Preseason Prep – February 17, 2026
Jac Caglianone, 1B, Kansas City Royals
Caglianone had a down rookie season on the surface, slashing just .157/.237/.295. Very uninspiring for such a promising prospect. However, given Caglianone’s effectively free price at 255 ADP, I can’t help but draft him everywhere. Caglianone is still a blue chip prospect with top of the scale raw power. His bat speed was one of the fastest in the bigs last year at 77.4 MPH, which is terrifying for a 6’5 250 lb hitter. His 12% barrel rate and 42.4% hard hit rate were well above league average. He actually displayed solid overall contact skills, making in zone contact at 84.7% and only whiffed 26.8% of the time. His 22/8 K/BB % is nothing to balk at given his age and limited pro resume. Caglianone’s main flaw was how often he hit the ball on the ground, which was way too often. This was uncharacteristic of him in the minors. It is rare to find this kind of power with this kind of sneaky floor skills (when you age adjust) this late. I’ve taken him in every draft at his price.
Luke Keaschall, 2B, Minnesota Twins
At such a thin position, players like Keaschall are very important for fantasy. As the 8th second baseman coming off the board, it’s too tempting not to wait for him in lieu of spending up to take a 2B I don’t love all that much. Keaschall is a discipline machine whose 14/9 K/BB % will surely make him valuable in points leagues. He simply doesn’t whiff and doesn’t chase. When you combine that with his 38.3 LASS, it’s no wonder he was able to produce a .263 xBA. The exit data and the pull zone rate are down, but he has a history of swiping bags in the minors, and he swiped 14 bags in 207 PAs in 2025. I don’t want to count out the power just yet, as he homered 15 times in the minor league season in 2024, and did hit 4 last year, so he’s not a complete zero in that department. I see a player who is too all-around good to pass up at his ADP.
Cole Ragans, SP, Kansas City Royals
Ragans finished 2023 on a hot note, making him a great breakout candidate for 2024. He did just that, posting low-end SP1 numbers over 32 starts. Injuries derailed his 2025, making him a strong buy-low candidate in 2026. Last year Ragans was able to punch out 38% of batters across 61 innings. xERA (2.67) and xFIP (2.45) agree that he was a stud. At his round 5 ADP, it feels like too good of a deal to get an SP1.
Geraldo Perdomo, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks
Perdomo had a huge 2025, going 20/20 with an .851 OPS. Perdomo walked (13.1%) more than he punched out (11.5%) across 720 PA’s, an insane feat for any big leaguer. While his bat speed and hard hit rate are very below average, his Pull Air rate (18.2%) is still above average. His 19 xHR is not far off from the 20 figure he hit. A 20/20 season is the upper tail outcome for a player that lacks real thump and is an average runner, but the quantity of playing time, elite contact, and elite plate discipline give him an ultra high floor in points leagues. I don’t think he is a steal per se at is round 6 ADP, but I am very comfortable taking him at cost.
Corey Seager, SS, Texas Rangers
Seager hasn’t played a full season since 2022, and his career has been largely plagued by injuries. However, it’s worth noting that he’s still cleared the 100 game mark four years running, so we cannot fully push him down draft boards on an injury basis. Seager is interesting at his 90 ADP, because he still posts some elite underlying metrics that you don’t find this late in drafts too often. His 53% HH rate, 15% barrel rate, and .465 xwOBACON cannot be ignored. He absolutely is still a premium real-life hitter. If you want to pass on Seager because you’re worried about him playing in a bad lineup, affecting his R/RBI total, I understand. But you need to be aware that you are passing on a player that has never struggled to hit for power or average in his career.
Dylan Crews, OF, Washington Nationals
Crews wasn’t very good on the surface in 2024 nor 2025, but there is still a lot to like. His 10 HR/ 17 SB season in 322 PAs give him a pretty good 162-game pace in those categories. He has a career 8.7% barrel rate and 40.5% hard hit rate, which are nothing to write home about but keep him relevant. What we are betting on with Crews is that he is one of the best college hitting prospects of all-time, was called up early, and will only be turning 24 in a couple of days here. Combine that with the fact that he has at least displayed a very relevant ability to hit homers and steal bases, and Crews becomes one of my favorite deep round fliers. Don’t reach for him, however.
Kris Bubic, SP, Kansas City Royals
I don’t understand this one Bubic was excellent in 2025 for a rotator cuff injury derailed his season. Coming back from a rotator cuff injury is no easy task, and there is real risk of regressed abilities. But at his 202 ADP it feels like a slam dunk to roll the dice on someone who was so darn good in 2025. xERA (3.17) and xFIP (3.63) appreciated the body of work he put together in 116 innings. Bubic was a groundball getter (46.5%) that limited hard contact (6.6% barrel rate against) and still punched out 24.4% of batters. When you do the trifecta of not getting hit hard, getting the ball on the ground, and punching guys out – I’m interested. At this cheap of a cost, it’s a no brainer dice roll.
Sal Stewart, 1B, Cincinnati Reds
It was a small sample, but the Reds top prospect was pretty darn good in 2025. His .529 xwOBACON and 17.5% barrel rate would put him as one of the best hitters in the bigs, but he only did it across 58 PAs. The 30% Pull Air rate is super enticing. His 25.9% K rate is a touch high, but when you adjust for him being 21 (and having just turned 22), it’s actually really impressive. Stewart’s minor league resume is littered with performance. You should draft Sal Stewart because not drafting him, and him breaking out, will really give you intense FOMO that I certainly don’t want myself experiencing.
Bryan Woo, SP, Seattle Mariners
Woo is coming off a huge year, posting a 2.94 ERA across 30 starts. xERA (3.07) and xFIP (3.33) like him a lot as well. His premium K/BB ratio (27/5 %) is too good for me to simply look past. His premium fastball allows his whole arsenal to play up. He’s not particularly special in the groundball department (41%) and gave up more barrels than I would like (9%), but other than Cole Ragans, there are few pitchers after him that represent the same level of safety, so I’m finding myself slightly reaching for him if I want that anchor-SP build.
Shohei Ohtani, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
If you’re able to play Ohtani at both positions in your league, he’s going 1.1, no doubt. But if he’s split in your league, this is for you. Ohtani, the pitcher, is going as the 94th player off the board, and that feels like a deal. Ohtani has struck out over 29% of hitters every season except 2020, and boasts only an 8.5% career walk rate. He also has a career .204 xBA against and .277 xwOBA against. He’s a league average groundball getter, but when you consider he’ll get wins by being a Dodger, there is tremendous appeal. He’s the 25th SP going off the board, and I think he outperforms that if he pitches a full season.
Trevor Rogers, SP, Baltimore Orioles
Rogers is going as the 47th starter off boards right now, and I think that’s a fair deal for a pitcher who both gets groundballs (46%) and punches guys out (24%) are fair rates. He was hit pretty hard last year (48%). His .226 BABIP is hiding that, and probably the reason for his 1.81 ERA. There will be some regression in that sense, and you should not draft him based off that 1.81 ERA. However, at cost, this is an arm I’m comfortable taking if you’re getting desperate for starters.
Kyle Teel, C, Chicago White Sox
Teel is currently going off boards as the 16th catcher, and I don’t mind making him my second backstop in 2 catcher leagues. Teel was a strong minor league performer on an age-adjusted basis, and put together a respectable 297 PA’s in the bigs. His 47.8% LASS was wildly impressive, and probably resulted in the .273 BA. He was almost perfectly league average in a variety of batted ball quality figures, but for a second catcher, that is actually very useful. Given the lack of offense on his team, I’d imagine they want to get him in the lineup as much as possible. His 20.8% Pull Air rate and average impact give us some hope in the homers department. I’m quietly targeting him as my second catcher in many leagues for the rare upside of getting more playing time than your average C2, some homer upside, and a sneaky ability to hit for average.
Jackson Chourio, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
Chourio just posted back to back 20/20 seasons, which is an impressive accomplishment to do that before the age of 22. His LA jumped 3 degrees and his barrel rate went up 2% from 2024 to 2025. His xwOBACON did go down .026 points, however. It was a lateral year for the youngest, but I believe another breakout is coming. Entering just his age 22 season, it is rare for a hitter to be so good at such a young age, and then never have a breakout of another level. That being said 22 is still young, and while I think that breakout is coming, it might not be in 2026. His Pull Air rate was largely unchanged, and still below big league average. He took a marginal step forward in the contact department. Be very careful reaching for him instead of the proven guys around his lofty 2nd round ADP.
Roman Anthony, OF, Boston Red Sox
I’m an absolute sucker for players who make contact and/or are great decision makers on an age-adjust basis, and Roman Anthony did just that. In 303 PA’s, he refused to chase at 20%, and his low swing rate (37%), mitigates some of the negative effect of his 30% whiff rate. His swing decisions are really good and his 60% hard hit rate is nothing to balk at in this sample. Draft him.
Ben Rice, C, New York Yankees
The Ben Rice story is really easy to tell. He’s pretty darn good against RHP and pretty mixed against LHP. The Yankees are trying to find ways to get him in the lineup, but he does himself no favors by being a catcher with significant splits. That being said, nobody can ignore how good of a hitter he is. He ran a .453 xWOBACON, a 39% LASS, and 56% HH. He does everything you can ask for in a hitter except take 650 PA’s on the year. He took 530 in 2025, and as the 65th player off the board, I’m forced to be content with taking him there.
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