I also host an AMA in the r\/fantasybaseball subreddit<\/a> every Friday (starting sometime in late March) with Nate Schwartz<\/a>, starting around noon ET that lasts through the rest of the day and into the weekend, so feel free to join the fun and ask questions or make comments.<\/p>\n For additional insight, also check out the Hacks & Jacks podcast<\/a>! This is a hitter-focused pod with me, Brett Ford, and occasional special guests.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Tier 1\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019ve expanded Tier 1 to include a few of the best hitters in the game. This is less about a guy like Ohtani losing value and more about the thinning of the gap between the top 1% and the top 5%.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Tier 2<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Jordan Walker continues to make adjustments in-season, a skill he virtually never showed in past seasons, and is the root of why he\u2019s become such a stud in 2026. Every time a problem pops up (strikeouts and grounders, primarily), he turns it around in just a few series.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Tier 3\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I remain a huge Miguel Vargas<\/a> fan for the changes he\u2019s made in 2026, and the bad batted ball luck is finally fading away. Since June 1, Vargas has been a top-five hitter in terms of xwOBA, and it\u2019s just a matter of time before his results start to match the ability. \u00a0<\/p>\n Tier 4<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Francisco Lindor<\/a> has hit the ball just fine in his return, but bad luck has been a factor. Just be patient. \u00a0<\/p>\n Tier 5\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s a season of peaks and valleys for Ketel Marte<\/a>, but in the end, what choice do you have but to hold through it all? He should finish as a top-40 hitter as long as he\u2019s just a bit better overall than he was in the first half. The batted ball quality is as good as it was in seasons past, though he\u2019s chasing more, which could explain the streakiness. If that gets corrected, Marte could move up to Tier 4. \u00a0<\/p>\n Tier 6<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Rafael Devers<\/a> has rarely moved up this list in 2026, but he\u2019s smashing the ball when he connects, striking out WAY less (18.8% walk rate and 12.5% strikeout rate in June), and most importantly, he\u2019s making contact when he swings in the zone at a rate MUCH higher than at any point earlier this season. This version of Devers can be a star. The chart below shows just how tightly correlated his zone contact rate and his performance is these days. For those who don\u2019t read a lot of charts, this is as close a relationship as you can get in real-world data that doesn\u2019t measure the same variable.<\/p>\n Welcome back, Munetaka Murakami<\/a>! Murakami had exceeded all reasonable expectations before he got hurt, and I do worry that the time away messed with some of the things he needed to continue performing at that level. Still, he\u2019s a top-50 caliber hitter for me right now and could rise if he gets back to his old ways. \u00a0<\/p>\n Tier 7\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Manny Machado<\/a> looks so much better of late, with seven home runs and 32 combined runs and RBI over his last 21 games with excellent plate discipline and a .307\/.416\/.653 line. He\u2019s getting quite lucky in the power department per Statcast, but the underlying numbers still suggest he\u2019s been very strong. \u00a0<\/p>\n Tier 8<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I always assumed that Ryan O\u2019Hearn<\/a> facing lefties would dilute his overall numbers, but that\u2019s just not what has happened in 2026. He\u2019s tied his career-high in RBI and is just one dinger short of his career-high in that category as well. The walk rate is down quite a bit, but with how well he\u2019s hitting, that is just fine with me. Since May 8 (which covers his last 50 games), only two qualified hitters have a lower average exit velocity than Liam Hicks<\/a>\u2019s 83.8 mph, and none have a worse expected slugging (.273), not even Chandler Simpson<\/a>. The plate discipline remains strong, as does the batting average, but Hicks has morphed back into the points league specialist of years past who mostly provides hits and whatever runs and RBI the Marlins around him in the lineup can muster. Hick\u2019s move to the leadoff role should help him continue to put up runs scored, but expect the RBI to fall off considerably thanks to both the move in the order and the evaporation of his power.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Tier 9\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019m sure there are those who scoff at this ranking of Jake McCarthy<\/a>, but it\u2019s hard to ignore how much he\u2019s overperforming his expected metrics, especially with respect to power (there\u2019s a 176 point gap between his actual slugging and expected slugging), and not even the power of Coors Field explains that kind of difference (for reference, as a team, the Rockies as a team have overperformed their xSLG by 35 points, and his 176 point gap is at roughly 40 points higher than the next widest gap on his own team). \u00a0<\/p>\n Tier 10<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Trent Grisham<\/a> has looked solid in his return to the lineup for the Yankees and appears to have found nearly everyday playing time in the top-third of the order. Move him up a tier or two if you\u2019re in an OBP or points league. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Tier 11<\/p>\n At this point in the ranks, you can start considering players as streamers in standard-size 10-12-team leagues. That doesn\u2019t mean they are bad; it just means we are at\/near the replacement level, as several of these guys are likely on your wire.<\/p>\n Dansby Swanson<\/a>\u2019s surge was amazing, don\u2019t get me wrong, but everything under the hood suggests it was as out-of-nowhere as we thought and his batted ball metrics don\u2019t indicate any major change outside of just being super hot. Keep riding the wave if there aren\u2019t any good alternatives out there, but also keep looking in shallow leagues. Were the pre-Break home runs a sign of things to come? Who knows. Were they a reason to give Alex Bregman<\/a> another series or two if you\u2019ve held him this far? Yes. Speaking of contact ability, it\u2019s something Heriberto Hern\u00e1ndez<\/a> has struggled with as a pro. That said, the power is legit and he has an opportunity for extra playing time with Caissie on the IL. Stream away, folks.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Tier 12<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Kody Clemens<\/a> has started chasing a ton, and when you combine that with his limited contact ability, you get a very scary combination. I want off this ride before it derails.<\/p>\n Kyle Karros<\/a> has hit the ball hard lately and gets two series at home against some questionable pitchers. Fire him up! Trevor Larnach<\/a> is leading off with solid discipline, so he might be worth a stream in OBP leagues, points leagues, or in situations where you need some runs scored. If he keeps that job when Buxton returns, it could be even more fruitful. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n UPDATE: I\u2019ve separated the Taxi Squad and Injured List for my own organization. The Injured List will only focus on players who might actually get ranked on return.<\/p>\n Injured List<\/p>\n Listed by position in no particular order.<\/p>\n Catcher<\/p>\n Will Smith<\/a> (C, LAD) \u2014 Hopefully, some time on the IL helps him recover and find his old form.<\/p>\n First Base<\/p>\n Spencer Horwitz<\/a> (1B, PIT) \u2014 Hamstring strains can last a few weeks, but he should be back after the Break (if not sooner). Second Base<\/p>\n Brendan Donovan<\/a> (2B\/3B\/OF) \u2014 Close to a rehab. Might be back by August. Third Base<\/p>\n Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez<\/a> (3B, CLE) \u2014 Progressing well. As long as there are no set-backs, he\u2019ll move back into Tier 2 immediately upon activation (which is still a ways away). Shortstop<\/p>\n Trevor Story<\/a> (SS, BOS) \u2014 Surgery means he could be out for nearly three months. That\u2019s a drop in most formats. Outfield\/DH<\/p>\n Aaron Judge<\/a> (OF, NYY) \u2014 There\u2019s still hope he\u2019s back by the end of August Players are listed by position in no particular order.\u00a0<\/p>\n Catcher<\/p>\n Tyler Stephenson<\/a> (C, CIN) \u2014 Boring-but-safe streamer when he\u2019s at home. First Base<\/p>\n Spencer Torkelson<\/a> (1B, DET) \u2014Just let me have this one. If he could make contact at even a below-average (as opposed to abysmal) clip, he\u2019d be quite relevant. Second Base<\/p>\n Cole Young<\/a> (2B, SEA) \u2014 Love the low strikeout rate of late, but he\u2019s hard to rank when hitting at the bottom of the order. Third Base<\/p>\n Nolan Arenado<\/a> (3B, ARI) \u2014 The power isn\u2019t there anymore, but he can still provide ratios and RBI at a slightly above-average clip. Shortstop<\/p>\n Anthony Volpe<\/a> (SS, NYY) \u2014 He\u2019ll be a post-hype sleeper at some point, probably. Outfield\/DH<\/p>\n Kerry Carpenter<\/a> (OF, DET) \u2014 The premier streaky lefty platoon guy. Photo by Icon Sportswire | Design by J.R. Caines (@JRCainesDesign on Twitter and @caines_design on Instagram)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Not a lot of changes this week, as only a handful of games have happened between this list…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":754458,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2290],"tags":[5,6474,253,3385,31,6475,201,1138,6476,3775,32],"class_list":["post-754457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-baseball","tag-baseball","tag-hitter-list","tag-hitters","tag-home-runs","tag-offense","tag-pitcher-list","tag-power","tag-rankings","tag-rbi","tag-runs","tag-stolen-bases"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116937268438774310","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/754457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=754457"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/754457\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/754458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=754457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=754457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=754457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nCorbin Carroll<\/a>\u2019s poor results have been well earned, as he\u2019s struck out 32.1% of the time in his last 18 games with just a single barrel and an expected slugging of just .222 in that stretch. We\u2019ve seen Carroll work his way out of slumps before, and I suppose the Break could not have come at a better time for the embattled star. I trust the talent but acknowledge it may be rough waters for a bit until he gets back on track.<\/p>\n
\nDrake Baldwin<\/a> has put those early strikeout woes behind him, and while he has a .583 OPS over his last 16 games despite the fixed plate discipline, his batted ball quality has been exceptional, and we should see the ratios jump in short order.
\nCJ Abrams<\/a> has slowly been reverting to the pre-2026 version of himself over the last month or so, with the batted ball quality dropping off hard and the plate discipline reverting to a high-strikeout, low-walk approach. There\u2019s still a dynamic player in here, and he\u2019s shown signs that there\u2019s another level to his game, but Abrams is one of the better sell-high candidates in the game at the moment if you can get a different top-25 option for him (especially if you\u2019re agnostic to the stolen bases).<\/p>\n
\nLuis Garc\u00eda Jr.<\/a> is one of just four players to post a wOBA north of .450 since May 25 (around 40 games for most qualified hitters), along with PCA, Wood, and Alvarez. That\u2019s incredible company, and is backed by being one of just seven hitters who have an xwOBA above .400 (the three aforementioned sluggers plus Soto, Ohtani, and Vargas). The hard part is explaining how all this happened in a year, as prior to 2026, Garc\u00eda Jr. was a slap-hitting platoon infielder. Sure, his average exit velocity and swing speed are both up between one and two ticks, but neither explains how he\u2019s doubled his home run-to-fly-ball rate, and that usually suggests a lot of good fortune is driving these incredible results that don\u2019t at all resemble anything he\u2019s done before. For better context, the 11 home runs Garc\u00eda Jr. hit in June are two more than any two prior months of his career combined. That\u2019s not to say Garc\u00eda Jr. is a fraud by any means, but it does mean I expect at least some kind of slowdown just because Garc\u00eda Jr. remains a mortal man. I think I\u2019ve baked in that risk with this ranking, as even with less power he should be able to hit for average, and may steal more bases if he\u2019s stopping on first more often. Please don\u2019t read this as a reason to trade Garc\u00eda Jr. away, though: I\u2019d rather take the risk that he remains a top-40 hitter than trade him for a lesser value, which is what I\u2019d expect you\u2019d get from managers who are likely skeptical on the whole of this insane surge in power.
\nSo, let\u2019s talk about Fernando Tatis Jr.<\/a>. On one hand, Tatis has shown plus power all season long, and his contact ability has finally rebounded to levels seen in prior years. His decision-making has also remained above-average all season, so by those measures, I should be very excited about what Tatis can do for the rest of 2026. And I mean, I am, in theory. This kind of rebound from a mid-season slump is very much like what we saw at the end of 2025, and in general, I buy into players who show above-average marks in all three of our Process+ skills.That said, everything Tatis is showing right now is just a bit less than what we saw in years past. Generally, his power metrics are more good than great, and are well short of his peak marks (except for swing speed). He\u2019s also struggled to consistently get the ball in the air. The wax of the candle we\u2019ve been burning for Tatis in the fantasy community was mostly made of hope that his elite power would return, but at this point, even 15 home runs this season would require a big surge. I\u2019m not going to go so far as to try and pick out a culprit for the lack of power, such as injury, but I am starting to accept that it\u2019s possible that this new, less dynamic (from a power perspective) version of Tatis is just the guy to expect going forward.If someone in your league is in love with projections and sees Tatis sitting in the top-10 rest of season for THE BAT X and OOPSY, and the top-15 for ATC, and is willing to offer you a player from the top three or four tiers of this list to get it done, I think it might be wise to take the deal, especially if you need to offload some risk in exchange for a safer asset.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Devers.png\")
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\nI know Jazz Chisholm Jr.<\/a> is frustrating, but whether you knew it or not, that was what you signed up for. He finished a rather disappointing first half as a top-60 hitter per the FanGraphs Player Rater, and he\u2019s well on his way to finishing with over 20 home runs and nearly 40 steals.Now, if you\u2019re in a points league, you\u2019d drop Jazz by about three tiers. It might be the most dramatic value difference for any player, as Jazz\u2019s high strikeout rate, low batting average, and limited counting stats, combined with points leagues generally not putting a ton of value on stolen bases, create a perfect storm of value loss.<\/p>\n
\nWelcome back, Jeremy Pe\u00f1a<\/a>! He goes back to the leadoff spot and hitting in front of Yordan, so at the very least, runs should be a strength. Hopefully the extra week with the All-Star Break helps Pena feel even fresher.
\nI have no idea why Xavier Edwards<\/a> isn\u2019t running more, as he\u2019s getting on first base a ton, but they should start coming again eventually.
\nKazuma Okamoto<\/a> is keeping the strikeout rate below 30% so far in July while slugging over .500, which is the best way for Okamoto to find long-term success.
\nStill no long-term signs of power for Kyle Tucker<\/a>, if you\u2019re wondering.
\nIt\u2019s good to see some power lately for Trea Turner<\/a>. Not seeing a lot else, but that\u2019s plenty for now.<\/p>\n
\nJake Bauers<\/a> has taken over the job at first entirely over Vaughn and keeps hitting. What else can be said?
\nCasey Schmitt<\/a> has been unlucky of late and remains one of my favorite buy-low candida1tes for the second half.
\nIvan Herrera<\/a> has been well-ranked here for a while due to the track record of his strong decision-making, contact, and power since the start of last year, but things have changed. This chart does a better job than words at explaining why he\u2019s fallen so far. I\u2019m very concerned, though his upside is higher than most catchers on your wire so I\u2019m not sure there\u2019s much action to be taken.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01904f2c97697654f8b660e6478998ca.png\")
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\nJac Caglianone<\/a> spent all season gradually lowering his ground ball rate only for it to dramatically shoot back up following that home run outburst to as high as it has ever been.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Cags.png\")
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\nThis exciting version of Royce Lewis<\/a> is a lot of fun, though the risk remains as high as ever for both injuries and slumps. Ditto Chase DeLauter<\/a>.
\nBrandon Nimmo<\/a> has been one of the unluckiest hitters in baseball per expected stats, so a surge from him is more like regression to the mean than a change.
\nCal Raleigh<\/a>\u2019s strikeouts are spiking, and catcher is deep, so it was time for a plunge.<\/p>\n
\nOn one hand, no one can deny that Esmerlyn Valdez<\/a> has power, and that when he connects, that ball is going to go a long way at high speeds. We also can\u2019t deny that connecting with the ball is a weakness, particularly in the zone, and has been a weakness throughout his pro career. Obviously, no one should have any interest in cutting Valdez, but you should be prepared for extended slumps (as we see with virtually every player with poor contact ability), and if you don\u2019t want to weather that storm, then you should be aggressively trying to cash in via trade.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/eee46b42daf03bdfa04fc7153f506595.png\")
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\nJos\u00e9 Caballero<\/a> is playing a lot and stealing bags, though the batted ball quality has been terrible and the strikeouts are piling up. In points leagues, I\u2019d probably let him go, but if you need steals he\u2019s doing enough to hold on to.
\nI still believe in the possibility of a JJ Bleday<\/a> resurgence, but it will require a return to mostly-average contact ability, and he\u2019s far from it right now.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/27935199dd9ea03d26c5f9b2944cb3d9.png\")
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\nTravis Bazzana<\/a> has plenty of long-term upside, but the lack of power is being exacerbated by some struggles with making contact, leaving a player who isn\u2019t quite on the verge to contributing at the moment. If the contact ability rebounds, he\u2019ll need to be back on rosters.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/680a43547c22531f7cb5c76107df1d9b.png\")
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\nJung Hoo Lee<\/a>\u2019s streakiness is fairly unusual for a player of his mold, but he has a -2 wRC+ in his last 58 plate appearances and a .158\/.172\/.193 line. If you\u2019re in a points league with a strikeout penalty, it might be wise to merely bench him, but in standard leagues that use categories, you can probably stream someone else.<\/p>\n
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\n 1Shohei Ohtani<\/a>T1LADDH-2Juan Soto<\/a>NYMOF-3Yordan Alvarez<\/a>HOUOF-4James Wood<\/a>WSHOF-5Bobby Witt Jr.<\/a>T2KCSS-6Ben Rice<\/a>NYYC, 1B+17Pete Crow-Armstrong<\/a>CHCOF+18Elly De La Cruz<\/a>CINSS+19Kyle Schwarber<\/a>PHIOF+110Junior Caminero<\/a>TB3B+111Jordan Walker<\/a>STLOF+212Brice Turang<\/a>T3MIL2B+513Jackson Chourio<\/a>MILOF+314Miguel Vargas<\/a>CHW1B, 3B+515Matt Olson<\/a>ATL1B-116Corbin Carroll<\/a>ARIOF-417Shea Langeliers<\/a>T4ATHC+118Otto Lopez<\/a>MIA2B, SS+219Francisco Lindor<\/a>NYMSS+220Bryce Harper<\/a>PHI1B+221Pete Alonso<\/a>BAL1B+222Drake Baldwin<\/a>ATLC+423Hunter Goodman<\/a>COLC+124William Contreras<\/a>MILC+125CJ Abrams<\/a>WSHSS-1026Randy Arozarena<\/a>SEAOF+327Bryan Reynolds<\/a>PITOF+328Michael Harris II<\/a>T5ATLOF+429Willson Contreras<\/a>BOS1B+430Freddie Freeman<\/a>LAD1B+431Ketel Marte<\/a>ARI2B-332Dillon Dingler<\/a>DETC+333Luis Garc\u00eda Jr.<\/a>WSH2B+734Zach Neto<\/a>LAASS+335Yandy D\u00edaz<\/a>TB1B+636Fernando Tatis Jr.<\/a>SDOF-537Mookie Betts<\/a>T6LADSS+538Alec Burleson<\/a>STL1B, OF+639Kevin McGonigle<\/a>DETSS+640Riley Greene<\/a>DETOF+641Brandon Lowe<\/a>PIT2B+642Wyatt Langford<\/a>TEXOF+643Rafael Devers<\/a>SF1B+2244Andy Pages<\/a>LADOF+545Munetaka Murakami<\/a>CHW1B, 3B+UR46Sal Stewart<\/a>CIN1B, 3B-847Gunnar Henderson<\/a>BALSS+448Jazz Chisholm Jr.<\/a>NYY2B, 3B-549Manny Machado<\/a>T7SD3B+1950Brandon Marsh<\/a>PHIOF-51Jeremy Pe\u00f1a<\/a>HOUSS+UR52Cody Bellinger<\/a>NYY1B-53Seiya Suzuki<\/a>CHCOF+354Ozzie Albies<\/a>ATL2B-155Xavier Edwards<\/a>MIA2B, SS-156Kazuma Okamoto<\/a>TOR3B+1557Kyle Tucker<\/a>LADOF-58Sam Antonacci<\/a>CHW2B, OF-359JJ Wetherholt<\/a>STL2B, SS-160Jonathan Aranda<\/a>TB1B-161Trea Turner<\/a>PHISS+162Carson Benge<\/a>NYMOF+163Ryan O\u2019Hearn<\/a>T8PIT1B+1264Jake Bauers<\/a>MIL1B, OF+2465Carter Jensen<\/a>KCC-2966Samuel Basallo<\/a>BALC+367Teoscar Hern\u00e1ndez<\/a>LADOF-168Luis Arraez<\/a>SF1B, 2B-169Gabriel Moreno<\/a>ARIC+170Jackson Merrill<\/a>SDOF+371Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/a>TOR1B+772Casey Schmitt<\/a>SF1B, 2B, 3B+1073Ceddanne Rafaela<\/a>BOS2B, OF+374Bo Bichette<\/a>NYM3B, SS-1075Ivan Herrera<\/a>STLC, DH-4876Liam Hicks<\/a>MIAC, 1B-3777Josh Naylor<\/a>T9SEA1B-78Jake McCarthy<\/a>COLOF+279Mike Trout<\/a>LAAOF+280Ian Happ<\/a>CHCOF-1981Max Muncy<\/a>LAD3B+382Jac Caglianone<\/a>KCOF-1083Curtis Mead<\/a>WSH1B, 2B, 3B+1284Isaac Paredes<\/a>HOU3B+185Nick Gonzales<\/a>PIT2B, 3B+186Colson Montgomery<\/a>CHWSS-1287Caleb Durbin<\/a>BOS2B, 3B+688Josh Jung<\/a>TEX3B+1989Cole Carrigg<\/a>COLOF-1090Josh Bell<\/a>MIN1B+291A.J. Ewing<\/a>T10NYMOF+1392Trent Grisham<\/a>NYYOF+1493Jake Burger<\/a>TEX1B+394Wilyer Abreu<\/a>BOSOF+595Royce Lewis<\/a>MIN3B+1496Chase DeLauter<\/a>CLEOF+1797Garrett Mitchell<\/a>MILOF+698Brandon Nimmo<\/a>TEXOF+1399Cal Raleigh<\/a>SEAC-39100Bryson Stott<\/a>T11PHI2B, SS-3101Christian Walker<\/a>HOU1B-11102TJ Rumfield<\/a>COL1B, 3B-8103Brooks Lee<\/a>MIN2B, 3B, SS-16104Dansby Swanson<\/a>CHCSS-13105Kyle Stowers<\/a>MIA1B, OF-106Tyler Soderstrom<\/a>ATH1B-6107Geraldo Perdomo<\/a>ARISS+3108Jo Adell<\/a>LAAOF+4109Esmerlyn Valdez<\/a>PITOF+20110Daylen Lile<\/a>WSHOF+8111Adley Rutschman<\/a>BALC+3112Jose Altuve<\/a>HOU2B, OF+4113Keibert Ruiz<\/a>WSHC+8114Alex Bregman<\/a>CHC3B+21115Jos\u00e9 Caballero<\/a>NYY2B, 3B, SS, OF-14116JJ Bleday<\/a>CINOF-18117Chandler Simpson<\/a>TBOF+7118Dominic Canzone<\/a>SEAOF+7119Tommy Edman<\/a>LAD2B, OF+9120Heliot Ramos<\/a>SFOF+25121Heriberto Hern\u00e1ndez<\/a>MIAOF+UR122Jasson Dom\u00ednguez<\/a>NYYOF+10123Nasim Nu\u00f1ez<\/a>WSH2B, SS-15124Kody Clemens<\/a>T12MIN1B, 2B, OF-35125Mauricio Dub\u00f3n<\/a>ATL2B, 3B, SS, OF-3126Jacob Wilson<\/a>ATHSS+8127Michael Busch<\/a>CHC1B+9128Luke Keaschall<\/a>MIN2B+11129Henry Bolte<\/a>ATHOF-14130Ernie Clement<\/a>TOR1B, 2B, 3B, SS+8131Joe Mack<\/a>MIAC-14132Eugenio Su\u00e1rez<\/a>CIN3B+17133Bryce Eldridge<\/a>SF1B, DH+9134Ezequiel Duran<\/a>TEX1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF+UR135Kyle Karros<\/a>COL3B+UR136Jake Mangum<\/a>PITOF+10137Spencer Steer<\/a>CIN1B, OF+11138Brayan Rocchio<\/a>CLE2B, SS+UR139Travis Bazzana<\/a>CLE2B-37140Ryan Jeffers<\/a>MINC+UR141Trevor Larnach<\/a>MINOF+UR142Christian Yelich<\/a>MILOF-23143Yainer Diaz<\/a>HOUC+UR144Willy Adames<\/a>SFSS+3145Salvador Perez<\/a>KCC, 1B+5146Dylan Crews<\/a>WSHOF-19147Jung Hoo Lee<\/a>SFOF-64148Chase Meidroth<\/a>CHW2B, SS-28149George Springer<\/a>TOROF-16150Nico Hoerner<\/a>CHC2B, SS-6
\n
<\/p>\n
\nNick Kurtz<\/a> (1B, ATH) \u2014<\/p>\n
\nGleyber Torres<\/a> (2B, DET) \u2014 Gleyber was raking at the top of the order (though good luck was playing a big role). He\u2019s a fringe top-100 type when healthy.
\nDavid Hamilton<\/a> (2B\/3B\/SS, MIL) \u2014 Doesn\u2019t need to be held in 12-teamers unless it\u2019s a very deep roster and you\u2019re desperate for steals.
\nBlaze Alexander<\/a> (2B\/3B\/SS\/OF, BAL) \u2014 I\u2019m holding in deep leagues if I can for the versatility but in a standard league he can be let go.
\nZack Gelof<\/a> (2B\/3B\/OF, ATH) \u2014 At some point, the heat and luck with fade away and we\u2019ll see the guy the underlying skills suggest is there (which isn\u2019t good at all).<\/p>\n
\nMaikel Garcia<\/a> (2B\/3B\/SS\/OF, KCR) \u2014 Should be back by August.
\nMatt Chapman<\/a> (3B, SFG) \u2014 Still no progress. I wouldn\u2019t be holding in any 12-teamers.<\/p>\n
\nCorey Seager<\/a> (SS, TEX) \u2014 Feeling like this might be a lost season for Seager, especially when he sat against lefties in his brief return. In 10-team and shallower, the wire might be robust enough to just move on.
\nKonnor Griffin<\/a> (SS, PIT) \u2014 He should return by early September: the only question is whether you can wait that long. If you can, you really should (especially in keeper leagues).<\/p>\n
\nLuis Robert Jr.<\/a> (OF, NYM) \u2014 The move to the 60-Day IL doesn\u2019t really change much here. He\u2019s out for the foreseeable future.
\nGiancarlo Stanton<\/a> (OF, NYY) \u2014 If you only have two IL spots, he\u2019s not a must-keep.
\nBrent Rooker<\/a> (OF, ATH) \u2014 Out for the season.
\nRonald Acu\u00f1a Jr.<\/a> (OF, ATL) \u2014 On a rehab.
\nOneil Cruz<\/a> (OF, PIT) \u2014 Should be back by early August.
\nByron Buxton<\/a> (OF, MIN) \u2014 Should be back by August.
\nJulio Rodr\u00edguez<\/a> (OF, SEA) \u2014 Not quite ready to be activated yet.<\/p>\n
\nJ.T. Realmuto<\/a> (C, PHI) \u2014 Not the hitter he once was, but plays often and doesn\u2019t strike out a ton.
\nEndy Rodr\u00edguez<\/a> (C, PIT) \u2014 Hitting the ball hard and often lately. A solid streamer who has more upside than I initially thought.
\nAlejandro Kirk<\/a> (C, TOR) \u2014 Strong plate skills but no longer plays every day so he\u2019s more of a safe streamer than locked-in regular.
\nFrancisco Alvarez<\/a> (C, NYM) \u2014 Plenty of power but injuries and inconsistency continue to hold him back.
\nAnthony Seigler<\/a> (C\/2B, BOS) \u2014 Leading off and rank-worthy for points leagues, but the lack of power is quite real. Would be the next catcher to be ranked.
\nCarson Kelly<\/a> (C, LAD) \u2014 Streaky part-timer.
\nJonah Heim<\/a> (C, ATH) \u2014 Got extra time against a slew of lefties, but no need to keep holding.
\nDalton Rushing<\/a> (C, LAD) \u2014 Too many streaming options to keep holding out hope in standard leagues.
\nHenry Davis<\/a> (C, PIT) \u2014 The Pirate offense being good is cool but I have no faith in Davis.<\/p>\n
\nCoby Mayo<\/a> (1B\/3B, BAL) \u2014 Will get more playing time with Alexander out, but nothing more than a desperate power option in deep leagues.
\nAndrew Vaughn<\/a> (1B, MIL) \u2014 Barely playing at all.
\nKyle Manzardo<\/a> (1B, CLE) \u2014 Streaky and prone to platooning.
\nNolan Schanuel<\/a> (1B, LAA) \u2014 Points league streamer.
\nChristian Encarnacion-Strand<\/a> (1B\/3B, BAL) \u2014 Smacked 17 home runs in 61 games for the Norfolk Tides, but the plate discipline suggests he\u2019s still not ready to be a real contributor.
\nPaul Goldschmidt<\/a> (1B, NYY) \u2014 The strikeouts have spiked out of control and he\u2019s sat against five of the last seven righties.
\nVinnie Pasquantino<\/a> (1B, KCR) \u2014 Go ahead and scoop him if you\u2019re looking for a lotto ticket, but he\u2019s got to start hitting fly balls with more authority for me to get excited.<\/p>\n
\nMarcus Semien<\/a> (2B, NYM) \u2014 He\u2019s back and should only be considered in very deep leagues where you just need volume.
\nAngel Mart\u00ednez<\/a> (2B\/OF, CLE) \u2014 Not worth holding on your IL unless it\u2019s unlimited.
\nMatt McLain<\/a> (2B\/SS, CIN) \u2014 Hit the IL and wasn\u2019t playing against all righties.
\nJavier Sanoja<\/a> (2B\/3B\/OF, MIA) \u2014 Points league streamer.
\nTyler Tolbert<\/a> (2B\/SS\/OF, KCR) \u2014 He still lands on leaderboards because of those two monster games, but there\u2019s nothing to see here.
\nJorge Polanco<\/a> (2B\/3B, NYM) \u2014 My hopes aren\u2019t terribly high that he\u2019ll find success but he\u2019ll likely have a fantasy relevant stretch or two between now and the end of the season.
\nWilli Castro<\/a> (2B\/3B\/SS\/OF, COL) \u2014 Sat against the last three lefties.
\nBrett Baty<\/a> (2B\/3B, NYM) \u2014 The return of Semien clouds his playing time.<\/p>\n
\nAustin Riley<\/a> (3B, ATL) \u2014 The numbers under the hood are even worse than the surface numbers. It\u2019s like when you see a rusted out car at the dump, and when you open it, a raccoon jumps out and claws your face.
\nJordan Lawlar<\/a> (3B\/OF, ARI) \u2014 This dude cannot catch a break.
\nNoelvi Marte<\/a> (3B\/OF, CIN) \u2014 Short side of a platoon.<\/p>\n
\nMasyn Winn<\/a> (SS, STL) \u2014 Had two fun weeks but has quieted down to a below-replacement option.
\nXander Bogaerts<\/a> (SS, SDP) \u2014 Hitting third makes him semi-interesting if you\u2019re desperate.
\nColt Emerson<\/a> (3B\/SS, SEA) \u2014 There\u2019s long-term upside here, but I\u2019m not waiting for it in 2026. He needs to figure out those holes in his swing and make more contact in the zone.
\nJ.P. Crawford<\/a> (3B\/SS, SEA) \u2014 If the Mariners find their groove on offense and Crawford is still leading off, then maybe he\u2019d be valuable.
\nCooper Pratt<\/a> (SS, MIL) \u2014 Points league streamer who lacks power but should put a lot of balls in play as line drives and grounders.<\/p>\n
\nMike Yastrzemski<\/a> (OF, ATL) \u2014 Streaky lefty platoon guy.
\nGavin Sheets<\/a> (1B\/OF, SDP) \u2014 Streaky lefty platoon guy.
\nLuke Raley<\/a> (OF, SEA) \u2014 Streaky lefty platoon guy.
\nMickey Moniak<\/a> (OF, COL) \u2014 Sat against both lefties in his return, though he did pinch hit in both games. Streaky lefty platoon guy.
\nJes\u00fas S\u00e1nchez<\/a> (OF, TOR) \u2014 Streaky lefty platoon guy.
\nTristan Peters<\/a> (OF, CWS) \u2014 Lefty platoon guy who is overperforming considerably.
\nJorge Soler<\/a> (OF, LAA) \u2014 Streaky power streamer.
\nSteven Kwan<\/a> (OF, CLE) \u2014 Batting ninth is a worst-case scenario for his value. How did everything go so terribly wrong?
\nJustin Crawford<\/a> (OF, PHI) \u2014 Lost interest until the walk rate is closer to 10%.
\nJoc Pederson<\/a> (DH, TEX) \u2014 Streaky lefty platoon guy.
\nJoshua Baez<\/a> (OF, STL) \u2014 The home runs are there, but nothing else.
\nLourdes Gurriel Jr.<\/a> (OF, ARI) \u2014 I never know what to expect from him, and in a shallow league, I would just avoid the headache entirely.
\nJacob Young<\/a> (OF, WAS) \u2014 Has shown signs here and there, but the wheels keep falling off soon after.
\nDylan Beavers<\/a> (OF, BAL) \u2014 Might be worth a look in deeper OBP formats.
\nJarren Duran<\/a> (OF, BOS) \u2014 He might finish with 20 homers and 20 steals but the ratios are going to be awful and the counting stats won\u2019t help either. If the strikeouts come down and he hits in the top half of the order, he could get ranked again.
\nBraden Montgomery<\/a> (OF, CWS) \u2014 Not showing enough to justify holding over other outfield streamers.
\nColton Cowser<\/a> (OF, BAL) \u2014 The strikeouts are back and so is the platoon.
\nLars Nootbaar<\/a> (OF, STL) \u2014 No need to hold here as he has dropped in the lineup and is sitting against most lefties.
\nCam Smith<\/a> (OF, HOU) \u2014 One of these days, he\u2019ll stay on the list.
\nRyan Waldschmidt<\/a> (OF, ARI) \u2014 They\u2019ve recalled him after he slashed .286\/.416\/.524 following his demotion, but playing time and opportunity remain to be determined.
\nLane Thomas<\/a> (OF, KCR) \u2014 I suspect a lot of his recent production is merely because the Royals have seen a lot of lefties, as Thomas continues to perform badly against right-handed pitching.
\nDaulton Varsho<\/a> (OF, TOR) \u2014 Varsho is notoriously streaky as well as injury-prone, so I\u2019ve always viewed him as more of a disposable streamer in 12-teamers.
\nTaylor Ward<\/a> (OF, BAL) \u2014 In deeper formats or OBP, you can justify holding him if you don\u2019t like the waiver options, but I just don\u2019t see any signs that he\u2019s going to go back to being the 2025 Ward, who I was a big fan of.
\nCedric Mullins<\/a> (OF, TBR)\u00a0\u2014 The steals have dried up and he doesn\u2019t hit enough to justify holding through it.
\nVictor Mesa Jr.<\/a> (OF, TBR) \u2014 The plate discipline is solid and he\u2019s shown high exit velocities in the minors this season, but he seems to get jammed a lot in the majors. If Mesa Jr. played more, he\u2019d be a streamer candidate in OBP leagues.<\/p>\n