January 27, 2026
Houston Astros left-handed closer
Josh Hader (shoulder) was among the most dominant closers in baseball again in 2025, but he will carry more risk into 2026 after his season was cut short by a left-shoulder strain. The 31-year-old veteran southpaw said recently that he feels back to normal, but until we see that he's at full strength during spring training, Hader will carry extra risk in fantasy baseball. When he was on the mound last year, Hader was still dominant as ever, ranking fifth with a 29.1 K-BB percentage. Hader leaned heavily on his wipeout slider and produced an absurd 55.2% whiff rate with the pitch. The six-time All-Star had a nice 2.05 ERA and 0.85 WHIP with 28 saves, 76 strikeouts, and 16 walks in 52 2/3 innings. Hader's price tag on draft day might be a little deflated due to his shoulder injury, but if it proves to be a thing of the past, he could wind up being a massive value.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
January 27, 2026
In his first full season in the Bronx, New York Yankees second baseman
Jazz Chisholm Jr. earned his second career All-Star nod and finished the year by slashing .242/.332/.481 with an .813 OPS and career-highs in home runs (31) and RBI (80). He also had 31 stolen bases and a career-high 75 runs scored in 130 regular-season games. In what will be a contract year if he doesn't reach a long-term extension with the Bombers, the 27-year-old infielder could have another strong season in pinstripes. Chisholm's power/speed combination is rare for a player who qualifies at the keystone, and it helps mask some of his liabilities. The former Miami Marlins second baseman is streaky, has a lengthy injury history, and has struck out almost 28% of the time in his six-year big-league career. Fantasy managers are mostly comfortable with sacrificing some average at the 2B position for Chisholm's power/speed upside, especially with the short right-field porch at Yankee Stadium.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
January 27, 2026
Chicago Cubs outfielder
Seiya Suzuki had a career-worst .245 batting average in his fourth year in the big leagues with the Cubs in 2025, but he also set career-highs in home runs (32), RBI (103), and runs scored (75) while stealing five bases in a career-high 151 regular-season games. Suzuki's career-best numbers in homers and RBI were attributed to the fact that he pulled the ball more and put the ball in the air more often than in his previous three campaigns after coming over from Japan. The 31-year-old veteran's counting stats were also aided by the fact that he didn't go on the injured list for the first time in his MLB career. Reaching the 30-homer mark for a second straight season in a contract year is certainly attainable for Suzuki, and he should once again have plenty of chances to drive in runs in the middle of Chicago's batting order. Fantasy managers should consider Suzuki just inside the top-25 outfielders for 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
January 27, 2026
Houston Astros right-hander
Hunter Brown broke out as an All-Star in 2025 in his fourth year in the big leagues, going 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA (3.14 FIP), 1.02 WHIP, and 206:57 K:BB in 31 starts over 185 1/3 innings pitched. The 27-year-old was essentially Houston's ace. The former fifth-round selection out of Wayne State has come a long way since he had a 5.09 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 155 2/3 innings in 2023 in his first year in the big leagues. Brown reached the illustrious 200-strikeout mark for the first time in his career, and opposing hitters batted a tick over .200 against him. Brown has the arsenal (six pitches) to keep batters off balance and continue to be successful in 2026, but fantasy managers shouldn't necessarily expect another ERA under 3.00. Keeping the ball in the yard was a big reason for his success last year, as he allowed just 0.8 home runs per nine innings. RotoBaller has Brown ranked as the No. 8 starting pitcher.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
January 27, 2026
Outfielder
Teoscar Hernandez has won the World Series in both of his seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was much better in his first year in Hollywood, slashing .272/.339/.501 with an .840 OPS, career-high 33 home runs, 99 RBI, 12 stolen bases, and 84 runs scored in 154 regular-season games. Last year in 134 regular-season games, Hernandez hit .247/.284/.454 with just a .738 OPS, 25 home runs, 89 RBI, 65 runs scored, and five steals. The 33-year-old Dominican outfielder had a career-best 24.6% strikeout rate, but also a career-worst 4.8% walk rate. His power was down in 2025, but Hernandez's batted-ball metrics weren't far off from his strong 2025 campaign with L.A. Fantasy managers should know that Hernandez has hit at least 20 homers in each of the last seven full seasons. Hitting in the middle of the best lineup in baseball gives Hernandez a pretty safe floor, while he has 30-homer, 100-RBI upside. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 31 fantasy outfielder.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
January 27, 2026
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter
Kyle Schwarber led the league and set a new career high with 56 home runs in 2025 in his fourth season with the Phils. He also had a league- and career-high 132 RBI while slashing .240/.365/.563 with a career-best .928 OPS, career-high 111 runs scored, and career-best 10 stolen bases in 162 games. The 32-year-old left-handed slugger is strictly a DH, though, and his high strikeout totals will ensure that his batting average will remain low. He finished last year third in walks (108), and he was the runner-up to
Shohei Ohtani in the National League MVP voting. Schwarber has had 100-plus RBI in each of the last three years. The fact that Schwarber re-signed with the Phillies is a huge plus for his fantasy outlook going into the 2026 campaign, where he'll remain an elite power threat and run producer. RotoBaller has Schwarber ranked as the No. 23 overall player.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
January 27, 2026
New York Yankees infielder
Marco Luciano has been designated for assignment by the organization on Tuesday. Luciano didn't even last a week on the team before getting kicked off the 40-man roster. The Yankees needed to make room for recently acquired pitcher Don Hamel, so Luciano was the odd man out. Since the end of the 2025 season, Luciano has been on the Giants, Pirates, Orioles, and Yankees. The 24-year-old is a former top prospect, but hasn't put it together at the MLB level. During parts of two seasons, Luciano is slashing .217/.286/.304 with three RBI in 41 games. He posted an ugly slash line in the minors last season, but blasted 23 home runs with 85 walks at Triple-A Sacramento. Luciano should hopefully land somewhere to at least compete for a spot during Spring Training.
--Andy WebbSource: New York Yankees
January 27, 2026
Right-handed power-hitting first baseman
Pete Alonso signed with the Baltimore Orioles in free agency on a five-year, $155 million contract. The New York Mets decided not to bring him back after a very successful 2025 season in Queens, in which he hit .272/.347/.524 with an .871 OPS, 38 home runs, a league-leading 41 doubles, 87 runs scored, and 126 RBI in 162 games played. The 31-year-old played in all 162 regular-season games for the second year in a row. While Camden Yards hasn't been the most hitter-friendly park in the American League East, we don't think Alonso will have any issues driving in plenty of runs in the middle of the O's lineup. In the last four regular seasons, only
Aaron Judge has driven in more runs than Alonso. The Polar Bear is ranked just inside the top-25 overall players by RotoBaller, and he's the No. 3 first baseman, behind only
Nick Kurtz and
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
January 27, 2026
The New York Yankees have reportedly expressed interest in re-signing free-agent first baseman
Paul Goldschmidt. It seems that the Bronx Bombers are open to a reunion with the veteran slugger. During his lone season in the Bronx, Goldschmidt slashed .274/.328/.403 with 10 home runs and 45 RBI in 146 games in 2025. The Yankees are seeking a platoon partner for
Ben Rice, so Goldschmidt does make sense for them. The power dropoff from Goldschmidt is concerning, as his 10 long balls are the third-fewest during his 15-year career. The 38-year-old still posted a solid slash line and is a viable option at first base. It would likely be a short, one-year deal, so it's unlikely to be a bad investment if the Yankees decide to go that route.
--Andy WebbSource: SNY
January 27, 2026
Seattle Mariners outfielder
Julio Rodriguez got off to another slow start in 2025 and was hitting just over .207 at the end of April, but the 25-year-old Dominican eventually figured things out, tying a career-high with 32 home runs while adding 95 RBI, 106 runs scored, and 30 stolen bases in a league-high 710 plate appearances over 160 regular-season games. The three-time All-Star and former American League Rookie of the Year has been a 20-homer, 20-steal player in all four of his big-league seasons, with two of them being 30-30 campaigns. He's the youngest player in MLB history with four 20-20 seasons. On top of J-Rod's strong 2025 season, he had a career-low 24.1% strikeout rate. There aren't many better power/speed options to target in the late-first, early-second round of fantasy baseball drafts than Rodriguez.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball
January 27, 2026
New York Mets infielder
Bo Bichette has decided not to participate in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Bichette was going to play for Brazil, but has decided to back out of the tourney. Instead, Bichette wants to focus on preparing for the upcoming 2026 season with his new team. The 27-year-old has represented Brazil in the past, and is eligible to do so because his mother was born in Brazil. Bichette signed a three-year, $126 million deal with the Mets during the offseason. It's understandable that he doesn't want to risk an injury and will shift his focus to helping the Mets win this season.
--Andy WebbSource: sprotsnet.ca
January 27, 2026
The Tampa Bay Rays have signed free-agent relief pitcher
Cam Booser to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. Booser took a significant step backward during the 2025 season. In 2024, Booser registered a 3.38 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and a 43/16 K/BB ratio across 43 games with the Boston Red Sox. The 33-year-old headed to the Chicago White Sox last season and completely fell apart. Booser finished with a 5.52 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and a 35/19 K/BB ratio in 39 games with the South Siders. The biggest problem was the home run ball, as Booser allowed eight long balls in 31.0 innings of work last season. It's a low-risk move by the Rays, who do have a good history of turning around players coming off down seasons. He'll likely serve as middle relief with little to no fantasy value, assuming he makes the team.
--Andy WebbSource: Marc Topkin
January 27, 2026
The Seattle Mariners have acquired catcher
Jhonny Pereda from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for cash considerations. Pereda has found a new home after being designated for assignment by the Twins on Friday. The Twins removed Pereda from their 40-man roster to make room for
Victor Caratini. The expectation is that Pereda will compete for the backup gig during Spring Training. He slashed .246/.325/.333 with four RBI across 28 games with the Athletics and Twins last season. The 29-year-old posted strong numbers in Triple-A and deserves a shot to earn a 26-man roster spot. Even if he makes the roster, Pereda isn't going to play very often with
Cal Raleigh playing almost every game.
--Andy WebbSource: Seattle Mariners
January 27, 2026
In his first full MLB season in 2024, Cincinnati Reds shortstop
Elly De La Cruz put his upside on display, slashing .259/.339/.471 with an .809 OPS, 25 home runs, 76 RBI, 105 runs scored, and a league-high 67 stolen bases in 160 games played. It wasn't all great, though, as he also led the league with 218 strikeouts. The 24-year-old switch-hitting Dominican hit a career-high .264 in 2025, but he took a step back in the power department (22 home runs) and in steals (37) over 162 games. De La Cruz really struggled down the stretch and went through a 74-game stretch in which he hit just one home run. A lingering quad injury that he played through for most of the year might be to blame. There's no denying De La Cruz's elite athleticism, especially on the base paths, and RotoBaller still considers him a top-15 overall fantasy player going into his fourth year with the Reds.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
January 27, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder
Anthony Santander (back, shoulder) was one of the biggest fantasy baseball busts in 2025. In his final year with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024, Santander was a first-time All-Star and hit .235/.308/.506 with an .814 OPS and career-highs in home runs (44) and RBI (102) in 155 games played. The 31-year-old Venezuelan switch-hitter was limited to 194 at-bats in his first year in Toronto due to a shoulder subluxation and a lower-back injury that lingered. He played in just 54 games and hit .175 (34-for-194) with six homers and 18 RBI. Santander is apparently healthy with just a few weeks until spring training, and he's in the right environment for a bounce-back in 2026. His fantasy value has dropped considerably, though, and he also lost outfield eligibility in most formats. To keep him healthy, Toronto could keep him mostly at DH. RotoBaller has Santander ranked as the No. 54 fantasy outfielder.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
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