2026 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Rankings: 300-201

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the second installment of the 2026 Dynasty Rankings.

Last week I knocked out players ranked from 400-301. This week I tackle another huge chunk of players: 300-201.

Being such a large group, here is a quick breakdown of the positions and ages of the players:

• RP: 21 | SP: 19
• 1B: 6 | 2B: 4 | 3B: 8 | SS: 4 | IF: 8
• RF: 3 | CF: 4 | LF: 4 | OF: 9
• IF/OF: 6
• Ages 20-24: 17
• Ages 25-29: 52
• Ages 30-34: 27
• Ages 35+: 6

As you can see, there are many relief pitchers in this grouping, and trying to say who will break out and who will regress is always a guessing game. I believe these are the best of the middle relievers with a few closers sprinkled in as well.

Outside of a few top relievers, I do not reach early on closers or the top setup men, thus the reason why 21% of the players listed in the below rankings are relievers.

And as you will see, I lumped a lot of starting pitchers into groups, so if you see four or five all listed together, order them however you want.

I did “cheat” by listing 102 players below. I already had by 100 players ranked when the Astros and Blue Jays decided to sign two imports from Japan. So instead of bumping two players, I just created a bit of room by having an A and B at a certain ranking.

With that out of the way, let’s get started.

300-276

Notes:
*Age as if April 1, 2026
**Position = at least 10 games played at that position

RANK	PLAYER	TEAM	AGE	POSITION
300	Raisel Iglesias	ATL	36	RP
299	Hunter Gaddis	CLE	27	RP
298	Gabe Speier	SEA	30	RP
297	Robbie Ray	SF	34	SP
296	Ryne Nelson	ARI	28	SP
295	Trevor Megill	MIL	32	RP
294	Jake Cronenworth	SD	32	2B|1B|SS
293	Gabriel Arias	CLE	26	SS
292	Kenley Jansen	DET	38	RP
291	Ronny Henriquez	MIA	25	RP
290	Wilmer Flores	FA	34	1B
289	Alex Vesia	LAD	29	RP
288	Jake Meyers	HOU	29	CF
287	Chad Patrick	MIL	27	SP
286	Edmundo Sosa	PHI	30	3B|2B|SS
285	Nathaniel Lowe	FA	30	1B
284	Kody Clemens	MIN	29	2B|1B|LF|RF
283	Emilio Pagan	CIN	34	RP
282	Ernie Clement	TOR	30	3B|2B|SS|1B
281	Carlos Estevez	KC	33	RP
280	Davis Schneider	TOR	27	LF|2B
279	Josh Smith	TEX	28	3B|SS|1B
278	Jakob Marsee	MIA	24	CF|LF
277	Zach McKinstry	DET	30	3B|SS|RF|LF
276	Marcelo Meyer	BOS	23	3B

Just Keeps Recording Saves

When it comes to Kenley Jansen, I have just decided that he is going to pitch forever and rack up saves forever. The dude is going to be 38 on Opening Day and for the last several years I keep thinking Father Time is going to catch up to him. Yet all he did this year was record 29 saves with a 2.59 ERA and 0.95 WHIP and nearly averaged a strikeout per inning. So I’m not going to write him off, and obviously neither are the Detroit Tigers after adding him to be the team’s closer.

If you are the owner of Will Vest, don’t get rid of him just yet, however. Jansen’s 24.4% strikeout rate and 44.6% hard hit rate were the worst of his career, so while his fantasy numbers were good, he is showing some signs of aging. That could allow Vest to snag some saves here and there or take over the role if Jansen falters.

Breakout Season

Ronny Henriquez, who missed the 2023 season, accumulated 31 total innings of work in 2022 and 2024 but had a 2.90 ERA and 1.161 WHIP. He finally had his breakout season in 2025 as he had 26 holds and seven saves with a 2.22 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with a 12.08 K/9 rate. The only drawback with Henriquez is plays for a team that simply doesn’t like to try to win. So while I expect him to remain a very good reliever, he is likely not going to have a lot of saves and/or holds as the losses outnumber the wins.

Texas’ New Second Baseman?

With the trade of Marcus Semien to the Mets, there is a hole at second base now for the Rangers. The player most likely to fill that hole is Josh Smith, who can fill in at short and third base, and depending on your league settings, outfield as well. While Smith can do a little of everything in the field, he can also help you with the bat as he slashed .251/.335/.366 with 10 homers, 35 RBI and 12 steals.

Plug And Play

Ernie Clement is a great player to have in deep leagues as he can play second, third and short, and depending on your league rules, first base. He can also produce some decent numbers at the plate. In his last two seasons with the Blue Jays he has averaged 148 games, 11 homers and 51 RBI with a .271/.301/.402 slash line. If Bo Bichette doesn’t return, Clement is likely headed for second base being his primary position.

Much like Clement, Zach McKinstry can play all over the field as he can be slotted in at third, short, left field and right field. And he can play all of those positions while not completely killing you at the plate. He did have a career year in 2025 with his 12 homers, 49 RBI and 19 steals, but he has stolen at least 16 bases in each of the last three seasons.

Is Third Base His?

Marcelo Mayer was the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft and he finally got a taste of the big leagues this season by appearing in 44 games for the Red Sox. The debut did not go as planned for a player rated as a top 15 (Baseball America), 12 (MLB) or 25 (Baseball Prospectus) prospect. Mayer slashed .228/.272/.402 with four homers and 10 RBI. He finished with a 30% strikeout rate and only a 6% walk rate. That doesn’t mean you should discard him, however. He was only 22 years old this past season, and if Alex Bregman signs elsewhere, there is a hole that Mayer can fill at third.

275-251

RANK	PLAYER	TEAM	AGE	POSITION
275	Max Kepler	FA	33	LF|RF
274	Matt Wallner	MIN	28	RF
273	Max Muncy	LAD	35	3B
272	Daniel Palencia	CHC	26	RP
271	JJ Bleday	CIN	28	RF|CF|LF
270	Devin Williams	NYM	31	RP
269	Matt Brash	SEA	27	RP
268	Logan O’Hoppe	LAA	26	C
267	Carlos Narvaez	BOS	27	C
266	Ryan McMahon	NYY	31	3B
265	David Bednar	NYY	30	RP
264	Josh Bell	MIN	33	1B
263	Spencer Horwitz	PIT	28	1B
262	Gabriel Moreno	ARI	26	C
261	Dillon Dingler	DET	27	C
260	Brady House	WAS	22	3B
259	Victor Scott II	STL	25	CF
258	Aroldis Chapman	BOS	38	RP
257	Wenceel Perez	DET	26	CF|RF
256	Robert Suarez	ATL	35	RP
255	Connor Norby	MIA	25	3B
224	Abner Uribe	MIL	25	RP
253	Jeremiah Estrada	SD	26	RP
252	Adolis Garcia	PHI	33	RF
251	Zack Gelof	ATH	26	2B

Ready To Bounce Back

Logan O’Hoppe was fantastic in 2024 when he hit 20 homers and drove in 56 runs in his first full season with the Angels. The 2025 season looked like it was going to be a breakout season for the young catcher as he hit 14 homers and drove in 30 runs through the first two months of the season. Then the wheels feel off. From June through the end of the season O’Hoppe hit only 5 home runs and drove in 13. Over his final 42 games he slashed .182/.240/.266 with two homers and six RBI.

Unlike some other catchers previously ranked, I firmly believe O’Hoppe will bounce back in 2026 and beyond and be a really great source of power from the catcher position.

A Solid Backup

You can do a lot worse that having to have Spencer Horwitz as a depth player at first base or corner infield. Over the last two seasons with Toronto and Pittsburgh he has a .269/.355/.434 slash line with 23 homers, 91 RBI and a 121 OPS+. The problem is that is over two seasons, not one season, as he has been a role player. With the Pirates signing Ryan O’Hearn, there is a strong change Horwitz will split time at 1B and DH with O’Hearn.

The Old Man

Let’s talk about Aroldis Chapman. Basically everything I said about Jansen above applies to Chapman here. He is Jansen, but better –  much higher strikeout rate, better walk rate, better H/9 rate, lower ERA and lower WHIP. Until Chapman hits the wall, I’m not going to avoid him just because he will be 38 next year. There is nothing wrong with targeting a few players you want for only a year or two in dynasty leagues.

Third Basemen To Watch

The 11th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Brady House packs a lot of power into his 6-foot-4 frame. In 65 games at Triple-A this past season he hit 13 homers and drove in 41 runs while slashing .304/353/.519. After joining the Nationals, he slashed .234/.252/.322 in 73 games with four dingers and 29 RBI. For House to reach his potential, he has to work on his lack of patience at the plate as he had a 2.9% walk rate and 28.5 K% with the Nationals. He wasn’t that bad in the minors, but he did have a 26% strikeout rate with only a 6.5% walk rate.

Connor Norby never got on track in 2025, and he is similar to House – lots of power, trouble with the strikeouts and taking a walk. Norby slashed .251/.300/.389 with eight homers, 34 RBI and eight steals in 88 games with the Marlins. Power has never rally been a question when it comes to Norby. His problem is a career strikeout rate of 29% with a 6.2% walk rate. But he generates great bat speed, which will lead to lots of home runs.

The Non-Closer Stud

Abner Uribe appeared in 32 games in 2023 and had a 1.76 ERA, 1.174 WHIP and an 11.4 K/9 rate but was limited to 14 appearances in 2024 before bouncing back for the Brewers in 2025. In 75 appearances, he posted a 1.67 ERA and 1.035 WHIP. He had only seven saves but he had 37 holds while also striking out 10.8 batters per nine innings. Uribe is an excellent setup man who can easily be a closer if called upon to do so.

250-226

RANK	PLAYER	TEAM	AGE	POSITION
25oB	Tatsuya Imai	HOU	27	SP
250A	Kodai Senga	NYM	33	SP
249	Isaac Collins	KC	28	LF
248	Cade Smith	CLE	26	RP
247	Bryan Abreu	HOU	28	RP
246	Alejandro Kirk	TOR	27	C
245	Luis Robert Jr.	CHW	28	CF
244	Jesus Sanchez	HOU	28	RF|LF|CF
243	Logan Henderson	MIL	24	SP
242	Alec Bohm	PHI	29	3B|1B
242	Luis Castillo	SEA	33	SP
240	Marcus Semien	NYM	35	2B
239	Royce Lewis	MIN	26	3B
238	Brenton Doyle	COL	27	CF
237	Edwin Diaz	LAD	32	RP
236	Jhoan Duran	Min	28	RP
235	Ryan O’Hearn	PIT	32	1B|RF
234B	Kazuma Okamoto	TOR	29	3B|1B
234A	Josh Jung	TEX	28	3B
233	Ozzie Albies	ATL	29	2B
232	Caleb Durbin	MIL	26	3B|2B
231	Ezequiel Tovar	COL	24	SS
230	Brendan Donovan	STL	29	2B|LF
229	Lars Nootbaar	STL	28	LF
228	Masyn Winn	STL	24	SS
227	Colt Keith	DET	24	3B|2B|1B
226	Samuel Basallo	BAL	21	C

New Face In Houston

With a need to add starting pitching, the Houston Astros signed Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who previously pitched for the Seibu Lions in the NPB. If you go by his career stats, Imai, who will be 28 for most of the season, would be ranked lower than here as he had a 3.15 ERA, 1.267 WHIP, 4.4 K/9 rate and 8.5 K/9 rate. Not bad numbers, but nothing overwhelming, especially the BB/9 and K/9 rates. But his career stats include the start of his career, in which he made his debut at the age of 20 and struggled early.

Since 2022 he has been outstanding. Over the last four seasons his ERAs have been 2.41, 2.30, 2.34 and 1.92 and his worst WHIP was 1.19 in 2022. His BB/9 rate has averaged 3.8 with it dropping each and every season (5.1 to 2.5 last year) and his K/9 rate has averaged 9.4. The recent history of Japanese pitchers coming to the majors has been pretty good. Imai likely isn’t going to be an ace, but he should be solid No. 3 pitcher, even a No. 2. But without seeing him pitch in this country, I’m playing it safe and ranking him with Kodai Senga and behind Logan Henderson.

Talent Is Still There

Injuries have not been kind to Kodai Senga the last two years. He was limited to one start in 2024 and this year he was limited to 113.1 innings due to injuries and then ineffectiveness. Overall, Senga had a solid season with a 3.02 ERA and an ERA+ of 133. But a lot of things went wrong when on the mound. His K/9 rate dropped to 8.7 per nine (career rate is 10.1) and his BB/9 was at 4.4. Despite battling for a playoff spot, the Mets shipped Senga to the minors at the end of August after he posted a 6.18 ERA and 1.627 WHIP that month, which came on the heels of a 5.25/1.833 month of July.

I don’t think he is done, but at 33 years old, I’m not as quick to believe he will rebound.

Trade Helps Collins – And You

Isaac Collins had a nice rookie season with the Milwaukee Brewers, finishing fourth in the ROY voting thanks to a .263/.368/.411 slash line with nine homers, 54 RBI and 16 steals in 130 games. The big question with him going into 2026 was would he have a spot in the outfield or be a fourth outfielder. Thanks to a trade with the Royals, he has likely found a home in left field for Kansas City, and if you need speed on your team, Collins is a solid player to have.

The Closer And Could Be Closer

Cade Smith was doing a great job as a setup man for the Guardians and then did a great job as the team’s closer when Emmanuel Clase got suspended. With Clase in legal trouble, Smith should remain the closer for Cleveland as he can blow the ball past hitters as shown by his 12.71 K/9 rate this year and in his brief career it is 12.50.

Bryan Abreu has been dominant out of the pen for several years now. This year was no different as he had 25 holds and then stepped into the closer’s role when Josh Hader went down and finished with seven saves to go along with a 13.31 K/9 rate.

Warning Signs

Luis Castillo has been an outstanding pitcher during his career, an ace for both the Reds and Mariners. But the days of him anchoring the rotation are over. He is still a solid pitcher, but his numbers have trended in the wrong direction the past two years. After allowing only 7.3 H/9 in 2023 with a 10.0 K/9 rate, the H/9 has been at 8.1 and 8.4 the last two years and the K/9 has dropped to 9.0 and then 8.1 this season.

Versatile Player

Ryan O’Hearn brings value thanks to being able to play right field as well as first base while providing some power. Over the last three seasons he has averaged 15 homers and 61 RBI while slashing .277/.343/.445. He has reached his ceiling, so he is not going to suddenly bust out and be a top-tier first baseman. But he produces solid numbers and that is what you need in a fantasy backup first baseman.

Will The Bat Carry Over?

The Blue Jays made a splash entering the new year by signing Kazuma Okamoto, formerly of the Yomiuri Giants. Okamoto is a solid defender and should handle the hot corner without any problems for the Blue Jays, assuming he plays at third base. Okamoto can also play at the corners in the outfield, allowing for Addison Barger to possibly slip in as the third baseman and Okamoto moving to the outfield. He can also play first, but that position is kind of blocked in Toronto.

While his glove should not be a concern, the question we care about his his bat. Okamoto has been outstanding at the plate in Japan, recording a career slash line of .274/.355/.501 in 11 seasons in the Japanese Central League. Six times he has topped 30 homers, including a 41 homer season in 2023. But unlike a lot of the Japanese pitchers who have crossed the Pacific and have had success, Japanese hitters have been a mixed bag. I’m not ready to proclaim that he will quickly adjust to the majors and be a major contributor at the plate, but his history suggests that he should have solid success and be close to what I expect from Josh Jung, thus why they are ranked with each other.

DH Likely Future

With Pete Alonso signing with Baltimore, it appears Samuel Basallo will see most of this time at DH going forward with some starts behind the plate and at first base. The youngster made his debut with the Orioles in 2025 and didn’t set the world on fire by slashing .165/.229/.330 with four homers and 15 RBI in 31 games. But then when you realize that he only turned 21 in August and was a bit unlucky at the plate (.187 BABIP), and you overlook those numbers and hope he replicates what he did in the minors, which was slash .283/.366/.498 in 401 career games with 73 homers and 269 RBI.

225-201

RANK	PLAYER	TEAM	AGE	POSITION
225	Trevor Larnach	MIN	29	LF|RF
224	Bryan Reynolds	PIT	31	RF
223	Brady Singer	CIN	29	SP
222	Ryan Pepiot	TB	28	SP
221	Bubba Chandler	PIT	23	SP
220	AJ Blubaugh	HOU	24	SP
219	Connelly Early	BOS	24	SP
218	Xander Bogaerts	SD	33	SS
217	Jurickson Profar	ATL	33	LF
216	Andrew Benintendi	CHW	31	LF
215	Jake Burger	TEX	29	1B
214	Nathan Lukes	TOR	31	LF|CF|RF
213	C.J. Kayfus	CLE	24	RF|1B
212	Jonah Tong	NYM	22	SP
211	Trey Yesavage	TOR	22	SP
210	Emmet Sheehan	LAD	26	SP
209	Gavin Williams	CLE	26	SP
208	Will Warren	NYY	26	SP
207	Kyle Teel	CHW	24	C
206	Edward Cabrera	MIA	27	SP
205	Dylan Crews	WAS	24	RF|CF
204	Chandler Simpson	TB	25	LF|CF
203	Matt Shaw	CHC	24	3B
202	Willson Contreras	BOS	33	1B
201	Kevin Gausman	TOR	35	SP

So Many Young Arms

If you are building your team around former Top 100 prospects, then Bubba Chandler should be moved up these rankings. But based on what he is doing right now, I am going the conservative route. Age is a factor, as he has always been young for the level he has pitched on. But his career minor league numbers are a 3.73 ERA and 1.293 WHIP with rates of 4.2 BB/9 and 11.1 K/9. In seven games (four starts) with the Pirates, he was 4-1 with a 4.02 ERA.

AJ Blubaugh has never been a Top 100 prospect, but he had a great debut with the Astros this season, going 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 0.875 WHIP in 11 games and three starts. In September he had a 0.00 ERA with a 0.778 ERA and a 9.5 K/9 rate in 18 innings of work. Does he have the ability to be a starter, or is he destined to be a reliever? His past history of walks, thanks to an inconsistent release point, is why some believe he is destined for the bullpen and will likely be a solid long reliever. However, watching him pitch, he definitely has the pitches and ability to be a starter and will be given every chance to land a spot in the rotation.

Trey Yesavage has quickly made a name for himself. In three regular season starts with the Blue Jays this year, he had a 3.21 ERA and a 10.3 K/9 rate. In his first-ever postseason start, he dominated the Yankees to the tune of 11 strikeouts and one walk allowed in 5.1 innings of work and he continued to be outstanding in the postseason, posting a 3.58 ERA in 27.2 innings with a 12.7 K/9 rate.

Jonah Tong had a very up-and-down debut with the Mets in 2025, posting a 7.71 WHIP and 1.768 WHIP thanks to allowing 11.6 H/9 and 4.3 BB/9. But he did show at times why the Mets wanted him in the rotation as he had a 10.6 K/9 rate and in two of his starts he allowed one earned run over 10 innings. But he also had two starts where he allowed a combined 11 earned runs in 2.2 innings. The life of a young pitcher in the majors.

All of these young pitchers may be ranked higher by you or others. But when it comes to most rookie pitchers, I take a conservative approach, thus why they are ranked here. But in established dynasty leagues, a lot of the higher-ranked pitchers will not be available, making the pitchers I just mentioned top targets to go after.

Working His Way Up

C.J. Kayfus was not drafted out of high school and was only a third round selection out of college after his junior year at Miami in 2023. Yet Kayfus flew through the Cleveland system and made his debut with the team in 2025, slashing .220/.292/.415 with four homers, 19 RBI and four steals in 44 games. Kayfus has shown a nice power stroke in the minors, hitting 35 homers and slugging .525 in 211 games after going 24-.548 in 162 games in college. The knock against Kayfus was he wasn’t going to be a power hitter, yet he has shown he can hit with power and he can develop into a solid left-handed hitting outfielder/first baseman.

Will The Power Develop?

Drafted in the first round of the 2023 draft, Kyle Teel made his debut with the White Sox this season and had a solid rookie campaign. He slashed .273/.375/.411 with eight homers and 35 RBI in 78 games. His 162-game average is 17 homers and 73 RBI, and I think he is fully capable of reaching 20 homers. Over his last 53 games Teel hit all eight of his homers and drove in 29 while slashing .286/.376/.457.

Speed, Speed And More Speed

Chandler Simpson provides a tool that is still very much in demand – steals. As a rookie he stole 44 bases and he had a solid batting average of .295. But he had only a .326 OBP thanks to a 4.5% walk rate and his SLG was .345 as he has no power. So if you snag Simpson, do so knowing that he is only going to really help you in steals.

Love His Potential

Matt Shaw had a lot of hype coming out of the minors when he joined the Cubs. There are a lot of reason’s to like Shaw, but I will just steal what what Grey said about him: “He was hyped for a reason. He has insane power and speed. Last year he went 13/17/.226. Bleh on the average, but it was with a .262 BABIP (unlucky) and a 21.5 K%, excellent for a rookie. Shaw’s about to launch. I won’t project him for it, but his last minor league year of 21/31/.284 feels very doable in the majors. I honestly think this sleeper has potential to be a 30/30/.280 hitter and a top 20 player.”

If Shaw reaches those numbers, he is obviously ranked too low here. But he still has some adjustments to do, and because of that, he lands just outside the top 200.

A New Home

Willson Contreras had a decent season in 2025 for the Cardinals, slashing .257/.344/.447 with 20 homers and 80 RBI. His Statcast numbers were just as good as he ranked in the 83rd percentile or higher in xwOBA, xSLG, Barrel%, Hard Hit% and bat speed. Contreras doesn’t look to be slowing down at the plate and you can basically pencil him in for 20 homers and 80 RBI each season, though his time as a first baseman is slowly dwindling as he is seeing more time at DH. The Red Sox say they plan to play Contreras at first and DH, but we will see if that remains the case when the season starts.

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 Rankings: 400-301