March 17, 2026
MLB.com's Manny Randhawa writes that at this point, "it stands to reason" that right-hander
Walker Buehler "will be part" of the San Diego Padres' Opening Day starting rotation now that right-hander
Joe Musgrove (elbow) will start the year on the injured list. As camp progressed, Buehler and
German Marquez emerged as the favorites for the final rotation spot. Buehler entered his start against the Giants on Monday with a 5.40 ERA over two spring outings, and Marquez was hit hard his last time out against the Royals to push his spring ERA to 12.15. Buehler tossed five scoreless innings against the Giants on Monday with seven strikeouts to drop his Cactus League ERA to 3.09. The 31-year-old is no longer the same pitcher who throws in the high-90s after missing all of the 2023 season due to arm issues. He had an ERA over 5.00 in his final season in L.A. in 2024 and had a 5.38 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 126 innings with Boston and Philadelphia last year. The fantasy upside is now limited with a lowered strikeout rate, but Buehler could bounce back in San Diego in a pitcher-friendly home environment. Buehler's fantasy stock in NL-only leagues is on the rise.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Manny Randhawa
March 16, 2026
Washington Nationals outfielder
James Wood entered Monday's Grapefruit League action in spring training hitting just .074 (2-for-27) in 11 games played. The 23-year-old left-handed slugger has not hit a home run, has driven in three, scored two runs, walked five times, and struck out 10 times in 32 plate appearances. It's worth noting, but fantasy managers shouldn't put too much stock into Wood's small spring training sample size. Remember, he was a first-time All-Star in 2025 in his first full season in the majors, slashing .256/.350/.475 with an .825 OPS, 31 home runs, 94 RBI, 87 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases in 689 plate appearances over 157 games played. However, Wood did also lead the league with 221 strikeouts. The young outfielder has elite raw power and uses the entire field, making him one of the higher-upside fantasy outfielders going into just his second full MLB season. RotoBaller has Wood ranked as its No. 12 outfielder. Don't let his slow spring cause you to devalue him in upcoming drafts.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
March 16, 2026
Atlanta Braves right-handed reliever
Raisel Iglesias should be considered a shaky low-end No. 1 fantasy closer going into the 2026 season after a notable bullpen addition for Atlanta this offseason and following an inconsistent 2025 campaign. Iglesias had a strong 85.3% save share for the Braves last year and racked up 29 saves in 67 1/3 innings pitched in his 11th year in the big leagues. The 36-year-old veteran converted on 21 of his 22 save chances and had a stingy 1.34 ERA and 0.72 WHIP with 44 strikeouts and 10 walks in his last 40 1/3 innings, but he really struggled early on and held a 6.00 ERA into June. With the addition of All-Star closer
Robert Suarez in free agency, the Braves surely won't hesitate to give Suarez the ninth-inning role in 2026 if Iglesias falters again like he did in the first half of last season. RotoBaller has Iglesias ranked as the No. 10 fantasy closer. If you take him, landing Suarez later in your draft would be ideal.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
March 16, 2026
Texas Rangers outfielder
Wyatt Langford might be primed for a breakout season in 2026 in his third year in the league. Going into Monday's Cactus League action, the 24-year-old was hitting .481/.548/.1.000 with a ridiculous 1.548 OPS, four home runs, 12 RBI, nine runs scored, four walks, and four strikeouts in 31 plate appearances over 11 games played. The former fourth overall pick in 2023 out of the University of Florida has played in exactly 134 games in both of his two MLB seasons so far. In 268 total games, he's hit .247/.335/.423 with a .758 OPS, 38 home runs, 136 RBI, 147 runs scored, and 41 stolen bases in 1,130 plate appearances. Langford had his first 20-20 campaign last year despite three separate trips to the injured list due to oblique injuries. Durability is certainly a question, but when healthy, there's no debating that Langford's high-end power/speed upside makes him a top-15 fantasy outfielder. Fantasy managers will be hoping that he can carry over his hot hitting this spring into the regular season.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
March 16, 2026
Washington Nationals right-hander
Cade Cavalli, who will start on Opening Day on March 26 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, continues to boost his fantasy baseball stock going into the 2026 season with a strong spring performance. Cavalli, 27, has allowed just an unearned run on one hit while walking two and striking out nine in nine innings over his three Grapefruit League starts. The former first-round pick in 2020 out of the University of Oklahoma made his major-league debut in 2022 (one start), but he didn't return to the majors until 2025 after multiple setbacks following Tommy John surgery in 2023. In his 10 starts last year, he went 3-1 with a 4.25 ERA and 1.48 WHIP with 40 strikeouts and 15 walks in 48 2/3 innings. Not only did Cavalli look solid in his return in the second half of 2025, but he also displayed better velocity than before his right-elbow surgery. With strong results this spring, Cavalli's fantasy ADP is on the rise as an intriguing late-round flier for starting pitching depth in mixed leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Baseball Reference
March 16, 2026
Detroit Tigers infield prospect
Kevin McGonigle continues to impress in spring training as he looks to break camp with the major-league team on Opening Day in less than two weeks. McGonigle went 1-for-3 with a home run, four RBI, and two walks in Monday's 13-6 Grapefruit League win over the Philadelphia Phillies. The 21-year-old former first-round pick in 2023 has looked mature beyond his years at the plate and on defense this spring for Detroit. Offensively, McGonigle is sporting a strong 1.063 OPS with two home runs, 10 walks, and six strikeouts in 16 Grapefruit League games. It's unclear whether he'll actually make the Tigers' Opening Day roster, but even if he doesn't, McGonigle will push to make his major-league debut sooner rather than later. He proved last year that he's one of the best hitting prospects in baseball, and MLB Pipeline has him ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect, behind only the Pirates'
Konnor Griffin. McGonigle's stock continues to rise, and he's ranked as RotoBaller's No. 23 fantasy shortstop for 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
March 16, 2026
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced on Monday that they reassigned outfield prospect
Zyhir Hope to minor-league camp, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Hope was always a long shot to break camp with the big-league squad out of spring training, especially after hitting just .167 (6-for-36) with no homers, two doubles, five RBI, seven runs scored, three walks, and 12 strikeouts in 39 plate appearances over 20 Cactus League games in spring training. The 21-year-old is expected to begin the 2026 campaign at Double-A Tulsa after hitting .266/.376/.428 with an .804 OPS, 13 home runs, 80 RBI, 69 runs scored, and 27 stolen bases in 127 games with High-A Great Lakes and Tulsa in 2025. Hope played in only six games for Tulsa. Despite standing at only 5-foot-10, 193 pounds, he has impressive raw power from the left side. The Dodgers' No. 2 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is likely to spend all of 2026 in the minors before potentially debuting in the Show in 2027. For now, he's strictly a stash candidate in dynasty/keeper leagues for his power/speed upside.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Fabian Ardaya
March 16, 2026
The Chicago White Sox announced on Monday that they reassigned left-handed pitching prospect
Hagen Smith to minor-league camp. Smith will begin the 2026 season at Triple-A Charlotte, but he figures to make his major-league debut with the Pale Hose at some point this year. The 22-year-old southpaw spent all of last year working at Double-A Birmingham, going 3-3 with a 3.57 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 108:56 K:BB in 75 2/3 innings pitched over his 20 starts. The former fifth overall pick in 2024 out of the University of Arkansas was considered one of the highest-floor starting pitchers of his draft class, but his inability to throw strikes so far in the minors has been worrisome. Elbow soreness early last year also caused Smith to miss six weeks. The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder still has a dominant fastball/slider combination, but he's going to need to throw more strikes if he's going to be successful at the major-league level. Smith is strictly a dynasty/keeper-league stash for now.
--Keith HernandezSource: Chicago White Sox
March 16, 2026
Philadelphia Phillies right-handed reliever
Orion Kerkering (hamstring) will pitch in a minor-league game on Tuesday, according to Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Kerkering is ready to make his first appearance in a game this spring after throwing a successful live batting practice session in camp over the weekend. The 24-year-old is recovering from a Grade 1 right-hamstring strain, but barring a setback, he has time to be ready for the start of the 2026 regular season at the end of this month. The hard-throwing former fifth-rounder in 2022 out of the University of South Florida struggled with command in 2025, walking 27 batters in 60 relief innings during the regular season. He also went 8-4 with a 3.30 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and the first four saves of his big-league career. Kerking also had 19 holds for the Phillies. He'll only be appealing in fantasy in leagues that count holds in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Philadelphia Inquirer - Lochlahn March
March 16, 2026
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher
Gabriel Moreno (forearm) will start throwing next week, and manager Torey Lovullo feels strongly that Moreno will be ready for Opening Day in late March, according to Jose M. Romero of The Arizona Republic. Moreno has been dealing with right-forearm inflammation, but an MRI exam over the weekend ruled out any structural damage. The 26-year-old's arm injury affects him more when he throws than when he hits, too, so fantasy managers shouldn't have to be too worried about his status for the start of the 2026 regular season. Still, it's a reminder that the Venezuelan backstop is more of a No. 2 catcher in fantasy leagues than a starter, as he's played in over 100 games just once in his four MLB seasons. Despite hitting a career-high .285 (79-for-277) in 83 games in 2025, Moreno still didn't reach double-digit home runs and only drove in 40. He missed two months due to a fractured right index finger. The good news is he was hitting well to close out the year.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Arizona Republic - Jose M. Romero
March 16, 2026
The Milwaukee Brewers reassigned infield prospect
Jett Williams to minor-league camp on Monday, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. We recently posted that Williams has been putting up video-game numbers in Cactus League play this spring with a .364 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, .636 slugging percentage, and a 1.136 OPS, but apparently it wasn't enough to convince the team's brass that he should start on the big-league roster for Opening Day. It was pretty much a done deal that the 22-year-old would begin the 2026 season at Triple-A Nashville when he missed over two weeks this spring with a left-quadriceps injury. Still, Williams turned heads at the plate during the Cactus League and could make his big-league debut sooner rather than later this year if he continues to swing the bat this well in the minors. The former 14th overall pick in 2022 has intriguing power/speed potential at a premium position after hitting .261/.363/.465 with 17 homers, 52 RBI, and 34 stolen bases in 130 minor-league games in 2025. Williams is Milwaukee's No. 3-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Adam McCalvy
March 16, 2026
Texas Rangers catcher
Kyle Higashioka (back) returned to the Cactus League lineup on Monday against the Chicago White Sox, doing the catching while hitting seventh in the batting order. Higashioka had not played since suffering a back injury in spring training on March 5. Now that the 35-year-old veteran backstop is back in action, he should have no problems being ready for Opening Day later this month, barring a setback with his back. Higgy split catching duties in 2025 with
Jonah Heim in his first year in Texas and finished with a .241/.291/.403 slash line, .693 OPS, 11 home runs, 47 RBI, 33 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 94 games and 327 plate appearances. In 2026, he'll be splitting catching duties with
Danny Jansen in Texas. Unless Jansen misses time with injury, Higashioka will likely be the team's No. 2 catcher, leaving his upside limited in fantasy. His 17-homer season in 2024 with the Padres will most likely end up being his best MLB season.
--Keith HernandezSource: Texas Rangers PR
March 16, 2026
Texas Rangers third baseman
Josh Jung (groin) returned to the team's Cactus League lineup on Monday against the Chicago White Sox, playing third base and batting sixth in the order. An adductor strain had kept Jung out for all of March until Monday. Barring a setback, the 28-year-old right-handed slugger should be ready to go for Opening Day later this month. There's no arguing that Jung has a high-upside power stroke, but he's risky in fantasy baseball drafts because he's had a lot of trouble staying healthy so far in his four years in the majors. The former eighth overall pick out of Texas Tech in 2019 played in a career-high 131 games in 2025 and hit .251/.294/.390 with a .684 OPS, 14 home runs, 61 RBI, 53 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 511 plate appearances. Jung has easy 20-homer power over a full season if he can stay off the injured list. His injuries last year led to a disturbing drop in his batted-ball metrics.
--Keith HernandezSource: Texas Rangers PR
March 16, 2026
Washington Nationals outfielder
Jacob Young (wrist) got the start in center field and was in the two-hole for Monday's Grapefruit League game against the New York Mets. Young made his return to the spring lineup to begin the week for the first time since suffering a bruised right wrist back on Feb. 27. The 26-year-old now has a little under two weeks to get fully back up to speed for Opening Day at the end of the month. Young is projected to be Washington's primary center fielder in 2026 in his third full season in the big leagues. He stole over 30 bags in his first full major-league season in 2024, but he hit just three home runs and drove in 36 runs in 150 games played. Last year, Young had a career-low .231 batting average, just two home runs, 15 stolen bases, and was caught stealing a league-high 11 times. Speed and defense are what keep him in the lineup, but even in NL-only leagues, fantasy managers should have better offensive outfielders to target.
--Keith HernandezSource: Washington Nationals
March 16, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed reliever
Brusdar Graterol (shoulder) played catch again in camp on Monday and appeared to go just beyond 90 feet, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Graterol had surgery to fix the labrum in his right shoulder in November of 2024 and was unable to pitch at all last year. The 27-year-old hard-throwing right-hander had a setback late last year, but he appears to be back on track this spring. However, Graterol also isn't expected to pitch in any Cactus League games in spring training, and he's likely to open the 2026 regular season later this month on the injured list. He has struggled to regain his pre-surgery velocity on the mound, so the Dodgers have taken it slow with his throwing program. When healthy, Graterol has already proven that he can be a key late-inning reliever for the Blue, but right now, he's a big question mark because of his shoulder. The Venezuelan hurler had a career-best 1.20 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with a career-high seven saves in 67 1/3 innings back in 2023.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Fabian Ardaya
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