Daylen Lile (WSN): 2-3, HR, R, RBI, BB.
Lile Lile Crocodile
With the 2025 baseball season wrapping up, it’s time to look forward to next season and consider some players that may be good values in your 2026 drafts. One player to keep an eye on in later rounds is Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile, who continued his hot streak with a line of 2-3, HR, R, RBI, BB in Monday’s loss to Atlanta.
Lile has performed pretty well in his first half-season or so of big league action, posting an .814 OPS across his first 310 career plate appearances. His hitting tool is better than his power, as Monday’s homer was only the sixth of his career thus far. Lile has also showcased some speed, with a 91st percentile sprint speed, though he’s also been caught stealing on six of his 14 attempts this season. He’ll need to improve his baserunning to contribute effectively in that department.
Overall, Lile has some upside next year as a fourth outfielder in drafts who can contribute in ratio and speed categories, but he hasn’t showcased higher levels of power just yet. His 16.1% strikeout rate also makes him an appealing option in points leagues that subtract points for strikeouts. For the rest of the season, you may as well ride out this hot streak as he looks to finish off his rookie campaign on a high note.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Monday:
Matt Olson (ATL): 4-5, 2 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
It hasn’t been the most productive season of Matt Olson’s career, but he’s continued his every-other-year trend of producing better fantasy seasons in odd years. Strangely, this pattern has been one of the most consistent over the past several years, with OPS numbers of .802 or worse in even years and .855 or better in odd years throughout his entire career. Does this make him a do-not-draft in 2026? I’ll let you decide for yourself. I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.
Sal Stewart (CIN): 3-5, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI.
The Reds’ top prospect is scorching hot to start his young career, already hitting his fourth home run in just 11 games. He’s available in 84% of Yahoo! leagues, and his eligibility at multiple infield positions makes him an ideal plug-and-play for any team still fighting for a fantasy championship.
Andy Pages (LAD): 3-4, 2 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
While the second half of his season hasn’t been as impressive as the first, Andy Pages has still put together a strong campaign and exceeded expectations in multiple domains. The 24-year-old has improved in nearly every metric in his second season in the bigs, and under the tutelage of several superstars in Los Angeles, there’s a good chance he could continue to grow in 2026. Improving his plate discipline would unlock another level of his game.
Geraldo Perdomo (ARI): 3-3, 2B, 3B, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB.
Just how high does Geraldo Perdomo go in 2026 drafts? The 25-year-old has been a revelation at the position for the Diamondbacks, contributing across the board in all five categories while being the drumbeat for the Arizona offense. It’s worth mentioning that some of his advanced metrics don’t necessarily back up a 20-homer season, so some regression in the power department is possible in 2026.
Drake Baldwin (ATL): 3-5, HR, R, 4 RBI.
Drake Baldwin has made the most of his opportunities in his rookie season, posting a respectable .776 OPS across 395 plate appearances while splitting time behind the plate and at DH. Baldwin figures to be a high-upside mid-to-late round pick in 2026 drafts, and his regular playing time makes him a fine option at catcher if you need it for the remainder of 2025.
Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI, SB.
Will the real Pete Crow-Armstrong please stand up? 2025 is a tale of two halves for the budding superstar, as PCA’s .630 post-ASB OPS pales in comparison to the .846 OPS that earned him an All-Star selection before the break. He’ll be one of the most contentious picks in 2026 drafts, and his success will entirely depend on his ability to make contact.
Zach Cole (HOU): 2-3, HR, R, 3 RBI.
In just his fourth career game, Zach Cole hit his second home run. As long as Yordan Alvarez is sidelined, Cole may get some more regular playing time, but there are likely more appealing or reliable options on the wire that you can plug into your lineup to close out the season.
Ronald Acuña (ATL): 2-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB.
Much like PCA, Ronald Acuña Jr. has also struggled mightily since the mid-season break, posting a .729 OPS in the second half (compared to his lofty 1.025 mark before the break). It’s been an up-and-down season for the former MVP, though he should still go high in 2026 drafts thanks to his stratospheric upside. You have to imagine Atlanta will let him run a little more in his second season following recovery from his ACL tear, as well.
Colton Cowser (BAL): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Colton Cowser tends to produce solid numbers whenever he is healthy, as a full season of his production would extrapolate to a 30-homer, 20-SB campaign. As the old adage goes, availability is the best ability, and Cowser will need to find a way to stay healthy in 2026 to contribute meaningfully to fantasy teams. The good news is, Baltimore’s fire sale in 2025 should give him a near-everyday role next year.
Featured image by Aaron Polcare (@abeardoesart on Bluesky and X) and adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)
