Happy New Year, everyone, and welcome to the first installment of the Top 400 Dynasty Players for 2026. Over the next two weeks I will take two giant bites out of the countdown as I rank the players from 400-301 this week and then 300-201. After that will come bite sized looks of the final 200 players.
When it comes to these rankings, I know some of you will shake your head when it comes to certain players.
I have my biases and a system in how I evaluate fantasy players – and have done so for decades – and you have your biases. That is what makes rankings so interesting and why you will likely look at a host of rankings as a way to gauge how you view a certain player and how others view a certain player.
So here is a quick rundown about these rankings.
- You will NOT see any top prospects ranked if they have not played in the majors yet. So no Konnor Griffin, no Leo De Vries or JJ Wetherholt. I have a variety of reasons why they are not here. In the leagues I run, there are separate auctions for all of the prospects and for those who have surpassed rookie status. I like to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges. Comparing Wetherholt to Jeremy Pena, Masyn Winn or Bobby Witt Jr. right now is just silly.
- I am always looking to win now. Yes, I like my prospects as you need them in dynasty leagues. But for every one prospect who shines, there are 10 more who don’t while a more established player becomes a solid contributor. Those players often come cheaper than the top prospects but produce at a better level and value. If you are in a complete rebuild, how you value top prospects will vary greatly from where I would rank them since we are coming from two different viewpoints. I could rank Griffin at No. 100 for example but if you are building a team from the ground up, you may rank him at No. 50 or 25 or 10. So to avoid huge disparities, I am just avoiding these players completely.
- Older players still have a place in my worldview. It would be simple to just look at the youngest players, rank them near the top and then round out the rankings with all of the older players. But that would shortchange you of the true value of some older players. I don’t mind having a player for a year or three since I know they are filling a hole. With that in mind, a 35-year-old player could be ranked much higher than where you would rank them. Which leads to this…
- Use these rankings for what they really are – a starting point. How I view certain players will vary greatly from how you view them. But hopefully it serves as a tool that helps you one way or the other.
With that out of the way, let’s get started.
400-376
Notes:
*Age as if April 1, 2026
**Position = at least 10 games played at that position
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | Will Benson | CIN | 27 | RF |
| 399 | Matthew Liberatore | STL | 26 | SP |
| 398 | Hurston Waldrep | ATL | 24 | SP |
| 397 | Joey Loperfido | TOR | 26 | LF |
| 396 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | 35 | SP |
| 395 | Cristian Javier | HOU | 29 | SP |
| 394 | Luis Morales | ATH | 23 | SP |
| 393 | Victor Caratini | FA | 32 | C|1B |
| 392 | Tommy Edman | LAD | 30 | 2B|CF|3B |
| 391 | Daniel Schneemann | CLE | 29 | 2B |
| 390 | Chris Bassitt | FA | 37 | SP |
| 389 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | 30 | SP |
| 388 | Luis Rengifo | FA | 29 | 2B|3B |
| 387 | Nick Castellanos | PHI | 34 | RF |
| 386 | Reese Olson | DET | 26 | SP |
| 385 | Shane Smith | CHW | 25 | SP |
| 384 | Noah Cameron | KC | 26 | SP |
| 383 | Ryan Weathers | MIA | 26 | SP |
| 382 | Nolan Gorman | STL | 25 | 3B|2B |
| 381 | Adael Amador | COL | 22 | 2B |
| 380 | Joey Cantillo | CLE | 26 | SP |
| 379 | Chase Meidroth | CHW | 24 | 2B|SS |
| 378 | Jordan Walker | STL | 23 | RF |
| 377 | Ramon Urias | FA | 31 | 3B |
| 376 | Jose Berrios | TOR | 31 | SP |
Solid At The Plate
If Will Benson was an everyday player, he would be ranked a lot higher. But for the majority of his career, he has been a spot starter. His 162-game average is 17 home runs, 54 RBI and 17 steals and he can play all three outfield positions. One reason for Benson not being able to nail down a starting role is the fact he has a career 33.3% strikeout rate, though this past season it was 26.5%. When Benson made contact this season, his Average EV was 92.4 mph and his Hard Hit% was 53.8%. There is talent there, and if Benson can consistently tap into it, he would be a solid player to roster.
Ready To Shine, Or A 4th Outfielder?
Joey Loperfido displayed great power in the minors with the Astros but that power has not always 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. There is a chance he can earn a starting job in the outfield, but he will likely carve out a spot as a fourth outfielder and supply some power when in the lineup.
The Solid Veteran
You can do a lot worse than having Victor Caratini as one of your backup catchers. The veteran can also play first base and is a switch hitter, which adds to his value. This past season he set career highs in homers (12) and RBI (46) and his OPS+ the last two years have been 111 and 101. In two catcher leagues he would be a solid add and in one-catcher leagues he would be a good depth catcher to have.
The Rookies
Shane Smith and Noah Cameron are two under-the-radar guys thanks mostly to the team or market they play in.
In 29 starts with the White Sox, Smith had a 3.81 ERA and 1.196 WHIP while falling just shy of a strikeout per inning. Over his final 11 starts, he had a 3.17 ERA, 1.039 WHIP and a 9.7 K/9 rate, an improvement from his first half numbers of 4.26, 1.304, 8.4 over 18 starts.
Cameron was another rookie who had a good season, finishing with a 2.99 ERA and 1.099 WHIP. He is not a strikeout pitcher (7.4/9), but he limits the walks and hits. He was a little up and down this past year, but I like his upside.
One To Watch
Joey Cantillo pitched out of the pen and as a starter this year for Cleveland, and no matter the role he has been successful. As a starter Cantillo had a 2.96 ERA this year, allowed only 53 hits in 67 innings and had a 9.7 K/9 ratio. In 21 career MLB starts, he has a 3.72 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with a 10.0 K/9 ratio – solid numbers. I think going forward his role is as a starter, and that is why he is ranked here and not in last week’s reliever rankings.
Not Living Up To The Hype
Jordan Walker is one reason why I don’t go overboard when it comes to top prospects in baseball. A former top 10 prospect ahead of the 2023 season, Walker teased everyone with a solid rookie season only to since fall off a cliff. In 117 games in 2023, Walker hit 16 homers, drove in 51 runs and slashed .276/.342/.445 with a 113 OPS+. Since then things have not gone well. Over the last two seasons he has played in 162 games combined with 11 dingers, 61 RBI and 11 steals with a .211/.270/.324 slash line. Additionally, his strikeout rate has climbed from 22.4% to 31.8%. He is still only 23, so there is still time for him to turn things around. But this is likely a make-or-break season for Walker.
375-351
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 375 | Zach Cole | HOU | 25 | LF|RF |
| 374 | Fernando Cruz | NYY | 36 | RP |
| 373 | Alek Thomas | ARI | 25 | CF |
| 372 | Miguel Amaya | CHC | 27 | C |
| 371 | Zebby Matthews | MIN | 25 | SP |
| 370 | Parker Messick | CLE | 24 | SP |
| 369 | Mitch Keller | PIT | 29 | SP |
| 368 | Grayson Rodriguez | LAA | 26 | SP |
| 367 | Brice Matthews | HOU | 24 | 2B |
| 366 | Bo Naylor | CLE | 26 | C |
| 365 | Edgar Quero | CHW | 22 | C |
| 364 | Orion Kerkering | PHI | 24 | RP |
| 363 | Bennett Sousa | HOU | 30 | RP |
| 362 | Pedro Pages | STL | 27 | C |
| 361 | Adley Rutschman | BAL | 28 | C |
| 360 | JoJo Romero | STL | 29 | RP |
| 359 | Braxton Ashcraft | PIT | 23 | SP |
| 358 | Casey Mize | DET | 28 | SP |
| 357 | Angel Martinez | CLE | 24 | CF|2B |
| 356 | Robert Hassell III | WAS | 24 | CF|RF |
| 355 | Javier Baez | DET | 33 | 2B|SS|3B|CF |
| 354 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | 36 | SP |
| 353 | Jose Soriano | LAA | 27 | SP |
| 352 | Gerrit Cole | NYY | 35 | SP |
| 351 | Camilo Doval | NYY | 28 | RP |
Possible Home In Center Field
A 10th round selection by the Astros in 2022, 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, if the Astros trade Jake Meyers, Cole could compete for a role as the team’s center fielder. If Meyers stays in Houston, Cole will likely see a lot of starts at all three outfield spots as well as some at DH.
Youngsters Who Can Rise Quickly
Zebby Matthews did not have a great showing with the Twins this season as he had a 5.56 ERA and 1.487 WHIP. Those numbers came after his nine-game debut in 2024 in which he had a 6.69 ERA and 1.646 WHIP. So how does a pitcher with those numbers come in at #85 on this list? Well, his underlying numbers aren’t horrible. In his 25 career starts he has a 10.1 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 ratio. While his ERA was through the roof, his FIP 3.79. Matthews’ problem is a career H/9 rate of 11.2. If he can get that under control, he has tremendous upside.
The Pirates don’t do a lot of things well, but they do know how to draft pitchers. Braxton Ashcraft was a second round selection out if high school in 2018 and made his debut with Pittsburgh this past season, making eight starts and appearing in 26 games overall. He posted a 2.71 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with a 9.2 K/9 ratio. During his minor league career he had a 4.13 ERA, but a lot of that was due to his 2018-2021 seasons. His walk rate in the minors was 2.6/9 and his K/9 rate was 9.1. Knowing he won’t have to be an ace with the Pirates should take some pressure on him and allow him to develop at his pace, but I like his future.
New Home Out West
Grayson Rodriguez has not thrown a pitch since July 31 of 2024 as he has recovered from surgery. The Orioles traded Rodriguez to the Angels, and that may not be a great trade for Rodriguez as the Angels haven’t exactly been known for developing their pitchers. In 43 career starts he has a 4.11 ERA with a 9.8 K/9 rate. Rodriguez has a lot of talent and was better in 2024 than he was in 2023. If Rodriguez can regain the form he had in Baltimore, then he is ranked too low here.
How The Mighty Have Fallen
The top pick of the 2019, Adley Rutschman has seen his production slip the last three years, going from a slash line of .277/.374/.435 in 2023 to .250/.318/.391 in ’24 to .220/.307/.366 this past season. Injuries played a part in his struggles this past year and maybe he will rebound to be closer to the player he was in 2023. But I am not banking on that.
Versatile Player
Angel Martinez qualifies as a second baseman, but the majority of his starts with the Guardians came in center field and I think that is where his future is, leaving his eligibility at second base beyond 2026 up in the air. Martinez had a decent season with Cleveland as he hit 11 homers, drove in 45 and had eight steals. But he had a .269 OBP and a .359 SLG, so no matter where you slot him, he is a depth player and not a starter.
Can Cole Rebound?
If Gerritt Cole was 25 and coming off Tommy John surgery, he would be ranked higher… But Cole will be 35 at the start of the 2026 season, and while not impossible, duplicating his past success at this age is not a bet I want to take. Cole won the Cy Young Award in 2023, but even during that season his K/9 rate fell to 9.6, his lowest total since his final season in Pittsburgh in 2017. In 2024 his K/9 rate fell even lower, to 9.4, while his walk rate and hit rate increased. When he returns to the mound in 2026, he may pitch like the Cole we have seen since his trade to Houston and subsequent signing with New York, Or he may not be that pitcher but instead a 35-year-old hurler who is average at best. As you can see from this ranking, I am leaning on him being the latter.
350-326
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 350 | Eli White | ATL | 31 | RF|LF |
| 349 | Carter Jensen | KC | 22 | C |
| 348 | Dalton Rushing | LAD | 25 | C |
| 347 | Joey Ortiz | MIL | 27 | SS |
| 346 | J.P. Crawford | SEA | 31 | SS |
| 345 | Jose Alvarado | PHI | 30 | RP |
| 344 | Hyeseong Kim | LAD | 27 | 2B|SS|CF |
| 343 | Randy Rodriguez | SF | 26 | RP |
| 342 | Matt Strahm | KC | 34 | RP |
| 341 | Garrett Whitlock | BOS | 29 | RP |
| 340 | Eric Wagaman | MIA | 28 | 1B|LF |
| 339 | Brendon Little | TOR | 29 | RP |
| 338 | Griffin Jax | TB | 31 | RP |
| 337 | Carson Kelly | CHC | 31 | C |
| 336 | Bryan King | HOU | 29 | RP |
| 335 | Luis Gil | NYY | 27 | SP |
| 334 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | 30 | SP |
| 333 | Dominic Canzone | SEA | 28 | RF |
| 332 | Brayan Bello | BOS | 26 | SP |
| 331 | Bryce Eldridge | SF | 21 | 1B |
| 330 | Rhys Hoskins | FA | 33 | 1B |
| 329 | J.T. Realmuto | FA | 35 | C |
| 328 | Luke Weaver | NYM | 32 | RP |
| 327 | Garrett Cleavinger | TB | 31 | RP |
| 326 | Jack Flaherty | DET | 30 | SP |
Up-And-Coming Catchers
In the limited amount of games Carter Jensen played in, he did very well for the Royals. I consider him a sleeper to watch, and if you are feeling bold, grab him early. He finished the 2025 season ranked as the 39th best prospect by MLB thanks to a .290/.377/.501 slash line across Double-A and Triple-A this past season. In 20 games with the Royals, he continued to hit the ball as he slashed .300/.391/.550 with three homers and 13 RBI. Additionally he had a 17.4 K% to go with a 13.0 BB%.
Dalton Rushing appeared 53 games for the Dodgers but he didn’t have the same success Jensen had as he slashed .204/.258/.324 with four homers and 24 RBI. He has shown power in the past as he has a career .519 SLG in the minors to go with a .278 AVG and .413 OBP. Rushing appeared in eight games at first base with the Dodgers and has played some left field in the minors, opening a chance for him to see playing time when not catching.
Strikeouts Are Nice
One of the players I really like in this tier is Randy Rodriguez of the Giants. Appearing in 50 games, he had a 1.78 ERA and 0.888 WHIP to pair with an 11.9 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 rate. The reason I didn’t rank him higher is due to the fact that in 2024 he had a 4.30 ERA and 1.242 WHIP while posting a 9.1 K/9 rate and 3.1 BB/9 rate. So, what kind of pitcher is Rodriguez going forward, the 2025 version or the 2024 version? That is the question every year when it comes to most relievers, but I think he will be closer to his 2025 version.
The Question Marks
Luis Gil won the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year award after going 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA, 1.193 WHIP and a K/9 rate of 10.1. Injuries hampered Gil this season as he made only 11 starts, but he wasn’t outstanding in those starts. Yes, the ERA was nice at 3.32, but his WHIP jumped to 1.404 and his K/9 rate plummeted to 6.5. But what has kept me from jumping on the Gil bandwagon is a career walk rate of 4.9/9. I’m just not a fan of his underlying numbers.
It was just a few ago (2022) that Sandy Alcantara won the NL Cy Young Award. But since then he has not come close to matching that season. He had a 4.14 ERA and 1.213 WHIP in 2023, missed all of 2024 thanks to Tommy John surgery, and then posted a 5.36 ERA and 1.271 WHIP this year. Alcantara has never been a huge strikeout pitcher as his career best K/9 rate was 8.8 in 2021. But in 2023 it was 7.4 and this year it was 7.3.
The good news is he was healthy, making 33 starts and throwing 174.2 innings. So there is hope for Alcantara to return to his 2021-2022 seasons.
Squirming His Way In
Bryce Eldridge did not play enough games at first base in 2025 to qualify at the position in most leagues. He appeared in only 10 games total and made only four appearances at first base and six at DH, but since he is expected to the the first baseman for the Giants in 2026, I am ranking him as a first baseman. Eldridge just turned 21, and as a 20-year-old in 2025, he slashed .260/.333/.510 with 25 homers and 84 RBI across three different minor league levels. He has a career .512 SLG in the minors and .360 OBP thanks to an 11% career walk rate. He could be really good, or he could flop, he could need another seasons (or two) in the minors. In his 37 plate appearances he had a 35% strikeout rate and during his minor league career it has been 27%.
325-301
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | AGE | POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 325 | Rowdy Tellez | FA | 31 | 1B |
| 324 | Max Muncy | ATH | 23 | 3B|2B |
| 323 | Jose Caballero | NYY | 29 | 2B|SS|3B|RF|LF |
| 322 | Phil Maton | CHC | 33 | RP |
| 321 | Willi Castro | FA | 28 | 2B|3B|RF|LF |
| 320 | Casey Schmitt | SF | 27 | 2B|3B|1B |
| 319 | Yusei Kikuchi | LAA | 34 | SP |
| 318 | Edwin Uceta | TB | 28 | RP |
| 317 | Jacob deGrom | TEX | 37 | SP |
| 316 | Quinn Priester | MIL | 25 | SP |
| 315 | Jason Adam | SD | 34 | RP |
| 314 | Jacob Lopez | ATH | 28 | SP |
| 313 | Tony Santillan | CIN | 28 | RP |
| 312 | Luis Arraez | FA | 28 | 1B|2B |
| 311 | Felix Bautista | BAL | 29 | RP |
| 310 | Ryan Jeffers | MIN | 28 | C |
| 309 | Jared Triolo | PIT | 28 | 1B|2B|SS|3B |
| 308 | Tyler Stephenson | CIN | 29 | C |
| 307 | Brad Keller | PHI | 30 | RP |
| 306 | Jeff Hoffman | TOR | 33 | RP |
| 305 | Kyren Paris | LAA | 24 | 2B|CF |
| 304 | Heriberto Hernandez | MIA | 26 | LF|RF |
| 303 | Tylor Megill | NYM | 30 | SP |
| 302 | Michael Wacha | KC | 34 | SP |
| 301 | Sonny Gray | BOS | 36 | SP |
Infield Option
Max Muncy was a rookie this season for the Athletics who slashed .214/.259/.379 with nine homers, 23 RBI and a steal. He has never really hit for a lot of power and his minor league slash line is .262/.351/.434 thanks to a 10% walk rate and solid doubles power. He also qualifies as a second baseman, giving him some value.
A Man Of Many Positions
Jose Caballero 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. 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.
Nice Improvement
From 2023-2024, Quinn Priester started 15 of the 21 games he appeared in for Pittsburgh and Boston and had a 6.23 ERA, 1.555 WHIP and a 6.2 K/9 ratio. But with Milwaukee this past season, Priester found his groove as he went 13-3 in 24 starts and 29 overall appearances with a 3.32 ERA and 1.239 WHIP. He doesn’t strike out a lot of batters as his 7.6 K/9 ratio shows, but he allowed fewer hits than innings pitched and had a 2.9 BB/9 ratio.
Can Only Get Better
The good news when it comes Kyren Paris is the fact that his slash line has improved each season since his 2023 debut with the Angels. The bad news is it has gone from .100/.200/.100 in 15 games to .118/.224/.216 in 21 games to .190/.266/.381 in 44 games. Paris has some pop and some speed and can play both second and center field. But right now he is a player to stash and hope he hits his stride.
DH or Outfielder?
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 and he makes hard, consistent contact. While he played 13 games in right field (nine starts), I think his playing time moving forward will be at DH as well as some time in left field. If he is primarily a DH, that hurts his value.
Older But Still Solid
Pitching depth is always needed in dynasty baseball, especially since it seems half of your staff is on the IL from week to week. That is why Tylor Megill, Michael Wacha and Sonny Gray still have value.
Megill has been limited to 29 starts (30 overall appearances) the last seasons, but in those appearances he has a 4.00 ERA and 1.33 WHIP while striking out 11.1 per nine, though with a 4.00 BB/9 ratio. He is not perfect, but he is a lot better than many other pitchers out there.
Wacha just keeps lugging away. He never wows you, but he also doesn’t hurt you. Last year he had a 3.86 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Since his age 30 season in 2022, he has a 3.46 ERA and 1.18 WHIP to go with an ERA+ of 120 and 3.81 FIP. He is not a long-term player but he can certainly fill a void in your staff.
Gray will be pitching for the Red Sox in 2026 after being traded in November. At 36, he is a short-term rental, but he is an effective rental. Last season was not his best as he had a 4.28 ERA and 1.23 WHIP, but he still had a 10.0 K/9 ratio and 5.29 K/BB ratio. From 2022-24, he went 29-22 with a 3.24 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and a 9.6 K/9 ratio and an ERA+ of 128.
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 300-201.
