Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

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.

Alec Burleson may not carry the same buzz as some other OF3 or OF4 options, but his profile is trending in the right direction as he enters his age-27 season. He took a noticeable step forward in 2024, appearing in 139 games while posting 18 home runs, 69 RBI, and 54 runs scored, along with a .290/.343/.459 slash line and an .802 OPS. His appeal is rooted in strong contact skills, evidenced by a modest 14.5% strikeout rate, paired with enough power to contribute in multiple categories. Locked into a prominent spot near the top of St. Louis' lineup, Burleson offers inexpensive batting-average stability and quiet upside for fantasy managers in 2026 drafts.