March 18, 2026
Cincinnati Reds right-handed pitching prospect
Rhett Lowder has officially made the Opening Day roster. The young right-hander was on the brink of the roster bubble for most of camp but was able to claim a role on the MLB roster. However, it has yet to be determined if the former seventh overall pick will have a spot in the starting rotation. Alongside Lowder, young pitchers
Chase Burns and
Brandon Williamson also made the Opening Day roster. However, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer noted that only two of them will occupy a rotation spot while the other serves as a long relief option. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status over the next week. Even though his role is unknown, Lowder has solid sleeper appeal in deeper leagues, given that he has posted an impressive 1.17 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP over his first 30 2/3 innings in the majors.
--Andy SmithSource: Gordon Wittenmyer
March 17, 2026
San Francisco Giants shortstop
Willy Adames is struggling at the plate in spring training, going 4-for-37 (.108) with a homer, five RBI, two runs scored, a stolen base, two walks, and 13 strikeouts in 40 plate appearances over 13 Cactus League games. Adames was looking like a major bust in his first year in San Fran in 2025 in the first half of the season before ultimately bouncing back in the second half. The 30-year-old Dominican infielder hit a career-low .225 (133-for-591), but he did reach the 30-homer mark for the third time in the last four years and the fourth time in his career, adding 87 RBI, 94 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases in 686 plate appearances over 160 games played. Adames had a 30-20 season in 2024 in his final year in Milwaukee, but his overall upside could be capped while playing at pitcher-friendly Oracle Park. Still, Adames should provide a solid counting-stat floor as a low-end starting fantasy shortstop in mixed leagues, at worst.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
March 17, 2026
Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss may have second baseman
Ozzie Albies run more frequently in 2026, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. He adds that Albies "seems capable" of stealing 20 bases for the first time since the 2021 season. The three-time All-Star hit .240/.306/.365 with a career-low .671 OPS, 16 home runs, 74 RBI, 74 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases in 667 plate appearances and 157 games played for the Braves in 2025 in his ninth year in the big leagues. In general, the Braves are expected to be much more aggressive on the base paths in Weiss' first year as the skipper. Albies has two 30-homer campaigns on his ledger, but he's combined to hit just 26 long balls in the last two seasons. Despite the last two years of disappointing production, Albies profiles as a top-12 fantasy second baseman because he still has 20-20 potential at the keystone. In six Grapefruit League games this spring, Albies has gone 4-for-16 (.250) with no homers, four RBI, and three runs scored.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Mark Bowman
March 17, 2026
New York Yankees outfielder
Trent Grisham had a career year in 2025 in the Bronx in his second year in pinstripes, slashing .235/.348/.464 with an .811 OPS, 34 home runs, 74 RBI, 87 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 581 plate appearances and 143 regular-season games played. Although it's a small sample size this spring, the 29-year-old left-handed hitter has gone 4-for-30 (.133) with no homers, three RBI, three runs scored, three walks, and nine strikeouts in 33 plate appearances in 12 Grapefruit League games. Grisham has earned some rope as a regular in the Yankees' everyday lineup in 2026, but he's going to have to continue to play well to hold off
Jasson Dominguez, who has swung a hot bat this spring. The former 15th overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015 hit under .200 with nine homers in just 76 games in his first year in New York in 2024, so there is some volatility and skepticism that Grisham can repeat his strong season in 2026. For his power alone in a strong lineup, though, Grisham is worth a late-round pick as outfield depth in mixed fantasy leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
March 17, 2026
New York Yankees second baseman
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a solid source of power and speed as a middle infielder going into the 2026 season after he clubbed a career-high 31 home runs and also stole 31 bases to reach the 30-30 mark for the first time in his career in 2025. The 28-year-old left-handed hitter made the All-Star squad for the second time in his career while slashing .242/.332/.481 with an .813 OPS, 80 RBI, and 75 runs scored in 531 plate appearances over 130 regular-season games in his first full year in the Bronx. Chisholm has a lengthy injury history, but his power/speed upside is unmatched at the second base position, making him RotoBaller's top-ranked second baseman, who also still has eligibility at the hot corner in some leagues. The six-year veteran has swung the bat well in spring training, too, going 4-for-14 (.286) with a homer, three RBI, and a steal in a small sample size of seven Grapefruit League games. He's a great fit in a strong Yankees lineup with a short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
March 17, 2026
New York Mets left-hander
Sean Manaea's velocity remained low in his Grapefruit League outing on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins, in which he threw four scoreless innings with no hits, no walks, and four strikeouts, according to Max Goodman of NJ.com. Manaea averaged just 88.3 mph and topped out at 89.9 mph while throwing 52 total pitches. The 88.3 mph is lower than his average fastball velocity in his first two starts of the spring and 3.4 mph slower than his average (91.7) during the regular-season in 2025. The 34-year-old veteran was unable to repeat his late-career resurgence in 2024 during the 2025 campaign, as he only made 15 appearances (12 starts) due to injuries and held a poor 5.64 ERA (4.39 FIP), 1.22 WHIP, and 75:12 K: BB in 60 2/3 innings pitched. Manaea doesn't seem concerned about his lack of velocity this spring and thinks he'll gain a couple of ticks on the radar gun once the regular season starts. Injuries and inconsistency make Manaea a late-round dart throw, at best, for starting depth in upcoming fantasy drafts.
--Keith HernandezSource: NJ.com - Max Goodman
March 17, 2026
Minnesota Twins right-hander
Bailey Ober's average fastball velocity was down even more in his Grapefruit League start on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies, according to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. Ober averaged 89.9 mph in his first spring training start, then 88.8 mph in his second start, and now he's down to 88.2 mph. None of the 58 pitches that Ober threw on Tuesday cracked 90 mph, and he also failed to record a strikeout and generated just three swings and misses. The 30-year-old veteran only has three strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings pitched so far this spring, and his low velocity is a concerning trend that fantasy managers must pay attention to. In 2025, Ober barely averaged over 90 mph on his fastball and career-worst 5.10 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 120 strikeouts and 31 walks in 146 1/3 innings over 27 starts. Ober missed some time with a hip injury in the second half, which could have contributed to him falling apart after a decent start. He's trending down ahead of the 2026 season and is currently ranked as RotoBaller's No. 97 starting pitcher in fantasy.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Aaron Gleeman
March 17, 2026
Boston Red Sox second baseman
Brendan Rodgers (shoulder) underwent right-shoulder labral revision surgery, which was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Rodgers was back in camp on Tuesday in a brace. The 29-year-old was potentially looking at a platoon role at the keystone in 2026 in his first year in Boston, but he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during a spring training game last month. The former third overall pick by the Colorado Rockies in 2015 spent the first six years of his MLB career in Colorado before hitting just .191/.266/.278 with two home runs, 11 RBI, and 12 runs scored in only 43 games for the Houston Astros in 2025. With Rodgers officially out for the entire 2026 campaign,
Marcelo Mayer (knee) will most likely see most of the playing time at second for the BoSox.
--Keith HernandezSource: MassLive.com - Chris Cotillo
March 17, 2026
Cleveland Guardians second baseman
Daniel Schneemann (ankle) got the start at third base and was in the eight-hole for Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Cincinnati Reds, according to MLB.com. Schneemann missed the last couple of spring contests while recovering from a mild ankle sprain. The 29-year-old now has a little less than two weeks to prepare for Opening Day in 2026 at the end of the month. As a super-utility player for Cleveland, Schneemann is mostly an option for infield depth in AL-only fantasy leagues. The left-handed-hitting infielder was mostly used against right-handed pitchers in his second year in the league in 2025, slashing just .206/.283/.354 with a .636 OPS, 12 home runs, 41 RBI, 48 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in 131 games and 422 plate appearances. Schneemann isn't going to bring much pop and will have inconsistent playing time. His greatest asset to fantasy managers will probably be his multi-position eligibility.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 17, 2026
The Kansas City Royals announced on Tuesday that left-hander
Cole Ragans will start on Opening Day this year for the third consecutive season. Ragans will have a tough task with a matchup in Atlanta against the Braves for his first start of the 2026 campaign. 2025 was a lost season for the 28-year-old southpaw, as he missed time with groin and left-shoulder injuries, which limited him to just 13 starts. When healthy, the former first-round pick by the Texas Rangers in 2016 went 3-3 with a 4.67 ERA (2.50 FIP) and 1.18 WHIP with 98 strikeouts and 20 walks in 61 2/3 innings. In 2024, he was a first-time All-Star and had 223 strikeouts in 186 1/3 innings pitched. That was the only time in Ragan's four MLB seasons that he's exceeded 100 innings pitched. Under the hood, Ragans' advanced metrics are solid, suggesting he has ace upside at a potential discount this year. In 10 2/3 spring training innings, he's allowed 10 earned runs, but he's walked only three and fanned 15. RotoBaller has Ragans ranked as the No. 10 fantasy starting pitcher going into his fifth year in the big leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Kansas City Royals
March 17, 2026
Kansas City Royals second baseman
Jonathan India (groin) returned to Tuesday's Cactus League lineup against the Los Angeles Dodgers and got the start at second base while batting leadoff. The Royals removed India as a precaution during Friday's spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with right-groin tightness, but the 29-year-old has returned to action this week. Barring a setback, India will be ready to start on Opening Day later this month in his second year with the team. The former National League Rookie of the Year in 2021 with the Cincinnati Reds struggled in his first year in the American League, slashing .233/.323/.346 with a career-low .669 OPS, nine home runs, 45 RBI, and 63 runs scored over 567 plate appearances and 136 games played. India's fantasy stock is obviously way down -- he's the No. 42-ranked second baseman at RotoBaller -- but perhaps he rebounds for the Royals while sticking at the keystone this year.
--Keith HernandezSource: Kansas City Royals
March 17, 2026
Houston Astros right-hander
Hunter Brown established himself as one of the best starting pitchers in baseball in 2025, recording a 12-9 record with a 2.43 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 206 strikeouts across 185 1/3 innings (31 starts). The 27-year-old boosted his strikeout rate to a career-best 28.3% while lowering his walk rate to a career-low 7.8%. Brown benefited from an elevated 82% strand rate, so he may see some regression in his ERA in 2026. Still, Brown has gotten better in each of his three full big-league seasons to this point and appears to have a safe production floor as he enters the prime years of his career. Brown has also been one of the more durable arms in MLB in recent seasons, recording three consecutive campaigns with at least 31 appearances. Brown should be viewed as a low-end fantasy SP1 by redraft managers heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 17, 2026
Chicago Cubs outfielder
Pete Crow-Armstrong broke out in a major way in 2025, hitting .247/.287/.481 with 31 home runs, 95 RBI, 91 runs scored, and 35 stolen bases across 647 plate appearances. However, the vast majority of the 23-year-old's production was front-loaded in the first half of the season. After the All-Star break, Crow-Armstrong hit .216/.262/.372 and struck out in 25.6% of his plate appearances. He also struggled against left-handed pitching throughout the year, logging a .594 OPS with a 29.3% strikeout rate against southpaws. As a result of his second-half troubles, Crow-Amstrong enters 2026 with some question marks in his fantasy outlook. Still, Crow-Armstrong's 13% barrel rate in 2025 backs up his power surge, and his 62 stolen bases over the past two seasons leave little doubt about his ability to provide fantasy value with his legs. Crow-Armstrong is also considered to be one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball, which should keep his playing time in Chicago secure even if he struggles with the bat. Crow-Armstrong profiles as a high-risk, high-reward outfield option for fantasy managers in 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 17, 2026
Across 66 innings as a rookie in 2025, Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher
Jacob Misiorowski posted a 5-3 record with a 4.36 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 87 strikeouts. The 23-year-old made his MLB debut in mid-June and dominated in the early going, hitting the All-Star break with a 2.81 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP. However, Misiorowski hit some rough patches in the second half of the season, posting a 9.58 ERA in August. Command is an issue for Misiorowski, as he finished his first MLB season with an 11.4% walk rate and recorded a 14.4% walk rate across 97 1/3 innings in the Minors in 2024. If he can't get the walks under control, it will be difficult for Misiorowski to be anything but a drag on the WHIP category for fantasy managers. Still, Misiorowski offers tantalizing swing-and-miss upside. He struck out 31.9% of the batters he faced in 2025 and posted back-to-back Minor league seasons with strikeout rates north of 30% in 2023 and 2024. Misiorowski profiles as a high-risk, high-reward starting pitching option for fantasy managers in 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 17, 2026
After being limited to just 73 games by a back injury in 2024, Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter/outfielder
Christian Yelich bounced back with an excellent showing in 2025. Across 644 plate appearances, the 34-year-old slashed .264/.343/.452 with 29 home runs, 103 RBI, 88 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases. Yelich made some changes to his approach in 2025, posting his best barrel rate (10.5%) since 2020 and recording his highest homer output since 2019. However, he also recorded the highest full-season strikeout rate (25.9%) of his career and his first single-digit walk rate (9.9%) since 2015. From a fantasy perspective, Yelich selling out for a bit more power is a positive as long as he keeps his strikeout rate low enough to hit for a respectable batting average. Yelich must be considered a significant injury risk at this point in his career, but he also carries high-end five-category upside that makes him a tempting selection for fantasy managers heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
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