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Fantasy Baseball Winners and Losers: June 2026 Edition

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Fantasy Baseball Winners and Losers: June 2026 Edition

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Tom McFeeley | Last updated Jun 28, 2026 10:23 AM ET

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June is (almost) over. But next weekend you’ll be hip deep in freedom and fireworks so we’ll call this month’s winners and losers now.

Back in late April a fantasy owner who owns both Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jac Caglianone actually packaged them in a proposed deal. The ninth-place owner normally emails first and asks questions second. But he paused, hovered his finger over the “enter” button but couldn’t pull the trigger. No deal. This weekend, that owner, now in second place, is taking on the first place team in a matchup to establish mid-season supremacy.

That owner is me and I had an underlying belief in PCA and Jac Cags. They are reaping the rewards of patience in the month of June. They serve as a reminder that those who dig below the surface to see how a player is actually performing – this are the winners and winners get paid.

Let’s give out some awards.

Winners

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Ten home runs. A .396 batting average. A 248 wRC+, which is the best in baseball in June by a margin that makes the second-place finisher feel bad about themselves. PCA has been the most electric hitter in the sport this month and if you do not own him you have been watching the wrong games.

Here is the part I am required to tell you because it is my job and accuracy is non-negotiable: his wOBA is .533 and his xwOBA is .412. That is a 121-point gap, the fourth-largest overperformance in the entire June sample. He is both the winner of the month and the hitter most likely to cool off in July. You can hold both of those things in your head at the same time. Buy him, hold him, and watch the xwOBA with one eye between now and the All-Star break.

Jac Caglianone

Nine home runs, 205 wRC+, .337 average in 98 plate appearances. The difference between Caglianone and PCA this month is that Caglianone's wOBA (.475) and xwOBA (.469) are essentially identical. Two-point gap. None of it is luck. All of it is earned. We said in April he was coming. He is here. The computers projected him for 20 home runs all season and he is going to pass that before August.

Jacob Misiorowski

Improved to 9-3 in Friday's start, which you already know. What you might not know is that he has a 0.96 ERA in 28 June innings and a 1.73 xERA, meaning the underlying contact quality confirms the surface numbers are legitimate. The Brewers are 50-29, the best record in the National League, and Misiorowski is the reason the rotation does not fall apart without Freddy Peralta. He is the best pitcher in baseball in June and it is not a debate.

Josh Hader

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The best reliever month. A 0.61 xERA in 10 June innings. Ten strikeouts, one walk, 0.9 ERA. He came back from the IL and immediately became the best closer in baseball again, as if the injury was a minor administrative inconvenience rather than a months-long absence. Houston is mediocre. Hader is not.

Bobby Witt Jr.

Eleven stolen bases in June on a team that has been outscored 35-3 in a 48-hour window this week. The Royals are 34-49 and Bobby Witt Jr. is posting an 11-steal month with a 135 wRC+ and a .309 average. He is not just the best player on a bad team. He is one of the best players in baseball doing it while surrounded by a roster that gave up 10 runs in a single inning on Friday night and was nearly no-hit the night before. Witt deserves his own monument and it should be installed immediately.

Losers

The New York Mets

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Since June 12 of last year, the Mets have gone 71-99, a .421 winning percentage that ranks among the worst in baseball over that span. They entered 2026 with a $382 million payroll, the highest Opening Day payroll in franchise history, and a 12-game losing streak in April that gave them sole possession of the worst record in baseball at 7-16. They are currently 34-48. They traded David Peterson. Steve Cohen has not spoken publicly in weeks, infamously complaining that fans did not use the free tickets he provided in April right before the losing streak started. The Devin Williams signing, which looked like a closer solution, is now the one functional piece on a team that has otherwise been a $382 million lesson in how roster construction and actual results are different things. Devin Williams is a winner. The organization around him is June's biggest loser.

Julio Rodriguez

The worst luck gap of any hitter with meaningful June playing time. His xwOBA is .363 and his actual wOBA is .258 — a 105-point gap in the wrong direction. He is hitting the ball hard and it keeps finding gloves. Fantasy managers who dropped him this month made a mistake. He is not bad. He is the most unlucky hitter in baseball. Those are different things and the xwOBA will eventually win the argument.

Eduardo Rodriguez

A 2.20 ERA in 28.2 June innings. His xERA is 5.34, a gap of more than three runs. He is the most dangerous name to own on the fantasy waiver wire right now because the ERA looks like a buy and the underlying data says run. If you are in a trade negotiation where someone is offering you E-Rod at face value, take the other side of that deal.

The Kansas City Royals Pitching Staff

Mason Black has a 4.50 ERA and a 9.85 xERA in June. That is the largest ERA trap in the league. The Royals lost 22-1 on Friday night. They were nearly no-hit the night before. They have given up 10 runs in a single inning. Bobby Witt Jr. is running himself into the All-Star game and everyone around him is running for cover.

One More Thing ...

The Angels Won a Game with an 18-MPH Walk-Off

The Angels' walk-off win this week ended on a tapper by Logan O'Hoppe that traveled 15 feet in front of home plate at a reported exit velocity of 18 mph, allowing Nolan Schanuel to score from third. Statcast has been tracking exit velocities since 2015. That may be the softest walk-off hit in the history of the technology. O'Hoppe's response when asked about it was pitch perfect: "It's a baseball play. It worked out for us." It did, Logan. It did. The Angels also won the game on a play where a 67-mph ground ball became a three-base error. Baseball contains multitudes and the Angels' highlight reel this week contains at least two of them.

Questions About Fantasy Baseball Winners and Losers, Answered

What were the biggest fantasy baseball stories in June 2026?
Pete Crow-Armstrong's 248 wRC+, Josh Hader's return with a 0.61 xERA, Bobby Witt Jr.'s 11 stolen bases, the New York Mets' disappointing 34-48 record despite a $382 million payroll, and Eduardo Rodriguez's misleadingly strong ERA were among June's biggest fantasy baseball storylines.

How good was Pete Crow-Armstrong in June 2026?
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit 10 home runs, batted .396, and posted a 248 wRC+ during June. He also produced a .533 wOBA with a .412 xwOBA, making him the month's standout fantasy performer while also suggesting some regression could follow.

Is Josh Hader back to normal after his 2026 injury?
Josh Hader returned from the injured list and posted a 0.61 xERA over 10 June innings with 10 strikeouts, one walk, and a 0.9 ERA, immediately re-establishing himself as one of baseball's elite closers.

How many stolen bases did Bobby Witt Jr. have in June 2026?
Bobby Witt Jr. stole 11 bases during June while posting a 135 wRC+ and a .309 batting average, continuing to provide elite multi-category fantasy production despite the Royals' struggles.

Why are the Mets a fantasy baseball disappointment in 2026?
The Mets entered the season with a $382 million payroll but fell to 34-48, limiting run and RBI opportunities for their fantasy stars and turning preseason optimism into frustration.

Who is Eduardo Rodriguez in fantasy baseball and why is he a trap?
Eduardo Rodriguez posted a 2.20 ERA over 28.2 June innings, but his 5.34 xERA suggests his underlying performance has been much weaker than his surface results, making him a risky fantasy investment.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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