As we hit the quarter-mark of the 2026 MLB season, it's time to shake off the draft-day dust and take a fresh look at the top of the fantasy baseball landscape. While most of our daily attention is glued to waiver wire adds and lineup decisions, the elite tier of players is quietly shifting—and it's worth a midseason redraft to see where things stand.
Using a Rotisserie league lens (with a head-to-head nod at the end), I've gone through the painstaking process of reimagining the first two rounds. And let me tell you, it wasn't easy. There were about 16 locks and another 18 strong contenders, which meant trimming down a crowded field of 34 candidates to just 24 spots. I'll touch on the near-misses later.
The key rule here: we're projecting forward performance only. Those early-season stats? They're in the rearview mirror—except for the psychological weight they carry. And let's be honest, it's hard to ignore a hot start or a slow one, but I've done my best to stay objective.
Round 1
1. Aaron Judge, OF, NYY
2. Shohei Ohtani, DH/SP, LAD
3. Jose Ramirez, 3B, CLE
4. Juan Soto, OF, NYM
5. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, KC
6. Yordan Alvarez, OF, HOU
7. Ronald Acuña Jr., OF, ATL
8. Corbin Carroll, OF, ARI
9. Kyle Tucker, OF, LAD
10. Elly De La Cruz, SS, CIN
11. Paul Skenes, SP, PIT
12. Kyle Schwarber, DH, PHI
Round 2
13. Junior Caminero, 3B, TB
14. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, TOR
15. Chris Sale, SP, ATL
16. Nick Kurtz, 1B, ATH
17. Julio Rodríguez, OF, SEA
18. Matt Olson, 1B, ATL
19. Drake Baldwin, C, ATL
20. Ben Rice, C/1B, NYY
21. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B/OF, SD
22. Gunnar Henderson, SS, BAL
23. Ketel Marte, 2B, ARI
24. Mike Trout, OF, LAA
The biggest surprises? Catcher-eligible players like Drake Baldwin and Ben Rice have muscled their way into the second round—a testament to their early-season production and positional scarcity. Meanwhile, familiar stars like Trout and Tatis are still holding strong, but the margins are thinner than ever.
Stay tuned for the head-to-head adjustments, and remember: in fantasy baseball, the draft is just the beginning. The real game is adapting as the season unfolds.