Fantasy Baseball Player Notes
2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Notes
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1.
Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal dominated in 2025, posting ace-level ratios while maintaining elite strikeout and walk rates across a full workload (195 IP). His 2026 projections remain optimistic, forecasting another sub-3 ERA with a strong WHIP and strikeout volume. The sustainability is supported by stable velocity, plus command, and one of the league's best swinging-strike profiles. Skubal enters 2026 as a true fantasy ace and a reliable anchor for managers prioritizing pitching early.
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15.
Freddy Peralta
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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23.
Nick Pivetta
Nick Pivetta's 2025 breakout in San Diego was supported by real skill growth, highlighted by elite run prevention, a sub-1.00 WHIP, and career-best contact suppression (.195 BAA, .583 OPS against). His strikeout rate dipped slightly from peak Boston levels, but improved command and a sharp reduction in hard contact and BABIP drove a massive jump in value. Pivetta's projections appropriately pull him back from ace-level ratios, yet still view him as a strong mid-rotation fantasy starter with above-average strikeouts and solid run support. Fantasy managers should treat Pivetta as a high-floor SP3/4 rather than fully buying the Cy Young-adjacent ceiling he flashed in 2025.
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25.
Kevin Gausman
Kevin Gausman followed up his 2024 dip with a strong rebound in 2025, logging 193 innings with a 3.59 ERA and an excellent 1.06 WHIP. While his strikeout rate (24.4% K%) remained solid, it was well below his 2022-23 peak, reinforcing the trend that his fantasy ceiling is no longer ace-level. Projections forecast dependable innings, solid ratios, and above-average command, but fewer strikeouts than elite fantasy starters. At age 35, Gausman is best suited as a high-floor SP3/4 rather than a staff anchor, with value tied heavily to workload stability and ratio support rather than upside.
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27.
Sonny Gray
Sonny Gray was one of the only bright spots in the Cardinals' 2025 season. He started 32 games, threw 180 2/3 innings, and struck out 201 batters. His ERA was inflated at 4.28 with an expected of 3.90, but his FIP (3.39) suggests both of these numbers are high, and his xFIP is even lower at 3.06. Gray turns 36 this year, and projections have him profiled as more of an SP3 or SP4. Still, the move to Boston should give him more win equity, and he is worth consideration in the middle rounds.
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31.
Brandon Woodruff
Brandon Woodruff returned to the mound in 2025 and was highly effective on a per-inning basis, posting a 3.20 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and an elite 32.3% strikeout rate across 64.2 innings. The sample size again tells the story: he has been oft injured in recent seasons, logging just 12 starts in 2025 after making only 11 in 2023. The 2026 projections reflect that duality: strong ratios and a healthy strikeout total on a per-start basis, but fantasy managers have to temper their expectations on his durability. Fantasy managers should bake in missed time and pair him with safer innings volume rather than relying on him as a staff anchor.
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32.
Michael King
Michael King's transition to a full-time starter in San Diego paid off in 2024, but 2025 brought some mild regression and missed time. After logging 173 2/3 innings with a 2.95 ERA and 27.7% strikeout rate in 2024, he threw just 73.1 innings in 2025 with his strikeout rate dipping to 24.7% and his HR/9 jumping from 0.9 to 1.5. Projections expect a rebound in workload and a return to mid-3.00s ratios, which aligns more closely with his 2024 form than last year's abbreviated campaign. King still misses bats at an above-average clip and limits batting average against (.225 career), but his margin for error narrows when the home run rate spikes. He profiles as a high-end SP3 with SP2 upside if the strikeouts tick back toward the 27-28% range and he pushes past 160 innings again.
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45.
Robbie Ray
Robbie Ray rebounded in 2025 with a 3.65 ERA and 1.21 WHIP across 182.1 innings for San Francisco, earning an All-Star nod after an injury-marred 2023 and abbreviated 2024. Looking ahead to 2026, projections point to stable mid-rotation production rather than a return to ace-level dominance. Ray's declining strikeout trend (from 32% in 2021 to sub-25% in 2025) caps his fantasy ceiling, but his ability to take the ball for 30+ starts and limit damage keeps his floor relatively intact.
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48.
Shota Imanaga
Shota Imanaga followed up a brilliant 2024 debut (2.91 ERA, 25.1% K rate, 4.0% BB rate) with a more volatile 2025 campaign, as his ERA climbed to 3.73 and his strikeout rate dipped to 20.6%. While he continued to limit walks at an elite clip (4.6% BB%) and suppress batting average (.218 BAA), a spike in home run rate (5.5% HR%) and hard-hit contact (43.9%) led to a sharp jump in FIP (4.86). Fantasy managers should view Imanaga as a mild faller entering 2026 drafts, though his strong command and projected workload stability keep him firmly in SP3 territory if the homer regression stabilizes.
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49.
Trevor Rogers
Trevor Rogers' 2025 rebound was dramatic, highlighted by a 1.81 ERA, elite run prevention (223 ERA+), and sharp ratios driven by improved command (6.9 BB%) and a return to missing bats (24.3 K%). The advanced profile supports the breakout: opponents managed just a .503 OPS with a suppressed BABIP (.228). After multiple injuries and poor performances from 2022-24, Rogers demonstrated more stability and efficiency without a full return to peak strikeout volume. The 2026 projections understandably bake in some regression from ace-level run prevention, but Rogers profiles as a strong SP3 with upside in formats that reward ratios, especially if his walk gains hold.
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56.
Jack Flaherty
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58.
Kris Bubic
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61.
Matthew Boyd
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62.
Zac Gallen
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72.
Casey Mize
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80.
David Peterson
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84.
Shane Bieber
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87.
Clay Holmes
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92.
Brady Singer
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100.
Chris Bassitt
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101.
Zach Eflin
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105.
Tyler Mahle
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106.
Jameson Taillon
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112.
Jeffrey Springs
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127.
Zack Littell
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128.
Dustin May
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133.
Justin Verlander
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135.
Max Scherzer
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145.
Lucas Giolito
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147.
Nick Martinez
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152.
Eric Lauer
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153.
Michael Soroka
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158.
Ryan Weiss
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160.
Lance McCullers Jr.
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163.
Walker Buehler
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173.
Aaron Civale
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177.
Colin Rea
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180.
Chris Paddack
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181.
Patrick Sandoval
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183.
Griffin Canning
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184.
Kyle Freeland
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195.
Jose Quintana
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198.
Jordan Montgomery
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202.
Taijuan Walker
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205.
Keegan Akin
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207.
Miles Mikolas
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213.
Sean Newcomb
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216.
Sawyer Gipson-Long
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217.
Alex Cobb
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220.
Ryan Yarbrough
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222.
Paul Blackburn
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223.
Tyler Anderson
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224.
Erick Fedde
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232.
James Paxton
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233.
Alek Manoah
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236.
Zach Davies
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237.
Wade Miley
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238.
Austin Gomber
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241.
Zach Plesac
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243.
Cal Quantrill
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244.
Kyle Muller
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245.
Dietrich Enns
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250.
Jason Alexander
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251.
Drew Smyly
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252.
Tomoyuki Sugano
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255.
Peyton Battenfield
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256.
Spencer Turnbull
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257.
Dakota Hudson
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258.
Rich Hill
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259.
Kenta Maeda
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261.
Tyler Alexander
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264.
Trevor Williams
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265.
Patrick Corbin
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266.
Jose Urena
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267.
Nick Nastrini
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279.
Martin Perez
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284.
Charlie Morton
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287.
Brent Suter
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290.
Jack Perkins
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299.
Bailey Falter
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306.
Jackson Rutledge
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317.
Nestor Cortes Jr.
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325.
J.P. France
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336.
Albert Suarez
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348.
Clayton Kershaw
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358.
Joey Gerber
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363.
David Price
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364.
Ryan Burr
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370.
Roansy Contreras
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382.
Spencer Jones
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384.
Easton Lucas
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386.
Kyle Wright
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412.
Nabil Crismatt
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413.
Joe Elbis
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424.
Robinson Pina
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434.
Jose De Leon
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437.
Marco Gonzales
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440.
Freddy Tarnok
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452.
Thomas Hatch
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454.
Carson Ragsdale
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458.
Antonio Senzatela
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462.
Marcus Stroman
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465.
Bradley Blalock
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467.
Owen White
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475.
Wilmer Flores
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