Category: Baseball

While the outfield boasts 10 of this year's top 30 players for fantasy purposes, depth has become a real issue in recent years. Largely gone are the two-category guys who might help only in average and steals or in homers and RBI. In their place are so many outfielders who can do a little bit of everything but not anything especially well. There are more platoons and more quality bats being treated as regular DHs. In fact, two of our top 25 players here, Yordan Alvarez and Christian Yelich, are strictly DHs in leagues that require 20-game eligibility. With the rankings really thinning out beyond the top 40 here, those playing in leagues that require five outfielders might want to attack the position early and often.

Fortunately, there's still value to be found in the middle rounds. Luis Robert Jr., Noelvi Marté, Andy Pages and Brenton Doyle are among those offering tantalizing upside while going outside the top 150 in early drafts and more boring picks like Ian Happ and Bryan Reynolds can still provide value. It's just a matter of how lucky you happen to be feeling.

⚾️ Coming soon: MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.

Other position previews:

• 2026 First Base Rankings
  
• 2026 Third Base Rankings
  
• 2026 Second Base Rankings
  
• 2026 Shortstop Rankings
  

• 2026 Catcher Rankings

⚾ 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outfielder Rankings

** Rotoworld staff consensus rankings **

Editor’s Note: Projections and dollar values from Matthew Pouliot; player rankings are based on consensus.

⚾ 2026 Outfielder Projections and Previews

1) Aaron Judge — New York Yankees

2026 Outlook: It’d be one thing if Judge debuted at 21 and posted a couple of the greatest seasons of all-time at age 28 and 29, but he was far and away the league’s best hitter at both 32 and 33 years old. In 2024, he had a 225 OPS+ that places 13th in AL/NL history. The only players to top that since 1900 are Babe Ruth (five times), Barry Bonds (four times) and Ted Williams (twice). He came in at 215 last year, which is 23rd on the list. He’s at 209 in the four seasons since he turned 30, compared to 150 in his five-plus seasons prior. It’s absurd. Judge is a mere eight months younger than Mike Trout, who hasn’t appeared on an MVP ballot since his age-30 season. Albert Pujols stopped being Albert Pujols at 30. Miguel Cabrera’s last great season came at 33. There are already people writing off Bryce Harper, who was born six months after Judge in 1992.

Judge, though, obviously isn’t showing any significant signs of decline. His exit velocity numbers were down a tad last year, but they were still the best in the league across the board, and his bat speed held steady. He posted the lowest strikeout rate of his career for the second straight year, though that’s something of an illusion; throw out the intentional walks (a career-high 36 of last year’s 124 bases on balls) and his K rate has held pretty steady the last five years (in order: 25%, 26%, 29%, 25% and 25%). The reason to expect him to fall off some at age 34 is because that’s what players tend to do. Judge, though, is about as unique as they come. He’s the best bet in baseball in terms of homers and runs+RBI and he’s somewhere in the top five in average, too. He should be the No. 1 player on draft lists.

2026 projection: (Mixed $55) 538 AB, 123 R, 51 HR, 107 RBI, 10 SB, 27 2B, 1 3B, .291/.422/.629

2) Juan Soto — New York Mets

2026 Outlook: Because of the previously unfathomable steal total, Soto was never all that much of a fantasy disappointment last year, even though his other numbers were down across the board over the first couple of months. His final two-thirds of the season was a masterpiece, though, as he .285/.418/.596 with 35 homers in his final 105 games. The steals, however… those came out of nowhere. Soto had never swiped more than dozen bases before going 38-for-42 last season. Much of the credit was given to first base coach Antoan Richardson, who left the Mets to join the Braves over the winter. One imagines that will cause Soto to back off some on the basepaths this year. In also seems worth noting that Soto was actually slower than ever last season, checking in with just 13th-percentile sprint speed.

Soto’s offensive decline last year seemed mostly about early season bad luck -- he finished second in the majors to Judge in xwOBA -- but his bat speed was down some and his whiff rate increased for a third straight year. That he’s playing half his games in Citi Field, a tough place for left-handed hitters, isn’t helping out. Soto entered last season with a career BABIP of .305. Last year, he was at .270 overall and .257 in his home games. Citi Field suppresses base hits more than homers, so that checks out. Still, Soto is quite obviously one of the safest picks around when it comes to four-category production. If he wants to steal 30 bases again, then he should justify a pick in the top five overall. If he gets caught stealing a couple of times early and decides to shut it down, he’ll probably be a modest disappointment.

2026 projection: (Mixed $43) 554 AB, 118 R, 37 HR, 94 RBI, 20 SB, 25 2B, 1 3B, .276/.420/.525

3) Ronald Acuña Jr. — Atlanta Braves

2026 Outlook: Returning from a second torn ACL, Acuña was his usual self in the batter’s box last season, hitting .290 with a .518 slugging percentage in 95 games. That’s almost an exact match his career marks of .289 and .524. What he didn’t do was much running, though that was expected. Two years after his historic 40/70 season, Acuña swiped just nine bags last year. It seemed like reason for concern entering 2026, but then he went and played in the Venezuelan Winter League and stole 11 bases in 16 games. That he seems motivated to return to 40-steal form gives him a great chance of finishing as a top-three outfielder if healthy. He’s probably a bigger injury risk than the other top outfielders -- because both ACL tears cost him parts of two years, he’s had only two completely healthy seasons -- but if he goes nuts on the basepaths, he truly offers as much upside as anyone.

2026 projection: (Mixed $44) 559 AB, 113 R, 35 HR, 78 RBI, 36 SB, 26 2B, 2 3B, .277/.376/.519

4) Julio Rodríguez — Seattle Mariners

2026 Outlook: Maybe just trade for him in June? In his three full seasons, Rodríguez has posted OPSs of .710, .625 and .721 through the first three months of the year and .924, .892 and .884 afterwards. It’s hardly guaranteed to work out that way again, but it doesn’t really seem like a complete fluke, either. It brings to mind Adrian Beltre, who only went to four All-Star games in his illustrious career because he was such a slow starter.

Everything else looks pretty great for Rodríguez, even as his ballpark held him back as much as ever last season; he had a .676 OPS at home and a .912 OPS on the road, with 23 of his 32 homers coming in away games. He has top-of-the-line bat speed, and one can’t help but wonder what kind of numbers he’d put up without having to deal with Seattle’s difficult backdrop for hitters. Expect another run at a 30/30 season, and it helps a bunch that the Mariners' lineup keeps on getting better.

2026 projection: (Mixed $41) 605 AB, 93 R, 33 HR, 94 RBI, 30 SB, 31 2B, 2 3B, .278/.336/.499

5) Kyle Tucker — Los Angeles Dodgers

2026 Outlook: Two fluky injuries didn’t prevent the Dodgers from offering up $60 million per year to lure Tucker to L.A. in the offseason. Tucker put up the best numbers of his career in his half-season in 2024, hitting 23 homers in 78 games when he wasn’t sidelined by a fractured shin. Last year, he was batting .284/.394/.524 until suffering a fractured finger in June and then slumping while trying to play through it. Tucker remains one of the game’s most fascinating players, offering outstanding offense despite average bat speed and excellent steal totals despite being a well below average runner. Some chose to suggest he doesn’t have much passion for baseball as he lingered in free agency, but he’s clearly one of the game’s smartest players, and it’s rather odd to see his dedication questioned after he just spent months playing through injury. As the expected No. 2 or No. 4 hitter in the Dodgers lineup, he offers supreme run and RBI potential. Dodger Stadium isn’t quite as friendly for left-handed hitters as for righties, but it will help for homers, even if it makes it a little tougher to hit for average. He’s a safer second-round pick than his games played totals the last two years would suggest.

2026 projection: (Mixed $37) 550, 95 R, 33 HR, 98 RBI, 21 SB, 30 2B, 1 3B, .271/.365/.509

6) Corbin Carroll — Arizona Diamondbacks

2026 Outlook: Carroll was the inverse Soto last year in that the production was always there, but the anticipated steals weren’t, at least not until mid-August. He was 14-for-18 stealing bases over his first 106 games before turning on the jets and going 18-for-20 in his last 37 contests. Combined with the extra power he showed, he returned essentially first-round value.

Still, there are three concerns here. First, the broken hamate bone Carroll suffered at the beginning of the spring could sap his power early on this season. It’s also worth wondering how much Carroll wants to run, especially now that he’s added bat speed and become more of a power hitter. His steal attempts dropped from 59 as a rookie to 43 as a sophomore, and he was on pace for just 26 steal attempts three-quarters of the way through last year. But that is totally up to him. What’s not in his control is that the Diamondbacks have about one-third of a quality lineup at the moment. That might work out well for the steals, since Carroll, who is probably going to bat third, should be particularly aggressive with lesser hitters behind him. That seemed to be what happened last year, as the steal outburst came after he was moved from leadoff to the third spot and following the exits of Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez. But it won’t be very good for the rest of Carroll’s numbers if the Diamondbacks get little out of the bottom of their order.

2026 projection: (Mixed $27) 535 AB, 90 R, 23 HR, 82 RBI, 33 SB, 29 2B, 10 3B, .262/.353/.482

7) Fernando Tatis Jr. — San Diego Padres

2026 Outlook: Tatis is now five years removed from his 42-homer season at age 22. Since missing the following season with injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident and drawing a PED ban, he’s failed to top 25 homers. It’s not because he’s not hitting the ball hard enough; Tatis boasted 95th-percentile average exit velocity and a 93rd-percentile hard-hit rate last season. He also posted a career-low strikeout rate for a third straight season. It’s just that too much of his contact produces grounders. Among the 145 batting-title qualifiers last season, Tatis had the 12th highest groundball rate and 15th lowest line drive rate.

At this point, there doesn’t seem like much reason to expect much more from Tatis. Maybe he could alter his swing some to produce more flies, but that’d be risky, especially since he’s still very good as is. It also might not even be possible for him as a result of the old shoulder injury. He’s still an excellent basestealer, and he’s been on the IL just once in the last three years after battling injuries throughout the first stage of his career. Everyone here is very much in agreement that he ranks in the 5-7 range among outfielders.

2026 projection: (Mixed $36) 567 AB, 105 R, 31 HR, 78 RBI, 27 SB, 29 2B, 2 3B, .272/.360/.494

8) Jackson Chourio — Milwaukee Brewers

2026 Outlook: Chourio seemed pretty polished for a 20-year-old rookie in 2024, so it was incredible to just see him start swinging at everything at the beginning of last year. He struck out five times on Opening Day, and he didn’t draw his first walk until the 18th game of the season. It worked out for him initially -- he was hitting .313/.309/.657 through 15 games -- but by May 19, he was at .236/.254/.419 with a 47/4 K/BB. Fortunately, something clicked after that, and he went back to hitting like he did as a rookie. After bottoming out, he came in at .289/.338/.488 with a 74/26 K/BB in 380 plate appearances, and despite battling hamstring issues, he drove in eight runs in the Brewers’ nine postseason games.

Given that he’s just turning 22 in March, Chourio is probably still a few years away from peaking. However, his bat speed was up a little last year from his rookie season, and it’s easy to see him jumping up to the 25-28 homer range this year. If that happens, maybe he’ll want to do more running, too, and see if he can get to 30/30.

2026 projection: (Mixed $32) 610 AB, 93 R, 27 HR, 90 RBI, 23 SB, 34 2B, 4 3B, .274/.326/.475

9) James Wood — Washington Nationals

2026 Outlook: Nothing about Wood’s game seems optimized just yet. He pulls flyballs less often than just about everyone else in the league. He struck out 32 percent of the time last season even though he chases out of the zone less than most. He’s a poor left fielder despite his above average speed. On the other hand, he played last season at 22, and he wound up with 31 homers and a reasonable .256 average in spite of his faults. His 95th-percentile bat speed produced 98th-percentile average exit velocity and hard-hit rates last year, and he’s probably going to get a little stronger. There’s a legitimate chance that he figures it all out and becomes baseball’s best player someday, and it could help that the Nationals are going to be run in a more forward-thinking fashion now. It doesn’t necessarily mean that better things are in store for 2026, but just more of the same would still make him a borderline top-10 fantasy outfielder.

2026 projection: (Mixed $24) 597 AB, 99 R, 32 HR, 88 RBI, 14 SB, 32 2B, 2 3B, .263/.351/.484

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10) Yordan Alvarez — Houston Astros

2026 Outlook: Alvarez at a discount is pretty tasty. He missed two-thirds of last season, mostly because a fractured hand that he kept having setbacks with. He also sprained his ankle late in the year. When he was in the lineup, his numbers were down, though that seemed like a fluke. His exit-velocity numbers were all within his norms, and Statcast gave him a .534 xSLG that was 104 points better than his actual mark. Alvarez is supposed to enter camp 100 percent healthy this year, and the Astros want him to focus on DHing in an effort to keep him that way. Alvarez is just 28. He’s a lifetime .297 hitter, and Judge and Mike Trout are the only two active players with higher OPSs than his career mark of .961. He's not going to help in steals, but the ceiling is there for him to both contend for a batting title and slug 40-50 homers.

2026 projection: (Mixed $27) 508 AB, 94 R, 35 HR, 91 RBI, 3 SB, 28 2B, 1 3B, .297/.395/.563

11) Brent Rooker — Athletics

2026 Outlook: In spite of the big ballpark upgrade, Rooker fell well short of his 2024 production last season, losing 30 points of batting average (.292 to .262) about 80 points of slugging (.562 to .479). Still, it didn’t happen in a particularly discouraging way. For one thing, he got his strikeout rate all of the way down to 22% after coming in at 29% in 2024 and 33% in 2023. He did this without losing any bat speed, and while his exit velocity numbers were down across the board, he actually had more barrels while hitting 30 homers last season (65) than he did when hitting 39 in 2024 (62). Just because of how well Sutter Health played for hitters -- it was the No. 2 ballpark for righties in the league last season -- Rooker actually seems like a little better of a bet now than he did a year ago, when everyone assumed he’d drop off some. He figures to at least match his 2025 production and maybe improve on it slightly.

2026 projection: (Mixed $16) 578 AB, 89 R, 31 HR, 90 RBI, 7 SB, 30 2B, 2 3B, .263/.340/.483

12) Wyatt Langford — Texas Rangers

2026 Outlook: That the homers and steals increased in year two has kept Langford plenty popular in early drafts, but there were some discouraging takeaways from 2025. For one, his K rate went from 20.6% as a rookie to 26.4% as a sophomore. It’s not like he was selling out for more power, either, as his average bat speed dipped from 74.5 mph to 73.1 mph. He was in the 84th percentile of major leaguers there as a rookie but just 66th last year. And while there’s nothing Langford can do about this, it’s concerning just how bad of a ballpark Globe Life Field has been for right-handed hitters the last two years after never really behaving that way previously. There’s still obvious upside here. Maybe all of those things turn around, and Langford, one of the game’s very fastest players, decides he wants to steal 40 bases, too. Last season just wasn’t encouraging, though.

2026 projection: (Mixed $14) 546 AB, 84 R, 24 HR, 78 RBI, 21 SB, 27 2B, 3 3B, .258/.346/.451

13) Pete Crow-Armstrong — Chicago Cubs

2026 Outlook: Despite a poor first two weeks, Crow-Armstrong was a legitimate candidate for NL MVP honors through four months last season; he hit .272/.309/.559 with 27 homers and 29 steals while playing all-world defense in center. Of course, he limped home from there, hitting .188/.237/.295, and he didn’t even complete the 30/30 campaign until the final weekend of the season. PCA’s complete lack of plate discipline is a problem that’s probably not going away. He swung at 59.5% of the pitches he saw last year, putting him in a virtual tie with Yandy Díaz for the highest mark in the league, and his contact rate was significantly below average. He just doesn’t figure to be much more than a .250 hitter while chasing pretty much everything, and it’s entirely possible he’ll do worse than that. Nevertheless, Crow-Armstrong has a high floor as a fantasy outfielder. He doesn’t possess elite power, and he might not repeat the 30-homer season, but he should be a shoo-in for 30 steals and he really could do quite a bit better there if he wanted to. He’s also so good defensively that no kind of slump should cost him his place in the Cubs lineup.

2026 projection: (Mixed $19) 574 AB, 76 R, 24 HR, 83 RBI, 36 SB, 30 2B, 5 3B, .273/.321/.466

14) Roman Anthony — Boston Red Sox

2026 Outlook: How could expectations not be sky high after Anthony looked like that as a 21-year-old rookie? His 60.3% hard-hit rate was best in baseball, and while he settled for eight homers in 71 games, he connected on 27 barrels. He hit .326/.427/.530 in the 35-game span before his season-ending strained oblique suffered in September. Anthony did strike out 28 percent of the time, but that was partly because he’s so selective at the plate; one imagines he’ll be a player to benefit from the challenge system. Anthony might already be one of the game’s best hitters, and he’ll get a little boost from Fenway, too, even if the ballpark will cost him homers on occasion. If he decides to try to steal 15 bases or so this year, it’d greatly help his chances of finishing as a top-10 fantasy outfielder. Still, it’s probably not in his nor the Red Sox’s best interests.

2026 projection: (Mixed $15) 554 AB, 102 R, 25 HR, 76 RBI, 8 SB, 34 2B, 3 3B, .276/.380/.484

15) Jarren Duran — Boston Red Sox

2026 Outlook: While his slugging percentage fell by 50 points, Duran actually hit the ball harder last year than in 2024. His bat speed jumped from the 77th percentile to the 86th percentile, and his average exit velocity was likewise up to the 87th percentile. Alas, his whiff rate jumped even more; he was right around the league average there in 2023 and ’24, but he was in the 20th percentile last year. That’d be easy to explain if he was taking a longer swing to generate his extra exit velocity, but his average swing length has actually decreased ever so slightly each of the last two years. The Red Sox occasionally platooned Duran last year because of his struggles against lefties, but with Rob Refsnyder gone, he figures to start against most lefties initially this year. Maybe he’ll never again reach the heights of 2024, but he’s a near lock for 20 steals and will post solid enough numbers elsewhere.

2026 projection: (Mixed $15) 572 AB, 81 R, 18 HR, 82 RBI, 24 SB, 34 2B, 7 3B, .269/.336/.448

16) Cody Bellinger — New York Yankees

2026 Outlook: Bellinger’s first year in New York produced his biggest home run total (29) since his MVP season in 2019 and the lowest strikeout rate (13.7%) of his career. His exit velocity numbers have been below average for years now, but they haven’t gotten any worse these last couple of seasons and he’s succeeding by pulling more flyballs and just rarely getting himself out. He’d probably rank lower here if he had left the Bronx as a free agent, since the ballpark suits him nicely and he’ll mostly be hitting right next to Judge. For the first time in at least a half-decade, he actually seems like a safe pick at this point.

2026 projection: (Mixed $15) 592 AB, 85 R, 26 HR, 92 RBI, 12 SB, 25 2B, 3 3B, .260/.325/.444

17) Jackson Merrill — San Diego Padres

2026 Outlook: Following up a spectacular rookie season, Merrill struggled to build momentum last season. He had a 1.090 OPS through 10 games before missing a month with a hamstring strain. A concussion later kept him out for a week in June, and a sprained ankle cost him the second half of August. He did bounce back in September, hitting .275 with seven of his 16 homers on the year. Of a lot of concern for fantasy purposes is that Merrill never stole a base after the hamstring strain; his one steal all year came in the game before he landed on the IL. Merrill swiped 16 bags as a rookie, and if he’s not going to get back there, it will take a significant toll on his upside. Offensively, Merrill has shown only league-average bat speed to date, and his approach last year wasn’t nearly as good as it was as a rookie. It’s fair to question his ultimate ceiling at this point. Still, this is a 23-year-old who was one of the NL’s top 10 players at 21 and who was almost certainly held back by his injuries throughout most of last season. He should be helpful in four categories, and a rebound to 15 steals still might be a possibility.

2026 projection: (Mixed $15) 590 AB, 81 R, 24 HR, 89 RBI, 14 SB, 32 2B, 5 3B, .273/.321/.466

18) Byron Buxton — Minnesota Twins

2026 Outlook: Although he performed well when healthy in 2024, Buxton was basically free in mixed-league drafts a year ago, largely because he hadn't played in two-thirds of his team's games in any season since 2017. Now he's far from free after playing in 126 games, his second highest total ever, and establishing new career highs in homers (35), runs (97) and RBI (83) last season. He also stole 24 bases, which was two more than he totaled over the previous three years combined. Is he any better of a bet now than he was a year ago? Perhaps a little, as his bat speed was a little better than in 2024 and his sprint speed was improved in a season in which he never dealt with leg injuries. Still, even last year, he was on the IL once and day-to-day on four other occasions. It's also of some concern that the Twins lineup around him appears weaker than it has been in years. He'll probably miss more time this year, and if that happens, he'll go back to being a potential bargain next spring.

2026 projection: (Mixed $8) 468 AB, 79 R, 30 HR, 70 RBI, 15 SB, 23 2B, 3 3B, .250/.314/.504

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19t) Riley Greene — Detroit Tigers

2026 Outlook: With his 36 homers and 111 RBI, Greene more than met expectations in fantasy leagues last season. Still, his plate discipline has taken quite the hit. Of last year's 145 batting-title qualifiers, Greene had the 19th-highest swing rate and 24th-worst contact rate, which produced 201 strikeouts in all. His OBP dropped from .349 in 2023 and .348 in 2024 to .313 last season. One could say he was selling out for power, but while he did really up his barrel rate, his hard-hit rate was down a tad overall, and Statcast thinks he was lucky to hit .258, giving him a .239 xBA. Greene says he wants to get back to making more contact this year, and ideally, he'll pull that off. He seems like a safe enough pick either way, but he's being drafted earlier than ever and his lack of steals cuts into his upside.

2026 projection: (Mixed $7) 557 AB, 80 R, 29 HR, 90 RBI, 3 SB, 28 2B, 4 3B, .255/.324/.476

19t) Seiya Suzuki — Chicago Cubs

2026 Outlook: After two seasons in which he hit in the .280s and finished with 20 and 21 homers, Suzuki came in at .245 with 32 homers last year. The difference is that he went from being someone who pulled flies at an average rate the previous two years to ranking 20th there among last year's 145 batting-title qualifiers. Still, that didn't really make him any more valuable to the Cubs, since his BABIP dropped from .355 the previous two years to .282 last season. Whether Suzuki sticks to his 2025 approach or not, he's a perfectly fine bet to be a productive hitter. However, since he will play right field this year after mostly DHing last year, he's back to being a bit more of an injury risk.

2026 projection: (Mixed $9) 538 AB, 81 R, 29 HR, 92 RBI, 9 SB, 28 2B, 4 3B, .243/.333/.472

21) George Springer — Toronto Blue Jays

2026 Outlook: That was a whole lot more than a dead cat bounce. In a remarkable turnaround at age 35, Springer established new career highs with a .309 average, a .399 OBP, a 15.8% barrel rate and a 46.7% hard-hit rate. He had his high homer total (32) since 2019 and his most runs scored (106) since 2017. He was even 18-for-19 stealing bases, continuing an odd late-career surge in the category after he really struggled there in his 20s (he was 48-for-79 stealing bases in his first seven seasons). That his EV numbers completely backed up his success would seem to suggest it's no fluke, and while Springer has had some injury issues in his career, that he's primarily a DH now makes him a better bet to stay healthy. He's also in a fantastic situation as the Jays' leadoff man. Maybe it all falls apart anyway, but it's hard to look at the player he was last year and not think he'll remain pretty valuable.

2026 projection: (Mixed $14) 517 AB, 93 R, 28 HR, 72 RBI, 13 SB, 23 2B, 2 3B, .253/.354/.478

22) Michael Harris II — Atlanta Braves

2026 Outlook: Harris’s lack of progress since his excellent rookie season at age 21 in 2022 is truly disappointing, but he did have one of the best runs of his career in the second half of 2025, hitting .299/.315/.530 with 14 homers in 67 games. Whether he actually figured something out in the process is hard to say, but in turning in a 20/20 campaign after struggling for 3 ½ months, he showed why it’s so hard to give up on him. Harris just has no plate discipline at all. He possesses plenty of bat speed, and that his strikeout rates are actually below the league average is a testament to his ability to put the bat on the ball even while he’s swinging at pitches nowhere near the strike zone. If only he could be a little more selective and lay off the worst of the worst, it’d probably make him an above average hitter. Maybe it won’t happen, but he’s one of those players with sky-high fantasy upside if he can just get a little better at one facet of the game. He’s also not a fundamentally different player now than when he hit .295 over his first two seasons. With the price tag dipping once again, he’s one to target.

2026 projection: (Mixed $19) 545 AB, 77 R, 24 HR, 83 RBI, 25 SB, 28 2B, 3 3B, .279/.317/.473

23) Tyler Soderstrom — Athletics

2026 Outlook (from Eric Samulski's 1B rankings): Soderstrom started the season on fire, and the perception is that he cooled off after April, but that’s not entirely true. Yes, most of his power came in the first 30 games of the season, when he hit .284 with nine home runs and 24 RBI, and, yes, his next two months were a struggle, but from July 1 on, Soderstrom hit .305/.351/.530 with 11 home runs and 46 RBI in 72 games. That’s not somebody who just had one strong month or one hot stretch. Soderstrom also showed real gains with his plate discipline, not becoming more passive but being more intentional about what he swung at. His overall swing rate remained the same, but he improved his contact rate by over six percentage points and cut his swinging strike rate by three percentage points, down to just 10.8%. Yes, it would be nice to see him lift the ball more regularly, but he posted an 11.4%-barrel rate and has the bat speed to do real damage. Given that he’s going to play another season in Sacramento, we should expect his power to play even without an approach change, but there’s a real chance he can surpass 30 home runs if he pulls the ball in the air a bit more. Another way to look at it is that he has slightly more raw power than Vinnie Pasquantino and slightly worse plate discipline, but plays in one of the best home parks in baseball.

2026 projection: (Mixed $10) 544 AB, 79 R, 28 HR, 89 RBI, 6 SB, 28 2B, 1 3B, .267/.339/.476

24) Randy Arozarena — Seattle Mariners

2026 Outlook: Arozarena usually has to stress a little to get his 20/20 seasons; he got there every year from 2021 from '23, but he had exactly 20 homers three times and 20 steals twice. The only time he eclipsed 23 homers or steals was in 2022, when he swiped 32 bases. It wasn't an issue last year, though, as he hit a career-high 27 homers and nearly matched that 2022 steal total with 31. That's added to his stock entering 2026, but some caution is advised here. With the newly acquired Brendan Donovan likely to assume the leadoff spot, Arozarena figures to open up hitting fifth for Seattle. That's actually probably good for the steals, since he'll have plenty of freedom to run ahead of the Mariners' lesser bats, but it's bad for everything else. Arozarena is also 31 now, and his bat speed and sprint speed have both trended downwards the last couple of years. He'll probably get his 20/20 again, but there's a good chance he won't help much in the other categories.

2026 projection: (Mixed $3) 523 AB, 75 R, 21 HR, 68 RBI, 20 SB, 25 2B, 1 3B, .228/.329/.400

25) Christian Yelich — Milwaukee Brewers

2026 Outlook: Serving mostly as a DH, Yelich played in 150 games for just the fourth time in his career last season and finished with his third-highest homer total (29) and second-highest RBI total (103) in his 13 seasons. Those did, however, come with his second-highest strikeout rate (25.9%, behind only the short 2020) and his weakest ever xwOBA (.330). Yelich is 34 now. He's returned to having one of the game's highest groundball rates after doing a little bit better there in his prime years, and he's in a ballpark that's one of the worst in the league when it comes to singles and doubles for left-handed hitters. Most likely, he'll fall off some in homers and fail to make up for it elsewhere.

2026 projection: (Mixed $7) 540 AB, 82 R, 23 HR, 77 RBI, 16 SB, 22 2B, 1 3B, .252/.345/.424

26) Luis Robert Jr. — New York Mets

2026 Outlook: Robert is quite obviously coming off a second straight bad season, but there were some encouraging signs in 2025. For one, he got his strikeout rate back under control, coming in at 26% after finishing 2024 at 33%. His bat speed also rebounded to where it was in 2023 after falling off by more than one mph in 2024. Statcast bought into his decline in 2024, giving him a .283 xwOBA that was a match for his .285 wOBA. Last year, though, he had a .321 xwOBA, while his .289 wOBA held steady. There were also those 33 steals in 110 games, overtaking his previous career high by 10. That Robert was playing for a comatose franchise in Chicago likely contributed to his struggles. With the Mets, he'll be on a contender, one that probably won't want him to play through injuries when he'd be better off sitting down. His 30/30 ability is intact, and while he'll probably miss too much time to get there, he should maintain that kind of pace while healthy.

2026 projection: (Mixed $10) 503 AB, 72 R, 28 HR, 75 RBI, 24 SB, 24 2B, 1 3B, .247/.310/.465

27) Jo Adell — Los Angeles Angels

2026 Outlook: Adell showed signs of taking a step forward during 2024, but no one expected last year's 37-homer campaign. His 17.2% barrel rate was ninth in the majors and double his 8.5% mark from 2020-23 before he came in at 11.7% in 2024. Likewise, his average exit velocity went from 87.7 mph in 2020-23 to 89.8 mph in 2024 and 91.7 mph last year. Statcast thought Adell should have done even better, giving him a .260 xBA and a .549 xSLG versus his actual marks of .236 and .485. Adell still lacks plate discipline, and with his speed in decline, he probably shouldn't attempt many steals. However, another run at 40 homers is realistic.

2026 projection: (Mixed $9) 571 AB, 78 R, 35 HR, 93 RBI, 6 SB, 22 2B, 2 3B, .238/.296/.468

28) Oneil Cruz — Pittsburgh Pirates

2026 Outlook: Cruz hit the ball harder than anyone last season, claiming both the league's maximum exit velocity (122.9 mph) and the highest average (95.8 mph). And it just didn't really matter. Even with all of that velocity, he had the lowest rate of hits to hard-hit balls among batting title qualifiers; he came in at 55% (94/171), compared to a median of 75%. Cruz lost the leadoff spot in Pittsburgh and then became a platoon guy, sitting against lefties even though the team was just playing out the string. Too many of his well hit balls were grounders, and his strikeout rate increased from 30% in 2024 to 32% last year, even though his contact numbers were slightly improved. The Pirates will enter the season with even less reason to hit him leadoff or play him against lefties. He's still wildly talented and could take a leap forward, and he'll at least steal bases even if that doesn't happen. Still, a trade would have made him quite a bit more interesting in drafts.

2026 projection: (Mixed $7) 472 AB, 69 R, 23 HR, 68 RBI, 29 SB, 24 2B, 3 3B, .248/.325/.458

29) Kyle Stowers — Miami Marlins

2026 Outlook: Before a strained oblique shut him down in mid-August, Stowers was on his way to hitting 30 homers and making a run at 100 RBI in a breakthrough season with the Marlins. His 52% hard-hit rate and 19%-barrel rate were both elite, and while his 27.4% strikeout rate was still high, it was a big improvement over his 33.8% mark in his first 340 plate appearances as a major leaguer. Now it's just about doing it again. Stowers swings and misses quite a bit more than one would prefer, but he's gotten better about chasing bad pitches. Against lefties, he shortens up his swing to make more contact at the expense of power. He might wind up as a long-term platoon guy anyway, but he's giving himself a chance to be a full-timer. Miami's loanDepot park has played very well for lefty bats the last three years, and while having speed on the basepaths is an overrated factor overall, it has to earn Stowers a few more fastballs that he'll have Jakob Marsee and Xavier Edwards batting in front of him.

2026 projection: (Mixed $9) 552 AB, 80 R, 30 HR, 89 RBI, 5 SB, 31 2B, 3 3B, .257/.331/.487

30) Jose Altuve — Houston Astros

2026 Outlook (from James Schiano's 2B rankings): Is this the end for Altuve as an elite player? His .771 OPS was his lowest in a full season since 2013 and his .265 batting average was a stark break from his career norms. The speed also seems to be evaporating – which is not a shock for a 35-year-old – as he stole only 10 bases on 16 tries in 2025. On the other hand, Altuve still managed 26 home runs which tied for the fourth-most among second base-eligible players despite power metrics that look more like that of a slap hitter. A failed experiment in the outfield has led to eligibility there this coming season, which is nice for his fantasy value too. Through it all, he graded out as a top-five second baseman last year, and it’s hard to doubt that he can’t do so again. He’s earned that benefit of the doubt.

2026 projection: (Mixed $8) 565 AB, 80 R, 23 HR, 76 RBI, 15 SB, 25 2B, 1 3B, .262/.325/.432

31) Brandon Nimmo — Texas Rangers

2026 Outlook: Five years ago, Nimmo was as an injury-prone, high-OBP, fantasy non-entity because of his modest power and lack of stolen base ability. Now he's played in 150 games in four straight seasons and averaged 24 homers the last three seasons. He's even gone 28-for-29 in steals the last two seasons after coming in at 26-for-43 in his first eight years. His OBP, though, has cratered along the way, going from .393 in his first six years to .365 in 2022-23 to .326 the last two years. The Rangers, nevertheless, intend to use him as a leadoff man after acquiring him from the Mets for Marcus Semien. The ballpark change won't mean much; both Citi Field and U.S. Cellular are similarly somewhat below average for left-handed hitters. Nimmo's power surge shouldn't go anywhere, but the steals could vanish at any point and he's not going to be a big factor in average or RBI. He's merely quite solid.

2026 projection: (Mixed $7) 584 AB, 89 R, 23 HR, 69 RBI, 13 SB, 29 2B, 2 3B, .260/.336/.435

32) Andy Pages — Los Angeles Dodgers

2026 Outlook: Pages looked like the Dodgers' weakest link entering last season, but his numbers improved across the board as a sophomore, especially defensively. Statcast says his offense growth was more of a mirage, as his barrel rate (10.7% to 8.4%) and hard-hit rate (40% to 37%) both dropped, and his xwOBA fell slightly from .324 to .316. Still, he did lower his strikeout rate, and the defensive gains really were meaningful in this case, since his strong play in center will keep him in the lineup when he's not at his best offensively. Pages's 20-homer power isn't going anywhere, and hitting eighth or ninth in the Dodgers lineup isn't nearly as bad as hitting eighth or ninth on an average team. He should remain pretty useful.

2026 projection: (Mixed $5) 532 AB, 76 R, 23 HR, 78 RBI, 12 SB, 24 2B, 2 3B, .252/.312/.434

33t) Teoscar Hernández — Los Angeles Dodgers

2026 Outlook: Hernández's big 2024 rebound was much about the ballpark switch from Seattle to Los Angeles, and it went mostly unnoticed that his bat speed and EV numbers had gotten a little bit worse. The decline in both categories continued last year, and his typically exceptional BABIP plummeted to .283. He had come in at .344 from 2020-24. Now, with Tucker joining the mix in Los Angeles, Hernández is not looking at batting any higher than seventh against right-handers. He should still do well enough in homers and RBI to be of help in mixed leagues, but he wouldn't seem to offer much in the other categories.

2026 projection: (Mixed $6) 539 AB, 74 R, 29 HR, 85 RBI, 6 SB, 27 2B, 1 HR, .254/.307/.469

Clayton Kershaw, Joey Votto, Anthony Rizzo to join NBC Sports’ MLB coverage

The trio will appear as pregame analysts for the Wild Card round of the MLB postseason as well as select Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts.

• D.J. Short
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33t) Jakob Marsee — Miami Marlins

2026 Outlook: Marsee hit just .200 in a 2024 season spent mostly in Double-A. Last year, he was at .246 in Triple-A when the Marlins gave him a shot after trading Jesús Sánchez at the deadline. Little could have anyone known he'd come in at .292 in 234 plate appearances the rest of the way. He was essentially the NL's Roman Anthony. Marsee's exit velocity numbers mostly backed up his success, giving him a .347 xwOBA that wasn't too far off his .363 wOBA. He makes plenty of contact, hits the ball reasonably hard and he loves to steal bases. He's not a true burner and he might not last in center field for the long haul, clouding his long-term outlook some. But it seems like he'll get on base enough to be a solid enough leadoff hitter for now, and with his 30-40 steal ability, he has a chance to be a top-30 fantasy outfielder.

2026 projection: (Mixed $5) 531 AB, 85 R, 15 HR, 55 RBI, 32 SB, 24 2B, 5 3B, .241/.345/.390

35) Noelvi Marté — Cincinnati Reds

2026 Outlook (from D.J. Short's 3B rankings): Marté’s PED suspension cast a long shadow over his 2024 season, but he reminded everyone early last year why he was once such a highly-regarded prospect. Unfortunately, it was the injury bug that got in the way of a full breakout this time, as he missed two months during the first half due to an oblique strain. Still, he finished the year with 14 homers and 10 steals in 90 games while establishing himself as the Reds’ regular right fielder and No. 2 hitter. He’s in a favorable home ballpark in Cincinnati, which should help mitigate his mediocre approach and inconsistent power metrics. Marté profiles as a solid volume play in fantasy leagues, with speed propping up his floor, and multi-position eligibility enhancing his utility.

2026 projection: (Mixed $9) 548 AB, 77 R, 23 HR, 77 RBI, 16 SB, 26 2B, 3 3B, .263/.315/.447

36) Lawrence Butler — Athletics

2026 Outlook: One of last year's biggest disappointments, Butler saw his strikeout rate jump from 24% as a rookie to 28% last year, and his slugging percentage dropped from .490 to .404 in spite of the hugely favorable ballpark switch from Oakland to Sacramento. Some of the blame goes to the knee he had surgery on in October, but he went from looking like someone who should be a full-time player who hits leadoff against righties to becoming a platoon guy batting in the bottom half of the order. On the plus side, he did manage 21 homers and 22 steals in spite of his struggles. That's kept him getting drafted as a top-40 outfielder this spring. However, he's going to have to earn his way back to full-time play, and the top of Oakland's order is pretty stacked without him.

2026 projection: (Mixed $0) 453 AB, 61 R, 19 HR, 62 RBI, 14 SB, 23 2B, 2 3B, .249/.318/.435

37) Dylan Crews — Washington Nationals

2026 Outlook: Crews was effective neither before (.196/.266/.354 in 45 games) nor after (.222/.295/.348 in 38 games) a strained oblique split in twain his 2025 season, but the pedigree is still there. The second overall pick in the 2023 draft offers above average bat speed without a particularly long swing. He swings and misses too often, but his approach isn't bad. He still offers the potential to bust out, and even if he's only an average hitter, he should offer some fantasy value with his basestealing ability. He's 29-for-37 stealing bases through his first 116 games as a major leaguer, and on a bad Nationals team with little else going for it, there shouldn't be anything stopping him from swiping 40 bases if he stays healthy this year. The future doesn't seem as bright as it did three years ago, but there's still plenty of fantasy potential here.

2026 projection: (Mixed $7) 528 AB, 72 R, 19 HR, 68 RBI, 32 SB, 24 2B, 5 3B, .250/.319/.422

38) Ceddanne Rafaela — Boston Red Sox

2026 Outlook (from James Schiano's 2B rankings): Players like Rafaela are so fun to watch. Defensively, he’s one of the game’s best center fielders and routinely makes catches that seem impossible on contact. Yet, he found himself pushed to second base for 24 games last year because of the Red Sox’s logjam in the outfield. He was formidable there, but significantly less valuable in a real-life sense. Especially because he’s an agent of chaos at the plate. He steps in the box without much of a plan besides wanting to do damage and take war hacks. In doing so, he chased pitches out of the zone at one of the highest rates in the league. That approach led to an extreme feast or famine profile. For example, he put up a .647 OPS over the first two months of the season, then caught fire with an .861 OPS through June and July before faltering to a .622 OPS in August and September. That all led to a poor 91 wRC+ by season’s end and it’s anyone’s guess as to whether he’ll ever become a more consistent hitter. Still, 20 homers and 30 stolen bases are well within reach and that alone could make him a highly valuable second base-eligible player.

2026 projection: (Mixed $6) 527 AB, 75 R, 17 HR, 72 RBI, 21 SB, 30 2B, 4 3B, .260/.312/.429

39) Ian Happ — Chicago Cubs

2026 Outlook: It just doesn't get any steadier than Happ's last three years; he's hit between .243 and .248 and finished with 21-25 homers, 86-89 runs and 79-86 RBI each season. Statcast, though, actually thought 2025 was one of his best years. His EV numbers were all a little better than normal and his strikeout rate was lower than usual, so he had a .354 xwOBA that was the second-best mark of his career and a fair amount higher than his .333 wOBA. There's little reason to expect anything but more of the same at this point.

2026 projection: (Mixed $5) 560 AB, 88 R, 24 HR, 76 RBI, 8 SB, 29 2B, 1 3B, .245/.344/.429

40) Bryan Reynolds — Pittsburgh Pirates

2026 Outlook: Reynolds should have opened last year on the injured list. Instead, he played through triceps soreness in his throwing arm that limited him to DH duties in the first half of April, and he hit just .208/.277/.326 through May 26. Things mostly got back to normal after that; he hit .266/.340/.442 the rest of the way. His strikeout rate was always considerably higher than usual (26.5%, compared to a career mark of 21.9%), but he was also generating more bat speed; he was in the 50th percentile there among major leaguers, up from the 43rd percentile in 2024 and 22nd percentile in 2023. If that keeps up, one imagines he'll get back to hitting around 25 homers in 2026 (he finished at 16 last year after hitting 24-27 each season from 2021-24). With the improved supporting cast in Pittsburgh sure to help him in terms of runs and RBI, he seems a little undervalued this spring.

2026 projection: (Mixed $7) 587 AB, 85 R, 25 HR, 82 RBI, 7 SB, 29 2B, 4 3B, .257/.334/.448

41) Steven Kwan — Cleveland Guardians

2026 Outlook: Kwan likely peaked during his age-26 campaign in 2024. His bat speed declined last season, and his sprint speed has gone from considerably above average when he debuted in 2022 to below average the last two years. His hard-hit rate last year was just 19.3%, down from 23.7% in 2024. He and Luis Arraez (16.7%) were the only batting title qualifiers to come in below 24%, and Kwan just doesn't have quite the same knack for picking up hits as Arraez, having amassed a .281 average in his career. He'll probably remain a solid enough leadoff hitter for the Guardians for now, but that's a poor offense that did nothing to improve over the winter, limiting Kwan's potential to do much better than last year's totals of 81 runs and 56 RBI in 693 plate appearances.

2026 projection: (Mixed $3) 603 AB, 88 R, 11 HR, 55 RBI, 17 SB, 25 2B, 2 3B, .274/.344/.376

42) Taylor Ward — Baltimore Orioles

2026 Outlook: Fully healthy for a second straight season, Ward crushed his previous career highs with 36 homers and 103 RBI for the Angels last season. He did, however, hit just .228 in the process. For all of his power, Ward possesses just 15th-percentile bat speed, and at 32, he's reached the age where bat speed really begins to tail off. The move to Baltimore probably isn't a bad thing; Anaheim is a great place for right-handed power, but Ward has typically been a fair amount more successful on the road than at home over the course of his career. He'll also have a better supporting cast with the Orioles, and while his middling OBP numbers suggest he should be batting in the bottom half of the order, he'll probably hit somewhere in the top four initially. He seems like a reasonable bet early on, but it might be a good idea to cash him in if he gets off to a nice start.

2026 projection: (Mixed $2) 557 AB, 78 R, 22 HR, 76 RBI, 4 SB, 27 2B, 1 3B, .246/.326/.417

43) Brenton Doyle — Colorado Rockies

2026 Outlook: One of 2024's biggest surprises, Doyle dealt with a strained quad last April and endured a family tragedy. He enjoyed one surge immediately after the All-Star break, hitting .394/.414/.670 with seven homers in a 28-game span, but that accounted for pretty much all of his offensive success. On the other hand, his exit velocity numbers were pretty much the same as in 2024, and he remained a top-of-the-line defender, something that keeps him in the lineup even when the bat isn't really working. He probably won't rebound quite to where he was in 2024, but he still offers 20-homer and 30-steal potential.

2026 projection: (Mixed $6) 535 AB, 69 R, 20 HR, 71 RBI, 25 SB, 27 2B, 4 3B, .252/.302/.430

44) Mike Trout — Los Angeles Angels

2026 Outlook: With a knee injury limiting him to DH duties after the first month of the season, Trout actually managed to play in 130 games last season, making it his closest thing to a healthy season since 2020. Alas, the results in those 130 games weren't very encouraging at all. Trout's .232/.359/.439 line gave him an OPS about 200 points shy of his career mark. He struck out a whopping 32 percent of the time. If he'd racked up 700 plate appearances (something he's done twice in his career) striking out at that rate, he would have broken the single-season MLB strikeout record of 223. The knee probably had something to do with that. Trout didn't suddenly start swinging and missing at more pitches, but he was constantly in deep counts and easier to put away with sliders than ever before. Fortunately, Trout's bat speed remains intact. He's still hitting good fastballs. One should expect him to bounce back some offensively. However, since Trout wants to return to center field, the injury risk is back up again.

2026 projection: (Mixed $4) 460 AB, 78 R, 30 HR, 73 RBI, 4 SB, 17 2B, 2 3B, .243/.358/.485

45) Alec Burleson — St. Louis Cardinals

2026 Outlook (from Eric Samulski's 1B rankings): Burleson figures to move to first base full-time after the Cardinals traded Willson Contreras to the Red Sox this offseason. The 27-year-old Burleson has hit .279/.328/.439 with 39 homers, 147 RBI, and 14 steals in 291 games over the past two seasons. He had a respectable 9.4% barrel rate and 91-mph average exit velocity in 2025, but he also increased his bat speed and increased his fly ball rate nearly six percentage points, which should allow him to continue to push for 20 home runs despite not having plus raw power. Burleson does have a strong approach at the plate and makes consistent quality contact, so he should produce strong batting averages with double-digit steals, but his counting stats will be hampered by a rebuilding lineup around him. The Cardinals also tend to sit him against left-handed pitching, which could cut into his overall plate appearances, but Burleson should remain a borderline mixed-league starter at first base and a great corner infield target in all formats.

2026 projection: (Mixed $6) 576 AB, 74 R, 22 HR, 83 RBI, 5 SB, 30 2B, 1 3B, .280/.332/.450

46) Kerry Carpenter — Detroit Tigers

2026 Outlook: Let's play it again: Carpenter will surely see more time against lefties this year, right? Last year, he started against lefties five times all season, which was actually a 250% increase from 2024. The Tigers will most likely again sport an entirely right-handed bench, giving themselves plenty of platoon and pinch-hitting options whenever they're facing southpaws. While sitting at least a quarter of the time and offering nothing in the way of steals, Carpenter just can't make a big contribution as a fantasy outfielder. He probably will fare better than last season, when he was constantly fighting a troublesome hamstring, but his ceiling is rather low.

2026 projection: (Mixed $3) 484 AB, 75 R, 27 HR, 73 RBI, 2 SB, 22 2B, 4 3B, .262/.326/.492

47) Daylen Lile — Washington Nationals

2026 Outlook: Lile went from posting a .735 OPS between High-A and Double in 2024 to finishing at .845 in 91 major league games last season. He essentially matched Bobby Witt Jr.'s .295/.351/.505 line in hitting .299/.347/.498. Statcast thinks he overachieved some, but most of that was in his 11 triples. It gave him a .449 xSLG but still a .302 xBA. Lile doesn't offer a great deal of home run potential at the moment, but he makes really solid contact, having posted excellent line drive rates in both the minors and the majors. He also offers top-notch speed, though that hasn't resulted in great defense or overwhelming steal totals. Improved coaching might be able to help with those issues. After what he did last year, Lile vary much deserves a top-four spot in the Nationals lineup, and if he improves enough as a basestealer to get 25 steals, he should be a nice little bargain at his current price tag.

2026 projection: (Mixed $7) 564 AB, 76 R, 16 HR, 75 RBI, 21 SB, 28 2B, 8 3B, .275/.332/.438

48) Heliot Ramos — San Francisco Giants

2026 Outlook: Ramos made more contact last year than in his breakthrough 2024, but it was less effective contact, with his barrel rate dropping from 14.5% to 8.8%. Interestingly, though, the rest of his exit velocity numbers held steady, and he actually pulled more balls in the air last year, which is typically a really good thing. Ramos generates above average bat speed with a relatively short swing and doesn't chase bad pitches overly much. He doesn't seem like someone who will get better with age, but he is above average now and should be for a few years. It's just not likely to result in a ton of fantasy value while playing in a tough ballpark on a middling offensive team, and his upside has taken an extra little hit with the Giants' move to acquire Luis Arraez as a leadoff hitter. Ramos hit first over half of the time last year, but he's probably looking at batting fifth or sixth now.

2026 projection: (Mixed $2) 534 AB, 71 R, 20 HR, 73 RBI, 5 SB, 28 2B, 2 3B, .258/.327/.431

49) Wilyer Abreu — Boston Red Sox

2026 Outlook: Even though he was injured for about one-fifth of the season and spent another 20 percent sitting against lefties, Abreu managed 22 homers as a sophomore. He didn't even need to take advantage of the Green Monster to get there; every single homer was to right or right center. Abreu tightened up his swing to the point where all of his contract numbers were right around the league average, and he was adequate enough in limited action against lefties that it looks like he's going to get a chance to play full-time this year with Rob Refsnyder off to Seattle. He has upside beyond this projection if he truly gets to start 150 games.

2026 projection: (Mixed $3) 499 AB, 70 R, 22 HR, 75 RBI, 8 SB, 28 2B, 1 3B, .259/.329/.451

50) Jurickson Profar — Atlanta Braves

2026 Outlook: Post-steroid-suspension Profar was still quite productive last season, finishing with a 121 OPS+ that was the second best of his career following his pre-steroid-suspension 134 OPS+ from 2024. Still, a peak behind the curtain wasn't encouraging. Profar lost the modest bat speed boost he received in 2024, and his 14 homers came on just 19 barrels. Statcast gave him a .391 xSLG that was considerably lower than his actual mark of .434. That Profar will hit in the top half of an Atlanta lineup that seems sure to rebound should give him some early season value this year, but he doesn't project as much more than average hitter and he might lose some playing time after Sean Murphy returns from hip surgery and Drake Baldwin starts doing more DHing.

2026 projection: (Mixed $0) 503 AB, 75 R, 18 HR, 62 RBI, 11 SB, 24 2B, 1 3B, .241/.338/.400