Speaking up for what you need can be hard, whether it’s dynasty baseball or just life in general. Sometimes the gusto to voice what you need is preceded by the wherewithal to recognize what you need in the first place. That realization can come from a whole soup of human emotions, but the first ingredient, at least for me, is humility. The downfall of so many dynasty managers comes from that lack of humility: looking at the roster heading into a season, convincing themselves it’s “close enough,” and going for it all anyway. Reality be damned.
I made that mistake a handful of times. Pride and a lack of knowledge led to some last-place finishes. And that’s where this comes full circle. I realized I didn’t know how to manage properly, so I asked for help, from peers, from bloggers, from people who played dynasty off vibes. Every one of those conversations had an impact on my current dynasty baseball knowledge. I’m not perfect now, but I’m ten times better today than I was years ago. And it all started with speaking up.
I think about this through a Pitcher List lens, too. Editor Matt Heckman has been a steady hand for me, helping steer me along this path to being a better writer — not just for Pitcher List, but overall. I approached him this offseason and admitted where I needed to grow. I spoke up for what I needed. That’s why I’m here, taking my best swing at first-year player drafts in 2026. Speaking up, right?
I tell all this because I’m still growing, and the Pitcher List community is one of the smartest I’ve had the pleasure of being part of. So I’m going to ask for it plainly: if you think I’m doing something wrong or if you have a new lens you want me to look through on a player, let me know. Have that conversation with me. Let’s start the new year with humility, reality, and an honest attempt to make this community even sharper.
Now, all that being said… Matt pulled me deeper into the first-year player draft sphere, and let me tell you: it is not for the faint of heart. At least when looking at the real-world amateur draft, there’s a blend of overall value and team fit. But from a fantasy perspective? It comes down to runs, home runs, strikeouts, and pitching wins — specific categories that are brutal to predict in a teenager’s future.
But we do our best, right?
2026 First-Year Player Draft 2-Round Mock Draft (12-Team League)
1. RHP Tatsuya Imai, MLB IFA, 27 years old
As drafts get closer, this is starting to feel like the Roki Sasaki situation all over again. Last year, the discussion was basically who would go second in your league’s draft because Sasaki at 1.1 was a foregone conclusion. Imai is a different case—not the same type of prospect, not the same exact profile—but he gets to the same destination for a similar reason: the combination of track record, stuff, and immediacy is rare.
Calling any draftee a “sure thing” is dangerous. But Imai is about as close as this pool gets. The three-time NPB All-Star has nearly a decade of pro experience and has only gotten better with each season. In 2025, he posted a career-best 1.92 ERA across 163.2 innings, coupled with a career-high 27.8% strikeout rate. He’s not physically imposing and would be among the smaller starting pitchers in MLB, but his durability over the last three seasons is impossible to ignore, especially in a pitching landscape that feels like it’s constantly losing arms.
The arsenal is present, and the role will be, too. Wherever he signs will dictate the full fantasy ceiling (wins and quality starts always do), but Imai is the rare FYPD pick with a high floor and an immediate path to meaningful innings. Eight years from now, he might not be the top overall scorer from this class. But his floor is immensely high and his impact is immediate. Those two traits almost never show up together in FYPDs, and that’s why he’s 1.1.
2. SS Eli Willits, Washington Nationals, 18 years old
In a class loaded with college pitching, there’s a clear top position player. You can build a case for JoJo Parker, Munetaka Murakami, even Ethan Holliday in this range, depending on league settings and risk tolerance, but I keep coming back to Eli Willits. The first overall pick this past summer was a surprise to some, but the deeper you get into his present tools, growth areas, and trajectory, the more it makes sense.
No one should expect Bryce Harper-level fireworks, that’s not the comp and it shouldn’t be the expectation. But Willits has a path to being a fantasy contributor across categories, and that matters. He didn’t turn 18 until the Winter Meetings were underway, and he didn’t look overpowered in a short 15-game stint in the Carolina League. The speed is real, and it could show up in loud ways as soon as 2026. And unlike some burners who need batted-ball luck to survive, Willits’ bat-to-ball skills make that speed matter more. He can build value on contact quality, not just legs.
The present power isn’t there yet, but he already pulls the ball well, and there’s room for physical growth. Washington has done a strong job in recent years helping hitters add impact, and there’s a plausible long-term path to 25–30 homer pop if the body matures and the approach evolves. The defensive home could shift his fantasy framing, too: he has the athleticism for short, but a move to second base down the line wouldn’t shock anyone. Either way, the profile reads like a future table-setter who can hit for average, get on base, and steal a ton. In this class, that’s the safest bet among the hitters at the top.
3. LHP Kade Anderson, Seattle Mariners, 21 years old
Now begins the run on pitching, and there’s no better pitcher to start it than Kade Anderson.
Seattle is one of the best landing spots in baseball for a young arm with real starter traits, and Anderson fits that mold. The former LSU Tiger was one of the best pitchers in this draft class, spinning nearly every pitch in his arsenal at an above-average rate. He doesn’t have the present “wow” fastball velocity many dynasty managers chase, but the four-seamer plays. It misses bats, it moves, and there’s enough physical development runway that an extra tick or two in pro ball wouldn’t surprise anyone.
More importantly, the secondaries are already good enough to support the profile. The changeup is a true out pitch, the slider and curveball complement each other well, and there’s a clear path for a cutter to emerge as a stabilizer if Seattle wants it. The one stain on the résumé is the home run rate: 16 homers in 119 innings (1.2 HR/9) is a red flag until he proves otherwise in affiliated ball. I think it’s more a byproduct of being a strike-thrower in the SEC than a fatal flaw, but it’s something to watch.
Even with that risk, the combination of pitch shapes, feel, and organization makes Anderson the kind of arm who can move faster than the typical college starter. If you’re trying to land a future top-of-rotation fantasy piece without taking on the full volatility of a prep arm, this is how you do it.
4. RHP Seth Hernandez, Pittsburgh Pirates, 19 years old
We’ve got immediate production in Imai. We’ve got the prep position player in Willits. We’ve got the high-floor college arm in Anderson. Now comes the ever-volatile prep pitcher pumping 100 across the plate: Seth Hernandez.
This is one of those players who will expose your league’s risk tolerance in real time. I’ve heard managers who have him as their top choice. I’ve seen mocks where he goes outside the top 10. If Hernandez’s traits came after a college track record, the conversation would be different, but the demographic history of prep pitchers drags the floor down, whether we like it or not.
The headline is the velocity: touching triple digits, sitting mid-90s. But the arsenal is deeper than the casual version of his profile suggests. The changeup plays beautifully off the fastball, and he’s not a one-trick pony—the curveball and slider both flash as real weapons. He also faced and dominated strong competition before the draft, and the stuff passes the benchmark.
He’s a legitimate athlete, too, and that shows up on the mound with an easy delivery and strong momentum down the slope. That doesn’t eliminate the injury risk (nothing does with this profile), but it’s at least encouraging that he isn’t max-effort chaos on every pitch. Hernandez is one of the only pitchers in this class with a pure ace ceiling. At 1.4, I’m willing to live with the volatility to chase it.
5. LHP Liam Doyle, St. Louis Cardinals, 21 years old
Do I think Liam Doyle is a top-five player in this FYPD? No, and I’ve been consistent about that. Do I think he’s going top five in plenty of leagues anyway? Absolutely.
Doyle is coming off an elite season at Tennessee, riding his fastball to collegiate dominance. That four-seamer has staggering movement, roughly 19 inches of iVB and 12 inches of horizontal, while averaging north of 95 mph. “Throw your best pitch the most” is an old baseball cliché, and Doyle leaned into it. He threw the fastball nearly 70% of the time and still generated absurd swing-and-miss on it. College hitters simply didn’t have an answer to the problem he kept presenting.
That’s why the splitter plays, and why the slider/cutter mix can survive even if it’s not elite today. The results in the SEC are real. But the gap between “dominant college arm” and “top-30 MLB starter” is wider for Doyle than it might look at first glance. The best version of him probably requires a deeper, more polished arsenal and tighter control. Add in a delivery that can get wild, and I’m not betting on 30 starts a year at peak.
But the competitiveness is obvious, and I’m not rooting against that profile. Doyle is the kind of pitcher who can make you look silly for doubting him, and also the kind who could end up thriving in a high-leverage role if the starter path gets messy. Either way, he’s going early because the fastball is that special.
6. INF Ethan Holliday, Colorado Rockies, 18 years old
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and Ethan Holliday doesn’t fall far from the MLB tree planted by his father, especially considering Colorado took him fourth overall. Holliday’s tools are undeniable, and Coors Field is a fantasy daydream if the bat becomes what it can be.
The reason he slides a bit in dynasty formats is that there’s real risk baked in here. Colorado’s developmental track record with hitters hasn’t inspired much confidence, and there are questions about how the hit tool and plate discipline translate against higher-level pitching. A move to third base feels unavoidable long-term, and that’s fine. If he’s hitting 30-plus homers with an adequate stolen base contribution and a solid OBP, the position label won’t matter much.
This is a ceiling pick. You’re buying the power projection and the environment, and you’re accepting the developmental risk along with it.
7. OF Ethan Conrad, Chicago Cubs, 21 years old
I’ve turned into an Ethan Conrad believer, and I’m not alone. Conrad put up ridiculous metrics before the shoulder injury at Wake Forest, and he showed almost no learning curve jumping from the MAAC to the ACC. The Cape Cod League performance matters here, too: he posted a .919 OPS there, and it helped validate the bat.
Conrad’s calling card is the hit tool foundation. He makes a ton of contact, he has a real approach, and there’s enough physicality here for the power to be more than just “gap” long-term. Add in the underrated basestealing potential, and you’ve got a player who can add fantasy value in multiple ways even before he fully grows into his power ceiling.
I expect Conrad to shoot up draft boards and prospect rankings in 2026. If you want a bat that could move quickly and hold value the whole way up, this is the pick.
8. INF Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox, 25 years old
Murakami is one of the two marquee international bats landing stateside this offseason, and he’s found a home with the Chicago White Sox. It’s not a cushy landing spot from an organizational perspective, but the playing time will be there immediately, and the power is the best in this FYPD class.
There’s a steep learning curve coming. MLB pitching is unforgiving, and Murakami’s volatility is part of the package. But in fantasy drafts, elite power is a cheat code when it hits. Don’t look at this selection as betting solely on his time in Chicago, either. The contract length matters in dynasty, and Murakami’s next landing spot could shape the long-term value more than the first one does.
This is a swing. But it’s a swing for a carrying tool that can win categories.
9. RHP Kyson Witherspoon, Boston Red Sox, 21 years old
Witherspoon is a prime candidate to move quickly through the Red Sox system, but he’ll still have to earn it. The appeal here is the blend of proximity, a deep secondary arsenal, and an organization that has made real strides in developing pitching.
The fastball has several markers that make it one of this class’s more underrated heaters, and Boston is the kind of team that can squeeze extra swing-and-miss out of a pitch with the right usage tweaks. The bigger draw is that Witherspoon already offers multiple secondaries you can dream on, and he’s proven himself against SEC competition.
At this stage of the draft, give me the arm with real starter traits, a plausible 2026–27 timeline, and an org that can turn “solid” into “fantasy relevant.”
10. SS Gavin Fien, Texas Rangers, 18 years old
Don’t invest in the position tag in front of Gavin Fien’s name. Invest in the bat.
Fien is one of those hitters whose patient approach will get tested in affiliated ball, but the underlying traits are present: bat speed, strike-zone awareness, and enough strength projection to dream on real game power. He started hot at Low-A Hickory and then cooled, and that small sample won’t give everyone confidence. But the hit tool foundation is real, and he should be an average runner as he matures.
The value here comes down to how much power shows up in the next couple of seasons. If it does, he’s going to look under-drafted.
11. SS Steele Hall, Cincinnati Reds, 18 years old
Steele Hall doesn’t have the same power projection as the other high-end high school bats in this range, but you can’t teach his speed. It’s plus-plus, arguably the best basestealing ceiling in this class, and it will show up early in pro ball.
He’s also one of the youngest players in the pool, which makes this a longer-range investment. Drafting Hall here is an admission of what you’re betting on: the hit tool takes a step forward, and the power grows into at least the “double-digit homers, don’t kill you” range. If that happens, the speed becomes a fantasy weapon.
He’s a shortstop who already has at least one MLB-ready tool. That matters.
12. SS JoJo Parker, Toronto Blue Jays, 19 years old
Toronto took the Parker twin with the higher floor when they drafted JoJo eighth overall, and the profile reads that way. Parker’s left-handed swing is smooth, and he’s comfortable in the box. He doesn’t project as a big stolen base threat or a gaudy home run hitter, but the contact skills and approach give him a strong foundation.
I also wouldn’t be shocked if he slides over to second base as he matures, similar to Willits, which could actually help the fantasy value if it lets the bat move quicker. This is a stability pick: a player who can climb, accrue value, and give you a steady fantasy profile without requiring everything to break perfectly.
13. LHP Jamie Arnold, Athletics, 21 years old
The final college lefty in this group, Arnold posted strong results over his final two seasons at Florida State and landed with an Athletics team that can use pitching wins wherever it can find them. How their development process looks in the post-McFerran world remains to be seen, but Arnold is a unique piece for any org to shape.
The low release height, cross-body deception, and above-average fastball/slider combo make him tricky to project, volatile in a way that can be fun when it hits. This is a bet on bat-missing traits translating, with a realistic starter outcome if the command holds up.
14. SS Aiva Arquette, Miami Marlins, 22 years old
If you prioritize athleticism above all else, Arquette is your guy. The High-A debut was just okay, and it showcased some of the same power potential and in-zone hit tool concerns evaluators flagged pre-draft. The ceiling is real, but the floor isn’t far behind.
The one pleasant surprise: he showed some baserunning chops right away (seven steals in 27 games). If he’s going to be a true fantasy needle-mover, the bat needs to settle in. At this price, you’re betting the athlete becomes a hitter.
15. 3B Xavier Neyens, Houston Astros, 19 years old
Another prep power swing, now in Xavier Neyens. The Astros draftee has light-tower power at the hot corner, and the fantasy path is obvious if the hit tool comes along.
The concerns are the same as most teenage sluggers: bat-to-ball and approach. The stolen base contribution probably won’t be part of the profile, so this is a bat-only bet. But Houston is a fascinating landing spot for a player like this, because if any org can teach a young hitter how to survive the strike zone and get to his damage, it’s one with a long track record of building real bats.
This is an early-second gamble on premium power.
16. INF Kazuma Okamoto, MLB IFA, 29 years old
Okamoto has a lower ceiling than Murakami, but a much higher floor. He’s ideal for win-now teams and profiles as a steady source of 20–25 homers with a solid OBP and immediate MLB playing time.
He isn’t the sexiest pick, and dynasty managers in full rebuild mode will probably pass. But if you want production without waiting, this is how you do it. At the end of the day, bankable stats matter, too.
17. OF Jace LaViolette, Cleveland Guardians, 22 years old
LaViolette is the poster child for how quickly draft fortunes change. He entered the 2025 season as a potential top pick, and now he’s sitting here because the in-zone swing-and-miss issues haven’t gone away.
The power is enormous. The risk is, too. Cleveland will try to address the contact problems and get him back toward that 35–40 homer ceiling, but the profile is volatile until the bat proves it can handle higher-level spin and velocity consistently.
At this stage of the draft, I’ll take the swing for ceiling, but understand what you’re buying.
18. 1B Andrew Fischer, Milwaukee Brewers, 21 years old
The Brewers have had some recent success with first basemen named Andrew, so why not add another? Fischer posted a strong .848 OPS in 19 High-A games and made the transition look easy.
The bat path creates loft, which is great for fantasy, but it also raises questions about how he handles pitchers who live upstairs. Still, Fischer hits the ball hard, and he can play both corner infield spots. If the approach holds, this is a bat that could climb quickly and give you a useful power profile.
19. SS Wehiwa Aloy, Baltimore Orioles, 21 years old
Aloy landed in a solid developmental spot with Baltimore, and he’ll need that system to help clean up the hit tool. There’s real power upside for a middle infielder, and he posted a .856 OPS in 20 Low-A games last year.
The six stolen bases are a nice bonus—not the core of his value, but helpful if it sticks. At this point in the mock, a college infielder with power traits and some speed, in a strong org, is an attractive bet.
20. C/OF Ike Irish, Baltimore Orioles, 22 years old
Dynasty managers seem either bearish or bullish on Ike Irish, and I understand why. The hit tool didn’t fully show in his Low-A stint, but it still projects as one of the best in this class. The real question is where he lands defensively long-term.
If he sticks at catcher in any meaningful way, the value jumps. If he becomes more of a corner bat, the bar gets higher. Either way, the bat is the selling point, and it’s the kind of profile that can gain value fast if he shows early pro adjustments.
21. LHP Kruz Schoolcraft, San Diego Padres, 19 years old
The high-end prep pitching class wasn’t as strong as usual, but Schoolcraft is one of the few who make the long-term investment feel worth it. The towering lefty has solid command of the fastball, slider, and changeup, with pitchability you don’t always see from someone his size.
The upside is enticing, but this is a slow-burn pick. You’re betting on the Padres molding a malleable piece of pitching clay into something real, and you’re accepting the timeline that comes with it.
22. SS Dax Kilby, New York Yankees, 19 years old
A big-market prep bat hitting the ground running in affiliated ball? Yeah, Dax Kilby turned heads. I’ve seen him go anywhere from the fourth round to the top 10 in some drafts, and I get it.
Kilby posted an absurd .898 OPS with 16 stolen bases in 18 Low-A games, and he walked more than he struck out. That’s not a normal stat line for a teenager. It’s a great early signal, and it gives managers plenty to dream on. If the power comes as he fills out his 6’2” frame, the value could jump quickly.
23. RHP Tyler Bremner, Los Angeles Angels, 21 years old
Bremner is the last of the college arms taken here, and part of the risk is the landing spot. The Angels’ track record with pitching development has been uneven, and they’ve rushed players in the past without much payoff.
Bremner also isn’t the most complete college arm in the class, the arsenal isn’t as deep, and the early 2025 struggles can’t be ignored. He’s not one to rush, and he needs time for that third pitch to become something he can trust. The upside is still here, but this is a pick that requires patience and a little faith.
24. OF Devin Taylor, Athletics, 21 years old
One of the best debut performances from this summer’s class came from Devin Taylor. Six home runs and a .869 OPS in 28 Low-A games is a loud start, and it tracks with what he did in college: consistent impact and a bat-first profile that’s built to produce.
The floor looks strong, and he hasn’t given much reason to worry about the hit tool foundation. The question is the ceiling: is this a solid but regular bat, or a true middle-of-the-order fantasy piece? At this price, I’m comfortable betting on the bat and letting the development answer the rest.
