RADIO
Mike discusses five well-known fantasy baseball hitters and pitchers who have not performed well heading into Week 21 of the 2026 season. Is it time to drop, sell, or hold?
Welcome, RotoBallers, to our weekly article about well-known fantasy baseball players who are currently struggling and not performing well as of Week 21 (August 17 to August 23). Should fantasy baseball managers drop, hold, or sell these well-known players?
Today, we will look at three hitters and two pitchers trending down for Week 21 of the fantasy baseball season. These players share a common trait: in the spring, we never thought we would be contemplating jettisoning them from our rosters. Yet here we are, doing some tough math on these players.
So, what should fantasy managers do with these five well-known players? Lots of hand-wringing over many of these decisions, and I totally understand that. Here are my thoughts on what to do with them, leading off with the biggest bust of 2026.
Featured Promo: Save 50% off the regular price with discount code SUMMER, for a limited time. Exclusive access to our Team Sync platform, DFS cheat sheets, Lineup Optimizers, betting/prop picks, and exclusive content from Nick Mariano and Eric Cross! GAIN ACCESS NOW
Cal Raleigh, C, Seattle Mariners
This would have been sacrilege to consider during his monster season last year, or even a few weeks ago. But Raleigh is single-handedly destroying fantasy baseball seasons. Raleigh is in one of the worst seasons any of us have ever witnessed in recent memory.
Last year, the veteran catcher hit .247 with 60 home runs, 125 RBI, 110 runs, and 14 stolen bases. Fantasy players were drafting him as the number one catcher off the board by far. This year has rewarded that high cost with a whopping .156 batting average, 12 homers, 43 RBI, and two steals.
Not what you budgeted for this season. What happened? Several things. He is not hitting the ball as hard despite a better-than-average barrel percentage. The strikeout rate ticked up to a career-worst 32.1%. Last year, he hit .254 against fastballs; this year, it is a lowly .138, 116 points lower.
The thing is, you can hold on to him and hope for a month with a home run barrage. But there are no indications that it is forthcoming; since the All-Star break, Raleigh has been worse, hitting a sickly .118 with three home runs and 14 RBI. It's time to move on if you have not already.
A waiver wire catcher would do you less harm at this point than Raleigh. See his Statcast for 2026 below; it's truly an unbelievable dropoff.
Verdict: DROP in most formats
George Springer, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
A resurgent year culminating in an epic World Series had fantasy players buying into Springer again this past winter and spring. Springer hit a surprising .309 with 32 home runs, 84 RBI, 18 stolen bases, and 106 runs. A huge reason for Toronto's success last year.
Going into his age-36 season, expectations were high, and maybe they should not have been. Look below. The barrels are down this year, and it's important to note that Father Time remains undefeated. Consequently, he's hitting .228 with 12 homers, 37 RBI, nine stolen bases, and 44 runs.
Springer still doesn't chase bad pitches or strike out much, but he has missed 30+ games, and it feels like now that there are better options on the waiver wire to fill the back end of your outfield or bench. It's time to move on if you have not already.
Verdict: SELL LOW/DROP in all formats
Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
This is a tough one to write, because Yelich has been one of my favorite baseball players for years. Last year on a march to the playoffs, Yelich rediscovered his health and hit .264 with 29 home runs, his most in seven years, with 103 RBI, 16 stolen bases, and 88 runs scored.
Yelich is just not hitting the ball hard and seems to be in gentle decline. The numbers are down this year after a really nice 2025: a .226 batting average, eight home runs, 40 RBI, 1o stolen bases, and 49 runs despite being on a first-place team.
Younger guys have further developed and taken the mantle of top performer from Yelich in Milwaukee. He can hinder your roster if he is utility only in your league. In that case, he should be removed from your roster to make room for someone more productive. You could bench him and hope for a hot streak.
Verdict: SELL LOW/DROP in most formats
George Kirby, P, Seattle Mariners
Kirby was drafted in many leagues to be an ace this year, or at the very least, a competent 1B to your 1A ace. Many players combined Kirby with the likes of a Joe Ryan and went into battle this spring. This was a strategy to use if you did not want to pay up for the likes of Paul Skenes, Garrett Crochet, or Tarik Skubal.
It has not worked out with Kirby. He started well enough, but a 4.97 ERA in May threw off many fantasy teams. Kirby rebounded in June, but July saw a worse month (5.06 ERA) than May. While things have looked better recently, his strikeouts are way down, with only seven in three August starts. Overall, Kirby is 8-9 with a 3.89 ERA, a slightly high 1.31 WHIP, and 114 strikeouts in 136 innings.
I think the chart below illustrates the problem best: Kirby has become too hittable. He has always been a guy who pitches to contact, but hitters seem to have gotten very comfortable with how he is trying to get them out, and he is getting hit harder on every type of pitch in his repertoire.
It could be a question of diving deeper into the pitch mix and sequencing, which could be a winter project for Kirby. The velocity is still there; he limits walks, and he still gets batters to chase.
My advice in deeper leagues and in dynasty formats would be to keep him and hope for an improved six weeks. But you might also be able to move Kirby in a package for younger prospects that have a higher ceiling. Put some feelers out this week if you can still make trades; if not, hold and look to sell over the winter.
Verdict: SELL LOW/DROP in shallow formats; hold in 12+ team leagues
Taj Bradley, P, Minnesota Twins
Bradley has had a good season but has run into tougher times over the last month. Bradley redefined his pitch mix this year, and it has largely worked for him, using his three fastballs more than anything else, attacking the top of the strike zone with his four-seamer the most.
It feels like years that we have been waiting on a coalescing of skills into results for Bradley, and we have seen some signs of it this year: he's 9-5, with a 3.98 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and a very nice 151 strikeouts in 135 innings. See the swing-and-miss chart for Bradley below.
Below, you can start to see how he has done it. The emphasis on his sequencing and elevated use of all three of his fastballs has led to an increase in swing and miss for him. But Bradley has run across hard times since the All-Star break, going 0-2 in six starts with a sickly 5.18 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP, but with 33 strikeouts in 33 innings.
What's the problem? The 19 walks in those 33 innings for one, and inefficiency for another, only pitching four and five innings in his last two starts. Two home runs in the Field of Dreams game also hurt him.
However, I think in deeper leagues, you need to hold on to him. He is only 25, and there will be ups and downs. The Minnesota Twins are fighting for their playoff lives, so you know they will give Bradley plenty of runway to work through these issues.
In dynasty formats, I would be looking to keep him as well. His skills are tantalizing and look repeatable; in shallow formats, there might be something better on the waiver wire. Consider that he likely gets six to eight more starts this year. I would hold for now in most formats.
Verdict: Hold in 12+ team leagues
Good luck this week with your teams and your rosters! Keep grinding. A few more weeks until you get a well-deserved little break!
