7 High-Upside Fantasy Baseball Hitters: Must-Have Players Set To Rebound in 2026

January 18, 2026

Mike's 7 must-have fantasy baseball hitters set to rebound in 2026. These elite fantasy baseball hitters disappointed last season, but are undervalued for 2026 drafts. His top targets include Jackson Merrill, Ozzie Albies, more.

We all go through it. Anyone who has ever played a fantasy baseball season has researched a player, fallen in love with them a few times, and then rostered that guy. Then that player has a bad year. There can be many reasons for a bad year; players are human beings and are subject to the same life events as we regular folks.

However, it's important to research the reasons behind a player's struggles. Was there a hidden injury? A family issue at home? Park factors? A skill slip? Bad luck? Doing your homework in the offseason is essential as always, but finding out the reasons behind a player's struggles can help separate you from your peers in your league. It gives you an advantage in knowledge of the player pool that allows you to find and select these former stalwarts who could bounce back in 2026.

We have some time to prepare for the upcoming spring drafts, but let's dive into players who underwhelmed in 2025 and could bounce back with much-improved performances in 2026.

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Jackson Merrill, OF, San Diego Padres

This feels like cheating, but Merrill should return to posting better statistics in 2026. His average ADP is 72, down from last year, when he was going in the second rounds of many drafts. Recency bias is a real thing for fantasy players.

Despite a somewhat disappointing season relative to his draft position, Merrill still hit .264 with 16 home runs, 67 RBI, 59 runs, and one stolen base. This was a downturn compared to his rookie year in 2024, when he hit .292 with 24 homers, 90 RBI, 77 runs, and 16 steals.

But look under the hood below. The season was not as bad as the stats indicated, yet if you took Merrill early in 2o25, you likely struggled in your league. Merrill battled a hamstring strain, a concussion, and an ankle sprain in 2o25. Look for a rebound given health in 2026 as his xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG all rank significantly above the average marks.

Anthony Santander, OF, Toronto Blue Jays

Santander had a first season to forget in Toronto after signing a five-year, $92.5 million contract last winter. The switch-hitting outfielder had only 10 at-bats in September after being shelved by a shoulder subluxation in late May.

On the season, in 221 plate appearances, Santander batted a meager .175 with six home runs and 18 RBI, and a career-high 27.6% K%. I am willing to give Santander a mulligan for 2025 after playing through injury and missing most of the season.

Santander is being undervalued in most early drafts, with an ADP of 237 in over 100 drafts so far. He slugged 44 homers in 2024; getting 25 here seems to be in play with health. Adding him to a potentially terrific Toronto lineup will help his counting stats as well.

Watch for news on Santander's shoulder health this winter, and bid accordingly. In 2024, Santander launched 44 long balls with a career-best 114.4 max exit velocity.

Bryan Reynolds, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates 

The veteran outfielder had a down season by his usually reliable standards; that said, in the second half, he looked more like himself. Overall in 2025, Reynolds hit .245 with 16 home runs, 73 RBI, 68 runs, and three stolen bases. He struck out 173 times, a career high for him.

Digging underneath the numbers, there are signs that he could bounce back in 2026. His xBA was .262, and he was still making hard contact. His average exit velocity was a career-high 91.2 MPH. His barrels remained in the 40s, where he has been for three consecutive seasons. See below.

Reynolds made a swing change in 2025 to try to add more power to his game. He reverted to his old swing in May, also after battling a shoulder injury. He should hit in the middle of a revamped and improved lineup with the additions of Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn in an improving Pittsburgh lineup.

The second half saw Reynolds hit .276 with six home runs and 27 RBI, numbers more in line with what fantasy players expect from him. His current ADP in 15-team drafts is 196, which makes him a 13th-round pick. Count me in on Reynolds at that price tag.

Mookie Betts, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers

Betts started the season with an illness in Japan that cost him games and 20 pounds. His early struggles last year began with a .232 batting average in April, which continued through July. Betts then hit .288 and .299 in August and September, respectively. See the box below.

Betts' ADP is 51, putting him in early Round 4 in 15-team leagues, putting him as the seventh shortstop off the board. It's important to note that this year, he has only shortstop eligibility in NFBC leagues. It is fair to wonder whether the speed will rebound at age 33.

Yet he will still be hitting in the top half of the best lineup in baseball. I am looking for a rebound to a .275 batting average,  20+ home runs, 10+ steals, and 100 runs, which, at his cost, could be a nice addition to many squads.

Christian Walker, 1B, Houston Astros

Walker had a tough time adjusting to the new ballpark at Daikin Park. His current ADP of 188 puts him in the 13th round of 15-team drafts. At that point of many drafts, this could put him in corner infield territory, which piques my interest further.

Walker seems to be a decent bet to return to the 30-home run territory, and if he does, he is a bargain at this price tag. The K rate in 2025 was a tad high at 27.7%, but the hard-hit rates and exit velocities remain similar over the course of time. His 12.9% barrel rate placed him in the 81st percentile among qualified hitters. This was his fourth-straight season posting a barrel rate greater than 11.3%.

I am willing to take a calculated risk here.

Ozzie Albies, 2B, Atlanta Braves

I have spent time over the years mulling over Albies, and I have not given him a fair shake. The price tag was always too high for me to consider him. There were always players I wanted more at his draft spot. It was revealed that Albies' wrist injury from the previous campaign lingered into 2025.

At his current ADP of 166, putting him in round 12 of 15-teamers, I have to strongly consider adding Albies. His second-half numbers, where he hit .272 with nine homers and seven stolen bases, might go under the radar a bit. He posted a season-best .788 OPS in September and was finding his footing, but unfortunately suffered a fractured left hamate, which cut his campaign short.

The days of hoping for 30 home runs and 20 stolen bases seem to be gone for Albies, but there is little reason to doubt that with improved health and consistent at-bats, Albies can be a compiler of counting stats at a very weak second base position in 2o26.

Albies will have the benefit of batting near the top of the Atlanta lineup that consists of a healthy Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, and Austin Riley.

Yainer Diaz, C, Houston Astros

Diaz was a fantasy darling in the winter leading into the 2025 season. After a 2024 season that saw him near the league leaders with a .299 batting average, 16 home runs, and 84 RBI, many expected a growth year for Diaz in 2025.

It didn't happen. Díaz regressed, hitting .256 with 20 home runs and 70 RBI. Those are quality numbers for a catcher, but more was expected in 2025. A rough start due to a .184 batting average through the end of April made the season an uphill climb.

The good news is, there is still plenty to like in Diaz's game. He is a high-volume play at the game's toughest position, so he is assured of plenty of at-bats. Under the hood, the 27-year-old generated a .272 xBA with a .464 xSLG, which placed him in the 79th and 77th percentiles, respectively. His xSLG was actually a seven-point jump in comparison to his 2024 production.

His current ADP of 115 puts him in the middle of the eighth round, making him a top value pick as the 10th catcher off the board.

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