Frank Ammirante | Wed, Apr 15th 2026, 6:59am EDT

10 Burning Questions (2026 Fantasy Baseball)

Welcome to our weekly fantasy baseball burning questions article. Each week, I’ll dive into 10 key questions that are popular within the fantasy community. These will be carefully chosen to ensure that only the most polarizing topics and players are featured.

This week, we’re continuing to focus on players who may be breaking out and players off to cold starts. We’re also discussing potential closers.

Fantasy Baseball 10 Burning Questions

1. Should we be concerned with Edwin Diaz?

Even though there have been positive reports on Edwin Diaz, with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts publicly stating he’s going to pitch in the series against the Mets, I’m a bit concerned. Diaz’s velocity has been down to start the year. What if there’s an injury involved?

If Diaz were ever forced to miss time, Tanner Scott would be a priority pickup, as he’s looked dominant so far this season. For now, just continue hoping for the best, but keep a close eye on this situation.

2. Why do the Yankees keep sitting Ben Rice against lefties?

The Yankees are galaxy-braining their lineup right now, giving Paul Goldschmidt too many at-bats at the expense of Ben Rice, who has been their second-best hitter behind Aaron Judge.

It’s frustrating, but I don’t expect that it’ll last all season. Rice is simply playing way too well to be platooned this often. With that said, the frequent off days against lefties are what put Rice behind Shea Langeliers for me.

3. Should you sell high on Oneil Cruz?

Oneil Cruz has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball. As a talented player with loud tools, there’s a legitimate chance this is the breakout season we’ve been waiting for. There is 30/40 upside in this profile.

With that said, I wouldn’t mind flipping Cruz with another asset, perhaps like Emerson Hancock, to get a more established star off to a slow start, such as Ronald Acuna Jr.

4. Can we trust Jakob Junis?

Jakob Junis converted three saves last week, so he’s clearly in the circle of trust as the Rangers’ closer. While his stuff and strikeout rate don’t profile that of a traditional closer, he’s earned the ninth-inning role for now.

Even though Cole Winn is my preferred target in this bullpen over the long run, you have to go with Junis. Just ride the wave and see where this takes you.

5. How good is Angel Martinez?

Angel Martinez has been scorching-hot for the Guardians. The 24-year-old Martinez has a .305 expected batting average, which ranks in the 90th percentile, per Baseball Savant.

We’ve seen Martinez sometimes bat in the one or two spot for the Guardians, which could be huge for his fantasy value, since he’s ahead of Jose Ramirez in that scenario. I’d pick up Martinez to see if this breakout is legit. At the very least, he has some value as a bench middle-infielder bat.

6. Is Moises Ballesteros legit?

Moises Ballesteros has a prospect pedigree, and he’s been rock-solid so far, which is intriguing. He’s eligible at catcher in some formats, which makes him even more valuable.

We’ve seen Ballesteros put up a 17.9% barrel rate, which ranks in the 92nd percentile. The one concern is sporadic playing time, but the good news is that he’s now suited up in five of the last six games. If you lost Alejandro Kirk, Ballesteros is a terrific replacement.

7. Should we be concerned with Samuel Basallo?

Samuel Basallo has elite power for a catcher, but he’s currently slashing .136/.240/.273 with two home runs in 50 plate appearances. However, I’m not concerned.

With Adley Rutschman on the injured list (IL), Basallo has more secure playing time. He’s been hitting cleanup lately for the O’s, giving him a ton of upside. He is a young hitter with 87th percentile bat speed. The power is coming soon.

8. How good is Jeremiah Jackson?

Jeremiah Jackson has been on fire for the Orioles. He has two three-hit games in his last four, homering three times in that span, including two on Monday.

This is the classic case of a streaky hitter on a power binge right now. With Jackson Holliday suffering a setback, Jackson has entrenched playing time. Ride the wave and see where it takes you.

9. Is Xander Bogaerts back?

Xander Bogaerts has hit safely in six of his last seven games, homering twice over that span. He’s walking 9.2% of the time with a 9.2% strikeout rate.

With that said, the 33-year-old is more likely just on a hot streak than back to being a 20-home run threat. If you’re in a deeper league, Bogaerts makes sense to have for some floor, but there’s not a lot of upside here.

10. Is Jeffrey Springs back?

Jeffrey Springs has been on fire to start the year, allowing a combined three earned runs in three outings. This includes seven scoreless innings at Yankee Stadium.

Remember, he was once hyped while with the Rays, so there could be something here. His four-seamer is slightly up from 90.7 miles per hour (MPH) to 91.3. His change-up and slider each have 30+% whiff rates. Pick up Springs to see if he can continue this resurgence.

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