Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
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1.
Cal Raleigh
SEA
Cal Raleigh had the year of his life in 2025, smacking 60 home runs while batting .247, far and away his best batting average ever. He drove in 125 and scored 110 times for a Seattle Mariners team that came very close to the World Series. Catcher is such a thin position that it is tempting to spend an early-round pick on Raleigh to be able to set-and-forget the position. His 2026 projections again place him among the position's home run leaders, with playing time security supporting strong counting stats, but we aren't going to see a repeat of his career year, and that is the current draft cost for the Big Dumper. Do you still want to spend a second-round pick on him if he's "only" getting you 40 homers with a .230 batting average? If so, he's easily the best catcher on the board. If not, wait three or four rounds to pick from the second tier.
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2.
William Contreras
MIL
William Contreras took a small step back in 2025, with his OPS dipping to .754 as his ISO fell to .140 despite continued growth in plate discipline (career-best 12.7% BB rate, sub-19% K rate). His contact quality stayed well above league average (91.1 mph EV, 48.6% hard-hit. The 2026 projections point to a rebound toward his established .360+ OBP profile with mid-20s homer upside, supported by premium volume at a scarce catcher position. Given his durability, lineup role, and stable skills, Contreras profiles as a high-floor catcher with bounce-back upside and remains one of the safest investments at the position.
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3.
Shea Langeliers
ATH
Shea Langeliers took a significant step forward in 2025, posting career-best marks across the board with a .277/.325/.536 slash, 31 homers, and sharp gains in contact quality. His strikeout rate dropped to 19.7% (down from 27.2% in 2024) while maintaining strong power indicators, including a .260 ISO and near-elite hard-hit rate for the position. The improved approach and BABIP rebound (.290) support much of the batting average growth, not just a fluky power spike. With 2026 projections reinforcing him as a 25-30 HR catcher with playable ratios, Langeliers has firmly elevated himself into the upper tier at a thin fantasy position.
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4.
Ben Rice
NYY
Ben Rice followed a rough 2024 debut with a legitimate breakout in 2025, slashing .255/.337/.499 with 26 homers and a 131 OPS+ across 138 games. The power spike was supported by improved contact quality and a manageable strikeout rate, turning him from replacement-level depth into a middle-of-the-order threat. Dual eligibility at catcher and first base quietly boosts his fantasy value. While his defensive profile may keep him rotating between DH and multiple positions, Rice's age-26 surge makes him an appealing upside target.
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5.
Hunter Goodman
COL
Hunter Goodman broke out in 2025, collecting a 31 HR, 91-RBI campaign with a .278/.323/.520 slash and 120 OPS+. His average exit velocity (90.8 mph) and 47.3% hard-hit rate both cleared league norms. The strikeout rate remains elevated (26.3%) and his 5.7% walk rate caps the OBP ceiling, but a .243 ISO with consistent pull-side authority gives him bankable power in Colorado. For 2026, projections have his batting average closer to his career .248 mark, reflecting some BABIP normalization after last year's .331 clip. Qualifying at catcher enhances his value, given the position's shallowness. Goodman profiles as a power bat whose batted-ball quality supports another 25-30 homer season, but managers should price in batting average volatility rather than paying for a repeat of the .278 mark.
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6.
Salvador Perez
KC
Sal Perez remained remarkably durable in 2025 with 155 games played, but the underlying production continued to slide as his batting average fell to .236 and his OBP dipped below .290. While the raw power is still intact, 30 homers and 100 RBI, the overall offensive efficiency has flattened to league-average levels, limiting his advantage over younger catching options. His aggressive approach and declining contact quality leave little margin for error, especially as age-related regression becomes harder to ignore. Perez is still a volume-driven fantasy catcher with counting-stat value, but he now profiles best as a mid-tier option rather than a clear positional edge.
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7.
Drake Baldwin
ATL
Drake Baldwin broke out in 2025, finishing with a .274/.341/.469 slash line, 19 home runs and an .810 OPS (126 OPS+) across 446 plate appearances, good for 3.3 WAR and a runner-up Rookie of the Year finish. Baldwin is a clear riser at a thin catcher position. Catchers who combine above-average power (4.3% HR rate, .195 ISO) with strong contact skills are rare, and his everyday role in Atlanta further boosts counting-stat reliability. If the 2026 projections maintain anything close to his rookie rate production over a fuller workload, Baldwin profiles as a top-tier fantasy catcher with a stable floor and legitimate 20-25 home run upside.
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8.
Agustin Ramirez
MIA
Agustín Ramírez took his lumps as a 23-year-old rookie in 2025, slashing .231/.287/.413 with 21 home runs and 16 steals across 136 games. With modest plate-discipline growth, the 2026 projections point toward improved run production and a step forward in overall efficiency, making Ramírez a clear fantasy sleeper entering his age-24 season. The power-speed blend is already bankable in standard formats, and any OBP rebound would push him into the top tier at his position.
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9.
Will Smith
LAD
Will Smith rebounded in 2025 with one of the most efficient offensive seasons of his career, slashing .296/.404/.497 with a 152 OPS+ across 110 games. Improved plate discipline helped offset a modest 20.4% strikeout rate, and his .345 BABIP wasn't entirely fluky given the quality of contact. Projections peg some batting average regression but maintain him as an elite offensive catcher thanks to stable power (mid-20s HR pace over a full season) and strong OBP skills in the middle of a loaded Dodgers lineup. Smith should be drafted as a top-tier catcher in all formats, with OBP leagues especially benefiting from his elevated walk rate and run-production environment.
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10.
Yainer Diaz
HOU
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11.
Adley Rutschman
BAL
Adley Rutschman enters 2026 as a clear fantasy rebound candidate after a disappointing, injury-shortened 2025 season. His plate discipline remains above league average and the power indicators weren't catastrophic. With 2026 projections forecasting a bounce-back toward his career norms, Rutschman profiles as a discounted catcher who could outperform his draft slot if the batted-ball luck normalizes.
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12.
Ivan Herrera
STL
Ivan Herrera followed up his 2024 breakout with another step forward in 2025, logging 452 plate appearances and posting a .284/.373/.464 line with 19 home runs and a 140 Rbat+. His gains were backed by skills growth: a career-best 18.6% strikeout rate, 9.5% walk rate and 91.2 mph average exit velocity, along with a jump to a .180 ISO. While his BABIP dipped to .315, his rOBA (.372) and hard-hit rate (48.2%) supported the production, reinforcing that the bat is driving the value rather than batted-ball luck. The 2026 projections maintain him as an above-average offensive catcher with mid-to-high teens power and strong on-base skills, though a full repeat of last year's efficiency likely regresses slightly. Even with modest pull and fly-ball rates, Herrera's improving contact quality and stable plate discipline give him one of the higher offensive floors at the position. He only had 14 appearances at catcher in 2025, so check your league's position eligibility or prepare to have him only as a DH for a while into 2026.
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13.
Alejandro Kirk
TOR
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14.
Francisco Alvarez
NYM
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15.
Gabriel Moreno
ARI
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16.
Samuel Basallo
BAL
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17.
Kyle Teel
CWS
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18.
J.T. Realmuto
PHI
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19.
Carter Jensen
KC
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20.
Austin Wells
NYY
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21.
Dillon Dingler
DET
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22.
Logan O'Hoppe
LAA
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23.
Ryan Jeffers
MIN
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24.
Tyler Stephenson
CIN
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25.
Carlos Narvaez
BOS
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26.
Bo Naylor
CLE
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27.
Edgar Quero
CWS
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28.
Moises Ballesteros
CHC
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29.
Sean Murphy
ATL
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30.
Freddy Fermin
SD
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31.
Carson Kelly
CHC
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32.
Keibert Ruiz
WSH
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33.
Patrick Bailey
SF
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34.
Danny Jansen
TEX
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35.
Victor Caratini
MIN
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36.
Dalton Rushing
LAD
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37.
Harry Ford
WSH
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38.
Miguel Amaya
CHC
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39.
Joey Bart
PIT
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40.
Kyle Higashioka
TEX
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41.
Jonah Heim
ATL
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42.
Pedro Pages
STL
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43.
Liam Hicks
MIA
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44.
Joe Mack
MIA
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45.
Connor Wong
BOS
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46.
Henry Davis
PIT
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47.
Jimmy Crooks III
STL
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48.
Adrian Del Castillo
ARI
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49.
Travis d'Arnaud
LAA
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50.
Nick Fortes
TB
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51.
Luis Campusano
SD
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52.
Jose Trevino
CIN
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53.
Gary Sanchez
MIL
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54.
Jeferson Quero
MIL
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55.
Mitch Garver
SEA
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56.
Braxton Fulford
COL
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57.
Luis Torrens
NYM
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58.
James McCann
ARI
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59.
Austin Wynns
ATH
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60.
Yohel Pozo
STL
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61.
Josue Briceno
DET
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62.
Tyler Heineman
TOR
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63.
Hunter Feduccia
TB
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64.
Jake Rogers
DET
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65.
Cooper Ingle
CLE
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66.
Endy Rodriguez
PIT
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67.
Rafael Marchan
PHI
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68.
Drew Millas
WSH
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69.
Mickey Gasper
BOS
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70.
Jesus Rodriguez
SF
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71.
J.C. Escarra
NYY
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72.
Rafael Flores
PIT
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73.
Elias Diaz
KC
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74.
Ethan Salas
SD
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75.
Alex Jackson
MIN
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76.
Daniel Susac
SF
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77.
Korey Lee
CWS
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78.
Christian Vazquez
HOU
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79.
Luke Maile
KC
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80.
Riley Adams
WSH
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81.
Jacob Stallings
FA
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82.
Andrew Knizner
SEA
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83.
Austin Hedges
CLE
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84.
Cesar Salazar
HOU
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85.
Tom Murphy
FA
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86.
Reese McGuire
MIL
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87.
Dom Keegan
TB
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88.
Brett Sullivan
COL
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89.
Kyle McCann
COL
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90.
Austin Barnes
NYM
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91.
Willie MacIver
TEX
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92.
Jorge Alfaro
KC
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93.
Chadwick Tromp
ATL
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94.
Matt Thaiss
BOS
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95.
Jhonny Pereda
SEA
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96.
Ben Rortvedt
NYM
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97.
Sebastian Rivero
LAA
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98.
Eric Haase
SF
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99.
Shane McGuire
ATH
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100.
Rodolfo Duran
SD
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101.
Will Banfield
CIN
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102.
Brandon Valenzuela
TOR
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103.
Tomas Nido
DET
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104.
Blake Hunt
SD
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105.
Drew Romo
CWS
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106.
Seby Zavala
FA
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107.
Hayden Senger
NYM
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108.
Blake Sabol
TB
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109.
Sam Huff
BAL
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110.
Maverick Handley
BAL
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111.
Jose Herrera
TEX
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112.
Jason Delay
BOS
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113.
Chad Wallach
ATH
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114.
Eliezer Alfonzo
LAD
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115.
Dom Nunez
CLE
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116.
Sandy Leon
ATL
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117.
Garrett Stubbs
PHI
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118.
Eduardo Valencia
DET
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119.
Collin Price
HOU
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120.
Matthew Wood
MIL
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121.
Nick Raposo
SEA
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122.
Cesar Salazar
FA
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