Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another edition of the 2026 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Rankings. With January out of the way, we are now counting the days until the start of spring training and the wonderful sounds of baseball being played.
We are also close to being inside the top 100 when it comes to these rankings, as today’s group of players are those ranked from 125 to 101. This grouping has a little bit of everything.
Here is a quick breakdown of the positions and ages of the players:
- SP: 6 | RP: 3
- 1B: 1 | 2B: 1 | C: 1 | IF: 1
- LF: 3 | CF: 3 | RF: 1 | OF: 3
- IF/OF: 2
- Ages 20-24: 2
- Ages 25-29: 14
- Ages 30-34: 8
- Ages 35+: 1
In this group of rankings, we finally get to the top three relievers in baseball and a host of top pitchers. As far as position players, a lot of the top outfielders are starting to show up as well. But the numbers that will likely drive many of you insane is the age breakdown of the players.
Many of you are simply averse to having older players show up in dynasty rankings, especially as we approach the top 100. But as I have stated before, I don’t do rankings with the assumption that everyone is starting a dynasty team from scratch. That would be boring and easy if I did that – just take the youngest players and rank them, and then slap in some older players.
Just because a player may be in his 30s doesn’t mean they don’t have value. All that means is they have a shorter shelf life than the younger players. But we are all in this to win, and relying on only players in their 20s will likely leave you short of winning a title unless you magically add all the top young talent.
So yes, I have EIGHT players ranked who are 30 to 34 years old and one more who is 35 or older. And those eight players are all players I would happily have on my team because I pretty much know what they will do on the field.
With that out of the way, let’s get started.
125-121
Notes:
*Age as if April 1, 2026
**Position = at least 10 games played at that position
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | Daulton Varsho | TOR | 29 | CF |
| 124 | Shane Bieber | TOR | 30 | SP |
| 123 | Sal Frelick | MIL | 25 | RF|CF |
| 122 | Evan Carter | TEX | 23 | CF |
| 121 | Oneil Cruz | PIT | 27 | CF |
Career Year Repeat?
The big question surrounding Daulton Varsho is this: was 2025 a fluke or has he tapped into a previously unknown power source? Before last season, Varsho hit 20 or more homers twice, but that was in 151 and 158 games. Last season, Varsho hit 20 homers in only 71 games and slugged a career-high .548. His previous best SLG was .443 in 2022 when he hit 27 homers for Arizona.
Outside of the massive increase in power, Varsho was basically the same player – low batting average and low OBP. Varsho has always had above-average bat speed, but had never had a Hard Hit% higher than 40% until last year. He obviously made some tweaks, and I believe that will carry over a bit this season, leading to another 20-homer season. But I don’t think he is going to reach 40 like his pace from last year would have been.
Sneaky Acquisition
The Blue Jays made a pretty shrewd trade with the Guardians last year when they traded for Shane Bieber at the trade deadline, despite the fact Bieber had yet to pitch as he was recovering from Tommy John Surgery. Bieber made his debut for Toronto on August 22 and went on to go 4-2 with a 3.57 ERA and 1.017 WHIP while posting a decent 8.3 K/9 and an outstanding 1.6 BB/9 rate.
Bieber has a career 3.24 ERA and 1.111 WHIP, so his numbers in 2025 are pretty much in line with what he has done throughout his career. Reports say Bieber may be brought along slowly during spring training and thus not quite be ready for Opening Day, but he should basically give you a full season of solid production off the mound.
A Real Power Surge?
Sal Frelick went from two home runs in 145 games in 2024 to 12 dingers this season in 142 games. That is a pretty nice jump. But is the power going to increase once again, stay where it is now, or was it a mirage? Based on numbers, I don’t expect Frelick to make another jump like he did this past season. His xSLG, Avg. EV, Barrel%, Hard Hit%, Launch Angle, Sweet Spot%, and Bat Speed all ranked in the 12th percentile or lower this past season. In 2024, he ranked in the 10th percentile or lower in all of those categories. The only thing he does really well is square up the ball (92nd percentile in 2024, 84th percentile in 2025), and he doesn’t strike out. Frelick has speed, and maybe he will add a few more homers, having me think he is around a 15 homer, 20 steal player. That isn’t a bad player.
Ready To Live Up To The Hype?
A slew of people, myself included, jumped on the Evan Carter Hype Train after the 2023 season, in which he slashed .306/.413/.645 in 23 games and then went nuts in the postseason by slashing .300/.417/.500 with 1 homer, six RBI, and three steals in 17 games. But the Hype Train derailed in 2024 and has taken a while to get back on the track. Injuries and poor performance have limited Carter to 45 games in 2024 and 63 this past season. During those two seasons, he has slashed .222/.309/.379 with 10 homers, 40 RBI, and 16 steals.
When he is healthy, Carter is an above-average player. In 43 games covering all of June and July, he slashed .260/.345/.420 with three homers, 18 RBI, and nine steals. That is a 162-game pace of 11-68-34. I’d like more power, but I will take 68 RBI and 34 steals from my center fielder – if he remains in center. Wyatt Langford could man center and move Carter to right field, a position that requires a little more on offense than center field. If that is the case, it hurts Carter’s ranking a bit.
Tantalizing Talent
There is a lot to like about Oneil Cruz. The obvious skill to like is his speed, as he stole 38 bases in 2025 after swiping 22 in 2024. Then there is the power as he has hit 21 and 20 homers the past two years, and at any time the ball may be hit to the moon. But there also are the warts. This year, he slashed .200/.298/.378, and his career slash line is .233/.309/.425. A lot of that can be chalked up to a 31.7% career strikeout rate, including 32% this year.
Cruz has a nice understanding of the zone, as he had an 11.8% walk rate this past season, and his career rate is 9.7%. But when he makes contact, don’t be near the ball. His Average EV of 95.8 mph ranked in the 100th percentile, as did his 78.8 mph Bat Speed ranking. He was in the 98th percentile in Hard Hit% and 97th percentile in Barrel%. When you see those numbers, there is no way one can’t believe there is more power production that is to come from Cruz.
120-116
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | Luke Keaschall | MIN | 23 | 2B |
| 119 | Addison Barger | TOR | 26 | 3B|RF |
| 118 | Andres Munoz | SEA | 27 | RP |
| 117 | Josh Hader | HOU | 32 | RP |
| 116 | Mason Miller | SD | 27 | RP |
Could Be Underrated Here
In the fantasy baseball world, the second base position, overall, is weak. With that in mind, I have jumped on the Luke Keaschall bandwagon as he showed tons of talent in the 49 games he played for the Twins. He slashed .302/.382/.445 with four homers, 28 RBI, and 14 steals. He doesn’t have overwhelming power, but he should provide 15 or so bombs per year while also topping 20 steals. And thanks to his plate discipline (14% K rate, 9% BB rate), he will have a solid average and OBP. If he matches the numbers in 2026 that he had in 2025 over a full season, he is completely under ranked here and will be a top 75 player. If you are bullish on him, move him up now.
Coming On Strong
Addison Barger has never been a top 100 prospect and, at 26, is a tad old to have completed his first full season in the majors. But the wait for Barger to make his mark with the Blue Jays was worth it as he hit 21 homers and drove in 74 runs in 135 games. I like him more as a third baseman, and he started more games at third this season than in right field. But it looks like right field will be his likely home due to the Jays adding Kazuma Okamoto this offseason.
No matter where he plays, Barger should produce, at least if his Statcast numbers are to be believed. He ranked in the 91st and 93rd percentile in Hard Hit% and Bat Speed, and his Average EV ranked in the 86th percentile.
The Three Studs
It seems Andres Munoz is just getting better as each season passes. Over the last four seasons, his ERAs have been 2.49, 2.94, 2.12, and 1.73. His save totals have been 4, 13, 22, and 38. Munoz has a career K/9 rate of 12.3 with a 1.027 WHIP. At this stage of his career, he is pretty much automatic when it comes to closing a game for the Mariners.
The same can be said for Josh Hader. Over the last two seasons with the Astros, he is 42-for-47 in save opportunities and was 28-for29 this season. He struck out 12.99 batters per nine this year and 13.31 last season. That is notch below his career rate of 14.56, but I’ll take nearly 13 K/9 for a season all the time. Hader did suffer a shoulder injury in August, but he should be 100% by the start of next season, meaning you can pencil him for success on the mound once again.
In one of the biggest surprises of the 2025 season, the Athletics traded Mason Miller to San Diego ahead of the trade deadline, allowing the Padres to add to a bullpen that was already amazingly deep. With the A’s, Miller had 20 saves and a 3.76 ERA and 1.017 WHIP with a 13.9 K/9 rate. With the Padres, Miller was used more as the setup man to Suarez, as he had only two saves but recorded 10 holds.
Suarez is no longer in San Diego, leaving Miller to reclaim the job as closer – unless you believe the talk about Miller being moved to the starting rotation. If that happens, just roll with it and hope that Miller’s stuff carries over as a starter. He has made six major league starts in his career, and 15 of his 16 minor league appearances came as a starter, and he dominated in that role as well.
115-111
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 115 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | 27 | SP |
| 114 | Jesus Luzardo | PHI | 28 | SP |
| 113 | Jose Altuve | HOU | 35 | 2B|LF |
| 112 | Christian Yelich | MIL | 34 | LF |
| 111 | Taylor Ward | BAL | 32 | LF |
Welcome To The Lone Star State
When the Washington Nationals dangled MacKenzie Gore in trade talks, the Texas Rangers quickly jumped at the opportunity to add the lefty to their rotation. Gore is a pitcher who should have better numbers than he produces. In 159.2 innings of work in 2025, he struck out 185 batters for a K/9 rate of 10.4. For his career, that rate is 10.0. Last season, Gore ranked in the 80th percentile in Whiff% and K% and in the 70th percentile in Chase%.
But Gore had a 4.17 ERA, and for his career it is 4.19, and his WHIP was 1.353, and for his career it is 1.401. The main culprit behind his ERA and high WHIP is a career BB/9 rate of 3.8 (3.6 in 2025). His BB% in 2025 ranked in the 14th percentile because he is behind in the count too often, and he has to throw in the strike zone, leading to a Hard Hit % that ranked in the 20th percentile.
If Gore can lower his walk rate, he jumps in these rankings thanks to his great strikeout rate. Otherwise is a very talented pitcher who will frustrate you because of all the walks.
Like Gore, But A Little Better
Almost everything I wrote about Gore above can be applied to Jesus Luzardo. Overall, Luzardo had a good first season with the Phillies as he went 15-7 with a 3.92 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. The lefthander has a career K/9 rate of 10.0 – the same as Gore’s. Last season, his K/9 rate was 10.6, a little better than Gore’s.
But like Gore, walks can also haunt Luzardo, but overall, he is better than Gore in this department, as his career BB/9 rate is 3.1, and in 2025, it was 2.8. His BB% ranked in the 61st percentile last year, and his Hard Hit% ranked in the 77th percentile. That is the big difference between Gore and Luzardo – Gore often lets his walks come back and hurt him, while Luzardo is able to wiggle out of trouble better.
Both are very talented pitchers. Luzardo is the better pitcher right now, while Gore still has room for improvement, but has a very good upside.
Getting Older, But Still Producing
Jose Altuve had a down year compared to his overall career, but that means he’s just an above-average hitter. He slugged 26 homers this season with 83 RBI and slashed .265/.329/.442 and added 10 steals. The steals are decreasing as he ages, and maybe he isn’t a lock to hit .290 to .300 at this point in his career, but he still hits homers and drives in runs. Whether he plays enough in left field in 2026 to retain that eligibility for 2027 is a question. Altuve is slated to return to second on a more full-time basis and DH when Yordan Alvarez plays left.
Ageing Gracefully
Thanks to injuries and getting older, Christian Yelich is mostly a DH these days, but plays enough in left field to give him eligibility at that position. When Yelich is on the field and healthy, he is still an outstanding hitter. This past season, he played in 150 games and hit 29 homers with 103 RBI and 16 steals while slashing .264/.343/.452. The power numbers were his best since 2019, when he hit 44 homers and drove in 97 runs as he finished second in the MVP voting one season after winning the award.
Yelich will probably not reach 29 homers again this season, but I think he should be good for 20 to 23 homers with 85 RBI and some steals – assuming he remains healthy – with a solid .280/.370/.450 slash line.
A New Home
Taylor Ward is coming off a great power season with the Angels, as he hit 36 homers and drove in 103 runs with a .475 SLG. Over the last two seasons, he’s slashed .237/.320/.450 with 61 home runs and 178 RBI. His reward is a trade to the Baltimore Orioles as he heads into the final year of team control. What does this mean for Ward as far as his fantasy value? He has only 50 career at-bats at Camden Yards, hitting two homers and driving in five runs with a .260/.302/.420 slash line. When looking at expected home runs by park, Ward would have had 33 home runs if playing all his games at Camden Yards last year, so there is not a drastic difference.
110-106
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | Seiya Suzuki | CHC | 31 | LF |
| 109 | Wilyer Abreu | BOS | 26 | RF |
| 108 | Mickey Moniak | COL | 27 | LF|CF|RF |
| 107 | Maikel Garcia | KC | 26 | 3B|SS|2B |
| 106 | George Springer | TOR | 36 | RF|LF|CF |
Love The Power Surge
Seiya Suzuki is under the radar when it comes to his production. A player who slots in as a right fielder, left fielder, and DH, he simply provides consistent production. After an injury limited him to 111 games in 2022, Suzuki’s average season the last three years is 24 homers, 83 RBI, 75 runs scored, nine steals, and a .270/.349/.482 slash line over 140 games. While he will be 31 next season, he can still hit the ball.
His 16.6 Barrel% ranked in the 95th percentile, and 48.7% Hard Hit% ranked in the 82nd percentile. He has also been able to tweak his swing over the last three years, leading his Launch Angle Sweet Spot% to go from the 72nd percentile in 2023 to the 94th percentile this past season and seeing his home run total jump from 20 to 32. Suzuki may transition more into a DH as he appeared in that spot 102 times in 2025, but he should get enough playing time in both left and right field to give him that added value.
Underrated Right Fielder
Wilyer Abreu was limited to 115 games this past season, yet he still had career highs in homers (22) and RBI (69) while slashing .247/.317/.469. His 162-game average is 22 dingers and 83 RBI with a .256/.326/.465 slash line. I think there is a bit more power in Abreu’s game, and I can see him reaching 25-85 in homers and RBI. Roman Anthony will likely see some time in right field this season, but that likely means Abreu shifts to DH for the day or even left field, where he has experience playing. But his bat should be in the lineup nearly every day.
Coors Field Effect?
Playing for his third team in four years, Mickey Moniak had a breakout season for the Rockies, setting career highs in runs scored (62), home runs (24), RBI (68) and steals (9) while slashing .270/.306/.518. Was this breakout due in large part to playing half his games at Coors Field? The answer is yes, at least when you look at the stats. At home, he slashed .303/.348/.598 with 15 homers and 46 RBI in 71 games. On the road, he slashed .230/.255/.425 with nine homers and 22 RBI in 64 games.
So he was obviously much better when playing in Denver. But what if we just take his road numbers and project over 162 games? That is still a 22 homer, 56 RBI season with 15 steals. The RBI aren’t great, but 22 homers and 15 steals is a solid left fielder. When you balance out what he does at home and on the road, you will get a pretty solid season from a player entering his prime.
Don’t Overlook Garcia
In some leagues Maikel Garcia qualifies at shortstop and second base as well as a third baseman. No matter where he can be slotted, he is a player who will help you across multiple categories. He is coming off a season in which he had 16 homers, 74 RBI, 23 steals, and a .286/.351/.449 slash line during his age 25 season. Garcia doesn’t have the gaudy power numbers some people look for in a third baseman. In other words, he is not Suarez, a third baseman who fits the traditional stereotype of the lumbering power hitter at third base. What Garcia brings is solid power, a solid slash line, and speed. That is a pretty good player to have.
A Future DH
George Springer will primarily be a DH with the Blue Jays this season, but Springer will likely get enough starts in right to remain there or, at worst, move to left and at least retain outfield eligibility. At the plate, Springer returned to his former glory years in 2025 after three years of decline. In 140 games, he hit 32 homers with 84 RBI and 18 steals while slashing .309/.399/.560. Those are more like the numbers he had when he played for Houston and his first year with the Blue Jays, and not from 2022-2024 when he saw his SLG decline from .472 to .405 to 371.
105-101
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 105 | Kyle Manzardo | CLE | 25 | 1B |
| 104 | William Contreras | MIL | 28 | C |
| 103 | Dylan Cease | TOR | 30 | SP |
| 102 | Spencer Strider | ATL | 27 | SP |
| 101 | Blake Snell | LAD | 33 | SP |
Quietly Productive
When listening to the “experts” talk about the top first basemen in the game, one player seldom talked about is Kyle Manzardo. Maybe it is because he plays for Cleveland, or it is because he spent more time at DH than at first base, but don’t overlook Manzardo. His slash line in 2025 wasn’t great at .234/.313/.455. But while the average and OBP are low, the SLG is nice thanks to the 27 homers Manzardo hit, helping him drive in 70 runs in his first full season in the majors.
Manzardo will likely never have a high average, but he did a nice job of drawing walks in the minors, and he didn’t have a terrible Chase% (52nd percentile in 2025), though he could cut down on the strikeouts. But what draws me to Manzardo is the power. He has always hit with power and should continue to do so for years.
Can He Rebound?
In 2024, William Contreras had a breakout season with Milwaukee after hitting 23 homers with 92 RBI while slashing .281/.365/.466. Everyone had high expectations for Contreras in 2025, but he didn’t match his 2024 numbers as he hit 17 homers and drove in 76 while slashing .260/.355/.399. That dropoff would be more concerning if not for the fact that he was playing much of the 2025 season with a fractured left middle finger.
Despite the injury, he still appeared in 150 games, the third straight season he topped 140 games played. Contreras should be back to 100 percent this season, and thus, he should be able to reach his 2024 numbers again, or at least come close.
A Trio Of Hurlers
Dylan Cease is a pitcher who will drive you insane, yet is a pitcher you always want on your team. When it comes to “stuff,” there are few pitchers who can match Cease. Last year, his fastball velo ranked in the 88th percentile, while his Whiff% ranked in the 95th percentile and K% ranked in the 89th percentile. And those rankings basically match what he has done throughout his career.
But Cease can never put together great back-to-back seasons. Since 2021, his ERA has been 3.91, 2.20, 4.58, 3.47, 4.55. His WHIP over that same time period has been 1.249, 1.109, 1.418. 1.067, 1.327. Cease is either great or a trainwreck – twice he has finished in the top four in Cy Young voting. Other seasons, he is an average pitcher at best. He is due for a great season with the Blue Jays this season, but I’m not going to bet my house on that.
Spencer Strider missed most of the 2024 season due to elbow surgery and struggled a bit in 2025 after returning to the mound, posting a 7-14 record with a 4.45 ERA and 1.396 WHIP. Strider obviously wasn’t his old self in 2025, as his 9.4 K/9 rate was way below his career average of 13.5 entering the season. And his 1.396 WHIP was significantly higher than the 1.071 career WHIP entering 2025. Now nearly two years removed from the elbow surgery, I think Strider should approach his previous numbers, but I am not fully committed to that statement, which is why he lands at No. 102.
When it comes to Blake Snell, he is a pitcher you want, but make sure you have starting pitching depth if you have him, because he is not going to give you a lot of innings. Snell is still a great pitcher, coming off a 2.35 ERA and a 10.6 K/9 rate. Since 2021, he has a 3.06 ERA, 1.203 WHIP, and an 11.8 K/9 rate with an ERA+ of 130. But Snell is going to walk a lot of batter and he will be lucky to throw 130 innings.
Since 2021, the most innings he has thrown in a season is 180 in 2023. His average is 121 innings of work, and over the last two years, he has thrown a combined 165.1 innings. The Dodgers have the luxury of throwing out a host of starting pitchers, allowing them to manage his innings. If you have the depth to do that as well, grab Snell.
Thank You
Thanks for taking the time to get through this first installment of 2026 Dynasty Rankings. Come back next week for the players ranked from 200-176.
If you missed previous rankings, just click below.
2026 Dynasty Baseball Rankings: 400-301
2026 Dynasty Baseball Rankings: 300-201
2026 Dynasty Baseball Rankings: 200-176
2026 Dynasty Baseball Rankings: 175-151
2026 Dynasty Baseball Rankings: 150-126
