Let’s run a 10-team, head-to-head, 5×5 category fantasy baseball mock draft using FantasyPros’ Draft Wizard tool.
For this fantasy baseball mock draft, we’ll use the following positions: 1-C, 1-1B, 1-2B, 1-3B, 1-SS, 3-OF, 1-UTIL and 7-Pitchers. I randomized the draft order and am drafting from the 10th spot. You can find the draft board here.
- Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings
- 2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit
- Fantasy Baseball Average Draft Position (ADP)
- Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Simulator
2026 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft
1.10: Elly De La Cruz (SS – CIN)
Three pitchers went within the first nine picks, which made for an interesting 10th pick. Elly De La Cruz is my first player drafted, and he gives me a great start in stolen bases.
The Reds slugger has recorded 20+ homers and 100+ runs in each of his last two seasons, while playing in 160+ games.
2.01: Kyle Tucker (OF – LAD)
Kyle Tucker signed with the Dodgers this offseason and moves into the most potent lineup in all of baseball. Though he’s battled injuries the last two seasons, Tucker still put up 20+ homers and a sub-20% strikeout rate in each of the last five seasons.
Tucker’s potential for counting stats in the Dodgers’ lineup is huge.
3.10: Yordan Alvarez (OF – HOU)
Yordan Alvarez dealt with injuries last season and has seen his average draft position (ADP) plummet as a result. Before 2025, he had four straight seasons of 30+ homers and 80+ RBI while batting .296.
Alvarez is essentially a zero in the stolen bases category, but he can provide a big boost in batting average and power.
4.01: Bryce Harper (1B – PHI)
Bryce Harper is not the player he once was, but he can still be valuable. He hasn’t reached triple digits in runs scored since 2021, and his last 100-RBI season was all the way back in 2019.
However, he can still provide a good batting average (.280 from 2023-2025), and 30 home runs is still within his range of outcomes.
5.10: Austin Riley (3B – ATL)
Austin Riley has now had back-to-back down seasons. Through his injuries, he hasn’t reached 20 homers or 60 RBI in either season. But let’s not forget the player he was from 2021 to 2023.
Over those three years, Riley averaged 36 homers, 99 runs, 99 RBI and a .286 batting average. Still in his prime (29 years old), Riley has a great chance to bounce back in 2026.
6.01: Hunter Greene (SP – CIN)
I waited long enough for pitching and got Hunter Greene as my ace. Greene was excellent last year when he was on the field, but two injured list (IL) stints limited him to just 107 innings.
Greene has never pitched more than 150 innings in a season, so health will always be a concern. My next two picks will hopefully alleviate some of his volume risk.
7.10: Framber Valdez (SP – DET)
Framber Valdez makes the move from Houston to Detroit. He has pitched 175+ innings in each of the last four seasons and should complement Greene quite nicely.
While Valdez doesn’t get the strikeouts that many top pitchers do, his consistent ability to limit runs has been on display throughout his career.
8.01: Dylan Cease (SP – TOR)
Dylan Cease is my third pitcher, but a volatile one. While his run suppression fluctuates year-to-year, the strikeouts and innings are always there. Cease has pitched 160+ innings and has had 200+ strikeouts in each of the past five seasons.
9.10: Nick Pivetta (SP – SD)
Nick Pivetta had the best season of his career in 2025. He posted a career-best innings (181.2), ERA (2.87) and WHIP (0.99). He and Michael King will lead the Padres’ rotation this season, with Dylan Cease moving to Toronto.
10.01: CJ Abrams (SS – WSH)
CJ Abrams fell significantly in this draft. Over his last three seasons, he’s averaged 19 homers and 36 steals. It does come with a .250 batting average and low RBI totals, but the potential is obvious.
Shortstop is a deep position; even with taking Elly De La Cruz in the first round, I couldn’t pass on a falling Abrams.
11.10: Christian Yelich (OF – MIL)
Christian Yelich got back some of the power he lost over the previous five seasons. He hit over 20 homers (29) for the first time since 2019 (44). Yelich still provides a decent number of steals, and hopefully his batting average can bounce back closer to .270.
12.01: Nick Lodolo (SP – CIN)
Nick Lodolo broke out last season with a 3.33 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 8.9 K/9 in 156 innings. Like Hunter Greene, Lodolo has struggled to stay on the field for a full season, but the upside is tremendous for the fifth starter on this team.
13.10: Jeff Hoffman (RP – TOR)
Jeff Hoffman is expected to remain in the closer’s role for the Blue Jays. He struggled last year with home runs, but ended the season with 33 saves. In their World Series run, Hoffman had a 1.46 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, two saves and 13.1 K/9 in 12.1 innings.
14.01: Brandon Lowe (2B – PIT)
Brandon Lowe may be the best power source at the position (Ketel Marte and Jazz Chisholm Jr. also have strong cases). In 134 games last season, he led the position with 31 home runs and 83 RBI. There aren’t many players who can provide that in the 14th round.
15.10: Daniel Palencia (RP – CHC)
Daniel Palencia is my second and final reliever. He posted a 2.91 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 22 saves in 52.2 innings last season. There was some speculation that the Cubs might add a closer this offseason.
While they did sign five relievers via free agency, none should challenge Palencia for the closer’s job.
16.01: Yainer Diaz (C – HOU)
Yainer Diaz slots in as my starting catcher. In a 10-team league, catchers are plentiful. Even if Diaz doesn’t pan out, there are great options on the waiver wire. Adley Rutschman, J.T. Realmuto and Francisco Alvarez are still available after the draft.
Draft Wizard Insights
The Draft Wizard gave this draft a B grade (85/100). I’m projected to finish third in batting average, fourth in RBI and saves and fifth in WHIP and stolen bases. The Draft Wizard projects me to finish seventh in the league.
This feels like a solid team, although with a lot of volatility. Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez, Austin Riley, Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo all missed significant time last year. Brandon Lowe stayed healthy, but that’s not the norm for him.
Elly De La Cruz, Kyle Tucker, CJ Abrams and Christian Yelich should be a solid floor for steals. Yordan Alvarez, Bryce Harper, Austin Riley and Brandon Lowe can bring the power, while Alvarez, Harper, Yelich and Diaz can provide a batting average boost.
In a 10-team league, it’s a lot easier to take bigger swings on players. Even though there’s a lot of injury risk on this team, the waiver wire should be stacked with talent if things do go wrong.
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