Here are three undervalued players to target in 2026 fantasy baseball drafts.
Undervalued Fantasy Baseball Players
Projections are not perfect, and are not meant to be. The baseline is occasionally too bearish or bullish due to the lack of information. Occasionally, certain rates from players’ careers are heavily factored and not weighted towards recent trends or changes in a profile.
Projections are also notoriously underweight on rookies due to the lack of data, as many younger players struggle in their early careers. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to lean toward optimism in some cases when a rookie blows past the Minors, shows early positive returns and/or has special skills.
Steamer: 418 PA, 18 HR, 51 runs, 57 RBI, 2 SB, .256 AVG
ATC: 502 PA, 19 HR, 59 runs, 64 RBI, 3 SB, .238 AVG
The Bat: 502 PA, 15 HR, 55 runs, 58 RBI, 3 SB, .227 AVG
Jac Caglianone did not have a good rookie year. A .157 batting average, seven home runs, 19 runs, 18 RBI and one stolen base across 232 plate appearances is horrendous. Fortunately, his plate discipline was good (7.8% walk rate, 22.4% strikeout rate), and his expected stats were well above his actual performance. Caglianone held a .318 xwOBA and .239 wOBA; a significant differential between the two stats.
Caglianone not only has the benefit of regression but also a more favorable home park in 2026. The Royals are moving in their outfield wall to allow more home runs. Also, despite ranking in the bottom three in home run factor, Kauffman Stadium is already rated a top-10 stadium for hitters.
With an offense filled with talented hitters like Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez and Maikel Garcia, a young, potential star like Caglianone will not have to bear the burden of being his team’s entire offense. Also, he is slotted to bat fifth on Opening Day. If Caglianone performs up to expectations, he could climb to an even more favorable slot.
Regardless of last season’s outcome, we have reasons for optimism on the former sixth overall pick. Caglianone demolished the Minors in 2025 as a 22-year-old in Double-A and Triple-A. Performance at that age, at those two levels, is one of the best indicators for future success, especially when you factor in Caglianone’s pedigree.
Steamer: 563 PA, 24 HR, 72 runs, 81 RBI, 1 SB, .266 AVG
ATC: 630 PA, 26 HR, 73 runs, 92 RBI, 1 SB, .259 AVG
The Bat: 630 PA, 27 HR, 76 runs, 92 RBI, 1 SB, .263 AVG
Similar to Jac Caglianone, Vinnie Pasquantino will benefit from playing in a more hitter-friendly home stadium in 2026. The improvement is not similar to what the Rays and Athletics experienced in 2025 by playing in new home stadiums, but it should help the Royals’ power hitters a lot.
Pasquantino finally broke out in 2025 after a shoulder injury cut his 2023 short, and the subsequent surgery hindered his 2024. He produced 32 home runs, 72 runs, 113 RBI, one stolen base and a .264 batting average in 682 plate appearances. Projection systems are fair to limit his plate appearances, given that playing 160 games is a tall task. However, Pasquantino’s significant drop in counting stats is alarming.
The Royals’ offense will not only improve by bringing in their outfield walls, but also thanks to the emergence of the aforementioned Caglianone and potential from rookie Carter Jensen. This offense could be one of the league’s best in 2026, and while “potential” is not something to overweigh in projections, many of Pasquantino’s volume stats feel discounted, even with the drop in plate appearances.
Steamer: 27 games, 5 starts, 49 IP, 51 Ks, 3.55 ERA, 1.26 WHIP
ATC: 25 games, 7 starts, 58 IP, 60 Ks, 3.70 ERA, 1.23 WHIP
The Bat: 25 games, 7 starts, 58 IP, 62 Ks, 3.38 ERA, 1.20 WHIP
Connelly Early has performed at every level of the Minors and earned his call-up in 2025. His K-BB rate never fell below a quality 20% at any level, and his groundball rate never dropped below 49.7%. His 4.50 ERA in Double-A in 2024 looks gaudy, but his peripherals were below 3.00, and this was in a 36-inning sample.
Early came up for a “cup of coffee” last season and delivered. He pitched 19.1 innings through four starts and posted a 2.33 ERA, backed by a 2.35 xFIP, 2.36 xERA and 2.34 SIERA. The competition was not mediocre either. He faced the Rays, Tigers and Athletics (twice, with his best start in Sacramento’s bandbox stadium).
While Boston’s offseason has featured multiple transactions for starting pitching, they will be hard-pressed not to find a place for Early. There have been murmurs of utilizing a six-man rotation, and even if they stick with five, their starters are not iron men.
Sonny Gray has pitched several innings throughout the past three seasons, but his elbow has caused trouble. Ranger Suarez has not completed more than 27 starts since 2022. Johan Oviedo missed all of 2024 due to Tommy John and parts of 2025 due to a lat injury. Also, there is the factor of a starter like Brayan Bello getting moved elsewhere or to the bullpen if his regression from overperformance in 2025 hits.
Starting in the Minors for Opening Day does not beget a season with 25 starts (or more) for Early. Injuries happen all the time, especially to pitchers. Early has many outs to a rotation slot in 2025, and these current projections do not account for that.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | SoundCloud | TuneIn