6 League-Winning Fantasy Baseball Hitters: Joey Pollizze's High-Upside Draft Targets

March 22, 2026

Joey's 6 league-winning hitters, fantasy baseball breakouts, values, studs to provide massive return on value in 2026 including Jackson Merrill, Wyatt Langford, more.

I have spent countless hours researching every player across the fantasy baseball player pool. After months of research, six players stand above the rest. These six hitters are my league-winners for the 2026 fantasy baseball season and will deliver tremendous value at their current draft cost.

In this article, we will break down those six players to explain why each of them is a league winner. The six hitters on this list range from up-and-coming superstars to some top prospects. There are two must-have hitters going within the first six rounds, one hitter going in the early double-digit rounds, and three hitters going in the late rounds of drafts. All ADP referenced is from NFBC drafts from March 1 and on.

So, here are six league-winning fantasy baseball hitters this season. These players will exceed expectations and outperform their average draft positions in 2026. Be sure to also use our FREE fantasy baseball rankings for your upcoming drafts.

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Jackson Merrill, OF, San Diego Padres

ADP: 69

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill has had two completely different seasons so far in his career. In 2024, Merrill put together a dominant rookie campaign in which he finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting and ninth in National League MVP voting. During that season, he hit .292 with 24 home runs, 90 RBI, and 16 stolen bases across 156 games.

In 2025, Merrill experienced a sophomore slump. His batting average (.264), home runs (16), RBI (67), and stolen bases (one) were all down across the board from his rookie campaign. However, much of the blame for Merrill's poor numbers could be attributed to injuries. He never seemed to get into a groove at the plate, as he spent time dealing with a concussion, a hamstring strain, and an ankle sprain last year.

With Merrill now fully healthy again, fantasy managers should expect very similar numbers to his rookie year. Despite a down year in 2025, the Padres outfielder still ranked in the 79th percentile or better in xwOBA (.347), expected slugging (.490), barrel rate (13%), and sprint speed (28.5 ft/sec). So, the 22-year-old could be a prime 25-home run, 20-stolen base player in 2026 while hitting for a solid average.

Wyatt Langford, OF, Texas Rangers

ADP: 41

Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford has been a very consistent fantasy player in his first two years in the big leagues. He hit .253 with 16 home runs, 74 RBI, and 19 stolen bases across 134 games in 2024 and batted .241 with 22 home runs, 62 RBI, and 22 stolen bases across 134 games in 2025. In those two years, Langford has averaged 19 home runs, 68 RBI, and 20.5 stolen bases per season.

This is the year, though, that Langford goes from solid fantasy contributor to fantasy superstar. The potential is there for the Rangers outfielder to deliver a 30-home run, 30-stolen base campaign. Last season, the 24-year-old ranked toward the top of the league in average exit velocity (91.4 mph), barrel rate (14%), hard-hit rate (48.4%), walk rate (12.9%), and sprint speed (28.9 ft/sec).

Wyatt Langford this spring...

24 PA, .455/.500/.955
2 2B, 3 HR
2 BB, 3 K

2024: 16 HR, 19 SB
2025: 22 HR, 22 SB
2026: 25+ HR, 25+ SBpic.twitter.com/hQtdPDoozP

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) March 13, 2026

If those metrics carry over into 2026, Langford will be a fantasy star. He has the power and speed combination to take his game to the next level and has been on a tear this spring. While we shouldn't read too much into spring stats, he has five home runs, a 20% barrel rate, and a 91.1% zone-contact rate across 13 games. That's why the young outfielder is a must-draft target at his price tag.

Agustin Ramirez, C, Miami Marlins

ADP:  82 (two-catcher league ADP)

Miami Marlins catcher Agustin Ramirez is fresh off a strong all-around rookie season. He hit .231 with 21 home runs, 72 runs scored, 67 RBI, and 16 stolen bases across 136 games. Although his .231 batting average was a bit low, Ramirez was one of the best sources of home runs and stolen bases among all catchers last year. His 16 stolen bases were also the most at the position in 2025.

That makes Ramirez one of the best value picks at the catcher position and a potential league-winner this season. The 24-year-old should be in Miami's lineup every day and has the upside to become just the third catcher in AL/NL history to have a 20-homer, 20-stolen base season. He was just four stolen bases shy of reaching that mark as a rookie.

In 2026, Ramirez could accomplish it. He should hit upward of 20 home runs after finishing with a .457 expected slugging, an 11% barrel rate, a 47% hard-hit rate, and a 75.2 mph bat speed last season, and has the stolen base upside to swipe 20 bags. He totaled over 20 stolen bases between the majors and minors in 2025.

Since Ramirez should lead the catcher group in steals this year, he is a fantastic pick at his ADP and can be had several rounds later on Yahoo, going off the board just before pick 130.

Konnor Griffin, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates

ADP: 150

Update - Griffin has been optioned to minor-league camp. He remains a top stash candidate but will not begin the regular season in the major leagues.

The biggest question surrounding Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin is whether he will make the Opening Day roster. Even if the Pirates decide to start Griffin in Triple-A to begin the season, it won't be long until the club decides to call him up. When he does get his shot in the big leagues, he is going to be a fantasy star right away.

At just 19 years old, Griffin quickly rose through Pittsburgh's minor league system last season. He went from Single-A to High-A to Double-A in just the span of a few months and posted elite numbers at all three levels. The former first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft finished with a .333 batting average, 21 home runs, 94 RBI, and 65 stolen bases across 122 games at those levels.

CLEAR THE DECK@KonnorGriffin22 bangs his 5th homer in a Curve uniform to make it a 2-0 game! pic.twitter.com/evjxxsgDVQ

— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) September 10, 2025

There's no doubt that Griffin has the talent to do some insane things in the big leagues this year. He could have a 20-home run, 20-stolen base campaign at the minimum in his first season, and the shortstop doesn't have much else to prove in the minors. This is a player who has an impressive 20.8% barrel rate, a 50% hard-hit rate, and four home runs this spring.

So, take Griffin at his ADP and watch him blossom into a star at just 19 years old.

Addison Barger, 3B/OF, Toronto Blue Jays

ADP: 179

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger entered the offseason in a sort of weird spot. The Blue Jays signed Kazuma Okamoto to a big contract to be their everyday third baseman, and Anthony Santander was back in the fold after dealing with some injuries last season. That meant that Barger faced an uphill battle to see consistent at-bats. Then, Santander underwent shoulder surgery in February.

The surgery is expected to sideline Santander until July or August, opening a spot in the lineup for Barger. For that reason, fantasy managers should be all over the left-handed slugger at his 179 ADP. He is coming off a dominant power-hitting season in which he belted 21 home runs and 74 RBI across 502 plate appearances, and there is a strong chance he posts even better offensive numbers in 2026.

Barger ranked in the 86th percentile in average exit velocity (91.7 mph), 91st percentile in hard-hit rate (51%), and 93rd percentile in bat speed (75.9%). He also had an 11.4% barrel rate, a .462 expected slugging, and a 35.5% launch angle sweet-spot rate. With Santander sidelined for the first four to five months of the season, the 26-year-old's power will be on full display.

That should give fantasy managers enough confidence to take him at his generous ADP. If you need some power in the later rounds, look no further than Barger. He hit 21 home runs in the regular season last year and added another three home runs in the postseason.

Sal Stewart, 1B, Cincinnati Reds

ADP: 172

One of the best under-the-radar draft targets in the later rounds is Cincinnati Reds first baseman, Sal Stewart. Stewart posted solid all-around numbers in the minor leagues last season before getting called up to the big leagues in early September. MLB Pipeline's No. 22 overall prospect batted .309 with 20 home runs, 34 doubles, 80 RBI, and 17 stolen bases across 118 combined games at Double-A and Triple-A.

Those strong numbers then carried over once Cincinnati promoted him. He hit .255 with five home runs and eight RBI across 18 games in September. His five home runs in the month of September led all Reds players, and Stewart posted some elite metrics in his limited plate appearances. The 22-year-old had a .289 expected batting average, a .626 expected slugging, a 17.5% barrel rate, and a 52.5% hard-hit rate.

As a result, Stewart has league-winner written all over himself this year. He has the potential to hit over 20 home runs, maintain a solid batting average throughout the season, and steal double-digit bases. That upside has been on display so far this spring, as the Reds first baseman is batting .333 with two home runs, six RBI, and four stolen bases in his 14 spring training games.

Sal Stewart having an ADP around pick 200 is going to look like a STEAL at the end of the season.pic.twitter.com/vieCeDZmrV

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) March 2, 2026

Fantasy managers shouldn't be overlooking Stewart in the later rounds. He should be in the lineup every day for this Reds team and has the chance to contribute solid all-around numbers in his first full season.

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