Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
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4.
Juan Soto
LF,RF
Juan Soto's first season with the Mets produced 43 HR, 37 SB, and a .396 OBP, marking his highest fantasy ceiling since 2021. His 2026 projections dial back the steals (a common trait across projection systems) but still expect mid-30s HR, with a slight batting-average uptick. The plate discipline remains near flawless, and his run-production environment should stay strong. Soto enters 2026 as a high-floor, high-ceiling first-round hitter whose across-the-board contributions make him one of the safest early picks.
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24.
Francisco Lindor
SS
Francisco Lindor remained Mr. Consistent in 2025, once again delivering strong power-speed production. His 2026 projections show minimal regression, closer to a 25/25 season, supported by premium lineup placement and consistent plate discipline. However, the hamate bone injury in Spring Training threatens his counting stat totals, particularly in the power category. He is still a top-tier shortstop, but comes with more risk now than in previous seasons.
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56.
Freddy Peralta
SP
Freddy Peralta followed up a solid 2024 with a true breakout in 2025, posting a 2.70 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 17 wins over 176.2 innings while finishing top-five in Cy Young voting. His underlying profile supported the leap, as he cut opponents' OPS to .603, limited home runs (2.9 HR%), and maintained an elite strikeout rate (28.2%) with improved run prevention (154 ERA+). The walk rate remains slightly elevated, but his ability to suppress hard contact and miss bats at a high level keeps the ratios stable. Peralta profiles as a dependable fantasy ace worth an earlier pick in drafts.
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80.
Bo Bichette
3B,SS
After spending the first seven years of his career in Toronto, Bo Bichette signed a 3-year, $126 million deal with the Mets. He will presumably bat behind Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, and he should pick up third base eligibility early in the 2026 season, making him much more attractive for fantasy managers. Bichette had a renaissance 2025 season, batting .311 after a miserable .225 in half a season before. He popped 18 home runs, drove in 94, and scored 78 runs. He continued his impressive HardHit rate at 48.8% and got on base at a .357 clip. While the Blue Jays' lineup was no slouch, batting behind Lindor and Soto should afford Bichette plenty of counting stat opportunities. A 20/80/80 season seems reasonable, but the boost to batting average is what makes him a valuable mid-round pick as your SS1.
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85.
Nolan McLean
SP
Nolan McLean's brief 2025 MLB sample showcased frontline skills beneath the surface. His ability to suppress quality contact (89.5 mph average EV, .571 OPS against) paired with above-average command (8.5% BB%) suggests the performance wasn't fluky, even if some ERA regression is likely as innings scale. The 2026 projections point to a heavier workload with solid strikeout totals. Given the bat-missing profile and batted-ball dominance, McLean profiles as a high-upside fantasy option who can outperform his draft cost if he holds a regular rotation spot.
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93.
Devin Williams
RP
After years of dominance in Milwaukee, Devin Williams endured a turbulent first season in New York in 2025, posting a 4.79 ERA across 67 appearances despite still striking out 90 batters in 62 innings. The underlying indicators remained far stronger than the surface results (2.68 FIP and 13.1 K/9). FantasyPros' 2026 projections anticipate a rebound, forecasting roughly a 3.26 ERA, 86 strikeouts, and around 30 saves over about 66 innings. Given the massive ERA-FIP gap in 2025 and his sustained strikeout dominance, Williams profiles as a bounce-back fantasy riser if he retains a full-time closing role.
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109.
Luis Robert Jr.
CF
After a breakout 2023 campaign (38 HR, 20 SB, 130 OPS+), Luis Robert Jr. has taken a clear step back offensively over the past two seasons, posting a .223/.297/.364 line with a below-average 88 Rbat+ in 2025. The underlying metrics show declining contact quality and elevated swing-and-miss, though his 26.0% strikeout rate in 2025 was at least an improvement from the 33.2% mark in 2024. His BABIP cratered to .274 in 2025 despite still solid exit velocity and hard-hit rates, suggesting some room for batting-average rebound, while his speed remains a major asset after swiping 33 bases. Even with a modest projected rebound in 2026, Robert's volatile plate discipline and recent production downturn make him a risky early-round investment compared to his peak fantasy value.
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199.
Marcus Semien
2B
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200.
Jorge Polanco
2B,DH
Jorge Polanco rebounded in 2025, posting a .265/.326/.495 line with 26 home runs and a 134 OPS+ across 138 games for Seattle. 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, but the improved contact quality and stabilized plate discipline from 2025 give him a higher floor than most mid-tier second basemen. Health 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.
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213.
Francisco Alvarez
C
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237.
Kodai Senga
SP
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269.
David Peterson
SP
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270.
Brett Baty
2B,3B,RF
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286.
Clay Holmes
SP
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287.
Mark Vientos
3B,DH
Mark Vientos failed to build on his 2024 breakout, with his 2025 season showing notable pullbacks. 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.
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288.
Sean Manaea
SP
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312.
Carson Benge
CF,RF
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447.
Luke Weaver
RP
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483.
Jonah Tong
SP
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568.
A.J. Minter
RP
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581.
Brooks Raley
RP
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626.
Luis Garcia
RP
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634.
Ronny Mauricio
3B
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675.
Tobias Myers
SP,RP
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682.
Christian Scott
SP
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719.
Luis Torrens
C
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751.
Adbert Alzolay
RP
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754.
Huascar Brazoban
RP
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765.
Austin Warren
RP
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915.
Luke Jackson
RP
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929.
Richard Lovelady
RP
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931.
Justin Hagenman
RP
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942.
Tommy Pham
LF
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949.
Jack Wenninger
SP
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950.
Ryan Clifford
1B
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961.
Craig Kimbrel
RP
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1002.
Tyrone Taylor
CF
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1048.
Nick Burdi
RP
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1058.
Dylan Ross
RP
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1062.
Ryan Lambert
RP
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1065.
Alex Carrillo
RP
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1120.
Brandon Waddell
RP
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1121.
Joey Gerber
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1141.
Mike Tauchman
RF
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1143.
Jonathan Pintaro
RP
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1149.
Jacob Reimer
3B
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1159.
Dedniel Nunez
RP
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1185.
Tylor Megill
SP
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1215.
Kevin Herget
RP
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1424.
Ben Rortvedt
C
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1439.
Hayden Senger
C
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1460.
MJ Melendez
LF
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1515.
Vidal Brujan
3B
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1517.
Jared Young
DH
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1519.
Ji Hwan Bae
CF
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1560.
Nick Morabito
CF
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1582.
Cristian Pache
CF
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1605.
Grae Kessinger
3B
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