March 18, 2026
Since signing with the Philadelphia Phillies ahead of the 2022 season, designated hitter
Kyle Schwarber has established himself as one of baseball's premier power hitters. Over the last four years, Schwarber has belted 187 home runs while collecting 434 RBI and scoring 429 runs. 2025 was Schwarber's best season to date, as he slashed .240/.365/.563 with 56 home runs, 132 RBI, 111 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases across 724 plate appearances. Batting average is the main risk in Schwarber's fantasy profile, as he is a career .231 hitter who has struck out in at least 27% of his plate appearances in six consecutive seasons. The 33-year-old is also limited to UT-only eligibility in most fantasy formats, as he made just eight appearances in the outfield in 2025. Still, Schwarber is as bankable a power and run production threat as there is in MLB. His status as a full-time designated hitter may also help him stay in the lineup every day, as he's logged at least 660 plate appearances in four consecutive campaigns. The first round of fantasy drafts may be a bit rich for Schwarber, but he remains one of the safest hitters in fantasy baseball heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 18, 2026
Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that shortstop
Jeremy Pena (finger) will resume throwing and swinging this weekend and that an Opening Day return has "not been ruled out," per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Pena is recovering from a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger. The 28-year-old was excellent across 543 plate appearances in 2025, slashing .304/.363/.477 with 17 home runs, 62 RBI, 68 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases. Even if Pena ends up missing Opening Day, it does not appear as though he will be facing an extended absence to open the season. Once healthy, he should be locked into everyday playing time at the top of the Astros lineup. Fantasy managers may be able to score some extra value in late-spring drafts if Pena's injury results in him slipping down draft boards.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
March 18, 2026
Seattle Mariners infielder
Cole Young has begun to flash high-end power in spring training and appears to be the favorite to be the team's Opening Day second baseman. Across 15 spring games, Young has held a .273/.343/.614 slash line with four home runs and three stolen bases. Young is in competition with fellow young infielder
Colt Emerson, who is considered the team's top-ranked prospect. While Young does have MLB experience, which gives him a slight edge, Emerson has also enjoyed a strong showing in camp. Last summer, Young made his MLB debut and held a .211/.302/.305 line with a low .607 OPS over a 77-game stint. While he only had four home runs and stole one base last season, Young appears to be taking the next step in his development in camp. If he earns the starting second base job, he is worth a late-round flyer in deeper formats as a middle infielder with upside.
--Andy SmithSource: MLB.com
March 18, 2026
Chicago White Sox infield prospect
William Bergolla Jr. will begin the 2026 regular season but make his Triple-A debut. Bergolla spent his entire 2025 season in Double-A and showed enough progress in camp to reach the top level of the minor leagues. Last summer, the team's No. 11-ranked prospect would log 125 games with Double-A Birmingham and hold a .286/.342/.333 line with no home runs. However, he would flash elite upside on the basepaths, swiping 40 bags and chipping in 19 doubles. In the previous campaign, Bergolla spent 89 games at the High-A level and posted a strong .300/.359/.381 line with 27 stolen bases. While he is not an option for power, managers in deeper redraft leagues should monitor his progression as he could be a high-end source for stolen bases later in the second half.
--Andy SmithSource: Brooke Fletcher
March 18, 2026
Chicago White Sox top prospect
Braden Montgomery will begin the 2026 regular season at Double-A. Montgomery is considered the team's No. 1 prospect on MLB.com and the No. 36 overall prospect in the sport. Montgomery joined the White Sox in the trade that sent
Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox last offseason. He was initially the 12th overall pick in the 2024 class out of Texas A&M. Last summer, Montgomery spent most of his time at High-A before moving up to Double-A later in the second half. At High-A, the outfielder would hold a .260/.348/.445 line with eight home runs and five stolen bases. With Double-A (34 games), Montgomery would look quite comfortable, holding a .272/.364/.416 line but would only hit one round-tripper. If Montgomery can tap into his power early in the season, he should remain on track to join Triple-A later in the first half.
--Andy SmithSource: Brooke Fletcher
March 18, 2026
Chicago White Sox left-handed pitching prospect
Hagen Smith will be starting the 2026 regular season with Triple-A Charlotte. Smith was in the mix to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster but will instead begin the campaign by making his Triple-A debut. Smith spent the entire 2025 campaign with Double-A Birmingham. Through 75 2/3 innings at this level, Smith held a 3.57 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP. The southpaw struck out an impressive 108 hitters but struggled to command his pitches, allowing a high 58 free passes. In 2024, Smith made his professional debut with High-A and tossed only 7 2/3 innings with a 7:2 K:BB. Given how quickly Smith has progressed through the minor leagues, the former fifth overall pick from the 2024 MLB Draft remains on track for an early promotion to the major leagues.
--Andy SmithSource: Brooke Fletcher
March 18, 2026
According to Sonja Chen of MLB.com, Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitching prospect
River Ryan is trending towards opening the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, not in the MLB rotation. Ryan is currently in consideration for one of the final spots in the starting rotation with
Blake Snell (shoulder) and
Gavin Stone (shoulder) both on the shelf. However, it appears Ryan is behind both
Emmet Sheehan and
Justin Wrobleski in the competition, given their prior major-league experience. Additionally, the Dodgers see Ryan as a full-time starter and want to ensure he remains in that role with either club and not demoted to a swingman role. This spring, Ryan has been one of the most impressive pitchers on the roster, logging 9 2/3 innings to the tune of a 1.86 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and a 12:4 K:BB. He would be viewed as a solid stash candidate once demoted to Triple-A.
--Andy SmithSource: Sonja Chen
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
RADIO
