February 19, 2026

Let Jordan Lawlar play has been a common refrain among fantasy managers ove the past few years. Once one of baseball's top prospects, Lawlar's star has dimmed over the last couple of seasons as he's struggled to break through to the big leagues. He got only 74 PA last season, and he hit .182 with a .545 OPS and a 35.1% K rate. That's not good, but he did hit .313 with a .966 OPS at Triple-A last season, along with 11 homers and 20 steals in 300 PA. Still just 23 years old, Lawlar has been taking reps in center field in winter ball, as the minor league shortstop looks to secure a position for himself anywhere on the diamond with the big league club in 2026. The outfield might be his clearest path to playing time. Corbin Carroll has a job when he's healthy, but with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. recovering from a torn ACL and former top prospect Alek Thomas struggling at the plate over multiple seasons, there could be openings in center and left. The multi-positional flexibility will be nice, but can Lawlar actually hit? He's proven he can hit minor league pitching, and of the Diamondbacks outfield mix (Alek Thomas, Jorge Barrosa, Tim Tawa) Lawlar probably has the most potential at the plate. He's shown a good mix of power and speed at the minor league level. It would be great to see Lawlar get an extended look this season, and going around pick 380 he's a solid post-hype sleeper late in drafts.--Elliott Baas