From Ohtani to Schwarber: Top-12 Fantasy Baseball Draft Targets for 2026
From Shohei Ohtani’s unmatched two-way production to Kyle Schwarber’s power surge, here are Morgan's top-12 fantasy baseball picks for 2026.
The MLB season is still a ways off, but fantasy baseball owners are itching to get their seasons underway, so mock drafts will pick up steam in the next few weeks. Here, I wanted to put together my top-12 fantasy baseball picks for 2026.
Things could change as the season nears, but it's never too early to start perfecting your draft lists. Here's mine!
As the fantasy baseball season nears, be sure to utilize FantasySP's Mock Draft Simulator and Average Draft Position Lists.
Ohtani is the top pick in my eyes for 2026, especially if you can use him as a hitter and a pitcher.
He can compete for the No. 1 spot as a hitter alone, and with pitching numbers tacked on, he's easily the best fantasy asset in the game. There's simply nobody that can match the two-way star.
2. Aaron Judge
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Judge was stellar last season, and has been for most of his career, but he'll never compete with Ohtani's combined stats.
I think Judge is the pretty easy No. 2 pick after Ohtani.
Witt disappointed a bit in 2025, but he still was a high-end fantasy finisher.
I think he improves his numbers across the board in 2026, and ends the season as the No. 3 fantasy player. He will have company for that spot though.
4. Juan Soto
Soto sticks as a high-end fantasy draft asset despite a lower average and on-base percentage in 2025.
He just fills out the stat sheet so well that it's hard to skip him any longer. If he can add 38 or so stolen bases again in 2026, and improve his average and OBP, he could compete for the No. 2 fantasy spot behind Ohtani.
5. Tarik Skubal
Skubal was simply sensational in 2025. I know most don't like trusting fantasy pitchers with a top-10 draft pick, but with a fully healthy season, Skubal will finish as a top-10 fantasy player.
Even if he regresses from last season a bit, Skubal should be a top-5 contender. Now the question is: which team will he be pitching for in 2026?
6. Jose Ramirez
Ramirez is almost underrated at this point, as his steady fantasy numbers have become “boring.”
He can impact the game in so many ways, and it translates to huge fantasy seasons. I don't see him regressing that hard in 2026, which is his age-33 season.
Carroll bounced back a bit from a down 2024 season in 2025 - it still was below what he did in 2023 though.
Strikeouts are an issue with Carroll, but he flashed more pop last season, and tacking that on top of a decent average, good OBP and stolen base numbers, you have a very good fantasy outfielder, and a top-10 pick.
Crochet's first season in Boston was spectacular, and there's probably room for him to improve as he is just 26 years old.
Another fully healthy season will put him in contention for the top fantasy pitcher spot, and another top-10 finish overall.
9. Paul Skenes
Skenes is in that mix too, but his team holds him back just enough to fall behind Crochet, and a few spots after Skubal.
He posted a sub-2.00 earned run average last season, but somehow went 10-10. If Pittsburgh can improve even a bit, Skenes could challenge for the top fantasy pitcher slot, plus be a top-10 fantasy player overall.
10. Cal Raleigh
I had to give Raleigh the final spot in my top 10 after the 2025 season he put together.
The catcher appeared in 159 games, which is a massive thing. He almost won the AL MVP honor, and had a historic 60-homer season. I see some regression coming, but I still could see a top-10 fantasy finish overall if he stays healthy enough.
11. Francisco Lindor
Lindor has been a pretty steady fantasy asset over the past three or four seasons. He has appeared in 152 or more games in all those years.
Lindor should be in store for another big season, even for his age-32 season. The Mets' lineup doesn't look super formidable right now, but that won't slow Lindor from a huge fantasy showing.
12. Kyle Schwarber
The final spot in my top 12 goes to the designated hitter Schwarber, who offsets high strikeout numbers with big-time pop.
At age 32, he could start regressing a bit, but coming off a career season, even some regression still gives him a chance at a top-12 finish. Most likely won't take him at pick 12, but he was worth it last year, and I think he will be again in 2026.
