My apologies on the ranking changes not quite matching up with last week’s list – I admittedly messed up the process that’s used to come up with those numbers in a way that I can’t really fix, so the changes are based on the rankings from 5/28, not 6/5.
- As a reminder, these rankings are geared toward a standard, daily, 12-team H2H redraft league, which is typically the most popular fantasy baseball format. They will only factor in the five standard categories: runs, RBI, home runs, batting average, and stolen bases.
- These are not best ball or draft and hold rankings. The 12-team redraft format with daily moves is the fundamental opposite of that. Pure volume plays are not valued as much here as in those no-move formats.
- I take rankings like this more as art than science. Every person’s rankings are influenced by their biases, strategic philosophies, risk assessments, and projections. It’s why no two rankings are ever exactly alike. My way of evaluating and ranking players has worked well for me, but it might not be an excellent fit for you. I can’t possibly predict your team’s specific needs, your leaguemates’ player evaluations, or your current waiver wire, and if I could, it’d be weird in a bad way.
- This is a safe space for me where I answer to no one but myself…and you if you leave a comment.
- I’m doing my best to use five starts or 10 appearances as the threshold for positional eligibility. I have not included presumed eligibilities based on likely new positions, but I’ll add them once those eligibilities are earned. This is just a maintenance thing, and we will update eligibility throughout the season. Feel free to let me know if I’m missing any!
Ranking Philosophy
To keep things in the same ilk, here are a couple of notes on how I generally evaluate hitters before we dive in:
- In 12-team formats, I don’t see much value in guys who only provide stolen bases. It’s an important category, especially in Roto, but in shallower formats, there are too many other (and better) ways to get the steals you need without sacrificing production in the other categories.
- No stat is an island, and they should all be taken in proper context. For ranking purposes, the primary starting points I use are plate discipline, wRC+, quality of contact metrics (also known as Statcast batted ball data), lineup context, and the skills we can measure using tools such as our PLV Hitter Attributes (available for PL Pro members). I also use various projections (some free, some I buy) and dollar value generators.
- Positional eligibility, specifically multi-eligibility, is neat but isn’t a huge factor in many 10- and 12-team leagues anymore due to the prevalence of multi-eligible players. It’s of more value in deeper contests like the NFBC or in leagues with limited roster moves (draft and hold leagues, transaction limits/costs, extremely short benches, etc.). Still, the value is fairly situational and context-dependent.
- Similarly, I don’t penalize players for only qualifying in the utility slot. At most, it is a mild inconvenience if a DH-only player is available at a great value and you already have filled your utility spots.
- Regardless of true talent, anyone talented enough to make it to the big leagues can be brilliant or putrid for 50 to 100 at-bats. It could even last over a month with no change in potential or skill. It also could be wildly meaningful. We can’t and don’t know which will be valid until it’s over, though track record, scouting, and trends can give us hints.
- One of the most difficult things to account for in these rankings is the dynamic between low-ceiling players who have clear roles and players who could have higher ceilings but are without a clear path to playing time. I try to note this in the blurbs as much as I can.
- THIS IS NOT A TRADE CHART. Trade charts need to account for “market” value, which is largely perception-based.
Read The Notes
If you’d like input on a player or have any feedback, your best bet is to contact me on Bluesky (@scottchu.pitcherlist.com), X (@ifthechufits), or Reddit (u/ChusephEsquire)
I also host an AMA in the r/fantasybaseball subreddit every Friday (starting sometime in late March) with Nate Schwartz, starting around noon ET that lasts through the rest of the day and into the weekend, so feel free to join the fun and ask questions or make comments.
For additional insight, also check out the Hacks & Jacks podcast! This is a hitter-focused pod with myself, Brett Ford, and occasional special guests.
Tier 1
- No changes here.
Tier 2
- We’ve got a few new names in this tier!
- James Wood has taken a huge step towards one of his biggest weaknesses: breakers in two-strike counts. Here is where he was at in 2025 (note the decline in the second half) and in 2026 per our Process+ metric. The massive improvement against breaking balls in all counts (but especially two-strike counts) restores my faith in Wood. Could he drop off again like he did last season? Of course, but history seems much less likely to repeat itself.
- Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers have been fantastic over the last several weeks, and not just that showcase in Las Vegas. I wouldn’t read too much into what happened there for 2027 purposes, as the new stadium being built will be an indoor stadium with climate control. Even without that crazy ballpark silliness, Kurtz and Langeliers would get a bump just for showing us the excellence they are capable of for an extended time.
- Ben Rice finally moves into the top-10 hitters, though he might have been a little lower if he wasn’t carrying that catcher eligibility. Rice surprisingly has just two home runs over his last 18 games, but the stats, ratios, and plate discipline all look great. If this is what a 2026 Ben Rice slump looks like, count me in.
Tier 3
- Even before going 7-16 with two home runs in Vegas, Jackson Chourio was reminding us of why he was once a consensus top prospect. In his last 17 games, Chourio has a 1.008 OPS with a steadily-climbing walk rate, five home runs, and two steals. Chourio put up back-to-back 20-20 seasons in his first two years in the big leagues, and while he’ll play in far fewer games in 2026, I think he’ll get to those numbers again.
- The only reason Kyle Schwarber moved down is because Philly’s offense has been horrible this season (their collective 90 wRC+ is fifth-worst in the league), and that impacts his ability to pile up counting stats.
- Jordan Walker started correcting that ground ball issue in a hurry, yet another huge step in the right direction in terms of a full breakout. Obviously he’s already broken out to an extent, but there’s nothing quite like a full season of fixing problems to solidify your status (for example, Pete Crow-Armstrong was also a highly-touted prospect who was one of the best hitters in the league in the first half of 2025 – we still consider it a breakout, but I’m still not sure he’s elite offensively).
Tier 4
- Bryce Harper gets moved down a few spots for the same reason as Schwarber above.
- Michael Harris has slowed down a bit over the last few weeks, but with Ronald Acuña Jr. out for the next few weeks, he’ll move into the leadoff spot. Also, It’s hard to see a path for Harris II to clear 15 steals at this point, and honestly, I have no idea why.
- I was down on Randy Arozarena to start this season, thinking his streaky and aggressive nature would get worse and not better, but apparently I was wrong. He’s giving us his best plate discipline ever (particularly with the strikeouts staying down). If there’s one caveat, it’s that he’s also hitting a lot of grounders and more line drives than usual. If the liners go away and the grounders stay high, it limits his upside.
Tier 5
- I know I just called Pete Crow-Armstrong not elite previously, but he’s capable of being elite for stretches of time. PCA is setting the world on fire over his last 10 games, slashing .405/.457/.833 with five homers and two steals, and he’s also worked himself into the top of the order. While it’s hard to say how long his ups and downs will last, the outlook is a lot better today than it was a few weeks ago when he was hitting in the bottom-third of the order every night.
- Ketel Marte’s season line would look a lot different if not for that ludicrous nine-game stretch. Over a third of his runs and homers and nearly half of his RBI come from that single week-and-a-half of action, and he’s been quite middling (or worse) the rest of the time.
- Dillon Dingler aka Dillon Dinger is at it again. Dingler has always shown us plus power as a catcher, but his poor contact skills held him back from being a consistent hitter. Dingler has improved markedly in that regard in 2026, and now we’re seeing him break out as someone who can be one of the league’s best two-way catchers. We’re also seeing Dingler step in as the DH when he’s not catching, which further elevates his potential floor and ceiling.
- Riley Greene hit his fourth home run in June, which more than doubled his season-long total. Greene was hitting the ball hard in May, but a lot of those hard hits were line drives that led to singles and doubles. He’s hitting the ball in the air a bit more of late, and that combined with his plus power and a team that has finally started hitting makes Greene a much more appealing hitter. A repeat of his 36 home runs is likely out of reach in 2026, but I still believe we’ll see Riley clear 25 homers and provide better ratios than he did in 2025.
Tier 6
- Oh Vladimir Guerrero. What am I to do with you? Those of you who have taken a look at Vladito’s statcast numbers likely noticed the 1.5 mph drop in average exit velocity. His bat speed is just fine, so the culprit is just poorer quality of contact than usual. Sure enough, if you dig a little deeper you’ll see that his average exit velocity on fly balls and liners is about 3.5 points lower than where it was last year, which is a huge deal. He was 47th in average exit velocity on those balls in the air last year, and is well outside the top-100 in 2026, and his xwoBACON (expected wOBA on contact) is down almost 70 points.While it sounds like a HUGE problem (which it is in terms of statistical output so far), it’s amazing how little really needs to change for this to be remedied. Since we know Vlad can still swing the bat as hard as ever, we don’t need to question whether he still has as much potential as years part. All we need to wonder about is whether he can make whatever micro-adjustments are necessary to turn the balls he’s just missing into solid contact. I have no doubts he will pull this off (we saw worse power slumps in 2019 and 2022, for example), how long it takes and how high he can go once it’s resolved are up in the air. Obviously, you’re not dropping or selling low here, but you may want to start prioritizing power in waiver moves and trades, especially if you were counting on a return to 30 home runs in 2026. A realistic target at this point is more like 20.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. hit another home run and grabbed a few doubles, though he remains quite inefficient on the basepaths. Still, he’s averaging a 94.0 mph exit velocity over his last 50 plate appearances and is getting the ball in the air more consistently, so more home runs may be on the way. I’m ready and willing to move him up these ranks if he can show more than just a flash of power (which he has already successfully shown us over the last 50 PA).
- Josh Jung didn’t move up 38 spots all at once, but that is how far he’s moved in the last two weeks as he’s brought his strikeout rate (previously his biggest weakness) way down and kept it down while knocking at least once hit in 17 of his last 19 games. I still have mild concern that this line drive rate (30.1% in April, 24.4% in May) has further to fall and that he’ll hit closer to .250 than .300 the rest of the way, but for now I’m willing to give him some benefit of the doubt that he can hold that rate near 25% the rest of the way.
Tier 7
- Most of the bump you’re seeing for JJ Bleday came last week, but I remain a believer as long as he keeps making contact and keeps swinging the bat this hard.
- Alec Burleson just hit his fourth home run in six games, bringing him to 11 on the season. Burleson’s hard-hit rate and barrel rates are both up from his career averages, and nothing really stands out as “unsustainable” in the usual suspect categories (LD%, HR/FB%, etc.). Burleson should continue to provide an excellent batting average and a slightly above-average OBP, though I wouldn’t expect more than 22-25 homers. Still, that’s one heck of a hitter if he keeps this up.
- A pair of first-round picks land in this tier in Gunnar Henderson and Kyle Tucker. Gunnar has put together workable stats so far, albeit with awful ratios, though most of those numbers came back in April. In his last 40 games, Gunnar has just four home runs and two steals, and the ratios and expected stats are not any prettier.Tucker has been the same flavor of bland for most of the season, though recently he’s fallen to the latter half of the batting order (though it’s for the Dodgers so it’s not THAT bad). Still, Tucker has all but stopped stealing bases (just one since April 7), and there’s only so much excitement a guy who is on pace for something around 20 homers and 10 steals with bad ratios can muster.I don’t think you can cut either one of them, but there’s a much higher chance that I eventually make that recommendation (maybe around the Break?) if things don’t turn around.
Tier 8
- Carson Benge has remained fantastic in the leadoff role and will break into the top-50 soon if he continues.
- Still little to no signs of life from Trea Turner and it’s a bummer. The chance for a wild resurgence is always there, but at some point it will no longer be worth waiting for. In 12-team and deeper leagues that day hasn’t come yet, but in some shallower 10-teamers, it may be very close.
- Brandon Marsh has changed in a number of ways. He walking considerably less, striking out less, and is getting regular time against lefties with no ill effects (his career numbers against them are atrocious). On one hand, statcast suggests there’s a fair bit of luck being baked in (I suppose the .401 BABIP so far does that too), though even if you take his expected stats (.295 average, .454 slugging) he’d be having a solid season. There’s not a ton of power or speed here (17 homers and 20 steals would be career highs), but as long as the ratios keep coming and he keeps hitting fourth, there should be enough juice here to keep him locked into your lineups.
Tier 9
- Ernie Clement doesn’t hit the ball hard at all, but he’s piling up the hits regardless, with a .349/.367/.616 line in his last 23 games. Sure, he’s outperforming his expected wOBA by over 150 points in that stretch, but he’s parlayed this heat and luck into being the number three hitter for the Jays at the moment. The home runs aren’t likely to stick around, but the ratios and counting stats should roll in as long as he’s near the top of this batting order.
- Tyler Soderstrom has been a man possessed the last 14 games, walking twice as much as he’s struck out and whacking six homers with a 1.370 OPS. Soderstrom was notoriously streaky in 2025 and is likely to remain that way in 2026, but it’s worth noting that this hot streak is noticeably better than any of the small sample outbursts he had in 2025.
- Isaac Paredes has finally taken advantage of the big opportunity he’s been given. The batting average leaves a lot to be desired, but he has four homers and 21 combined runs and RBI in his last 13 games. It was a bit of a bumpy ride to start the year, but I think there’s more than enough time for Paredes to end the year with 25-27 homers and 90 RBI.
- Most of this drop for Brent Rooker was last week, as he’s shown a few signs of life over the last two weeks. Still, the strikeout rate remains much higher than it was in 2025 and he hasn’t quite quelled any fears that he’s morphed back into the less-good (but still good) version of himself from 2023 that sported poor ratios but managed to pop 30 dingers.
- Gabriel Moreno has moved into the cleanup spot, which should help his counting stats in a big way. Moreno carries significant injury risk, but while he’s been healthy the last two seasons he’s shown improved power to go along with his strong ratios (especially from a catcher).
Tier 10
- It must have been torture for Rafael Devers managers to see all these runs scored by the Giants and then see such lackluster numbers from him over that time. Devers is on pace to put up his worst numbers in every category since 2018, and the strikeout rate shows no signs of easing up. As long as the decision-making and contact ability stay below average, Devers will move down this list.
- Trent Grisham is holding his own in the leadoff spot for the Yankees. While he hasn’t hit home runs at the pace he did in 2025, he should be able to get into the mid-20s with similar counting stats and maybe even double-digit steals when all is said and done. It also helps that he’s remained in the lineup against lefties and performed admirably against them.
- Welcome back, Wyatt Langford! Nothing new to really report here: he’s a big ball of potential that has given us glimpses of that upside while mostly disappointing us relative to expectations.
- Jung Hoo Lee was ranked last week but shoots ways up the list as he gives us his best impression of teammate Luis Arraez. I would normally be down on this profile outside of the leadoff role, but batting fifth has suited Lee just fine. Lee should continue to hit at or near .300 and pile up runs and RBI as long as the Giants stay hot, and even when they cool off, he should still give the great batting average and useful numbers. I’m also interested in Lee’s 26.8% line drive rate. While I’d normally call this a product of luck, hitters like Lee and Arraez can support these kinds of numbers due to their slap-hitting style. Honestly, it’s fairly odd that Lee had so few line drives in his first two seasons in the big leagues, but if he can keep that going, he can raise his floor in a big way.
- Nico Hoerner still isn’t hitting or running, but there probably aren’t higher-upside options on your wire right now at second base. He’ll turn it around eventually, but until then, it’s going to hurt.
Tier 11
- Seiya Suzuki is showing just enough signs of life to stay in the top-100 (including a four-run shot today), but I don’t see how he’ll give us homers or RBI at the rate he did last season, and he doesn’t hit .280 like he did when he first came stateside. That leaves me in a bit of a pickle as to where Seiya Suzuki’s final landing place should be on this list, and for now, this feels about right.
- Manny Machado has always bounced back, but he also hasn’t been this bad for this long before. Something’s got to give and every week that goes by it feels more and more like the bad is closer to the new normal than the good and I hate it.
- Alex Bregman hit a home run today so that’s a plus! I’m giving (probably too much) benefit of the doubt while he remains in the heart of the order, but a drop to the latter half would likely push him down another tier or two.
Tier 12
- Wilyer Abreu’s walk rate has plummeted, as has his overall production. He has just a 55 wRC+ with a single home run, a single stolen base, and just 11 RBI across the last 27 games. Most frustratingly, Abreu has been bad against right-handed pitching, slashing just .233/.290/.377 against them so far in 2026. I have to think that improves, but to what extent is a mystery, and he’s also likely to be much worse against lefties going forward (his OPS is about 200 points higher than his career average). Abreu continues to be a frustrating player due to his streakiness, and when you add in the fact he has a less-than-stellar injury history, it makes him feel more like a back-end option than a locked-in guy. I’m sure another hot streak or two could change my mind a little, though.
- I have no idea what to do with Mookie Betts right now. He was actually much worse than this last year during his horrific slump, but can we count on another two-month stretch of dominance? Will it even make it worth it? That two-month spree at the end of last season was some of his best hitting as a Dodger (outside of his magnum opus season in 2023). It’s hard to count on a guy to recall that kind of production. I don’t think I’m cutting him yet, but there’s certainly pressure for teams who are off to painfully slow starts.
- Matt Chapman is finally going off. Hopefully he can keep it running long enough to start to erase the bad taste of his first two months of the season. And more importantly, I hope he can tap back into something like this after it fades and he slumps for a bit.
- Colton Cowser continues to mash, and more importantly, has brough the strikeouts way down to just 14.0% over his last 13 appearances. Cowser hasn’t been much more than a streaky lefty platoon guy for most of the last few years, but he’s showing the right signs at the moment to believe there’s another level to his game.
- I’m still not a long-term believer in Zack Gelof but you can keep him locked in while the numbers are coming. That stint in Las Vergas has revitalized his numbers, but keep in mind that prior to that series he had been in a droppable funk.
Tier 13
There is a lot of turnover from this point on, so don’t read too deeply into a +10 or higher.
- Jake McCarthy was ranked around this spot last update and is just staying there for now.
- Paul Goldschmidt was also ranked last update and moves up slightly. Still, I see him more as a nice rental than a long-term solution for your first base needs.
- Jac Caglianone is hitting the ball in the air and very hard, which always gets me interested. He’s also walking more and was slotted into the fourth spot in the lineup. Is it finally happening?!
- Austin Riley, Maikel Garcia, and Bo Bichette have joined Jackson Merrill in the “it’s OK to cut them for the right player” group in a 12-team league. There aren’t many signs that their fortunes are going to flip, apart from strong track records in the past. I’m holding if I can (especially if I’m near the top of my standings), but if I’m desperate, the right players might be out there to make a swap.
- Braden Montgomery is off to a blistering start and was showing a huge power breakout so far in 2026 down in the high minors. Keep an eye on the strikeouts, but hopefully he walks enough to offset a 30% rate and has enough pop to stay interesting. I don’t think there’s a 30-home run bat here, but there’s no reason he couldn’t smack double-digit homers and show us there’s a 25-homer bat here. If nothing else, it’s worth a stream (especially in OBP).
Tier 14
- Chase Delauter can be cut if you can’t keep waiting for results. He stays ranked because of the upside, but you’re OK to stream this spot as well.
- Lars Nootbaar got off to a hot start, but he’s more of a high floor guy than a high ceiling guy.
- David Hamilton can slap the ball around a little and steal a bunch of bases, so if you need speed he’s a great stream.
- Dalton Rushing will get the bulk of the time behind the dish with Smith out and it comes right when he’s found some momentum. Excellent streaming option at catcher with upside to be more than that depending on his performance and Smith’s health.
- Andrew Vaughn sits like three times a week but is absolutely raking, so I am hoping he finds more time one way or another.
- Coby Mayo still doesn’t have good discipline, but the results are there and he’s eligible at third. Might as well get some while the gettin’s good.
- Chandler Simpson’s hot start has been completely erased by what has been just a miserable month of action. I’d drop him in most formats unless I was badly trailing in steals and a guy like Hamilton wasn’t available.
UPDATE: I’ve separated the Taxi Squad and Injured List for my own organization. The Injured List will only focus on players who might actually get ranked on return.
Injured List
Listed by position in no particular order.
Catcher
- Alejandro Kirk (C, TOR) — He’ll be back this weekend. Let’s see how much time Valenzuela has carved away from him.
- Cal Raleigh (C, SEA) — On a rehab.
- Francisco Alvarez (C, NYM) — Had some promising moments, but if you have a full IL it’s OK to let him go.
- Drake Baldwin (C, ATL) — Could be back as early as June 16.
- Ryan Jeffers (C, MIN) — If your IL is full, it’s OK to toss him back on the wire.
- Will Smith (C, LAD) — Hopefully some time on the IL helps him recover and find his old form.
First Base
- Munetaka Murakami (1B/3B, CWS) — He should be back between the end of the month and the All-Star Break.
Second Base
- Jorge Polanco (2B/3B, NYM) — My guess is he’ll be activated by the start of next week.
- Brendan Donovan (2B/3B/OF) — This is the way it goes with Donovan. None of the injuries are terribly serious, but he’ll be on and off the IL fairly often. He’s not a must-hold if you’ve only got two or three IL spots, especially if you don’t have a CI/MI spot in your lineup.
- Jose Altuve (2B/OF, HOU) — May not even need a rehab.
Third Base
- None.
Shortstop
- Francisco Lindor (SS, NYM) — Started running, but still no timeline.
- Trevor Story (SS, BOS) — Surgery means he could be out for nearly three months. That’s a drop in most formats.
- Jacob Wilson (SS, ATH) — I’d be holding in leagues with an MI spot or in points leagues, but shallow leagues with smaller lineups you might have to let him go if the IL is full.
- Konnor Griffin (SS/OF, PIT) — He could be back within a week or two, and definitely before the end of the month.
- Elly De La Cruz (SS, CIN) — I’d expect him back sometime in July, but whether it’s early July or mid/late July is totally up in the air.
- Oneil Cruz (SS, PIT) — Cruz hurt his hand and will be back by the end of July. No long-term concerns, though, at least not related to the injury.
Outfield/DH
- Aaron Judge (OF, NYY) — What a bummer. I’d be surprised to see Judge by the All-Star Break. Go pick up Bryce Eldridge to try and claw back some of that power.
- Luis Robert Jr. (OF, NYM) — The move to the 60-Day IL doesn’t really change much here. He’s out for the foreseeable future.
- Giancarlo Stanton (OF, NYY) — If you only have two IL spots, he’s not a must-keep.
- Heliot Ramos (OF, SFG) — Droppable in most leagues.
- Teoscar Hernández (OF, LAD) — Holding unless it’s a shallow league with a tiny IL and you’re doing well in RBI and there’s someone really interesting out on the wire.
- Mickey Moniak (OF, COL) — Still not doing anything baseball-related. I’d be dropping if I needed the IL spot.
Taxi Squad
Players are listed by position in no particular order.
Catcher
- Austin Wells (C, NYY) — Love the walks, and he’s been unlucky with batted balls. Viable second catcher.
- Brandon Valenzuela (C, TOR) — His minor league track record is uninspiring at best.
- Tyler Stephenson (C, CIN) — A fine fill-in if you just lost your catcher.
- Edgar Quero (C, CWS) — Making the most of very limited playing time.
- J.T. Realmuto (C, PHI) — Not the hitter he once was, but plays often and doesn’t strike out a ton.
First Base
- Nolan Schanuel (1B, LAA) — Points league streamer who is on the IL.
- Spencer Torkelson (1B, DET) — A few signs of life, but I can’t rank him quite yet.
- Vinnie Pasquantino (1B, KCR) — The plate discipline is good lately, but nothing else is palatable.
- Mark Vientos (1B/3B, NYM) — Swinging at everything lately, which means a ton of poor contact and zero walks.
- Nathaniel Lowe (1B, CIN) — Streaky lefty platoon guy.
- Ildemaro Vargas (1B/2B, ARI) — The magic has evaporated, though his tendency to put a lot of balls in play makes him somewhat useful in points.
Second Base
- Cole Young (2B, SEA) — The plate discipline has improved, but there’s just not that much category juice in this bat.
- Willi Castro (2B/3B/OF, COL) — Utility streamer at home.
- Jeff McNeil (2B/OF, ATH) — Points league streamer.
- Marcus Semien (2B, NYM) — Hit some home runs recently but I don’t see more than a boring plug-in when you are desperate.
- Edwin Arroyo (2B/SS, CIN) — Hit well in the minors this season but his overall track record is not that exciting. Just a streamer in deeper formats.
- Angel Martínez (2B/OF, CLE) — Hitting .176/.176/.255 since that weird onslaught of homers in mid-May.
- Luke Keaschall (2B, MIN) — He hasn’t stolen a base in nearly a month and his only home run was on April 6.
- Caleb Durbin (2B/3B, BOS) — Looks somewhat serviceable at the moment. Almost ranked him.
Third Base
- Brady House (3B, WAS) — Despite the rough plate discipline, I was shocked to see him go to the minors.
- Royce Lewis (3B, MIN) — Getting sent down was not on my bingo card. Not a ton of mixed league formats where he’s a must-roster.
- Javier Sanoja (2B/3B/SS/OF, MIA) — Might be ranked in points. Slaps the ball around and can play almost anywhere.
- Blaze Alexander (2B/3B/SS/OF, BAL) — Racking up some hits against lefties of late, but may not play as much when the Orioles see more right-handers.
- Brett Baty (1B/2B/3B, NYM) — Can’t seem to string together more than a week’s worth of good plate appearances.
Shortstop
- Colt Emerson (SS, SEA) — The power hasn’t really shown up yet, but if it does, maybe he hits the back of the list.
- Nasim Nuñez (SS, WSN) — Speed streamer.
- Anthony Volpe (SS, NYY) — He’s back up for a little. Might steal some bags, but I’m not interested outside of dynasty.
- Ha-Seong Kim (2B/SS, ATL) — Looks like a starter, now the question is whether I care. Injuries and limited effectiveness have made him mostly unworthy of a roster spot in 12-teamers since 2021.
- Masyn Winn (SS, STL) — Had two fun weeks but has quieted down to a below-replacement option.
- Tristan Gray (SS, MIN) — Some random RBI from the bottom of the Twins’ batting order is cool but not something I’d keep counting on.
- Dansby Swanson (SS, CHC) — Bumped off due to O’Hearn needing to be added in. The slumps have been worse than ever and the position is deep enough that you can move on.
Outfield/DH
- Kerry Carpenter (OF, DET) — The premier streaky lefty platoon guy.
- Kyle Stowers (OF, MIA) — Streaky lefty platoon guy who will likely grab first base eligibility in Yahoo leagues in the next few days.
- Mike Yastrzemski (OF, ATL) — Streaky lefty platoon guy.
- Dominic Canzone (OF, SEA) — Streaky lefty platoon guy.
- Owen Caissie (OF, MIA) — Streaky lefty platoon guy.
- Gavin Sheets (1B/OF, SDP) — Streaky lefty platoon guy.
- Luke Raley (OF, SEA) — Streaky lefty platoon guy.
- Noelvi Marte (OF, CIN) — He’s back up, but I see Marte as just a speculative play in deep leagues. He’s been too awful at the major league level the last few years for me to have any FOMO about his minor league performance.
- Jesús Sánchez (OF, TOR) — Streamer who hits in a good spot in the lineup with middling results.
- Henry Bolte (OF, ATH) — Batted ball luck is driving up that batting average. The speed is real, and the early strikeout rate is encouraging, but more of a lottery ticket than a sure-fire contributor outside of the steals.
- Jorge Soler (OF, LAA) — Streaky power streamer.
- Garrett Mitchell (OF, MIL) — Takes walks and has a power-speed blend, but the strikeouts are maddening.
- Steven Kwan (OF, CLE) — There is no path to success with an average exit velocity under 82 mph.
- Carlos Cortes (OF, ATH) — Might be ranked if this were geared towards points and OBP.
- Dylan Crews (OF, WAS) — I just don’t see enough to get excited about.
- Justin Crawford (OF, PHI) — Lost interest until the walk rate is closer to 10%.
- Evan Carter (OF, TEX) — He’s somewhat in a platoon, but stealing some bases and is worth a stream if you need some speed.
- Joc Pederson (DH, TEX) — That was a fun little stretch, but he’s just a streaky lefty platoon guy who strikes out less than most players with that archetype.
- Leody Taveras (OF, BAL) — A second hot streak in the same half of a season? Weird. I’d feel a lot better about his chances of staying an everyday guy if he could hit lefties (career 73 wRC+ against them).
- Jacob Gonzalez (OF, CWS) — Hit more HR in his first 52 games in triple-A this season then he had in almost 300 games from 2023-2025. Go ahead and stream if you have an open spot and want to roll the dice, but when a player’s HR/FB% was previously below 5% and now it’s above 30%, I’m going to have some healthy skepticism.
- Joshua Baez (OF, STL) — Nootbaar’s return muddies the water a bit on when he might debut. There’s definitely power here, but the 30.8% strikeout rate in triple-A so far scares me.
- Miguel Andujar (OF, SDP) — Just a streamer for some ratios and RBI when he’s hot.
- Cole Carrigg (OF, COL) — Mostly a contact and speed guy, who could post strong ratios in Coors but won’t give you much power or counting stats.
- Daulton Varsho (OF, TOR) — He’s streaky and could get ranked again, but between the poor performance and injury risk, I’d be looking elsewhere instead of waiting it out.
- Austin Martin (OF, MIN) — The magic wore off and he’s been demoted to ninth in the order against righties.
- Ryan Waldschmidt (OF, ARI) — I believe there’s still a lot of potential in this bat, but he’s struck out 38.6% of the time in his last 15 starts with no steals.
- George Springer (OF, TOR) — He’s had a fantastic career but whatever fueled his fire in the second half last year seems to have died out.
- Ryan Ward (OF, LAD) — Hitting well when he plays thus far, but the playing time is spotty and the plate discipline is quite ugly.
Photo by Icon Sportswire | Design by J.R. Caines (@JRCainesDesign on Twitter and @caines_design on Instagram)
