2026 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft

We have spent the past couple of months cranking out pre-draft fantasy articles. The top 200, top 10 at each position, sleepers at each position, and more. Well, we are finally entering draft season.

Of course, there are a number of different leagues with drastically different formats, so running a mock draft can vary from format to format. For this exercise, we will be using Fantasy Pros draft simulator with a 10-person points league and snake draft.

The results of this mock draft might look significantly different from your league. I highly suggest running simulations with your league-specific settings in order to see the most realistic draft results tailored to your league.

Draft Results

Round 1

1.01 – Shohei Ohtani

1.02 – Aaron Judge

1.03 – Juan Soto

1.04 – Bobby Witt Jr.

1.05 – Jose Ramirez

1.06 – Elly De La Cruz

1.07 – Ronald Acuña

1.08 – Paul Skenes

1.09 – Tarik Skubal

1.10 – Julio Rodríguez

I’d say these are the names you would expect to see in the top 10, more or less, no matter what league you are in. You really can’t be upset if you land any of these players. Elly De La Cruz is higher than I would select him, but the talent and upside makes him worth a top 10 selection, even if I would prefer others.

It will be interesting to see which of Skenes and Skubal goes first in drafts. Those names tend to be paired in the mock drafts I have seen, and the projections are close enough to simply trust your gut and take the one you prefer. I would even take one a couple of picks earlier due to Acuna’s injury history and De La Cruz still needing to prove more.

Round 2

2.01 – Garrett Crochet

2.02 – Kyle Tucker

2.03 – Cal Raleigh

2.04 – Gunnar Henderson

2.05 – Corbin Carroll

2.06 – Fernando Tatis

2.07 – Junior Caminero

2.08 – Francisco Lindor

2.09 – Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

2.10 – Yoshinobu Yamamoto

The next 10 come with injury concerns, as Lindor and Carroll both are not entering the season at 100%. Their injuries could push them further down the draft, causing a domino effect that could drastically impact the top 25 picks. Talent alone will prevent a major slide, but beware of the injury risk when investing in a top 20 pick.

Yamamoto is a pretty pivotal selection at 20. After Crochett is selected in the second round, Yamamoto is the only pitcher selected until Sanchez at the end of the third round.

A run of hitters is noteworthy and could impact your draft strategy. Taking note of positional trends is important to ensure you do not get stuck with a less-than-ideal crop of talent later in the draft.

Round 3

3.01 – Kyle Schwarber

3.02 – Jackson Chourio

3.03 – Nick Kurtz

3.04 – Jazz Chisholm

3.05 – Trea Turner

3.06 – Pete Crow-Armstrong

3.07 – Pete Alonso

3.08 – Ketel Marte

3.09 – Christopher Sanchez

3.10 – Manny Machado

Outside of injury risk, the third round is where we see our first truly risky player in Pete Crow-Armstrong. He has the raw ability to become a first-round pick, but comes with more variance than could tank his fantasy value. I personally would be hesitant to select him for this position, but I see why others would jump at the opportunity.

You could also say Chourio is a somewhat risky pick, as well. Not because of talent, but because of sample size. I like his floor more than Pete Crow-Armstrong’s, and the upside makes it worth the selection.

We also see second base selected for the first time. A position that has talent but not depth, so targeting a player like Marte in round three should make later rounds easier on you.

Round 4

4.01 – James Wood

4.02 – Bryce Harper

4.03 – Logan Gilbert

4.04 – Yordon Alvarez

4.05 – Rafael Devers

4.06 – Brice Turang

4.07 – Wyatt Langford

4.08 – Hunter Brown

4.09 – Zach Neto

4.10 – Chris Sale

The fourth round comes with a lot of young talent that either broke out last year or very well could break out this season. I love the value of Brown and Neto, especially.

Turang is a player I want to see back up his 2025 season before investing a top 50 pick, but as I said, second base isn’t deep, so the selection makes some sense.

We often get excited about the unknown or breakouts, but let’s not forget players you can count on. Harper and Devers will give you a 130+ wRC+ and have proven to be durable. Don’t underrate a high floor.

Round 5

5.01 – Matt Olson

5.02 – Logan Webb

5.03 – Bryan Woo

5.04 – Brent Rooker

5.05 – William Contreras

5.06 – Hunter Greene

5.07 – Roman Anthony

5.08 – Max Fried

5.09 – Mookie Betts

5.10 – Mason Miller

The first closer off the board has been a fantasy debate each year and this particular draft took Miller, but Diaz comes a pick later.

Miller’s command struggled last season, but the strikeouts are still there while the ERA and FIP continue to show dominance. Diaz landing with the Dodgers makes him tough to pass up, even if the consistency can come and go.

I especially like the Webb value at this point. He’s proven to be one of the more consistent pitchers and will eat up a ton of innings. You’ll never be upset for selecting him. Contreras will need a bounce-back season, but holds strong as the number two catcher in every mock I have seen. I have faith in him hitting closer to his average from prior years.

Round 6

6.01 – Edwin Diaz

6.02 – Jarren Duran

6.03 – Alex Bregman

6.04 – Cole Ragans

6.05 – Jackson Merrill

6.06 – Jacob deGrom

6.07 – Andres Munoz

6.08 – Freddy Peralta

6.09 – George Kirby

6.10 – Randy Arozarena

How about a solid group of veterans? That’s what we see in round six, where we are now reaching the point of less flashy picks or untapped potential and falling into well-above-average players you can count on. The Munoz selection rounds out a run of three closers in an eight-pick span, so we’ll call this the sweet spot for high-end closers.

The fifth and six round have a number of starting pitchers I tend to select year in and year out. If you go hitter heavy earlier in the draft, this is a range where you can go pitcher back to back and hope to land a pair of aces or high-end number twos.

Round 7

7.01 – Geraldo Perdomo

7.02 – Jhoan Duran

7.03 – Freddie Freeman

7.04 – Cade Smith

7.05 – CJ Abrams

7.06 – Josh Naylor

7.07 – Corey Seager

7.08 – Framber Valdez

7.09 – Cody Bellinger

7.10 – Austin Riley

Corey Seager being behind CJ Abrams is a tough one for me to stomach. The injury history and aging are being considered, but I would still rather have Seager and his production for 100-120 games. I’m sure by now you have seen a number of selections you would do differently, and that’s usually the case around the sixth or seventh rounds.

Geraldo Perdomo will be a heavily debated player. He was absolutely fantastic last season, hitting 27 home runs and stealing 27 bases with a .290 average, but he did not come close to those numbers in prior years. He’s improved year over year, but the power came out of nowhere, which will make some owners steer clear at this point in the draft.

Round 8

8.01 – Riley Greene

8.02 – Joe Ryan

8.03 – Nico Hoerner

8.04 – Dylan Cease

8.05 – Ben Rice

8.06 – George Springer

8.07 – Shea Langeliers

8.08 – Maikel Garcia

8.09 – Jesús Luzardo

8.10 – Byron Buxton

The eighth round comes with four players who hit more than 30 home runs last year, one who hit 26, and Nico Hoerner, who once in his career breached the 10 home runs threshold. A unique mix of talent led by Riley Greene, who I think will be even better than his 2025 numbers.

We are near a pitching drop off with round eight seeing three starters. Valdez was the only starter in the seventh round, and once you get to the ninth, you’ll see more arms with higher variance than you do in the eighth.

By now, you should have a few stable starters, but if you don’t, you’d better draft one here.

Round 9

9.01 – Eugenio Suárez

9.02 – Jeremy Pena

9.03 – Hunter Goodman

9.04 – David Bednar

9.05 – Christian Yelich

9.06 – Kyle Bradish

9.07 – Nick Pivetta

9.08 – Jose Altuve

9.09 – Bo Bichette

9.10 – Aroldis Chapman

Round nine, where things are getting weird. Suarez and Goodman have 30+ home run upside, which is starting to thin out, but each comes with their own red flags. Yelich is coming off a 29-home run season, which was the first time he exceeded 20 since 2019. This is where selections truly start to get tricky.

I think the Bichette value is great in this range. He’s done nothing but hit throughout his career, except for the weird 2024 season, and should continue to do so in New York. I don’t love the arms in the round and would personally pass in favor of a hitter.

Round 10

10.01 – Vinnie Pasquantino

10.02 – Blake Snell

10.03 – Steven Kwan

10.04 – Eury Perez

10.05 – Josh Hader

10.06 – Tyler Soderstrom

10.07 – Agustin Ramirez

10.08 – Seiya Suzuki

10.09 – Kevin Gausman

10.10 – Luke Keaschall

The 10th round comes with some arms that are well established, but come with red flags. Snell is often injured, Hader does not throw a lot of innings, and Gausman is still a workhorse, but at 35 years old, you have to be at least aware of a possible step back.

Of the three, I’d still go with Gausman.

The last two hitters in his round are two that I personally am targeting. Suzuki has proven to be a great all-around hitter and showed more power last season. The Cubs’ improved lineup only pushes him higher up my list. Keaschall comes with the upside I want, especially at a position, second base, that I think lacks depth.

Round 11

11.01 – Spencer Strider

11.02 – Teoscar Hernandez

11.03 – Nolan McLean

11.04 – Salvador Perez

11.05 – Sandy Alcantra

11.06 – Devin Williams

11.07 – Trey Yesavage

11.08 – Zack Wheeler

11.09 – Sonny Gray

11.10 – Will Smith

Round 11 finds a lot of veterans surrounding two high upside rookie pitchers. Both McLean and Yesavage are the type of young arms that someone always gets excited about and selects a higher than you’d think. If you want them, you might consider selecting a round or two higher.

This season will be the one where I pass on Saldavor Perez. I have loved watching him throughout my career, and the power is still there, but at age 36 (soon to be 37), I will pivot to a younger option.

Another intriguing veteran is Zack Wheeler, who is going to be coming back from injury and likely will be limited. Balancing his talent with the amount of innings will be tricky, but could turn out to be a savvy pick.

Round 12

12.01 – Trevor Story

12.02 – Ozzie Albies

12.03 – Raisel Iglesias

12.04 – Marcus Semien

12.05 – Tyler Glasnow

12.06 – Chase Burns

12.07 – Oneil Cruz

12.08 – Carlos Estevez

12.09 – Brandon Woodruff

12.10 – Jacob Misiorowski

The first few picks of this round are players I would avoid. Albies and Semien’s best days are behind them, and Story comes with too much injury risk. Glasnow lands as the top starter, but we know his past will scare off many owners.

I love the pair of young arms in Burns and Misiorowski, and I would select them in the same order. Burns strikeout upside cannot be overlooked, and I think he’ll get a rotation spot out of spring training and not look back. I also like Woodruff in this range. He’s shown an ability to consistently pitch to a high level even after the injury.

Round 13

13.01 – Luis Castillo

13.02 – Matt Chapman

13.03 – Michael Harris II

13.04 – Nick Lodolo

13.05 – Emmet Sheehan

13.06 – Ryan Helsley

13.07 – Munetaka Murakami

13.08 – Brandon Nimmo

13.09 – Drake Baldwin

13.10 – Cam Schlittler

If you waited, third baseman Matt Chapman is a great option this late in the draft. The home run numbers haven’t been what many thought he would bring to San Francisco, but he will still bring about 25 home runs and has consistently been a well-above-average hitter.

You will see a lot of mixed reviews on Michael Harris II. The past couple of seasons have been disappointing, but his second half of 2025 has many believing in his raw talent.

I do think this is the range he’ll fall, but I would only be interested a little later. Simply put, we’ve seen a lot more bad Michael Harris than good recently.

Round 14

14.01 – Michael King

14.02 – Jordan Westburg

14.03 – Trevor Megill

14.04 – Jeff Hoffman

14.05 – Trevor Rogers

14.06 – Bubba Chandler

14.07 – Ryan Pepiot

14.08 – Nathan Eovaldi

14.09 – Ceddanne Rafaela

14.10 – Ivan Herrera

This group of pitchers is a fun one to dive into. Trevor Rogers was excellent with Baltimore last season and will have plenty of people convinced he should go higher. If he’s available in this range, I think he’s the perfect selection. I also would love Eovaldi here. He’s now 37, but how many pitchers have been as good as he has been in recent years?

Bubba Chandler is going to be interesting to follow this season. He has all the ability to rise up the draft, but his 2025 season was a mixed bag. I do not think he’ll be picked much earlier, making him a good option if you want a later round, high upside arm.

Round 15

15.01 – Pete Fairbanks

15.02 – Yandy Diaz

15.03 – Daniel Palencia

15.04 – Gavin Williams

15.05 – Emilio Pagan

15.06 – Brandon Lowe

15.07 – Yainer Diaz

15.08 – Willy Adames

15.09 – Kenley Jansen

15.10 – MacKenzie Gore

The 15th round sees another run on closers. I think opportunity will be there for each of these arms, but each comes with a caveat.

The Tigers have gone closer by committee and also have Kyle Finnegan and Will Vest on the roster, making the Jansen selection risky. But if he does grab a closer role, the Tigers come with plenty of save opportunities.

We also see a group of Rays and former Rays. I’m buying in on Adames in a big way at this value, and I always like Diaz and what he has to offer. Lowe is the one I’d avoid. The move to Pittsburgh could change some things, but selecting a platoon bat, even in the 15th, is hard for me.

Round 16

16.01 – Jackson Holliday

16.02 – Dennis Santana

16.03 – Alec Burleson

16.04 – Ryan Walker

16.05 – Isaac Paredes

16.06 – Ryne Nelson

16.07 – Robbie Ray

16.08 – Noelvi Marte

16.09 – Adley Rutschman

16.10 – Quinn Priester

There are two players I want to highlight here – Jackson Holiday and Ryan Nelson. Holiday will be entering his third season at 23 years old, yet to reach expectations. He showed improvement from 2024 to 2025, and I think we see a 20/20 season with a better average and on-base percentage.

A perfect value for an upside pick at a position that lacks high-end options.

Nelson is not a sexy pick with high strikeout numbers, and that’s okay. He’s made major strides in each season and flew under the radar last year despite posting a 3.39 ERA. I see Nelson as a steady option that won’t hurt your team and can provide depth to your rotation.

Round 17

17.01 – Griffin Jax

17.02 – Xavier Edwards

17.03 – Abner Uribe

17.04 – Drew Rasmussen

17.05 – Seranthony Dominguez

17.06 – Kris Bubic

17.07 – Joey Cantillo

17.08 – Jason Adam

17.09 – Alex Vesia

17.10 – Ranger Suarez

The 17th round sees another slew of relief pitchers selected, led by Griffin Jax, who I’m very high on. Jax has been productive year in and year out, and I trust the Rays organization, now with a full offseason, to get the most out of him. He’s the reliever I’m targeting in later rounds.

Oh yeah, I’m a bit confused on the Vesia pick as well.

The number of pitchers being selected in this round will surely skew your draft. I like the idea of selecting an upside arm, but keep in mind, we see plenty emerge on the waiver wire as call-ups happen and inning restrictions take place.

Round 18

18.01 – Michael Busch

18.02 – Kyle Stowers

18.03 – Zac Gallen

18.04 – Brendan Donovan

18.05 – Luis Robert

18.06 – Jorge Polanco

18.07 – Jo Adell

18.08 – Tatsuya Imai

18.09 – Tanner Bibee

18.10 – Ian Happ

The theme of this round is proving that 2025 was not a fluke. Kyle Stowers, Jorge Polanco, and Jo Adell all had excellent seasons in 2025, but will need to prove that level is the new standard.

Zac Gallen, Luis Robert, and Tanner Bibee will try to prove that 2025 was a low point. I actually like the idea of drafting any of those last three, as I think their talent will propel them to better 2026 seasons.

If variance isn’t your thing, we have some names for you!

Ian Happ is about as consistent as they come and rarely misses games. He’s another player that you will not be upset about drafting. Dovonan also comes with a predictable floor but less upside.

Round 19

19.01 – Dansby Swanson

19.02 – Jack Flaherty

19.03 – Robert Suarez

19.04 – Jacob Wilson

19.05 – Jonathan Aranda

19.06 – Colson Montgomery

19.07 – Royce Lewis

19.08 – Bryan Abreau

19.09 – Willson Contreras

19.10 – Taylor Ward

Colson Montgomery lasting this long would be a surprise to me. Anyone who launches 21 home runs in 71 games, as a rookie, will be a draft darling of many owners. I’m sure Royce Lewis will still have his fantasy believers, and I get it, but I’ve been burned too many times to draft Lewis.

Jacob Wilson is probably the type of player who is drafted much higher in category leagues, but I see him as a higher value in points, as well. We all know he’ll hit for average, and the power uptick could stick. Playing your home games in a minor league park is a value bump for me.

Round 20

20.01 – Shota Imanaga

20.02 – Shane Bieber

20.03 – Bryson Stott

20.04 – Sean Manaea

20.05 – Spencer Schwellenbach

20.06 – Riley O’Brien

20.07 – Spencer Torkelson

20.08 – Jose Caballero

20.09 – Grant Taylor

20.10 – Christian Walker

Okay, where do I start? A Christian Walker bounce back? Jose Caballero potentially starting?

Spencer Schwellenbach second-half lottery ticket? How about Riley O’Brien as a legit closer?

The intriguing storylines in this group make round 20 a fun one, but I want to focus on a lesser-known option.

Grant Taylor, White Sox closer, has the type of stuff to develop into a high-end leverage arm. He made the jump from Double-A to the majors and posted a 4.91 ERA, but 1.42 FIP. The White Sox will be better, and Taylor should be given every opportunity to get saves.

Round 21

21.01 – Gleyber Torres

21.02 – Andy Pages

21.03 – Carlos Rodon

21.04 – Cade Horton

21.05 – Edward Cabrera

21.06 – Addison Barger

21.07 – Jakob Marsee

21.08 – Ernie Clement

21.09 – Kazuma Okamoto

21.10 – Konnor Griffin

The last round usually is the player that you will end up dropping first. A roll of the dice or utility player is always a good route to take, and we see that here with Konnor Griffin and Ernie Clement. You probably know what to expect with Clement, so let’s focus on Griffin.

First, he might put together another great week in spring training and shoot up the draft by the time you are reading this. The Pirates have obviously shifted towards building a more competitive roster, and Griffin is showing he is good enough to make the team. Nick Gonzales is a fine player, but he won’t block Griffin if he is ready to join the club.