrific in his return from injury, especially down the stretch. Just take a look at his final three starts:

5.1 innings, three hits, three earned runs, three walks, 11 strikeouts
4.0 innings, two hits, zero earned runs, one walk, nine strikeouts
5.0 innings, one hit, zero earned runs, zero walks, six strikeouts

This looks like a preview of what’s to come for the 22-year-old. I’m betting he becomes an absolutely dominant pitcher this season. Perez is another SP1 you can get later drafts.

Jesus Luzardo (SP – PHI)

Jesus Luzardo had a rock-solid debut with the Phillies last season, but his 3.92 ERA is bloated due to a couple of blowup starts, where he was likely tipping his pitches. Those outings included allowing 12 earned runs and eight earned runs. Can you imagine his surface stats if we excluded those two performances?

The peripherals look terrific, as highlighted by a 3.40 SIERA and a 21% K-BB%. Playing for a contending Phillies team, there’s a chance Luzardo emerges as the new ace of the staff, yet he’s priced like an SP2/SP3.

Dylan Cease (SP – TOR)

Dylan Cease signed a lucrative deal with the Blue Jays after a disappointing season. But you need to look past the ERA and focus on the peripherals, which include a 3.58 SIERA and a 29.8% strikeout rate.

Cease has given us ace-like seasons in the past. We could see that again in Toronto, as the Blue Jays organization does a terrific job of extracting more value out of their pitchers. Don’t be surprised if Kevin Gausman teaches Cease a splitter, which would give him another lethal weapon.

Bubba Chandler (SP – PIT)

Bubba Chandler was the consensus top pitching prospect in baseball last season. But after a disappointing season in the Minors, where the Pirates surprisingly took their time to call him up, Chandler has become a forgotten young starter.

Fantasy players are focused on Nolan McLean and Cam Schlittler, giving us value on Chandler. The 23-year-old was dominant in his last three starts, allowing a combined two earned runs in 16.2 innings.

MacKenzie Gore (SP – TEX)

MacKenzie Gore showed flashes of brilliance last season, but faded down the stretch. Still, his numbers look good under the hood, including a 3.80 SIERA and a 27.2% strikeout rate.

Now, Gore goes from the Nationals to the Rangers, who can contend for a Wild Card spot. Texas had the most pitcher-friendly environment in baseball last year, per Baseball Savant park factors.

Shane McClanahan (SP – TB)

Shane McClanahan hasn’t pitched since 2023, so it’s understandable why people are avoiding him. However, reports indicate he’s fully healthy and has looked terrific in mound sessions.

With the Rays moving back to Tropicana Field, which is a pitcher’s park, McClanahan will have a chance at a bounce-back season. If you’re drafting early, it’s a great time to buy McClanahan. If he looks good in spring, he’s sure to jump at least two rounds in ADP.

Roki Sasaki (SP – LAD)

Roki Sasaki came to the big leagues with a ton of hype after a terrific career in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB). However, his first season with the Dodgers was highly disappointing.

With that said, Sasaki looked dominant in his shift to the bullpen. There’s a good chance this was exactly what he needed to rebuild his confidence. Now in his second season, fresh off a World Series win, expect Sasaki to be more comfortable this time around. While everyone is on teammate Emmet Sheehan, go with the cheaper Sasaki.

Joey Cantillo (SP – CLE)

Joey Cantillo was impressive last season, putting up a 3.83 SIERA, a 26.9% strikeout rate and 12.1% swinging-strike rate. He has a 99th percentile extension with a change-up to get righties out (28% swinging-strike rate) and a curveball with 21 inches of drop (99th percentile).

Cantillo looks like the next big thing out of Cleveland. The Guardians have earned a reputation for being great at developing pitchers, so make Cantillo one of your late-round targets.

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