The Cut List - Time To Let Go? Who To Consider Dropping For Fantasy Baseball (Week 20)

August 9, 2026

The fantasy baseball Cut List for Week 20 of 2026. Jamie analyzes potential fantasy baseball busts, overvalued players, and injured players to consider dropping.

Welcome back to The Cut List as we head into Week 20 of the 2026 fantasy baseball season. For those who are not familiar, this is our weekly article looking at players who fantasy managers might be considering cutting from their teams and struggling players who need a closer look.

We'll look at players who are worth monitoring for replacing and someone on the hot seat who should be held onto ... for now. Experienced Cut List readers will know I'm a strong advocate for not making knee-jerk reactions. A bad week or two shouldn't be a reason to push the panic button and dump someone.

If there's ever someone you want me to take a look at, drop their name in the Reddit comments, the RotoBaller Discord chat rooms, or reach out to me on X (@Baseball_Jimbo). Maybe you'll see them included next week. All stats and rostered rates (taken from Yahoo!) reflect when this piece was written.

Pitchers

Garrett Crochet - SP, Boston Red Sox - 86% rostered

Fantasy managers who used one of their first two picks in the draft on Crochet finally received some good news earlier this week. The Red Sox announced that their ace, who has been sidelined since April, had resumed throwing and was expected to return to the team in September.

Garrett Crochet Resumes Throwing https://t.co/H0tUMnSqch

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) August 5, 2026

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However, the excitement was short-lived. Chad Tracy, the Red Sox interim manager, announced that stretching Crochet out to six innings by the end of September is "probably not feasible." It sounds like Boston is preparing to use Crochet as a reliever as they continue their surge towards the playoffs.

There's still a possibility that Crochet is able to pitch as a bulk-innings reliever. But a normal starter's workload won't happen this year. And we still don't know when in September we will see Crochet on the mound again.

Verdict:

If you've got plenty of capability to stash Crochet and his strikeouts will help you late in the season, then keep holding. Other than in some points leagues, Crochet isn't worth hanging on to. You might be able to find someone else worth stashing for the final few weeks and fantasy playoffs.

Emmet Sheehan - SP, Los Angeles Dodgers - 63% rostered

Sheehan came into the 2026 season hyped up, and fantasy managers were optimistic of a breakout campaign. That has not materialised. In 20 starts, Sheehan has a 4-8 W-L record, 5.29 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 108 strikeouts (95 1/3 innings).

Even with Shohei Ohtani not pitching at present, when the Dodgers traded for Tarik Skubal, someone in their rotation was likely to lose their role. Sheehan was the odd man out. He got sent to Triple-A on Monday.

Although Sheehan's results haven't been good, his underlying numbers have been solid. He's got a 3.99 xFIP and 3.67 SIERA. Sheehan has a 26.2% K% (73rd percentile), 35.0% Chase% (89th percentile), and 30.8% Whiff% (88th percentile). All numbers which point to a postseason bullpen role.

Verdict:

Sheehan hasn't been able to put together a consistent run of form. He can point to some bad luck, but without an injury, it's unlikely we see Sheehan start again for the Dodgers in 2026. In dynasty leagues, he's still someone to hold. In redraft leagues, Sheehan is a 100% drop.

Davis Martin - SP, Chicago White Sox - 60% rostered

Like the White Sox, Martin's emergence this year has come as a surprise to many. Sadly, he's been struggling of late, and what was set to be an outstanding season is turning out to be a mediocre one. After 22 starts, Martin has a 9-6 W-L record, 4.13 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 107 strikeouts (122 innings).

Martin ended June with a 3.08 ERA. Given he had a 3.66 xFIP and 3.91 SIERA at that stage, some regression was likely. What we've seen isn't just an overcorrection, and Martin's underlying numbers have also crept up recently.

A large part of Martin's recent struggles have been due to a declining number of strikeouts and walking more batters. In six starts since July 1, Martin has 17 strikeouts and 13 walks (29 innings). He's walked multiple batters in five of the six starts and has only struck out more than three batters in two outings.

Verdict:

Martin has established himself as a solid Major League pitcher. His upcoming schedule is a bit mixed with a couple of tough starts and a couple of more pitcher-friendly starts on the horizon. There isn't enough in Martin's profile to warrant holding him in anything but deeper leagues.

Hitters

Ivan Herrera - C, St. Louis Cardinals - 91% rostered

Herrera was one of the safer picks at the catcher position due to the volume he provides. The Cardinals used him heavily as their DH (designated hitter) last year and were set to do the same in 2026. Last year, Herrera hit .284/.373/.464 with 19 home runs, 66 RBI, 54 runs, and eight stolen bases (107 games).

Herrera had a positive start to this season. After 75 games, he was hitting .265/.405/.429. Since then, Herrera has hit .206/.260/.313 (41 games). On Friday, Herrera homered for just the second time since the All-Star Break. He followed that up with a 3-for-5 performance last night.

Something Herrera hasn't been doing much of since the All-Star Break is taking walks. He has an impressive 10.3% BB% on the year (67th percentile). But he has only two walks in 105 plate appearances (24 games), and both came in the same contest last Monday.

Herrera may have turned a corner with his recent performances. Although it's a tiny sample, Herrera now has an extra-base hit in three straight games. He's gone 5-for-14 with a home run and three doubles since Thursday. Squint, and you might see the start of a solid finish to 2026.

Verdict:

If you've been patient and stuck with Herrera, it's worth continuing to. He will still provide more volume than many catchers. Hitting in the heart of the lineup will help with the counting stats. Herrera is worth hanging on to for now, and hopefully he can build on this week's performances.

Taylor Ward - OF, Seattle Mariners - 79% rostered

Ward was a major disappointment in Baltimore. His fantasy managers were optimistic of a trade last weekend with the hopes he could salvage his season. Unfortunately for those fantasy managers, he couldn't have finished up in a much worse situation.

Not only have the Mariners failed to provide any offense this year (ranking 29th in runs scored), but T-Mobile Park ranks as the least-friendly hitters' ballpark according to Statcast Park Factors. Given how much Ward's power has waned this year, it's tough to see him providing the Mariners with an offensive spark.

There was some more concern for Ward when he went to Seattle. He hit eighth in the lineup for the first two games following his trade. Since then, Ward has led off in three straight games, including against a right-handed pitcher (RHP) and left-handed pitcher (LHP). He will continue to hit atop the order for the Mariners.

Verdict:

Even with the tough ballpark and limited supporting cast, Ward hitting leadoff will help him score runs. Other than that, he's only helping in leagues using OBP or points leagues. There's nothing to suggest his power from last year reappears, so Ward is only worth holding if you need the runs and the walks help you.

Dansby Swanson - SS, Chicago Cubs - 78% rostered

On the year, Swanson ranks seventh among shortstops according to Yahoo! (standard 5x5 rotisserie scoring). So his inclusion here shouldn't be warranted. The problem his fantasy managers have endured is the regular periods of no production.

On the year, Swanson is hitting .213/.291/.398 with 17 homers, 63 RBI, 73 runs, and 16 steals (113 games). It's the counting stats that have been driving Swanson's value as his batting average is a career low. But outside of a magical couple of weeks, they have been hard to come by.

Other than those thirteen games highlighted, Swanson hasn't provided more than you would expect from a deeper league middle infielder. While we can't just pretend that fortnight didn't happen, we also have to factor it into our decision-making for the rest of the season.

Without a repeat (which is highly unlikely), Swanson isn't going to provide much more fantasy value. He's still scoring a decent amount of runs despite hitting in the bottom part of the Cubs' lineup. Add the stolen bases, and you have some fantasy value. There's little else being offered by Swanson.

Verdict:

Although Swanson ranks well at the position, apart from that two-week Barry Bonds impersonation, he has been a disappointment. Swanson isn't someone I'd be certain to hold in anything but deeper leagues. If you have a suitable replacement available to you, it may be worth making the move.

On the Hot Seat

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - 1B, Toronto Blue Jays - 98% rostered

Entering this year, Guerrero Jr. averaged 158 games, 32 home runs, 98 RBI, 97 runs, and five stolen bases over the previous five seasons. His 48-homer season in 2021 seems like an outlier, given 32 home runs is the most he's hit since then. But Guerrero Jr. was still one of the safest early-round options in drafts.

This year, Guerrero Jr. is setting a new floor. His 162-game pace is for 10 home runs, 68 RBI, 86 runs, and 10 stolen bases. Guerrero Jr.'s .262/.341/.358 slash line would represent career lows for batting average and slugging percentage. Everything adds up to Guerrero Jr. ranking as the 117th hitter on Yahoo!.

A look at his Statcast Profile doesn't show someone who should rank outside of the top-100 hitters in fantasy. As we can see, there's been significant regression from previous seasons. But Guerrero Jr.'s expected numbers alone point towards some bad luck being a factor.

Guerrero Jr. missed some time this week due to a hamstring issue. He returned to the lineup yesterday and homered in his first at-bat, finishing the night 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, and two runs. It was the first time Guerrero Jr. scored and drove in multiple runs in a game since April 20.

Maybe that's a sign of things to come, but throughout the year, Guerrero Jr. has offered little optimism that he can kick-start his season. Following that April 20 performance, Guerrero Jr. went 23 games without a home run and hit .207/.298/.232 in that span. We've had false dawns aplenty this year.

Guerrero Jr. is hitting a similar number of ground balls and line drives as he did in 2024. The biggest drop-off in batted ball numbers is his 6.2% HR/FB. Guerrero Jr. entered this season with a career 17.7% HR/FB. That's purely been down to the regression in his quality of contact.

Verdict:

At this stage of the season, all we're banking on is Guerrero Jr. finding his old self. If he's not done that by now, it's unlikely he'll do so in the remaining weeks. Guerrero Jr. is hitting .261/.311/.362 since the All-Star Break, and yesterday was his first home run since July 11 (19 games ago).

It seems counterintuitive to drop someone after they homer. Given Guerrero Jr.'s track record, it is worth seeing if the recent hiatus and subsequent home run lead to anything. But the clock is ticking, and Guerrero Jr. needs to provide something in the coming week or two to warrant holding into the fantasy playoffs and final weeks.

Reader Requests

As always, we're keen to hear who you want us to analyze. If there is anyone you want to include on next week's Cut List, drop their names on the Reddit thread or in the RotoBaller Discord chat rooms. Alternatively, you can reach out to me on X, and we'll endeavor to cover some requests each week.

Gunnar Henderson - SS, Baltimore Orioles - 99% rostered

We've reached a point of the season where waiting for a star to turn their season around seems almost futile. So it may not come as a surprise to see Henderson (and the next duo) requested for inclusion. Especially when we see the numbers. Henderson has 18 homers, 47 RBI, 65 runs, and eight steals with a .215/.295/.387 slash line.

It was difficult to know what to expect from Henderson coming into this year. He hit 37 home runs in 2024 (159 games) but followed that up with 17 homers last year (154 games). In 2025, Henderson made up for the drop in power with 30 stolen bases after tallying 21 steals in 2024.

Although Henderson has already topped last year's home run total, we've seen a drop in his quality of contact this year. His Barrel%, HardHit%, and Average Exit Velocity are all career lows. Modest counting stats and a lowly batting average have left Henderson ranked 25th among shortstops.

Given he has a .233 xBA (expected batting average) and .380 xSLG (expected slugging percentage), we can't even point to bad luck being a factor. Henderson has just struggled, and although he's still on pace for a third 25+ homer campaign in four years, it's been a disappointing season.

Verdict:

Henderson is doing just enough to warrant rostering in most leagues. We know what he can do, which has made this year all the more frustrating. Henderson won't come close to providing value on his ADP (average draft position), and I wouldn't question anyone dropping him in shallow leagues.

Kyle Tucker - OF, Los Angeles Dodgers - 98% rostered

Tucker's fantasy value went through the roof when he signed for the Dodgers last offseason after a fifth straight 20+ homer season. Unfortunately, he's found hitting in Los Angeles tough, as we can see from his home and road splits this year.

On the road, Tucker has a 162-game pace of 26 home runs, 104 RBI, 104 runs, and 12 stolen bases. Fantasy managers would rejoice if he produced those numbers over a full season. And it's not like his new home ballpark is significantly pitcher-friendly.

UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium is ranked tied-16th for left-handed hitters according to Statcast Park Factors. Better than Wrigley Field (Tucker's home ballpark last year). There's not much explanation as to why Tucker has struggled so much at home this year other than the fact it's different.

Verdict:

Tucker's numbers on the road are very good. Good enough to warrant holding him in any league. However, if you have a bench bat who can fill in at outfield when Tucker is playing at home, benching the Dodgers outfielder when he's not playing on the road certainly makes sense.

Christian Yelich - OF, Milwaukee Brewers - 86% rostered

Recent persistent back issues had me concerned about Yelich this year. Even though Yelich hit 29 homers in 2025 (his most in a season since 2019), the back problems limited Yelich to only 19 games in the outfield last year, with the rest of his starts coming as the DH.

In some formats, that has left Yelich as being DH eligible only. Another knock on his fantasy value. Yelich did miss a month earlier in the season due to a groin strain. But it remains the ongoing back issues that seem to be hampering Yelich.

There have been various stories about Yelich having to alter his swing and approach to stay on the field. Along with changes to his preparation so his back problems don't stop Yelich from playing. That would all explain his struggles this year.

Yelich has had periods of good production this year. But they have been a far cry from last year and throughout his career. Yelich's 90 wRC+ is a career low, and he's set to have a sub-100 wRC+ for the first time. There really isn't anything in his numbers to suggest Yelich will finish the season strong.

Verdict:

Even if Yelich is outfield eligible, he's not really done enough to warrant holding in all but deep leagues. He's hitting .197/.275/.338 since the All-Star Break and finding himself sliding down the batting order. Actively seeking a replacement in all but deep leagues seems like the best option.

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