Fantasy Baseball 2026

October 8, 2026

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Roy Hobbles Rule #23: It’s never too early to start planning your draft strategy.

 

Here are a few of my way too early targets for next year. Some are rebound candidates, some are risers, and some are just plain undervalued. The season is still 5+ months away (assuming there isn’t a strike) and lots can change, which is exactly why you need to start a target watch list now.

 

By next spring, some of these players will no longer be undervalued, and some may even become too expensive. This speaks to the 'value' of doing some early drafts.

 

Personally, I like to wait on pitching regardless of format, but I do tweak my strategy, depending on ADP consensus, category or positional scarcity, rule changes, and even the people I’m drafting against.

 

Catcher

 

Cal Raleigh

 

No revelations here, just that there will be some hesitancy on the part of drafters until they see something concrete (a good spring training for example). We knew he’d regress from 2025, but multiple injuries were the main culprit. His coming offseason surgery should see him healthy for next year. He’s probably the 8-12th catcher off the board depending on league format. His floor should at least return the draft capital spent, but a 35ish homer season is a reasonable ceiling, making him a potential league winner.

 

First Base

 

Vinne Pasquantino

 

He was on my target list last year, but I got only one share of him, a lucky thing as it turned out. Injuries sidelined him for months, but his late-season return was vintage Vinnie. The Royals as a team were a hot-pick last year and in 2027, I think it comes true as Jac, Bobby, Jensen, Vincent & Co finally put it all together. That increases everyone's value, but none more so than Pasquantino’s, who probably begins the drafting season outside the top 125.

 

Second Base

 

Hao-Yu Lee 

 

I want a piece of the Tigers offence in 2027 and no one on the team currently has the potential to exceed their draft capital like Mr. Lee does. A small sample size for sure and yes, opposing pitchers will start to figure him out, but I like his chances to maintain and even improve, especially at his price. His statistical undercarriage is solid, and he fits into the team very nicely. I’d bet on 600+ AB, .260+ BA, & 20/10 HR/SB return on what should be a minimal investment.

 

Third Base

 

Christian Encarnacion-Strand

 

Remember him? After a seeming break out with the Reds in 2023, he spent the next 2 seasons up and down, and in and out of the lineup - with a batting average that would make Adam Dunn proud. Traded to the Orioles, he made his first plate appearance on July 18 and proceeded to impress everyone with both his newfound plate skills and his fancy batting glasses. He hit .290 from the left side and .270 from the right, making a case to avoid a platoon in 2027, and he has 30 HR power too. Could be more than just a flyer, and a very cheap one at that.

 

Shortstop

 

Brandon Lowe

 

Demonstrated consistency provides a strong level of confidence heading into the 2027 season. He was the 25th ranked batter on the FanGraphs Player Rater for 2026, yet, in the recent September Meatball Draft for 2027, he was the 146th player overall off the board. Now, that draft consists of the creme de la creme of fantasy baseball players and they know a thing or two, but...I can’t help thinking that if Lowe stays with the Pirates, a full year of Connor Griffin and O’Neil Cruz should help him deliver another solid season, making him an excellent value pick for his managers. 

 

Outfield

 

Victor Mesa Jr.

 

There are more than a few OFs on my list - Peters, Conine, Carrigg, Meckler, Bolte, Smith, Clark, & Soderstrom - to name just a few, but allow me to make the case for Victor Mesa Jr. He was easily the best performing outfielder for TB this year, even if he only had 235 AB. To be fair, there are many potential pitfalls to a fulltime gig in 2027 for Mesa Jr, not the least of which is the Rays’ well documented habit of cycling 4-5 outfielders through the lineup on a weekly basis. However, Victor seems to be cut from a higher quality cloth. Whereas most of the other outfielders on Tampa tend to be ‘specialists’, i.e. 2 and 1 tool guys, Mesa Jr offers a more balanced profile with an attractive power/speed upside. Interestingly, against righties he hit 0.234 with 10HR, against lefties he was 0.333 with 2HR - completely opposite, but together it makes for a very nice player.
 

Starting Pitchers

 

Garrett Crochet

 

Get him now. He’s been going outside the top 100 in early drafts but that won’t last. Word is he will have a normal offseason so there’s a solid chance he’ll be back to his old self come April. The fact that he pitched in the Wild Card Series is a huge confidence booster for me, even if he didn’t have his best stuff. He has plenty of runway between now and next season to regain his Cy Young form.

 

Tre Yesavage

 

The 2025 Playoff darling was another candidate for regression last year and again, injuries contributed to his slide in production. Like Crochet, he also came back at the end of 2026 and pitched a few innings. When guys enter spring training cold coming off of an injury, it usually takes them months to get back to a semblance of their old selves and in the process, they either kill your ratios or clog up your bench. I think Tre will be an above average 2/3 starter in 2027.

 

Cody Ponce

 

The third jewel of my injured pitcher triple crown for 2027 is Mr. Ponce. His stuff in Korea and smooth transition onto the Blue Jays staff in spring training last year makes him one of my favorite value targets. He’ll go undrafted in many leagues until he proves it but he’s a gem to me now in deep leagues.
 

Relief Pitcher

 

Jacob Latz

 

Unlike last year when it seemed there were only 6 or 7 established closers before spring training. Heading into 2027, I can think of more than a dozen guys who should open the season as the stated closer for their team, and it’s only

October. After Miller, who’s in a separate tier, and maybe Smith, you can make a strong case for anyone of the next 10 closers - so why not wait and take one currently going outside the top 10. That would be Jacob Latz. Fun fact: I drafted him last year thinking he’d be a starter but then dropped him early on when his usage seemed spotty and undefined. Patience is a lesson I will probably have to relearn every year.