Hitter Rankings: The First Quarter

We’ve officially reached the part of the preseason where optimism runs wild, spreadsheets get obsessive, and every batting practice video looks like a breakout waiting to happen. It’s time to roll out my Top 100 Hitters for the 2026 fantasy baseball season. Over the next four weeks, we’ll move through the list in tiers of 25 at a time. But this isn’t just a name dump or a recycled ranking sheet. This is an assessment of skill trends, underlying indicators, lineup context, park factors, and category scarcity, all merged into one beautiful set of rankings. The goal will be to focus on a solid base of hitters while highlighting some of my favorite deviations from draft cost. This Top 100 is built with that lens, not just who is good, not just who projects well, but who helps you win based on where they’re being drafted. Let’s build the board — 25 hitters at a time.

1. Shohei Ohtani

2. Aaron Judge

3. Bobby Witt Jr.

4. José Ramírez

5. Juan Soto

There are no real surprises here at the top of the draft board. The first three guys off the board should be in this exact order in every draft. While there is an argument to be made that Judge goes over Ohtani, this is the one time we factor pitching into the calculus for our hitter rankings. Ohtani provides something nobody else can and is only a season removed from that historic 50/50 master class. Judge has shaken the majority of the injury risk, but even for what remains, the upside is just too immense. There will be an argument for Soto and Ramírez to be flipped in the top five, which is fair. I don’t fully trust the stolen bases from Soto and know those are as close to a guarantee with Ramírez as we can get. There are no bad picks at this point in the draft, so don’t get fancy.

6. Elly De La Cruz

7. Julio Rodríguez

8. Kyle Tucker

9. Ronald Acuña Jr.

10. Fernando Tatis Jr.

After the first five picks, we start to look at upside as a key factor. Anybody drafted in the first round has to bring speed, or you will be regretting your choices. This group accounted for over 130 steals last year, with every single pick being a legitimate threat for 30 bags. Elly De La Cruz is the standout in that category as he stole 67 in 2024, and 2026 just feels like it is going to be his year. Kyle Tucker is another notable name in this group. Moving to Los Angeles and getting to bat in the midst of Ohtani, Betts, and Freeman is going to do wonders for his run production and lineup protection. After battling injuries for the last two seasons, a healthy year could be 30/30 with 200+ runs and RBI. Rounding out the top 10, Ronald Acuña Jr. is slightly lower here than industry rankings mainly due to an aversion to injury risk in the first round. If you listen to the Cards and Categories podcast (shameless plug), you will know I am willing to roll the dice with injury risk, but that does not apply in the first 50 or so picks of a draft.

11. Gunnar Henderson

12. Cal Raleigh

13. Junior Caminero

14. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

15. Nick Kurtz

Once we leave the first round, there will be some deviation from the speed focus in these rankings. This group either continues that speed trend or stands out specifically in a single category to offset the risk of skipping speed at the turn of the first and second round. Gunnar fits into that well-rounded hitter profile and is still only 24 years old and growing as a hitter. There is a peak of .300/30/30 in that profile, and being fully healthy going into 2026 will be a big benefit after starting last season dealing with an intercostal strain. Cal Raleigh gets a big nod here after his historic 2025 season. We have to expect regression in the profile, but even at 80% of last year, he has created such separation at the catcher position that he is worthy of this early position. In shallow leagues, I could even see him going in the first round. Kurtz and Guerrero are two other notable standouts from a strategy perspective. Kurtz has unbelievable power upside and will not be a drain on batting average, especially with another year in Sacramento. Guerrero, on the other hand, has a similar upside while trading off some power for higher batting average upside. The longer track record gives Guerrero the slight edge here.

16. Jazz Chisholm Jr.

17. Jackson Chourio

18. Rafael Devers

19. Kyle Schwarber

20. Trea Turner

I have to admit I have struggled to invest in Jazz Chisholm Jr. the last few years with injury concerns. While those still apply, getting 130 games with 30/30 potential and positional flexibility between second and third base is too good to pass up. Chourio took a step back last season, but will be only 22 years old on Opening Day and has been a solid 20/20 bat that should mature into much more. I am looking at 2026 as a potential coming-out party for the talented outfielder. Rafael Devers is my first big market deviation in these rankings. He showed no ill effects moving to a tough ballpark in San Francisco last year and has averaged more than 30 homers for the last six seasons (skipping 2020). There may not be a more reliable bat at this point in drafts. Sometimes you need to draft the floor rather than the ceiling. The Philadelphia Phillies duo at the end of this tier is simply a debate between speed and power. Both guys will be consistent and give you what you draft them for, so don’t get fancy here.

21. Manny Machado

22. Ketel Marte

23. Brent Rooker

24. Pete Alonso

25. James Wood

Manny Machado fits in the same forgotten veteran category as Rafael Devers. There is no reason to believe he cannot deliver a 2025 repeat with a .275 average, 25 homers, and double-digit steals. I continue to struggle with Ketel Marte, thinking he should run more than he does, then forgetting he provides an outsized boost in batting average. Solid player, high floor, and low ceiling. I am going to be a high-water mark on Brent Rooker again this season. Playing in Sacramento will continue to give him a boost, and he showed strides of improvement under the hood last year, even if there was a slight step back in the overall production. Getting a guy who has the ability to hit 40 homers and steal 10 bags with an above-average plate approach is too attractive to slide outside the top 25. James Wood closes out this tier and might be the biggest variability play going into the 2026 season. His first half last season was a sizzling 150 wRC+ with 24 homers and 12 steals to support a .278 average. In the second half, his strikeouts ballooned to 39%, cratered his results, and he landed with a 93 wRC+. If Wood can continue to learn and invest just a little in that launch angle, he could give us a 50/25 season. However, he could also repeat the second half and be a season-long headache.