Welcome back, everyone. I hope everyone is finally thawing out from the winter weather. If not, all I can say is stay warm, and I am glad that I do not live in the northern states! If it hits the 20s here, the world ends!
While we deal with whatever the weather wants to throw our way, the 2026 Dynasty Rankings continues with its countdown. This week, I highlight the players ranked from No. 150 to No. 126.
Here is a quick breakdown of the positions and ages of the players:
- SP: 2
- C: 3 | 1B: 1 | 2B: 3 | 3B: 1 | SS: 4 | IF: 1
- LF: 5 | CF: 1 | RF: 2 | OF: 1
- IF/OF: 1
- Ages 20-24: 6
- Ages 25-29: 10
- Ages 30-34: 9
- Ages 35+: 0
The interesting thing when you look at the numbers above, at least interesting to me, is the large chunk of players who are in the 30 to 34 age group. Many of you would think that as we get to the better players, the older players would be phased out. That was the case in the previous rankings, but in this case, as we count down to the top players, the best of the older players are popping up, especially in this grouping.
The moral of this story? Well, there are still some really good older players out there who should be targeted.
As for the positions, there is a good sprinkling of them here. The entire infield is represented, as well as the other outfield. Shortstops are starting to show up (they have been a little underrepresented in previous rankings), and a host of left fielders are talked about below. What we are starting to see from these rankings and going forward is that the better position groups will dominate the rankings.
With that out of the way, let’s get started.
150-146
Notes:
*Age as of April 1, 2026
**Position = at least 10 games played at that position
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | Eugenio Suarez | FA | 34 | 3B |
| 149 | Nico Hoerner | CHC | 28 | 2B |
| 148 | Cam Smith | HOU | 23 | RF |
| 147 | Ramon Laureano | SD | 31 | LF|CF|RF |
| 146 | Anthony Volpe | NYY | 24 | SS |
A Pure Slugger
Eugenio Suarez is good at one thing at the plate – hitting home runs. In four of the last five full seasons, Suarez has hit at least 30 home runs, and in each of the last two seasons, he has topped 100 RBI. You are not going to get a player who helps your AVG or OBP (.246/.328 career marks), but that is the tradeoff you get for the power he provides. If there is one area that may give you pause when it comes to Suarez is his home ballpark. His career SLG at T-Mobile Park is .406. That ranks seventh-worst in parks where he has had at least 100 career at-bats. In the three stadiums he has called home (T-Mobile, Great American, and Chase Field), T-Mobile is far and away his worst stadium when it comes to SLG.
If he remains in Seattle, that could lead you to bump him down a couple of spots. After joining the Mariners last season, he went from a .897 SLG with Arizona to a .682 with Seattle.
Solid Contributor
We all want to hoard as many studs as possible on our dynasty teams, but we all know that is pretty much impossible unless you know how to rip off a lot of other teams in trades. Reality is, you will need solid players who are not going to cost too much. Welcome to Nico Hoerner. Since becoming a full-time player in 2022, Hoerner has averaged 83 runs scored, eight homers, 58 RBI, and 31 steals per season with a .284/.339/.389 slash line.
The SLG is not great, but the AVG and OBP are just fine; you will get a lot of steals and runs scored, and every now and then a homer and some RBIs. That is a pretty solid player to have on your team.
A Tale Of Two Halves
Which version of Cam Smith is the real version? The Houston right fielder was having a great rookie season through his first 82 games as he had a .277/.347/.418 slash line with seven home runs, 39 RBI, and four steals. Project that out for a full season, and he is a 14-78-8 player as a rookie. But then came the second half. Over his final 52 games (41 of which were starts as he was platooned down the stretch), he slashed .154/.247/.242 with two homers, 12 RBI, and four steals. I think the first half version of Smith is the real player we will see going forward. He played only 32 games of minor league ball, with those coming after his final season at Florida State. With a year of experience under his belt, he will be able to make adjustments more quickly and likely understand the rigors of a 162 game schedule.
Underrated At The Plate
Ramon Laureano has been known for his defensive ability – mainly his arm – for years. But he is much better at the plate than he is given credit for. His career slash line is a solid .253/.323/.489, and this past season Laureano hit 24 homers and drove in 76 runs with Baltimore and then San Diego. For a variety of reasons, Laureano has never played in more than 123 games until this past season, when he appeared in 132 games. But his 162-game average is 23 homers, 72 RBI, and 16 steals.
He likely won’t get as many starts in center field next season with Jackson Merrill hopefully healthy, but he will get time in center and right and DH, and thus get his fair share of at-bats. If he appears in another 130 games or so, I expect him to match his 2025 output.
All Power, No Hit
In his first three seasons as a Yankee, Anthony Volpe has hit 21, 12, and 19 homers and stolen 24, 28, and 18 bases. But Volpe is a hindrance to your team when it comes to batting average or OBP. His career AVG/OBP is .222/.283. He hit .212 this season with a career-worst .272 OBP. Those are not the numbers of a top shortstop.
Will Volpe ever figure out how to increase the AVG and OBP? I think the answer to that is no, unless he learns to become a little more selective at the plate. His career walk rate (7.3%) is below the MLB average of 8.4%, while his career strikeout rate of 25.1% is way above the MLB average of 22.5%. He’s a solid player when it comes to power and speed, but that is all he really provides right now.
145-141
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 145 | Gleyber Torres | DET | 29 | 2B |
| 144 | Brett Baty | NYM | 26 | 2B|3B |
| 143 | Jorge Polanco | NYM | 32 | 2B |
| 142 | Noelvi Marte | CIN | 24 | RF|3B |
| 141 | Sal Stewart | CIN | 22 | 1B |
Kinda Like Hoerner, But Not
Gleyber Torres is pretty consistent, but not in the way Nico Hoerner is. For two years, Torres was blasting balls out of ballparks. But that was back in 2018 and 2019. The 2020 season doesn’t count, but in 2021, he hit only nine homers before slugging 24 and 25 in 2022 and 2023. But the last two years have seen his power drop to 15 and 16 dingers. So Torres seems to like two-year stretches. Will he suddenly reach 20 homers again? He could, but he likely won’t, and instead be in the 15 homer range.
What he will do is drive in around 70 runs and slash .260/.340/.380. If you like steals, put Hoerner in this slot and Torres in Hoerner’s slot. If you like the power more, go with Torres.
An Old Met, A New Met
Brett Baty came up as a third baseman and only moved to second base this past season, making 46 starts at second compared to 60 at third. No matter where he played, Baty had a solid season as he smashed 18 homers in 130 games this year and had a .435 SLG to finally live up to the expectations that have been with him since breaking in with the Mets in 2022. With Pete Alonso now in Baltimore, it appears Mark Vientos can slide to first, and Baty move back to third, thanks to the arrival of Jorge Polanco.
Polanco was basically a clone of Jose Altuve in 2025 as he hit 26 homers, drove in 78, and stole six bases while slashing .265/.326/.495, but Polanco is also three years younger than Altuve. But I am not completely on board the Polanco train because the 26 homers Polanco hit are the second-highest total in his career, and he has topped 70 RBI only three times during his career. Polanco is a solid player, but I’m not sure if he will match his 2025 numbers again.
Up-and-Coming Right Fielder
Noelvi Marte can slot in at third base, but he will likely patrol right field in 2026 thanks to the Reds starting the overpriced Ke’Bryan Hayes at third. In the 90 games Marte appeared in this past season, he was good, hitting 14 homers, driving in 51 runs, and stealing 12 bases. Over 162 games, that equates to 24 homers, 89 RBI, and 17 steals. That is basically in line with his career 162-game average of 18-71-21.
I am holding off on pushing him higher, as he has yet to play a full season, as the 90 games he played this year were a career high. I think he can be a 20-20 player, with the RBI dependent on where he hits in the lineup. But am I sure of him doing it? Not yet.
Where To Rank Stewart
When it came to ranking Stewart, I was asking myself if I was ranking him too high, too low, or just right. I mean, the dude has barely played in the majors. I see Stewart getting into 120 games or more at first base, third base, and DH, and bringing a lot of power to the Reds’ lineup as well as adding a few steals here and there. That, of course, hinges on the Reds and if they are ever going to settle on players playing a position for more than a day.
Stewart has nothing left to prove in the minors, hitting 40 homers and driving in 202 runs with 42 steals in 323 games. With the Reds, he slugged five homers in 55 at-bats this past season. Stewart can smash the ball, and if the Reds are smart, they plug him into the lineup and let him go.
140-136
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 140 | Trent Grisham | NYY | 29 | CF |
| 139 | CJ Abrams | WAS | 25 | SS |
| 138 | Ivan Herrera | STL | 25 | C |
| 137 | Steven Kwan | CLE | 28 | LF |
| 136 | Ian Happ | CHC | 31 | LF |
Made for New York
Trent Grisham knows a good thing when he sees it. Coming off a career year with the Yankees, he accepted the team’s 1-year qualifying offer to remain in New York. Grisham hit 34 home runs (doubling his previous career high of 17 hits in 2022) with 74 RBI and a .235/.348/.464 slash line.
While Yankee Stadium is built for Grisham and his ability to pull the ball to right field, he was not a product of the cozy dimensions in the Bronx. In 70 home games, he slashed .195/.326/.376 with 13 homers and 23 RBI, while in 73 road games, he went .269/.367/.537-21-51. I would not bet on him duplicating the 34 homers again, but 25 homers is an easy prediction to make.
Waiting For A Breakout
Is CJ Abrams ever going to really break out, or is what we have seen the last three seasons who he really is on the baseball field? Since his first full season with the Nationals in 2023, Abrams has averaged 19 homers, 63 RBI, and 36 steals per season. Those steals are why I rank him so high because his slash line over this period is .249/.310/.426. His Statcast numbers aren’t great, as his best percentage ranking is 57th percentile in K%. I still think there is more power in Garcia’s game, but right now, he is Volpe with more speed.
Will He Stay At Catcher?
There are some people who see Ivan Herrera ranked here and say this is way too low. For those people, I understand why you may say that. Herrera is coming off a 2025 season in which he slashed .284/.373/.464 with 19 homers and 66 RBI in only 107 games. His Statcast numbers are pretty dang impressive, and his career minor league slash line of .283/.392/.437 suggests his slash line in MLB games is legit.
He doesn’t strike out much, draws a lot of walks, so as an offensive player at catcher, there is a lot to like. So what concerns could I possibly have? Well, I’m not sure he will stick at catcher as he really isn’t that great behind the plate. Last season, he saw action at DH in 89 games and only caught in 14 games. He even saw time in left field, the position where people who don’t know how to field go to die. But I am likely quibbling, because he is a really good hitter no matter where he plays.
Steady Performers
Steven Kwan is Steven Kwan. He will give you 10-15 home runs, around 80 runs scored, 50 or so RBI, and about 20 steals. His career slash line is .281/.351/.390, so he isn’t going to hurt you there, but he isn’t going to be why you win any of those categories. If outstanding defense helped, then he would be a much more valuable player. But Gold Gloves don’t help in fantasy baseball. Still, when it comes to offense, Kwan isn’t going to hurt you anywhere.
Ian Happ is a lot like Kwan in that he is tremendously consistent. Since 2021, he has hit 21 to 25 homers in four of the last five seasons and driven in 72 to 86 runners in four of those five seasons. Happ will deliver more power than Kwan, but he will not deliver the same amount of steals or have as good a slash line. Happ averages 10 steals per year with a .247/.343/.447 slash line. So if you want more power, take Happ. You need more speed and a boost to your average and/or OBP, take Kwan.
135-131
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 135 | Jordan Beck | COL | 24 | LF |
| 134 | Teoscar Hernandez | LAD | 33 | RF |
| 133 | Dansby Swanson | CHC | 32 | SS |
| 132 | Trevor Story | BOS | 33 | SS |
| 131 | Agustin Ramirez | MIA | 24 | C |
Coming Into His Own
Ahead of the 2024 season, Jordan Beck was ranked as the 81st best prospect by MLB.com – not too surprising considering Beck was a first-round draft choice of the Rockies in 2022. Beck got a taste of the majors in 2024 when he appeared in 55 games and slashed .188/.245/.276 with three homers, 13 RBI, and seven steals. But this past season saw Beck start to come into his own. Appearing in 148 games, he hit 16 homers, drove in 53, and stole 19 bases while slashing .258/.317/.416.
His slash line varied from month to month last year, but otherwise, he was pretty consistent as he hit at least two home runs in each month of the season and drove in eight or more runners in five of the six months while stealing at least two bags. The worst Beck is going to do is replicate his 2025 season, but I think there is enough there to be a 20-20 player.
Moving To Left
Teoscar Hernandez has been a consistent force at the plate since 2019. Since that season (excluding 2020), he has hit at least 25 homers and driven in 65 runs and twice has stolen 12 bases. Since 2021, his average year is 28 homers and 95 RBI with eight steals and a .268/.319/.480 slash line. He struggled a bit at the plate this past season, posting a .247/.284/.454 slash line, but he still had 25 home runs and 89 RBI. Entering the season, he is only able to play in right field. But with Kyle Tucker now in LA, Hernandez will shift to left, making him one of the top hitting left fielders immediately.
Aging, But Still Producing
Dansby Swanson and Trevor Story both delivered seasons in which they topped 20 homers, 75 RBI, and 20 steals while playing in 157 games or more.
You can count on Swanson to take the field every day. Since 2021, he has appeared in at least 147 games every season, averaging 155 games, 23 homers, 81 RBI, and 15 steals with a .252/.316/.425 slash line. He isn’t spectacular, but he is as steady as they come.
For Story, 2025 was his best season since 2021, when he hit 24 homers, drove in 75 runs, and stole 20 bases for the Rockies. But it is also the first season in which he has played in more than 94 games, and that came in 2022. The 157 games played tied a career high set in 2018. I’m not a firm believer that Story will be able to stay healthy for a full season again.
Ready For The Encore
Agustin Ramirez had an outstanding rookie season for the Marlins as he smashed 21 homers, drove in 67, and stole 16 bases. The ability to steal bases is what really gives Ramirez some extra value, and the speed isn’t a one-season mirage. He swiped 22 bases in the minors in 2024 and had a total of 53 steals during his minor league career while being thrown out only 10 times. It is always a guessing game to see if a player can follow up a breakout season with another solid season, and that is the true question about Ramirez.
130-126
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 130 | Yainer Diaz | HOU | 27 | C |
| 129 | Heliot Ramos | SF | 26 | LF |
| 128 | Michael King | SD | 30 | SP |
| 127 | Brandon Nimmo | TEX | 33 | LF |
| 126 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | 26 | SP |
Waiting For The Next Level
Diaz would be a top 100 player if he would learn what the strike zone is. There isn’t a pitch thrown that Diaz won’t swing at. This year, he had a 44.3% chase rate, ranking in the 1st percentile, and it was 42.6% (2nd percentile) in 2024. But when Diaz actually swings at pitches in the zone, he is a great hitter. His career slash line is .279/.305/.454 in 401 games. His 162-game average is 24 homers and 87 RBI. If he ever develops patience at the plate, he would be a great player to add. But he has yet to show that development, so look at him with a bit of caution.
Ready For Increased Power
Over the past two seasons, Heliot Ramos’ average year has been 22 homers and 72 RBI with a .262/.326/.430 slash line and 115 OPS+ in 139 games. I think there is still some more power to be found in Ramos’ game. His Avg. EV in 2025 ranked in the 87th percentile, while his Hard Hit% ranked in the 76th percentile and his bat speed ranked in the 77th percentile. The problem is his launch angle percentage ranks below the MLB average, and his ground ball percentage is 2.3% higher than league average. If Ramos can make a few tweaks to his swing to increase his fly ball rate, he can easily surpass 25 homers and perhaps knock on the door of 30.
Health Issues Behind Him?
Injuries limited Michael King to only 15 starts in 2025, frustrating fantasy owners as they counted on King to be an ace on their staff. King has the ability to be a great pitcher, and if he gets in 30 starts as he did in 2024, he is probably being ranked too low here. But he is still one of the higher ranked starting pitchers. Converted into a full-time starter by the Padres in 2024, King has made 45 starts out of 46 appearances and has a 3.10 ERA, 1.194 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 134 to go with a 10.1 K/9 ratio.
In 64 career starts, King has a 3.35 ERA and 1.233 WHIP with a 10.0 K/9 ratio – those are some pretty solid numbers.
New Home In Texas
Higher up in these rankings, I talked about Steven Kwan and Ian Happ as two left fielders who are solid, consistent players. Brandon Nimmo, who is now with the Rangers after being traded by the Mets, is the same – just better. Yes, he will be 33 on Opening Day, but he is still a very productive hitter at the plate. He is coming off a 25 homer, 92 RBI season with 13 steals and a .262/.324/.436 slash line. Since 2023, his average season is 153 games with 24 home runs, 83 RBI, and 10 steals to go with a .254/.338/.434 slash line and an OPS+ of 116.
Getting Better And Better
In each of the last three seasons, Andrew Abbott has gotten better and better for the Cincinnati Reds. As a rookie in 2023, he had a 3.87 ERA and 1.317 WHIP. In 2024, those numbers were 3.72 and 1.297, and this past season, he posted a 2.87 ERA and 1.148 WHIP. Helping the decrease in that WHIP is improved command on the mound, as he walked 3.6 hitters per nine innings as a rookie compared to 2.3/9 last year.
He doesn’t strike out a ton of hitters, but he still had a decent 8.1 K/9 rate last season. Not turning 27 until June, Abbott is just now reaching his peak years on the mound, and I think he will be a very steady performer for years to come.
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
2026 Dynasty Rankings: 300-201
2026 Dynasty Rankings: 200-176
2026 Dynasty Rankings: 175-151
