Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

Jorge Polanco rebounded in 2025, posting a .265/.326/.495 line with 26 home runs and a 134 OPS+ across 138 games for Seattle. The underlying metrics support the bounce-back: his 89.9 mph average exit velocity and 45.8% hard-hit rate were both career-best marks, while his strikeout rate dropped to 15.6% after spiking to 29.2% in 2024. The result was a .348 rOBA and 134 Rbat+, well above league average and a clear return to middle-of-the-order production. Looking ahead to 2026, projections that peg him closer to the low-.250s with 20-23 homers suggest some pullback from last year's career-high ISO (.229) and HR rate (5.0%). That's reasonable given his age and prior volatility, but the improved contact quality and stabilized plate discipline from 2025 give him a higher floor than most mid-tier second basemen. Durability remains the primary variable, yet if he approaches 140 games again, Polanco profiles as a strong MI option with 20-plus homer power and counting stats buoyed by everyday run production.

Mark Vientos failed to build on his 2024 breakout, with his 2025 season showing notable pullbacks in rOBA (.361 to .310), ISO (.249 to .179), and HR rate despite similar playing time. The plate skills did improve slightly (career-best strikeout rate to 24.8%), but the quality-of-contact gains from 2024 didn't hold, leaving him closer to league average overall production. The 2026 projections still lean on his raw power and everyday role potential, but expect more of a low-OBP, mid-20s HR corner bat rather than a true middle-of-the-order force. In fantasy, Vientos profiles best as a CI option in deeper leagues where power is scarce, with limited upside unless the 2024 batted-ball profile returns.