The Cut List - Time to Let Go? Who To Consider Dropping for Fantasy Baseball (Week 6)

May 3, 2026

The fantasy baseball Cut List for Week 6 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 6 of the 2026 season. For those who are not familiar, this is our weekly article looking at players whom 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 on to ... 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

Devin Williams - RP, New York Mets - 87% rostered

I generally follow a strict rule when it comes to closers: If they're the team's main closer, you don't drop them. Even if they have a loss, a blown save, and a 7.20 ERA. Because, despite Williams' unslightly numbers, he's still the main closer for the Mets. On the rare occasion they have a ninth-inning lead, that is.

The eight earned runs that Williams has allowed this season all came in a four-game span across eight days. Before that, Williams began the year with five consecutive scoreless innings. His last three outings have also been scoreless. If 2025 taught anything, it's that Williams can be very hit and miss.

Verdict: Williams has struck out 17 batters in 10 innings and will continue to be a good source of strikeouts. With a 2.83 xFIP and 2.90 SIERA, we should expect Williams' ERA to keep coming down. As frustrating as he has been, Williams is still a hold in every format.

Luis Castillo - SP, Seattle Mariners - 84% rostered

Castillo has been in decline in recent seasons. This year, the decline has been much more dramatic. After six starts, Castillo has a 0-2 W-L record, 6.35 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, and 26 Ks (28 1/3 innings). We can see from the table below how Castillo's regression has accelerated in 2026.

The only thing that Castillo had improved upon before this year was his walk rate. But that has regressed considerably this year, too. His ERA is inflated, but even if it were similar to his xFIP and SIERA, Castillo still wouldn't be providing value on his ADP (average draft position) of a top-50 starting pitcher.

Verdict: Castillo's ERA has belied his underlying numbers in recent seasons. This year, that hasn't been the case. And that doesn't look like it's going to change. In deeper leagues, he's still worth holding. In shallower leagues, it might be worth exploring a trade now while Castillo's name still carries value. I fear he may be a certain drop as the season rolls on.

Trevor Rogers - SP, Baltimore Orioles - 77% rostered

Rogers was great last season. He was great to begin this season. After three starts (19 innings), Rogers had a 1.89 ERA. After six starts, Rogers now has a 4.75 ERA. He failed to complete two innings in his most recent start last weekend and was put on the IL (injured list) shortly after.

Thankfully, the IL stint was due to illness and not an injury. That seemed curious at the time and felt like something of a phantom IL stint to have a breather and get right after three rough outings. It turns out that Rogers has the flu and is expected to return when first eligible.

Orioles Expect Trevor Rogers Back When his 15 Days are Up https://t.co/DjPuylEG3A

— RotoBaller MLB (@RotoBallerMLB) April 30, 2026

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Verdict: Maybe the break will do Rogers some good. We don't know if he was under the weather during his last outing, but that would explain his struggles. His underlying numbers are still solid enough to warrant rostering. At the very least, it's worth keeping Rogers on your IL and giving him a couple more starts when he returns.

Shane Baz - SP, Baltimore Orioles - 48% rostered

Despite his elevated ERA, Baz had something of a breakout in 2025. His 3.88 xFIP and 3.95 SIERA were better than Baz's 4.87 ERA. Baz also had a solid 24.8% K%, which ranked in the 67th percentile. His 166 1/3 innings also set a career high, which was encouraging following his 2022 Tommy John Surgery (TJS).

The problem is that Baz hasn't taken another step forward. His 4.50 ERA isn't too dissimilar to his underlying numbers. And Baz only has 29 strikeouts (19.3% K%) in 34 innings. The only real growth we've seen so far in 2026 is Baz's 7.3% BB% (70th percentile), down from a 9.0% BB% in 2025.

Verdict: Baz is only a streaming option. Until he can show some more consistency and become a reliable starting pitcher, even in deeper leagues, he's someone I'd only be starting in better matchups. He's still worth holding onto in dynasty leagues.

Hitters

Vinnie Pasquantino - 1B, Kansas City Royals - 86% rostered

Pasquantino has been a bust so far. But if you squint, you may see small shoots of growth in recent days. Since April 22, Pasquantino is hitting .333/.464/.810. Admittedly, it's only a seven-game sample (six starts). And he's only had seven hits in those seven games.

But five hits were for extra bases, and he walked six times in 28 plate appearances. Last year's success was largely down to Pasquantino being selective at the plate and punishing mistakes. He simply didn't do that to begin this season. Pasquantino looks like he's starting to find his eye.

Verdict: If you've held until now, the recent production should encourage you to hold for a little longer. If the back issue that saw Pasquantino miss a bit of time last week becomes a bigger problem or he reverts to his early April form, then we should reconsider holding Pasquantino.

Luke Keaschall - 2B, Minnesota Twins - 83% rostered

Keaschall came into 2026 with some significant helium after an impressive MLB debut last year. In 49 games, he hit .302/.382/.445 while stealing 14 bases. Those steals were very appealing, although it was a struggle to see him maintain a high batting average.

I wasn't sold on Keaschall at his ADP, and I got post-2020 Whit Merrifield vibes from him. After the first full month of the season, nothing has changed my mind. Keaschall is hitting .214/.273/.278 with one home run, 14 RBI, 13 runs, and seven stolen bases (33 games).

If we compare Keaschall's Statcast Profile this year to Merrifield's in 2023, the similarities are evident. That isn't to say Keaschall can't provide some fantasy value. In 2023, Merrifield hit .272/.318/.382 with 11 homers, 67 RBI, 66 runs, and 26 steals. Nothing spectacular, but solid nonetheless.

Verdict: A little less power and a bit more speed. Use that mindset against Merrifield's 2023 season, and that's what to expect from Keaschall this year. We may end up with only a ~.240 batting average, so you're predominantly holding Keaschall for the steals and moderate counting stats. 

Willy Adames - SS, San Francisco Giants - 82% rostered

Adames is fast becoming the most frustrating hitter to roster in fantasy. After putting up impressive numbers consistently in Milwaukee, Adames' first year in San Francisco was a roller coaster. We can see by his monthly numbers last year how much better he was in the second half of the season.

Adames has had a similar April in 2026. The big difference being the lack of RBI so far (six). Given that the Giants have scored the fewest runs (105) in the league, RBI and runs won't be easy to come by. Adames' struggles have also seen him move from the leadoff spot to hitting sixth in the lineup.

Verdict: It's difficult to believe Adames will just turn things around in the second half because he did last year. Even in 2025, his batting average was bad all year apart from July, when Adames had a .377 BABIP. Adames will still offer homers, but there will likely be better options available in all but deep leagues.

Lawrence Butler - OF, Athletics - 53% rostered

Butler has good speed and power, making him a threat to repeat last year's 20/20 season. Butler's current pace isn't far off a 20/20 season this year. The problem is he's hitting .184/.273/.296, is in a platoon, and hits down the order when he does start. Nothing conducive to fantasy goodness.

There is a bit of bad luck involved with Butler's slash line. He has a .239 xBA (expected batting average) and .364 xSLG (expected slugging percentage). Butler's 45.7% HardHit% is better than his career mark, and he's shown slightly better plate discipline this year. That's not to say we should expect a turnaround in his production.

Verdict: Butler's fantasy value will be capped by the lack of volume from not facing many left-handed pitchers and hitting lower down the order. Butler is still worth a look in deeper leagues with daily roster moves. He could easily end up with 20 homers and 20 steals again, but everything else will be somewhat disappointing.

On the Hot Seat

Roman Anthony - OF, Boston Red Sox - 95% rostered

Anthony was someone I avoided in drafts this year. While I have little doubt that he'll have a very good career, he was going too early in drafts. Anthony was being taken as the 12th-15th outfielder after just 71 Major League appearances in 2025.

Admittedly, Anthony was very good in his debut season. He hit .292/.396/.463 with eight homers, 32 RBI, 48 runs, and four steals. My concern was that even if Anthony were to have a .300 batting average, he would need to accompany it with the more power and/or speed he showed in the Minor Leagues to provide value.

That didn't seem likely. Most projections had Anthony hitting ~.265 while coming up just short of 20 home runs and maybe reaching double digits in steals. Regardless of my reluctance around Anthony this year, I still expected better than what he's produced.

After 28 games, Anthony has one homer, five RBI, 12 runs, and two steals with a .233/.363/.320 slash line. The lack of RBI and runs indicates how much the Red Sox have struggled this year. But Anthony's 162-game pace is for six home runs and 12 stolen bases. He's just not been producing.

That's not to say Anthony hasn't been a bit unlucky. He's got a .258 xBA and .380 xSLG. Neither is remarkable, but both are better than his actual numbers. Anthony has also been making good contact, with a 47.1% HardHit% which ranks in the 76th percentile.

If we look at his expected wOBA throughout the season, we can see that he's been better than league average all year.

Everything is in place for Anthony to have a solid season. He's hitting in the heart of what should be a productive lineup. He's got a hitter-friendly ballpark to play half of his games in. And he's not short of individual talent, as he showed in the Minor Leagues and last year's Major League stint.

Verdict: We have to accept that it's highly unlikely that Anthony will end the season as a top-15 outfielder. A top-50 outfielder seems most likely as of now. Better days should be ahead, but if someone in your league were to offer close to what his preseason value was, letting Anthony work things out on someone else's roster wouldn't be the worst idea.

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.

Fernando Tatis Jr. - 2B/OF, San Diego Padres - 99% rostered

I'll preface this by saying that I don't believe anyone is seriously considering dropping Tatis Jr. Nor has anyone mentioned they'll be dropping him. But fantasy folk have been asking what is going on and if we can take a look to see what's wrong with Tatis Jr. The answer is... not much.

Obviously, zero home runs is a problem. The fact that Tatis Jr. is walking less and striking out more also isn't ideal. But if we look at his Statcast profile, it's not one of a hitter with no home runs and a .250/.323/.286 slash line.

Verdict: Tatis Jr. is making excellent contact. He's not hitting more ground balls, so it's not like the hard contact is being wasted. Tatis Jr. is still going to hit 20 home runs this year, and we'll see his batting average improve. At least he's been stealing bases while the power has yet to show up. Needless to say, he's a 100% hold.

Manny Machado - 3B, San Diego Padres - 98% rostered

Tatis Jr. isn't the only Padres hitter causing frustration for his fantasy managers. Machado has gotten off to a slow start this year, hitting .219/.333/.371 with four homers, 17 RBI, 18 runs, and one steal (30 games). And Machado's quality of contact isn't nearly as good as last year's.

I'm not as confident of a resurgence from Machado as I am from Tatis Jr. That doesn't mean Machado should be dropped. Even if he maintains this pace and his current batting average for the rest of the year, Machado is still worth rostering. That's despite not coming close to delivering value on his ADP.

This applies to many players and is something we mention every year. Just because a player performs worse than expected doesn't make him a drop. Machado is still ranked as the 112th hitter in Yahoo! standard 5x5 scoring. A far cry from his ADP but still good enough to be rostered.

Verdict: We will still likely see improvement in Machado's numbers. I highly doubt he'll end the year as a top 40 hitter, like he was drafted as. But Machado still isn't someone you should be looking at dropping in any format.

Kyle Bradish - SP, Baltimore Orioles - 91% rostered

If you didn't know, Bradish underwent TJS in 2024, limiting him to just 39 1/3 innings that season. Last year, Bradish returned to the mound and threw 32 innings. If you also didn't know, in most cases, a pitcher's control is the last thing to return after coming back from TJS. That's what we're seeing with Bradish.

Bradish had a 7.8% BB% before 2026 (357 2/3 innings). This year, Bradish has a 13.4% BB% and has walked three or more hitters in six of his seven starts. Yesterday was Bradish's second consecutive start in which he walked four batters.

Verdict: It's unlikely fantasy managers would have started Bradish yesterday. And that's kind of where we are. Bradish is worth rostering but is far from matchup-proof, so you don't start him against tough opponents. If he doesn't begin to cut down the walks, you'll have to move on in most formats.

Bubba Chandler - SP, Pittsburgh Pirates - 77% rostered

Even top prospects can struggle in the Majors. That's what we're seeing with Chandler. Considering he's walked 20 batters in six starts (29 innings), having a 4.97 ERA is a testament to how good he is. Until he dramatically cuts down on the free passes, we won't see Chandler reach his potential.

That's not to say he won't do that. We've seen enough flashes to know what Chandler is capable of. But the one knock against Chandler in the Minor Leagues was his propensity to lose his control, and we're witnessing that this year.

Verdict: Chandler will have some stellar outings. He'll also have some clunkers. That's to be expected of any rookie, especially one with some control issues. Chandler's upside makes him worth holding in all but shallower leagues. Even streaming Chandler is problematic, as we don't know when he'll walk five batters in a start.

Andrew Abbott - SP, Cincinnati Reds - 56% rostered

Abbott in 2026 isn't too different from Abbott in 2025. Last year, he was fortunate. This year, he's been unfortunate. This season, Abbott has also been bad. At least he steadied the ship, somewhat, on Thursday. The fact that fantasy managers were rejoicing over six innings of two-run ball at home to the Rockies is telling.

When I say Abbott this year isn't too dissimilar to last year, I'm mainly referring to his underlying numbers. Below is a comparison of some of his numbers in 2025 and 2026. That's not to say he hasn't also regressed in the early going.

Verdict: Expecting a repeat of 2025 was only going to lead to fantasy sadness. Although Abbott hasn't just regressed to the norm, he's regressed to being a drop in almost all formats. We should see his ERA come down, but the lack of strikeouts still won't help offset a ~4.50 ERA.

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