Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and welcome back to my weekly rankings. This week is the Top 50 Dynasty Left Fielders for 2026.
Left field is a weird position. On one hand, it is where old players go to live out the rest of their careers if they are not used as fulltime designated hitters. Many players who used to be really good right or center fielders eventually move over to left field as they slow down or their arm gets weaker. There are also a lot of players who spent much of their time at DH but played enough in the field to be considered a left fielder.
The most obvious is Kyle Schwarber, who played in only eight games in the field, all as a left fielder. But in leagues like Yahoo, that is enough to qualify as a left fielder and not just the UTL designation, so Schwarber is ranked along with the rest of the left fielders (and I am trying to avoid doing a Top 3 DH rankings as Shohei Ohtani, Marcell Ozuna and Andrew McCutchen are the only true DH players remaining. They will be talked about when we get to the right fielders).
Here is the age breakdown of this position:
- 35+: 2
- 30-34: 16
- 25-29: 23
- 20-24: 9
Nearly half of the players I ranked are 30 or older. However, there are some really young, very good players who qualify as left fielders. All that means is that they likely have a defensive shortcoming but their bats are just fine, and in fantasy baseball, that is all we care about and as a whole, left fielders are one of the best hitting positions. The group ranked third in average, tied for second and OBP and third in SLG, OPS and wRC+.
This is also a position that, like second base, a host of players also can qualify as other position players, whether it is in the infield or over in center or right field. If you are in a league where you have the OF designation, this is not big deal for you. But in league that break out players by position in the outfield, this gives some added value to a player.
Just Missing The Cut
- Jose Caballero: He played in only 10 games as a left fielder, enough games to be a left fielder in some leagues, not enough in others. He combined to steal 49 bases with the Rays and Yankees this season and can slot in at second base, shortstop, third base and right field as well. Caballero did slug .456 with the Yankees, but his career SLG is .341 with a .316 OBP. So you can count on Caballero for steals, and a lot of them as he has topped 40 the past two seasons, but that is about it.
- Brooks Baldwin: In 136 career games (103 coming this season) Baldwin has 11 homers and 38 RBI with a .232/.279/.382 slash line. In his final 49 games (43 starts) this past season he slashed .253/.310/.459 with seven homers and 18 RBI. He’s 25 and his real value comes in the fact that he played 10 or more games at left field, center field, right field, third base, shortstop and second base. There is always a place on a team in deep leagues for a player like Baldwin.
- Otto Kemp: He played in only 11 games as a left fielder last year, seven of which were starts, but there is a chance he is the left fielder in 2026. Kemp appeared in 62 games overall last year and slashed .234/.298/.411 as a rookie with eight homers and 28 RBI. He can also play third and first base, helping add to his value.
TIER 5
*Age as of April 1, 2025
| RANK | PLAYER | 2025 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | Jurickson Profar | ATL | 33 |
| 49 | Miguel Andujar | CIN | 31 |
| 48 | JJ Bleday | ATH | 28 |
| 47 | Max Kepler | PHI | 33 |
| 46 | Brandon Marsh | PHI | 28 |
| 45 | Andrew Benintendi | CHW | 31 |
| 44 | Nathan Lukes | TOR | 31 |
| 43 | Harrison Bader | PHI | 31 |
| 42 | Gavin Sheets | SD | 29 |
| 41 | Lourdes Gurriel Jr. | ARI | 32 |
A Tier For Deep Leagues
No one in this tier really jumps out as a player who you think is a must-stash player, and you can really put these players into any order. JJ Bleday has some power, hitting 14 homers in 307 at-bats for the Athletics.
Jurickson Profar, Max Kepler and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. are all still decent players, but all three of them are 32 or older. If you are in a win-now mode and need them to fill a hole, they are good players to take. If you are rebuilding, pass on them and maybe concentrate of Brandon Marsh, who is only 28.
Marsh slashed .280/.342/.443 for the Phillies with 11 homers, 43 RBI and seven steals and he currently slots in as a left or center fielder while possible seeing a lot of action in right field next season if Kyle Schwarber signs elsewhere and Nick Castellanos becomes the DH.
TIER 4
| RANK | PLAYER | 2025 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Trevor Larnach | MIN | 29 |
| 39 | Joey Loperfido | TOR | 26 |
| 38 | Zach Cole | HOU | 25 |
| 37 | Jakob Marsee | MIA | 24 |
| 36 | Heriberto Hernandez | MIA | 26 |
| 35 | Davis Schneider | TOR | 27 |
| 34 | Chandler Simpson | TBR | 25 |
| 33 | Isaac Collins | MIL | 28 |
| 32 | Jesus Sanchez | HOU | 28 |
| 31 | Lars Nootbaar | STL | 28 |
Hidden Gems?
Joey Loperfido, Zach Cole and Jakob Marsee are possible hidden gems in this tier. Loperfido has been a monster power hitter in the minors with the Astros but that power has not been on display since joining the Blue Jays organization at the 2024 trade deadline. But in 41 games with Toronto this year he slashed .333/.379/.500 with four homers and 14 RBI. He will likely carve out a spot as a fourth outfielder and, if he gets hot, can provide power.
A 10th round selection by the Astros in 202, Zach Cole has quickly risen through the Houston system and appeared in 15 games last season, slashing .255/.327/.553 with four homers, 11 RBI and three steals. He has a nice combination of power and speed and could compete for a role as the team’s center fielder or fourth outfielder in 2026.
In some leagues Jakob Marsee is a left fielder after appearing in 12 games with six starts. I went ahead and ranked him with the left fielders, though his path to being a fulltime player is likely in center. Marsee had a solid rookie campaign for the Marlins, slashing .292/.363/.478 with 14 steals in 55 games while adding five homers and 33 RBI. He is a good candidate to add steals to your team while supplying some power.
Heriberto Hernandez joined the Marlins at the end of May and become a solid contributor to the team, hitting 10 homers and driving in 45 runs in 87 games while slashing .266/.347/.438. The power is real as Hernandez hit 24 homers in 2022 and 23 bombs in 2024 while in the Rays’ system and he has a career .498 SLG in the minors. He makes hard, consistent contact and will likely see a lot of time at DH as well as some time in left field.
Speed, Speed And More Speed
Chandler Simpson was in and out of the Rays lineup throughout 2025, but when playing, he 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.
Three Starters, But…
Isaac Collins, Jesus Sanchez and Lars Nootbar are good players to have in leagues with 40-man rosters or 20 teams. Otherwise, they have something to offer but not lots to offer.
Collins had a nice rookie season with the 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. He has likely found a home in left field, and if you need speed on your team, Collins is a solid player to have.
Sanchez, who can play all three outfield spots and is remarkably consistent as he has hit between 14 and 18 homers each season since 2021. He also has some speed as he has stolen 16 and 13 bases the last two seasons. But he has a career slash line of .239/.307/.420 and fell into a hole after the Astros acquired him at the trade deadline, slashing .199/.269/.342 with four homers and 12 RBI in his 48 games with Houston. He is under team control, but his role with the Astros is cloudy.
Nootbaar is basically the same player as Sanchez. Over the last four years he has hit 14, 14, 12 and 13 homers and driving in 40, 46, 45 and 48 runs. He doesn’t have as much speed as Collins or Sanchez but he can play all three outfield positions, giving him value in that area.
TIER 3
| RANK | PLAYER | 2025 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Mickey Moniak | COL | 27 |
| 29 | Daylen Lile | WAS | 23 |
| 28 | Colton Cowser | BAL | 26 |
| 27 | Ramon Laureano | SD | 31 |
| 26 | Alec Burleson | STL | 27 |
| 25 | Steven Kwan | CLE | 28 |
| 24 | Jordan Beck | COL | 24 |
| 23 | Ian Happ | CHC | 31 |
| 22 | Jasson Dominguez | NYY | 23 |
| 21 | Heliot Ramos | SF | 26 |
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.
Falling Down The Rankings
I was all aboard the Colton Cowser train in 2024 as I had him ranked 27th in my Top 400 entering the 2025 season. Needless to say, he will not be ranked that high in my upcoming Top 400 rankings. But I am not ready to write Cowser off. His 2025 season was a bust as a broken thumb sidelined him for most of April and May. Overall he played in 92 games and hit 16 homers and drove in 40 while stealing 14 bases. He has the ability to hit 25 to 30 homers and add 20 steals. The problem is getting on base as his has a career OBP of .300 and batting average of .216. If, and that is a big word, if Cowser can increase his batting average and OBP, he is ranked too low here. But I am not sure he ever will, leaving him here as a Tier 3 player – a player who MAY do something, but may not.
Steady Performer
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.
Am I Missing Something?
Since 2020, Jasson Dominguez has been a favorite of the gurus who rank prospects. He first appeared in the top 100 rankings of Baseball America, MLB and Baseball Prospectus (among the many rankings services) in 2020 and remained a top 100 prospect through 2024. But I have yet to really see all of the hype around him carry onto the field on the major league level. In 123 games he slashed .257/.331/.388 with 10 bombs and 47 RBI, though he did steal 23 bases. He had a 26.8% strikeout rate, which is fine if that also came with 25 homers. He is still young and I will ride the fence a bit as I ranked him 23rd, leaving a lot of room for growth. But right now and cannot fully buy into Dominguez.
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 found in Ramos’ game. His Avg. EV this season 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 reach 25 homers and perhaps knock on the door of 30.
TIER 2
| RANK | PLAYER | 2025 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Jose Altuve | HOU | 35 |
| 19 | Brandon Nimmo | NYM | 33 |
| 18 | George Springer | TOR | 36 |
| 17 | Christian Yelich | MIL | 34 |
| 16 | Seiya Suzuki | CHC | 31 |
| 15 | Taylor Ward | LAA | 32 |
| 14 | Kerry Carpenter | DET | 28 |
| 13 | Jarren Duran | BOS | 29 |
| 12 | Wyatt Langford | TEX | 24 |
| 11 | Andy Pages | LAD | 25 |
A Left Fielder In Name Only
Jose Altuve had a down year compared to his overall career, but that means is 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 is a question. Altuve could return to second on a more fulltime basis and DH when Yordan Alvarez plays left. Or he may still get time in left. That is a question that won’t be answered until next year.
Just Does The Job
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 the both left and right field to give him that added value.
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 had 33 home runs if playing all his games at Camden Yards last year, so there is not a drastic difference.
Carpenter vs. Duran
Let me be up front with Kerry Carpenter – for whatever reason, I love him. He doesn’t do anything great, and that may be due to the fact that he can’t play in more than 130 games. Over the last three seasons, he has played in 118, 87 and 130 games and hit 20, 18, and 26 homers. His 162 game average is 31 dingers and 85 RBI with a .268/.322/.507 slash line. A career SLG over .500 is nothing to sneeze at. Now if he could just play in 150 games, he’d be a strong candidate to knock on the door of Tier 1.
Unlike Carpenter, Jarren Duran has remained healthy, playing in 160 and 157 games the last two years. Duran doesn’t have the same raw power Carpenter does, but he hit 21 homers in 2024 and 16 this past season and his career SLG is a decent .442. I give Duran the slight edge over Carpenter because 1. he has been able to stay on the field and 2. he can steal bases. He swiped 24 bags in 2025 and had 34 and 24 in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Langford vs. Pages
Wyatt Langford has high expectations since the Rangers drafted him fourth overall in the 2023 draft. He was starting for the Rangers by 2024 and has produced two solid seasons to start his career. In 2024 he slashed .253/.325/.415 with 16 homers, 74 RBI and 19 steals and followed that up with a .241/.344/.431 slash line this year with 22 homers, 62 RBI and 22 steals. He just turned 24, so he is not even close to his prime, so he should develop his power but at the same time not lose his speed.
Like Langford, Pages just completed his second season. He improved from his rookie season to this season but produced better numbers than Langford. Playing all three outfield positions for the Dodgers, Pages hit 27 homers, drove in 86 runs and stole 14 bases while slashing .272/.313/.461. Right now, he is the slightly better player than Langford and I like that fact he can play anywhere in the outfield. Because of that, I give him the slight edge over Langford – a very slight edge.
TIER 1
| RANK | PLAYER | 2025 TEAM | AGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Randy Arozarena | SEA | 31 |
| 9 | Kyle Stowers | MIA | 28 |
| 8 | Cody Bellinger | NYY | 30 |
| 7 | Kyle Schwarber | PHI | 33 |
| 6 | Roman Anthony | BOS | 21 |
| 5 | Tyler Soderstrom | ATH | 24 |
| 4 | Riley Greene | DET | 25 |
| 3 | James Wood | WAS | 23 |
| 2 | Jackson Chourio | MIL | 22 |
| 1 | Yordan Alvarez | HOU | 28 |
See Ball, Hit Ball Hard
The reason you want Kyle Stowers on your team is that he possesses great raw power. It never really showed up while at Stanford during his college career, but it was on full display in 2025. Given a chance to play every day in Miami before an injury sidelined him for half of September, Stowers hit 25 homers and drive in 73 runs in 117 games while slashing .288/.368/.544. This past season, his Statcast numbers were:
- xwOBA: 94th Percentile
- xSLG: 95th Percentile
- Barrel%: 98th Percentile
- Hard Hit%: 94th Percenile
- LA Sweet Spot%: 83rd Percentile
- Bat Speed: 88th Percentile
His career Average EV is 90.8 mph, and his career Hard-Hit% is 50.6%. When he hit the ball, he hits it hard.
The Old Gang
In a tier that is loaded with up-and-coming stars or established players entering their prime, there are three players in their 30s who are still at the top of their game.
Randy Arozarena hit scored 95 runs, hit 27 homers, drove in 76 runs and stole 31 bases for the Mariners this season. That is basically what you are going to get out of Arozarena every year. Since 2021 his average season is 87 runs scored, 22 homers, 75 RBI and 25 steals with a .249/.342/.429 slash line and 120 OPS+. He isn’t a left fielder to build around, but he is a left fielder you want on your team for the next three years.
Cody Bellinger is old man #2. Eligible to play all three outfield positions, he has re-established himself as a top player since bottoming out in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. Over the last three years he is averaging 85 runs scored, 24 home runs, 91 RBI and 14 steals with a .281/.338/.477 slash line and 125 OPS+. And Bellinger is a perfect fit for Yankee Stadium as he is coming off a 29 homer, 98 RBI season in his first year in pinstripes.
Old man #3 Kyle Schwarber. You don’t have Schwarber on your team as a left fielder. You have him on your team because he mashes the ball – a lot. This season he hit 56 home runs and drove in 132 runs. Yes, 2025 was a career year for Schwarber when it comes to those numbers. But in every full season since 2017, he has topped 30 homers seven times. He has driven in 104, 104 and 156 runs the last three years and his 162 game average is 100 runs scored, 43 homers, 98 RBI to go with a .346 OBP and .500 SLG.
A Future Star
James Wood can do just about everything at the plate. He can hit to all fields and while he does not have Aaron Judge power, but he gets everything out of his 6-foot-7 frame to easily drive the ball. In his first full season with the Nationals, he hit 31 homers and drove in 94 runs. And he has decent speed as he stole 14 bases in 79 games in 2024 and added 15 this year in 157 games. Yes, he strikes out a lot (221 times in 2025 with a 32.1 strikeout rate), but that is no reason to not grab him if you have the chance. The worst he is going to be is a 30-homer, 90-RBI player with some steals and a .260/.360/.460 slash line. That is the floor. I think he will bust through that floor as he progresses in his career, but I am not going to pretend what his ceiling is.
Not The Last Time To See Him
This is not the last time you will see Jackson Chourio in my rankings as he will also be a top ranked player as a center fielder and right fielder. Chourio started the majority of his games in center field, but he also started 27 games (and appeared in 40) in left field and started another 15 (with 20 overall appearances) in right field. No matter where he plays, he is going to help your offense.
After finishing third in the 2024 ROY voting thanks to a .275/.327/.464 slash line with 21 homers, 79 RBI and 22 steals, Chourio basically duplicated that season again in 2025, slashing .270/.308/.463 with 21 homers, 78 RBI and 21 steals, though in 17 fewer games. These last two seasons came as a 21 and 22 year old player learning how to play on the major league level. He should only get better.
Just Stay Healthy
When it comes to Yordan Alvarez, there is only one negative about his game – his inability to stay healthy. This past season he played in only 48 games thanks to a hand injury that was later diagnosed as a small fracture and then an ankle injury after he returned in September. He also played in only 114 games in 2023.
But when he is on the field, either as a DH or left fielder, he is one of the best pure hitters in the game. His career slash line is .297/.389/.573 with an OPS+ of 163. His 162 game average is 103 runs scored, 41 homers, and 118 RBI. From 2021 through 2024, he averaged 135 games played with 88 runs scored, 34 homers, 96 RBI and a .296/.387/.571 slash line. Alvarez is a power hitter who is also simply a great hitter. The only area he will not help you is stolen bases. I can live with that.
Thank You
Thanks for reading and come back next week when we continue our trip around the infield and put on a spotlight on the center fielders.
Previous Rankings
Top 50 Dynasty Relievers for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
Top 100 Dynasty Starting Pitchers for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
Top 50 Dynasty Catchers for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
Top 50 Dynasty First Basemen for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
Top 50 Dynasty Second Basemen for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
Top 50 Dynasty Shortstops for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
Top 50 Dynasty Third Baseman for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
