January 28, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop
Masyn Winn (knee) had his 2025 season cut short by a meniscus tear in his knee that led to him getting shut down in mid-September. However, the 23-year-old will reportedly enter 2026 Spring Training fully healthy and could be poised for a breakout season as a result. Across 537 plate appearances in 2025, Winn posted a .253/.310/.363 slash line with nine home runs, 51 RBI, 72 runs scored, and nine stolen bases. He was significantly better in the early part of the season, recording a .276/.352/.435 slash line through the end of May. Winn was reportedly battling knee soreness for an extended stretch before eventually getting shut down, so it's possible that the ailment impacted his performance in the second half. Winn is known as one of MLB's better defensive shortstops, which should give him an extended runway of everyday playing time in St. Louis. If he can put together a full season of the production he flashed to begin 2025, Winn could be a sleeper candidate for fantasy managers to target late in drafts.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
January 28, 2026
Seattle Mariners first baseman
Josh Naylor was one of the first dominoes to fall in free agency this past winter, re-signing with Seattle on a five-year contract in mid-November. Naylor posted an excellent season in 2025 across 604 plate appearances split between the Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks, slashing .295/.353/.462 with 20 home runs, 92 RBI, 81 runs scored, and 30 stolen bases. The 28-year-old's speed breakout was the most surprising aspect of his profile, as he had logged just 22 combined steals across the three seasons before 2025. 19 of Naylor's stolen bases came in the 54 games he played for Seattle, so the Mariners could be encouraging him to run even more in 2026. With just a 6.6% barrel rate in 2025, Naylor's underlying power metrics suggest that he may not provide surplus fantasy value in the home run category. However, he struck out at just a 13.7% rate last season, and should have an opportunity to collect counting stats given his everyday role in the top-heavy Mariners lineup. RotoBaller currently ranks Naylor as the number eight first baseman in traditional rotisserie scoring fantasy formats.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
January 28, 2026
Free agent designated hitter
Marcell Ozuna currently remains without a home for the 2026 season as the calendar ticks closer to the start of Spring Training. Ozuna is entering his age-35 season and appeared exclusively at designated hitter in 2025, which limits his open market value. He's also coming off a relative down year in which he posted a .232/.355/.400 slash line with 21 home runs, 68 RBI, and 61 runs scored across 592 plate appearances for the Atlanta Braves. Still, Ozuna logged an OPS of .925 as recently as 2024, and he upped his walk rate to a career-best 15.9% even amidst his struggles in 2025. Speculatively speaking, Ozuna could be a fit with clubs like the San Diego Padres or Cleveland Guardians that need a power bat and could have playing time to offer at designated hitter. However, Ozuna is difficult for fantasy managers to value until it becomes clear that he will have an everyday role in 2026. Ozuna currently holds an average draft position of pick 297.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
January 28, 2026
Los Angeles Angels shortstop
Zach Neto missed time at both the start of the 2025 season due to a shoulder injury and the end of the year due to a hand issue. However, in between the two ailments, the 24-year-old posted a quietly excellent season. Across 554 plate appearances, Neto logged a .257/.319/.474 slash line with 26 home runs, 62 RBI, 82 runs scored, and 26 stolen bases. Neto's barrel rate soared from 8.4% in 2024 to 14% in 2025, indicating his potential for 30-plus home run power. He's also stolen 56 bases over the past two seasons, so Neto is unquestionably a true power/speed fantasy asset. If there's one negative aspect of his profile, it could be his batting average. A career 24.6% strikeout rate limits Neto's upside in the category. Still, he makes a ton of hard contact, has plus speed, and should be locked in at the top of the Angels lineup. RotoBaller currently ranks Neto as the number six fantasy shortstop in traditional rotisserie scoring formats.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
January 28, 2026
The Kansas City Royals have invited catching prospect
Blake Mitchell to spring training. Mitchell missed most of the first half of the 2025 season after suffering a broken wrist in February. However, once he returned to action, the top prospect struggled to find his footing. The team's No. 2-ranked prospect spent most of the campaign with High-A Quad Cities and posted an underwhelming .207/.372/.296 slash line with seventeen doubles, two home runs, and nine stolen bases. During this stretch, he carried a 71:45 K:BB. In 2024, Mitchell spent most of the season with Low-A Columbia, where he hit .238/.376/.439 line across a 106-game stint. The No. 56-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, is not expected to compete for his MLB debut this season but is a name to watch in dynasty formats.
--Andy SmithSource: Kansas City Royals
January 28, 2026
Detroit Tigers catching prospect
Josue Briceno made significant strides last season and could be in contention for a second-half MLB debut in 2026. The backstop began the season with High-A but needed only 55 games with West Michigan to prove he was ready to join Double-A. During his stint at High-A, Briceno posted an elite .296/.422/.602 line with 13 doubles and 15 home runs. He was then moved up to Double-A, where he took a step back, carrying a .232/.335/.381 line with six doubles, five home runs, and a 47:25 K:BB. Managers should expect the Tigers to keep Briceno at Double-A, given his inconsistency in the second half to begin 2026. However, he may only need a brief stint to prove he is ready to join Triple-A. Given the power upside he showed at High-A, Briceno would be a popular stash candidate once he is nearing an MLB promotion.
--Andy SmithSource: RotoBaller
January 28, 2026
Boston Red Sox top prospect
Franklin Arias quickly progressed through the lower levels of the system in 2025 and is nearing his MLB debut. The shortstop, who is considered the team's top prospect on MLB.com and the overall No. 24 in the sport, began the 2025 season with Low-A but reached Double-A Portland in the second half. With Low-A, Arias held a .346/.407/.397 line across a short 19-game stint. He would spend most of his season with High-A Greenville, where he posted a .265/.329/.380 slash line with 21 doubles, six home runs, and seven stolen bases. He finished the season, posting a modest .685 OPS during his first 10 games at Double-A. Managers should expect Arias to open the season at Double-A and be in contention for a second-half promotion to Triple-A.
--Andy SmithSource: RotoBaller
January 28, 2026
The Milwaukee Brewers have invited recently acquired infield prospect
Jett Williams to big-league spring training. Williams was sent to Milwaukee alongside right-hander
Brandon Sproat in the deal that sent right-hander
Freddy Peralta to New York. Williams was viewed as the top prospect in the Mets system prior to the trade and now sits as the No. 3 prospect in Milwaukee (on MLB.com), trailing only
Jesus Made and
Luis Pena. Last season, Williams began the campaign with Double-A, where he posted a strong .281/.390/.477 slash line with 29 doubles, 10 home runs, 32 stolen bases. He was then promoted to Triple-A Syracuse, where he took a slight step back, carrying a lower .209/.285/.433 line with seven long balls across a 34-game stint. Managers should expect Williams to open the season at Triple-A but should be in contention for an early MLB debut, especially if
Joey Ortiz continues to struggle in the batter's box.
--Andy SmithSource: Milwaukee Brewers
January 28, 2026
The Milwaukee Brewers have invited shortstop prospect
Cooper Pratt to big-league camp. Pratt is currently considered the No. 53 overall prospect on MLB.com and the No. 3-ranked prospect in the Milwaukee system. Pratt joined the Brewers in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft but has progressed through the minor leagues fairly quickly. After a brief stint in the Arizona Complex League in 2023, Pratt would spend the 2024 season with Low-A and High-A. Through 96 games, Pratt posted a .277/.362/.406 line with 15 doubles, eight home runs, and 25 stolen bases. In 2025, the Magnolia Heights HS product would spend the entire season with Double-A Biloxi, where he posted a .238/.343/.348 line with eight home runs and 31 stolen bases. Managers should closely monitor his development in camp, as he could begin the season at Triple-A.
--Andy SmithSource: Milwaukee Brewers
January 28, 2026
Milwaukee Brewers top prospect
Jesus Made is being invited to big-league spring training. The 18-year-old shortstop is currently viewed as the No. 4-ranked overall prospect in the entire sport on MLB.com. He made his professional debut in 2024 in the Dominican Summer League and held a .331/.458/.554 with a strong 1.012 OPS. In 2025, Made began the season in Low-A but quickly progressed through the Milwaukee system, finishing the season in Double-A. Across 83 games with Low-A, Made posted a solid .267/.373/.388 line with four home runs and 40 stolen bases. Through 32 games split between High-A and Double-A, Made took his level of play even higher, carrying an elite .331/.392/.474 line. While a 2026 MLB debut is unlikely, if he continues this current trajectory, he could make a strong case in the second half.
--Andy SmithSource: Milwaukee Brewers
January 28, 2026
According to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, the San Francisco Giants recently made an aggressive push to acquire Washington Nationals shortstop
CJ Abrams. According to sources, the Giants made it clear they would offer top prospect Josuar Gonzalez as part of a package to acquire Abrams. Additionally, top pitching prospects
Carson Whisenhunt and Jacob Bresnahan were likely to be moved to Washington if they reached an agreement. The Nationals recently traded top pitcher
MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers and have expressed willingness to shop Abrams as well. While the Giants were unsuccessful in this offer, they remain focused on improving their infield before spring training. The Giants have also been linked to St. Louis Cardinals infielder
Brendan Donovan throughout the offseason. If the Giants were to fall short in these trade talks,
Casey Schmitt would likely open the season as the starting second baseman, while Willy Adams would cover shortstop.
--Andy SmithSource: Andrew Baggarly
January 28, 2026
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, free agent infielder
Luis Arraez is not seeing a large market. While Arraez is one of the game's top contact hitters, his struggles on the defensive side of the game have prevented him from securing a contract. Rosenthal noted on The Foul Territory podcast that he expects the 28-year-old to sign a "prove-it" type deal shortly before spring training. In 2025, Arraez appeared in 154 games for the Padres and served as their primary first baseman, while also seeing occasional starts at second base and DH. He posted a .293/.327/.392 line with 30 doubles, eight home runs, and 11 stolen bases. However, he placed in the fourth percentile in Outs Above Average and the 28th percentile in arm strength. Managers should monitor his status, as he would remain a top batting-average contributor in rotisserie leagues but offer minimal power upside.
--Andy SmithSource: Ken Rosenthal
January 28, 2026
Houston Astros third baseman/outfielder
Cam Smith is not guaranteed a spot on the major league roster to begin the 2026 season. Chandler Rome of The Athletic notes that the team's general manager, Dana Brown, has made it clear that Smith will have to "prove himself" in camp to make the Opening Day roster. The Astors acquired Smith from the Chicago Cubs last offseason in exchange for
Kyle Tucker. Smith was selected by the Cubs in the opening round of the 2024 MLB Draft with the 14th overall pick out of Florida State. Smith was given a lead role in the Houston offense in all of 2025 but posted an underwhelming .236/.312/.358 line with 21 doubles, nine home runs, and eight stolen bases across 134 games. If Smith were to miss out on a roster spot, top prospect
Brice Matthews would likely see more opportunities in the outfield.
--Andy SmithSource: Chandler Rome
January 28, 2026
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, a trade involving Detroit Tigers ace
Tarik Skubal remains slim in the final stages of the offseason. Skubal, who is in the final year of his contract, has had his name in many trade discussions this winter. However, Detroit's asking price has been quite high, and no suitor has matched it. According to reports, the Tigers asked the New York Mets for five of their top prospects in return for the left-hander. The Mets would then pivot to acquire Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher
Freddy Peralta for only two of their top prospects. Skubal has won the AL Cy Young in back-to-back seasons and remains an elite SP1 for all fantasy formats heading into 2026. Last summer, Skubal posted a dominant 2.21 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, with a 241:33 K:BB across 195 1/3 innings.
--Andy SmithSource: Jon Heyman
January 28, 2026
New York Mets manager
Carlos Mendoza suggested that infielder
Jorge Polanco could open the season as the team's primary cleanup hitter. When discussing his initial plans for the top of the New York Mets lineup with Jon Heyman of The New York Post, Mendoa noted that
Francisco Lindor would likely remain the leadoff hitter with
Juan Soto and
Bo Bichette sitting behind him as the No. 2 and No. 3 hitters. Polanco was then suggested as the primary cleanup hitter with second baseman
Marcus Semien listed as the No. 5 option. Mendoza noted that having two switch-hitters on the roster (Polanco and Lindor) gives him a lot of versatility when constructing lineups. Polanco is coming off a resurgent season in which he posted a .265/.326/.495 line with 30 doubles and 16 home runs. If he were to bat in the cleanup spot behind the three All-Stars, Polanco could surpass his previous career-high of 98 RBI, which he tallied back in 2021.
--Andy SmithSource: Jon Heyman
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