Fantasy Baseball: Hitters Making Fantasy-MVP Cases Early

Second base represents the thinnest of the positions for fantasy managers. Outside of Ketel Marte, drafted at a premium as the best second baseman in the game, Lowe is the only one who’s a near lock to reach 30 homers. Lowe’s ADP outside the top 200 and nearly unmatched power potential make him one of the best 2B values in the game.

Honorable Mention: Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers

Third Base: Sal Stewart, Cincinnati Reds

The Reds’ top prospect has very largely lived up to the billing to start the year, with two early home runs and a .353 average. He has a ridiculous .476 OBP and 1.094 OPS.

Anyone familiar with Sal Stewart‘s game knows this is sustainable throughout a full season. Naturally, the average and OBP will come down with a larger sample size. But Stewart has been considered an advanced hitter since his arrival in the pros. He works counts and draws walks, rarely strikes out, and posts high-end exit velocity numbers, with real power to all parts of the field. It’s not an exaggeration to say he’s already the most polished hitter in the Reds’ lineup.

Stewart’s ADP around pick 200 could end up as one of the biggest steals of the draft. If he posts the 30/100 season he’s expected to, with good ratios to boot, he could launch up the third base rankings and into the top 30 of drafts next year.

Honorable Mentions: Munetaka Murakami (CHW), Kazuma Okamoto (TOR)

Shortstop: Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers

Not much separates Kevin McGonigle and the honorable mention, JJ Wetherholt, as far as upside goes. They are a massive value to fantasy managers and could end up in the top 10 of a loaded shortstop position by year’s end. McGonigle gets the nod because, inexplicably, his ADP landed outside the top 200, while Wetherholt’s was around 160.

McGonigle’s reputation as the top hitting prospect of the 2020s appears to be right on target through his first 10 major league games. When a young player starts his career not striking out much, walking a lot, and getting on base at a near .400 clip, you know the talent is real. That’s what McGonigle has done to this point, showcasing his impressive ability to get the barrel to the ball with authority. The first home run has yet to come, but there have been a few close calls. His expected slugging is almost 100 points higher than his actual slugging percentage. The homers and extra base hits should start flying as the frigid Detroit temperatures improve.

Rookies always have some bumps in the road, but hitters with McGonigle’s makeup are rare in this league. Chase DeLauter‘s hot start aside, McGonigle is still the favorite for AL Rookie of the Year. Whether he reaches his ceiling in year one will determine how high he climbs the fantasy rankings. Either way, expect McGonigle to be well within the top 75 picks next year, and potentially even higher.

Honorable Mention: JJ Wetherholt, St. Louis Cardinals

Outfield 1: Yordan Alvarez, Astros

Fantasy managers start three outfielders, so three get the nod as early fantasy baseball MVPs here. There are a ton of different options, but these three represent the best value for fantasy managers given where they were drafted.

It happens every year; fantasy managers forget how good certain players are when they’ve lost a previous year to injury. But the drop in Yordan Alvarez‘s ADP this season was borderline criminal. An early second-round pick the last few years, Yordan’s ADP was in the 40-50 range once drafts concluded this year.

Alvarez’s 3,000th career plate appearance is just a couple of weeks away, which will qualify him on the all-time hitting leaderboards. Here’s all you need to know about Alvarez: once he qualifies, his career .967 OPS will put him 19th all-time. That’s ahead of Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. Since 2021, only Judge and Ohtani have a higher OPS than Yordan. Injuries have marred his career in an unfortunate way, but when Alvarez is healthy, he’s a top-five hitter in baseball. His early start (four home runs, 1.334 OPS) reaffirms that. Alvarez’s ceiling as one of the best players in fantasy makes him a massive steal for owners who lucked into him in the fourth or fifth round.

Outfield 2: Cam Smith, Astros

Cam Smith didn’t have a great rookie season in 2025. That’s easy to forgive when you remember he played only 32 games in the minors before debuting in the majors. The centerpiece of the trade that sent Kyle Tucker to Chicago, Smith was a top prospect with tons of upside. It looks like year two is the year it clicks for the talented outfielder. He’s started with a 1.017 OPS and three home runs, has top-end sprint speed, and some of the best bat speed in baseball.

Smith started hot last year, too, so he’ll need to show he can do it over 162. If he does, then, again, the Cubs were willing to trade Smith to get Kyle Tucker, and the Astros were willing to take him. At Smith’s best, he could turn into a 30/30 player that hits close to .300. Even if he doesn’t reach that ceiling this year, he’s an early argument for waiver-wire add of the year.

Outfield 3: Jordan Walker, Cardinals

Jordan Walker often gets forgotten as a former top prospect in baseball. After a solid first look at the majors in 2023, Walker bounced between the minors and the pros throughout 2024-2025, posting a brutal .590 OPS in his time with the big club. Thanks to a swing adjustment and moving farther back in the batter’s box, Walker is off to a blazing start in 2026. He’s connected for three home runs and a 1.014 OPS. The most encouraging thing? His swing decisions seem to have improved as well, so he’s making more hard contact than ever before.

Walker has always had top-five bat speed in the league. With his swing path improvements this offseason, he’s now making better contact than ever before. His average exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate are astronomically high, along with plus-plus speed. Like Smith, Walker went largely undrafted in fantasy drafts this year, but has a similar prospect pedigree and upside. And, like Smith, Walker just turned 23. It can be too easy to expect the world of 21-year-old kids just because they’re top prospects. Walker’s upside is too good to ignore, and at his best, he could enter the top 30 of fantasy players.

Honorable Mentions: Garrett Mitchell (MIL), Luis Robert Jr. (NYM), Wilyer Abreu (BOS), Chase DeLauter (CLE)

A quick shoutout to Garrett Mitchell, who struggled with injury issues the last few years but dominates when on the field. Don’t ignore or discount his hot start. He possesses real 30/30 abilities on an elite offense. He sits just about every time the Brewers face a lefty, which is why he gets an “honorable mention” and not more.