Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
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10.
Fernando Tatis Jr.
RF
After two uneven seasons, Fernando Tatis Jr. re-established himself as an elite five-category force in 2025 and projects to remain there in 2026. Projections call for another 30-plus homer, 25-steal campaign with triple-digit runs atop the Padres lineup, supported by strong on-base skills and premium batted-ball quality. His improved plate discipline and reduced strikeout rate from last season point to a more stable batting-average floor than in earlier seasons. At the same time, underlying metrics suggest his power output still has room to grow. Entering his age-27 season with his role and health stabilized, Tatis profiles as a legitimate Top-5 overall fantasy upside play in 2026 drafts.
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29.
Manny Machado
3B
There is consistent, and then there is Manny Machado. In his age-32 season, Machado played in 159 games, hitting 27 home runs, scoring 91 times, driving in 95, and had a slash line of .275/.335/.460. (His slash line in 2024 was .275/.325/.472.) His home run total was the lowest since 2014 (ignoring 2020), but he actually barreled the ball (12.9%) and had his highest HardHit rate (51.5%) since 2021. The Padres lineup is aging, but Machado is still projected to bat behind Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill, which should lead to plenty of counting stats. Depending on how you feel about Junior Caminero, Machado is either the second or third-best third baseman in 2026 fantasy baseball and a solid early-round pick.
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43.
Jackson Merrill
CF
Multiple trips to the injured list cut short what could have been a breakout campaign for the 22-year-old, holding Jackson Merrill to 115 games with 16 home runs and just one stolen base. Entering 2026 healthy, he's a strong bet to rebound toward his 2024 production. While he's unlikely to be a major contributor on the bases, a season in the range of 25 homers with around 80 runs and 80 RBI is well within reach. His expected batting average and slugging percentage both outpaced his actual results, pointing to poor fortune layered on top of the injury issues. Merrill still offers the highest ceiling among his peers and could push into OF2 value if everything clicks, though he's best drafted as an OF3 with upside baked in.
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131.
Xander Bogaerts
SS
Bogaerts showed modest rebound signs in 2025, posting a .263/.328/.391 line with 20 steals across 136 games after an injury-marred 2024 campaign. While his power remains well below his Boston peak, he has had 33 steals over the last two seasons with a 90.9% success rate in 2025. Projections suggest a similar batting average with mid-teens homers and another 15-20 SB season, Bogaerts profiles as a steady middle-infield contributor whose five-category contributions are more valuable than his recent OPS totals indicate.
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141.
Ramon Laureano
LF,RF
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206.
Jake Cronenworth
2B
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224.
Nick Castellanos
RF,DH
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228.
Gavin Sheets
1B,LF,DH
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246.
Freddy Fermin
C
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266.
Miguel Andujar
3B,LF,DH
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315.
Sung-Mun Song
2B
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396.
Ty France
1B
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409.
Luis Campusano
C,DH
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511.
Bryce Johnson
LF
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523.
Alex Verdugo
LF
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528.
Rodolfo Duran
C
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542.
Blake Hunt
C
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560.
Jose Miranda
3B
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575.
Ethan Salas
C
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594.
Tirso Ornelas
LF
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612.
Will Wagner
3B
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627.
Mason McCoy
SS
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664.
Samad Taylor
RF
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689.
Jase Bowen
CF
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720.
Leandro Cedeno
1B
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737.
Carlos Rodriguez
LF
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