Preseason Prep – February 28, 2026: Swing Decisions for Draft Day
Swing decisions are becoming increasingly more meaningful for MLB hitters. The simple act of not swinging at unhittable pitches can lead to improved offensive numbers. Here’s 10 hitters who swung the least and 5 who swung the most in 2025 that are all worth targeting in drafts.
10 Hitters Who Swung Least Often (& are Worth Drafting)
Roman Anthony OF BOS: 37.4% Swing Percentage (Tied for 2nd overall in MLB)
Will 2026 signal the beginning of a Roman Empire? AL-Only and Mixed League, lend me your ears. Just 21 years old and second only to Soto in Not-Swinging, Roman Anthony offers a cool combo of patience and potential. In just over 300 plate appearances in 2025, his Barrels were 15.5%, backed by 60% Hard Hit and a nice BB rate of 13%. Getting on base, hitting the ball hard and not swinging at bad pitches all adds up to an Anthony worth drafting in 2026.
Liam Hicks C MIA: 37.4% Swing Percentage (Tied for 2nd overall in MLB)
Catcher value can be tricky in fantasy, but Hicks could do the trick, especially in NL-Only and deep leagues with 2 catchers. His keen eye led to a nifty OBP of .346. Despite a low Barrel Rate of 3.5%, his Sweet Spot nearly hit 40%, which in combo with his 11% Walk Rate points to continued on base experiences for the Marlin. Hicks has a hold on the starting catching gig for Miami, which makes him a solid stash if the stud catchers disappear in your draft.
Taylor Ward OF BAL: 37.6% Swing Percentage (3rd overall in MLB)
Ward very measurably came through in 2025 with 36 actual home runs, so you might be drafting him regardless of swing decision. Despite an unsightly .228 BA and .316 OBP, Ward impacted the ball significantly when he chose to swing, barreling up at a 13.7% clip and walking 11% of the time when the pitch failed to meet his standard. Ward had a strangely low 43% Hard Hit Rate, which again speaks to his ability to hit the ball far when he gets his pitch. I wouldn’t reach for, or expect 30 HR again in 2026, but Ward is selective enough that he could be good for 25 HR again.
Chase Meidroth SS CHW: 38.6% Swing Percentage (5th overall in MLB)
Don’t let his given name mislead you: Chase doesn’t chase. Squaring up at the 99th percentile, Chase enters his age 24 season chasing the positive impact of patience. He underwhelmed in 500 plate appearances in 2025, with .329 OBP and .320 SLG, but showed some life on the basepaths with 14 swipes. If you’re in AL-Only or super-deep MI and chasing pure quantity, as long as Meidroth plays everyday, he could be a reasonable source of SB and BA.
Ryan Jeffers C MIN 38.9% Swing Percentage (8th overall in MLB)
Jeffers just won’t swing, if he doesn’t like the pitch. His OBP in 2025 was a healthy .356, buoyed by an 11% BB Rate but not too much else. He offers consistent playing time and a clear path to PAs, coupled with his selective eye at the plate and 15-20 HR potential, Jeffers is a fine catch in AL-Only and 2 Catcher leagues.
Lars Nootbaar OF STL 39.4% Swing Percentage (9th overall in MLB)
Despite the Red wave on his Statcast page, Nootbaar has failed to provide proper production for the Cards while somehow also avoiding a granola bar sponsorship. Perhaps Quaker wants nothing to do with shaving Haglund’s deformities (a heel-healing procedure performed upon Lars this off-season). We’ll never know for sure, but Noot not swinging can still unlock Lars’ offensive potential, as evidenced by his 50% Hard Hit Rate and 91st percentile Average Exit Velocity for 2025. His keen eye and reasonable lifetime OBP of .341 points to a player in age 28 season with healed heels and a motivation to prove he belongs in the starting lineup. If he gets traded, consider drafting late in 5 OF leagues…otherwise he’s a hopeful bench stash.
Joey Bart C PIT 40.3% Swing Percentage (13th overall in MLB)
Set to “Into the Great Wide Open by Tom Petty”
The Pirates said Joey’s the catcher who’d start
He’s got a great eye and his last name is Bart
His bat speed got faster but the ball didn’t leave the park
The sigh was repeated
His OBP statistic is .355 but he hits mostly singles
He catches pitcher stars, framing and signals
The fantasy owners said “Where’s the potential?”
His future is wide open.
Geraldo Perdomo SS ARI 39.7% Swing Percentage (10th overall in MLB)
This is what breaking out looks like: .851 OPS 20/20 HR/SB with 720 PAs. Holy moly. We cannot expect a repeat of the massive 720 PAs, but Perdomo’s elite 12% Whiff Rate and propensity not to swing at unhittable pitches means we shouldn’t expect a big drop off from his 2025 breakout. The worrisome news from Mt. Everest’s peak is Perdomo’s Barrel Rates are low valleys at 6% and his hard hit wallows at 32%. He’s a great defender with fantastic swing decisions so playing time won’t be an issue. Draft for the strong floor, but don’t reach for the 2025 ceiling.
Maikel Garcia 3B KC 40.1% Swing Percentage (11th overall in MLB)
Here’s another keen eye, low Barrel (5.6%) but Garcia grants elite Squared Up at 38%, so he hits the right part of the ball, just not at all that hard. However, as we’ve been speculating, his real strength may be his ability to not swing at pitches he can’t hit. Maikel made absurd strides in both BA (up from .231 to .286) and OBP in 2025 (up from .281 to .351), which seems unsustainable, but he’s only 25, so the risk in drafting Garcia appears minimal. Don’t expect 2025 numbers across the board, but there’s no reason not to hunt 20 SB and 12-15 HR with a reasonable BA floor.
Bryson Stott 2B PHI 40.4% Swing Percentage (14th overall in MLB)
If I had a dollar for every time I picked up Stott, dropped in anger by an impatient fantasy manager, I’d have several bucks. And glad, too, since Stott shows shrewd swing decisions, leading to just enough times on base to swipe 20 while knocking out double-digit dongs. This doesn’t remove the angst in drafting Stott, no longer the young up-and-comer among crotchedy Phil vets, and we can only hope he swings less, upping his BB from 9.6% to something north of 11% so he can use his feet to steal more bases. Truth is, swing choices is about all Stott has going for him at the plate, so drafting him late for MI depth and as NL-Only sneaky value is still advised. Don’t dream of a 2023 repeat (.280 BA, 15 HR and 30 SB) too hard…but if you drop him, I will pick him up, thank you very much.
5 Hitters Who Swung Most Often
Most of these guys are young, still learning to control the strike zone. Draft with an eye on upside and improvement if they make better swing decisions in 2026.
Pete Crow-Armstrong OF CHC 60.1% Swing Percentage (3rd overall in MLB)
Dude is still only 23, so we have yet to see his peak (or valley). Even if PCA swings at literally every pitch thrown toward him, he’ll go 25/25 and knock in 80. Draft early, often and repeat. Just don’t watch him play live, if you value the longevity of your hair and/or health. Holy smoke: OBP=.287. Sure, there are problems, BIG ones, but his 13% Barrels and otherworldly all-fields power will protect him (and fantasy owners) from regretting all of the bad decisions at the plate. Also, if your fantasy league adds points for temper tantrums, bump him up a couple rounds or throw in the extra $5 to get PCA (Plenty Crying Always).
Yainer Diaz C HOU 59.5% Swing Percentage (4th overall in MLB)
Catcher in the 1st Percentile in Chase Rate and 3rd Percentile in BB Rate, Diaz can only go up in those categories for 2026 after a dandy 20 HR output in 2025. You’d think catching would lead to some better pitch recognition, but perhaps Diaz recognizes ALL pitches as his favorite…what do I know from my little laptop, typing away in my house shoes. Yanier loves the Crawford Boxes, so as long as he’s pulling the ball in Houston for 81 games a year, expect the 20 HR. Don’t bank on a BA as high as .250, as his free-swinging ways could crater the BA and OBP. He’s a nice catcher for your team, so if he slips to the later rounds, swing away!
Ezequiel Tovar SS COL 60.7% Swing Percentage (2nd overall in MLB)
Another young free-swinger searching for peak potential, Tovar is hoping to bounce back from injuries to his 2024 form, during which he had 75 extra base hits. Yes, 75! He swings at everything, but Tovar’s in the 99th percentile in Sweet Spot percentage, making him an anomaly worth exploring. It’s like crossing the road with your eyes closed 390 times and never getting hit by a car (or something). I’d draft Tovar with the midpoint of 2024 and 2023 in mind, which could look something like: 20 Hr 10 Sb with a .430 SLG, which is fine for MI help and solid for NL-Only SS. I’m willing to pay the extra $ in auction to find out. If he gets dealt out of Colorado, trade for him immediately.
Ceddanne Rafaela OF BOS 58.9% Swing Percentage (5th overall in MLB)
No surprise here, another young free-swinging stud looking for love in all the wrong places: despite abysmal swing decisions, Rafaela just missed 20 HR to go with his 20 SBs. At this point, his best assets are defense and speed, in fact, his hitting is not supported by any underlying metrics…however, metrics don’t know raw talent or potential. In his second full season, the 25 year old showed some slug (.414) and if he can inch up his meager BB% to something like 9%, his counting stats could climb. Don’t expect miracles, but Rafaela should deliver good overall numbers come the end of 2026. He’s already a good buy low candidate for when your league’s resident Sox fan can’t deal with the .175 BA in April…patience, my brothers and sisters.
Michael Harris II OF ATL 57.0% Swing Percentage (10th overall in MLB)
Continuing the theme of young hitters conjuring 20/20 seasons whilst swinging at any and all spherical objects, Harris offers some stability: his third year as starter is proof that no matter how poorly his swing decisions become, talent and PAs win out. 1st percentile BB Rate means free passes can only go up in 2026, and if he can learn a little something about getting on base, Harris could break out and go 30 SB with 20-25 HR. Bat Speed has yet to reveal itself as a reliable indicator of success at the plate, but Harris is in the 82nd Percentile, which is about the only offensive thing Statcast likes about him. Similar to Rafaela, Harris is an elite defender who will not lose playing time no matter how offensive his PAs might become. Show patience after you draft him in the midrounds for OF, and don’t discard him in NL-Only, you’ll regret it.