Samuel Basallo 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook: Plenty of Power Upside for the Rookie Catcher
The number of all-star caliber catchers for the Baltimore Orioles is about to double from one to two with Samuel Basallo set for his first full Major League season in 2026. The powerful 21-year-old rookie backstop cranked 23 home runs in just 76 Triple-A games before adding four more in 31 games with the Orioles. The quality of contact metrics truly stand out here with Basallo, who registered an impressive 56.9% hard-hit rate and 94.2 mph AVG EV in Triple-A last season, both of which ranked near the top of the Triple-A leaderboard. He also walked at a 13.7% clip while keeping the strikeout rate in check at 23.7%. Even if his below-average contact rate keeps the batting average in check, Basallo's level of impact could allow him to keep the average in the .260 range while possibly pushing 25-30 home runs as a rookie. He's a great upside play if you want to wait on catcher in your fantasy drafts.
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