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Andersen analyzes top fantasy baseball prospects risers, fallers, sleepers and busts for 2026. His MLB rookies report for Week 2 and recently promoted prospects.
Welcome to Week 2 and the second installment of RotoBaller's Fantasy Baseball Rookie Report for the 2026 MLB season, looking at prospect risers and fallers.
As we turn the calendar to April, we'll take a closer look at Konnor Griffin, Andrew Painter, and Jose Fernandez. Each is a top talent in their team's farm system who has already debuted early this season.
We’ll dive into their early performances, analyze what’s working (and what’s not), and offer insights on what fantasy managers can expect as the 2026 season gets underway.
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Konnor Griffin, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
Griffin didn't make the Opening Day roster out of camp, but it didn't take long for the Pirates to select his contract. He was called up to the majors on Friday as the team simultaneously worked to sign him to a long-term extension.
Track Record:
Griffin was the Pirates' first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, fetching a $6.5 million signing bonus out of high school. He quickly rose through the minor league system, making 21 appearances at Double-A last year and just five appearances at Triple-A this year.
Between Single-, High-, and Double-A last year, Griffin slashed .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs, 65 stolen bases, an 8.9% walk rate, a 21.7% strikeout rate, and 165 wRC+. The discipline numbers could have been a little better, but his power and speed were downright impressive.
Griffin appeared in the major league portion of Spring Training this year, and while he hit just .171 with 87 wRC+, he still turned heads by mashing four homers in just 46 plate appearances.
In his MLB debut on Friday, the 19-year-old shortstop went 1-for-3 with an RBI double, a run, a walk, and a strikeout.
Outlook:
Outside of the home run total, Griffin didn't have the best numbers in Spring Training, so it's reassuring to see him deliver an extra-base hit in his MLB debut.
If Griffin can carry over his success from the minors to the majors, we can expect big-time fantasy contributions from the teenager. A blend of power and speed goes a long way in fantasy baseball, and Griffin is regarded as plus-plus in both categories.
Griffin has already jumped to No. 19 in RotoBaller's 2026 fantasy baseball shortstop rankings for redraft leagues. In dynasty leagues, he ranks as our No. 21 overall player and No. 1 overall prospect. Needless to say, the sky is the limit for the right-handed-hitting shortstop. He has a very bright future ahead of him.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW, KONNOR GRIFFIN 😤
The 19-year-old phenom mashes an RBI double in his first MLB at-bat! pic.twitter.com/htbNc5pRBQ
— MLB (@MLB) April 3, 2026
Andrew Painter, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
Painter made the Phillies' Opening Day rotation out of camp and officially started his first MLB game on Tuesday. He debuted as the No. 5 starter in Philadelphia's rotation and should continue to occupy that spot going forward.
Track Record:
Painter was the Phillies' first-round pick back in 2021, signing for $3.9 million out of high school. He reached Double-A by the end of 2022 before dealing with major injury problems. He suffered a UCL sprain in March 2023 and underwent Tommy John surgery later that season. The surgery sidelined him for the entire 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
The 6-foot-7 righty returned to the mound in 2025 and spent most of the year at Triple-A, pitching to a 5.26 ERA but showing promise with a 4.20 xFIP. Then, this past spring, he allowed just three earned runs over 11.2 innings (four starts) in the Grapefruit League.
The strong camp was enough to show that Painter was healthy and deserving of a spot in the rotation.
He made his much-anticipated MLB debut on Tuesday, allowing just one earned run, four hits, and one walk over 5.1 innings of work. He struck out a whopping eight batters along the way and earned the win.
Outlook:
Painter's fastball averaged 97.1 mph, and his ratio of eight strikeouts to one walk was fantastic. He had posted 13.46 K/9 in 2022 and 9.38 K/9 in 2025, so it's encouraging to see that his strikeout rate might be back to his elite pre-injury form.
Painter threw six different pitches in his debut, so in addition to the fastball, there was a lot for opposing batters to think about. His changeup, which he threw nine times, earned a FanGraphs Stuff+ grade of 121 thanks to its nice shape. The offspeed offering registered 6.0 inches of induced vertical break and 13.3 inches of horizontal movement (armside) with a spin rate of just 1583 rpm.
The right-hander's breaking balls were also terrific. The curveball graded out as his best pitch (124 Stuff+) with -9.0 inches of induced vertical break, -8.9 of horizontal break (gloveside), and a spin rate of 2619 rpm. It paired nicely with a sharp cutting slider that had 4.0 inches of induced vertical break and -6.9 inches of horizontal break (gloveside).
Painter currently ranks No. 67 among starters in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings, but he should climb even higher if he continues to pitch at such a high level. He's also the No. 175 player and No. 25 prospect in the latest dynasty rankings.
Debut dealin' 😮💨
Andrew Painter struck out eight in his first career start! pic.twitter.com/a9fpkNkug2
— MLB (@MLB) April 1, 2026
Jose Fernandez, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks signed Fernandez as a 17-year-old out of Venezuela in 2021, and they protected him from exposure to the Rule 5 draft last offseason. He entered this year as MLB Pipeline's No. 27 Diamondbacks prospect, and he was called up to make his MLB debut shortly after the season began.
Track Record:
Fernandez spent all of 2025 at Double-A, playing 122 games there. He slashed .272/.321/.454 and posted the best power output of his young career with 17 home runs. (His previous single-season high was seven.) He also swiped a dozen bags, walked 6.3% of the time, struck out at a 20.4% clip, and posted 98 wRC+.
The 22-year-old recently participated in his fourth MLB Spring Training. Across 26 Cactus League plate appearances, he slashed .280/.308/.840 with three home runs, seven RBI, and 181 wRC+. This spring, it became evident that Fernandez's power surge from last year was not a fluke.
The Diamondbacks had Fernandez open the year in Triple-A, but his stint there was short-lived. He was called up after just one game in Reno.
Fernandez made his MLB debut on Tuesday, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, four RBI, and a strikeout in his first game. He has gone 0-for-5 in two games since then.
Outlook:
Fernandez's hot 2025 season, strong Spring Training stat line, and incredible MLB debut indicate that he is a rising star in fantasy baseball and should be a household name.
We would've liked to see him build off his big debut with a couple more hits across his last few games, but it's not the end of the world. Even the best of the best will go hitless in back-to-back games from time to time, so we're not going to panic about Fernandez yet.
The right-handed-hitting shortstop's raw power should continue to get him consistent playing time, and the D-backs will likely get creative with their defensive alignment just to get his bat into the lineup. We've already seen this happen, as the D-backs have given him one game apiece at first base, third base, and shortstop.
I thought Carlos Correa got traded to the Diamondbacks & I missed it. Jose Fernandez swing is almost identical to his pic.twitter.com/fuB0qoCkkQ
— Adam Samuels (@SamuelAdams_12) April 1, 2026
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