Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Jacob Melton could take on a large role in his debut season with the Rays. Melton was shipped to Tampa Bay in a three-team trade this offseason from the Houston Astros. Melton made his MLB debut last season and appeared in only 32 contests with the Astros. During this brief taste, the outfielder posted a .157/.234/.186, with an impressive seven stolen bases. Through 82 career games at Triple-A, the former second-round selection has held a .271/.347/.468 line with an .815 OPS. During this stretch, Melton has hit 11 home runs and stolen 23 bases. With Josh Lowe being shipped to the Angels earlier in the offseason as well, Melton will face even less competition for a prominent role in Tampa Bay. Given his speed upside, he is worth monitoring in deeper five-outfielder leagues during spring training.

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Washington Nationals right-handed pitching prospect Travis Sykora (elbow) was invited to spring training. However, given that he underwent UCL reconstruction surgery last season, the right-hander is not expected to take the mound at all in 2026. Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reported that the budding ace will continue his rehab process with the major league roster during camp. Sykora made his professional debut with Low-A in 2024 and immediately flashed upside, striking out 129 hitters in just 85 innings. In 2025, Sykora continued to ascend in the Washington system, finishing the season in Double-A. Across 45 1/3 innings spent primarily with High-A, Sykora would post an outstanding 1.79 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and a 79:17 K:BB. While he is expected to be sidelined for the entirety of the 2026 season, he is a prime buy-low target in dynasty leagues, as he was on track to make his MLB debut this season.

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Washington Nationals right-handed prospect pitcher Jarlin Susana has earned an invite to spring training. However, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reported that Susana is expected to remain in rehab from his last surgery last season during the start of camp. Susana is an emerging arm in the Washington system but saw his season cut short in the second half after suffering a late injury. Managers should monitor his status during camp, as he may be in danger of missing time early in the regular season. When on the bump, the 21-year-old was quite productive. He spent the majority of the 2025 season with Double-A Harrisburg and logged 47 1/3 innings to the tune of a 3.61 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. He struck out an impressive 79 batters but struggled with his command, serving up 32 free passes. Given his elite strikeout potential, he is worth following in deeper formats as he could be in contention for a second-half MLB debut.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford, the fourth overall pick in 2023 out of the University of Florida, was on the injured list three separate times in 2025 with an oblique injury, but he still managed to hit 22 home runs and steal 22 bases in 134 games played. The 24-year-old right-handed slugger also missed time during his rookie campaign with a hamstring issue. If Langford can stay healthy over a full season, though, he could do considerable damage for fantasy managers. In his two seasons in the big leagues, he's produced a .247/.335/.423 slash line with a .758 OPS, 38 home runs, 136 RBI, 147 runs scored, and 41 stolen bases in 268 games and 1,130 plate appearances. Langford could see more time in center field against left-handed pitchers, which wouldn't exactly be ideal from a health perspective. Despite injury concerns in Langford's profile, his power/speed upside puts him firmly within the top 20 fantasy outfielders.

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Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez has become a Cy Young candidate over the last two years with the Phillies after not going over 100 innings pitched in a season in his first three years in the big leagues. Sanchez has gone 24-14 the last two regular seasons with a 2.89 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 365 strikeouts, and 88 walks in 63 starts (383 2/3 innings). The 29-year-old Dominican southpaw had a league-high 8.0 wins above replacement and also fanned a career-high 212 hitters in 202 innings during the regular season. Sanchez was one of only three starters to go at least 200 innings last year and had the fifth-best ERA of qualified pitchers. He has missed one start in the last three seasons, so on top of his dominance, he's also been durable. Sanchez was unlucky in the win department, but that shouldn't dissuade you from taking him as a top-10 starting pitcher in fantasy drafts.

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Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood is a rising, young fantasy baseball asset after hitting .256/.350/.475 with an .825 OPS, 31 home runs, 94 RBI, 87 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases in 157 games in his first full major-league season. The 23-year-old power-hitting left-hander and former second-round pick by the San Diego Padres displayed impressive power to the opposite field last year, with 26 of his 31 total home runs going up the middle or the other way. The problem with Wood is that his long swing also leads to plenty of swings and misses. He led the league with 221 strikeouts and posted a strikeout rate of 32.1 percent. The fact that Wood was so successful in his first full MLB season bodes well for his long-term outlook, but despite being a top-35 overall fantasy player, there's some volatility and downside as well. The power is real, and RotoBaller has Wood as the No. 10 outfielder.

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Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball in 2025 in his second season in MLB, and he was one of the biggest reasons why the Dodgers were able to end the year as back-to-back World Series champions. The 27-year-old Japanese hurler threw a complete game against the Blue Jays in the World Series and was named MVP of the series. He finished the regular season with a 12-8 record, 2.49 ERA (2.94 FIP), 0.99 WHIP, and 201:59 K:BB in 30 starts over 173 2/3 innings pitched. Yamamoto nearly doubled the workload from his rookie season in the 2025 regular season alone, not to mention the additional work he endured in the postseason. Still, Yamamoto is easily a top-10 fantasy baseball starting pitcher for the best team in baseball. His split-finger, in particular, is a big reason he has almost a 30% strikeout rate in his first two years in L.A.

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Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) has made 38 starts (234 1/3 innings) in his first two big-league seasons with the Braves, and he's flashed his upside with a 15-11 record, 3.23 ERA (3.27 FIP), 1.01 WHIP, and 235:41 K:BB. The 25-year-old had Tommy John surgery a few years ago and was limited to only 17 starts in 2025 due to a season-ending elbow fracture that he suffered in late June. It derailed Schwellenbach's chances of improving on his breakout rookie campaign in 2024. Schwellenbach was quite good in his 17 starts for Atlanta before his elbow injury, going 7-4 with a 3.09 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 108 strikeouts, and 18 walks in 110 2/3 innings. There haven't been any recent updates on his rehab, but the fact that Schwellenbach resumed throwing before the end of the 2025 season is a good indication he should be fully healthy entering 2026. Despite some durability concerns, Schewellenbach is a solid No. 2 starting pitching target as a high-end rotation arm for the Braves.

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Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans was a big disappointment in 2025 after finishing fourth in American League Cy Young voting in 2024 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a career-high 223 strikeouts. Ragans only made 13 starts for the Royals due to groin and left-shoulder injuries -- he missed more than three months with a rotator-cuff strain. The 28-year-old southpaw had an elevated 4.67 ERA, but under the hood, he had a ridiculous 38.1% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate in 61 2/3 frames. Ragans made three starts in September after coming off the 60-day injured list, and he looked great with a 2.77 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and 22:4 K:BB in 13 innings. The stats on the surface don't look great in 2025, but now that he's fully healthy going into his fifth MLB season, there should be plenty of optimism that Ragans can bounce back. Fantasy managers should treat him as a top-15 starting pitcher, potentially at a discount because of durability concerns.

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Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker is an emerging power threat for fantasy managers after reaching the 30-homer mark in each of his three seasons in the Bay Area. Rooker has been named an All-Star in two of the last three years as well, and he finished his sixth year in the big leagues in 2025 by slashing .262/.335/.479 with an .814 OPS, 30 home runs, 89 RBI, 92 runs scored, and six stolen bases in all 162 regular-season games. Although the 31-year-old veteran wasn't quite as good as he was in 2024, it's worth noting that he cut down on his strikeouts (22.2%), and his .275 xBA and .509 xSLG suggest he was a little unlucky for how hard he was hitting the ball (44.5% hard-hit rate). Rooker's drop in strikeout rate suggests that he could easily return another 30-plus-homer season for fantasy managers in 2026, and he should have outfield eligibility in most leagues. He deserves consideration for his power and run production as a top-15 outfielder at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park.

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New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto wasn't able to lead the team to a playoff appearance in his first year in Queens, but he still managed to have an extremely productive season for fantasy managers. Soto hit .263/.396/.525 with a .921 OPS, career-high 43 home runs, 105 RBI, 120 runs scored, and a career-best 38 stolen bases in 160 games played. The 27-year-old Dominican also led the league in walks (127) for the fourth time in his career and on-base percentage (.396) for the third time in his eight-year MLB career. Soto has now cleared the fences 40-plus times each of the last two years, and his 38 stolen bases tied for fourth in the National League. Fantasy managers should be pretty confident that Soto will be an elite contributor across the board, although you should expect regression in the stolen base department. Soto's previous high in steals is 12. RotoBaller has Soto ranked as the No. 4 overall player for upcoming drafts, behind only Shohei Ohtani (DH), Aaron Judge, and Bobby Witt Jr.

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Kansas City Royals power-hitting first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino has a chance to be a 40-home run asset for fantasy managers if he stays healthy and makes some adjustments against left-handed pitchers. In his fourth MLB season in 2025, Pasquantino slashed .264/.323/.475 with a .798 OPS and career bests in home runs (32), RBI (113), and runs scored (72) in 160 games played. The 28-year-old left-handed slugger was able to top 30 homers and 100 RBI because he avoided the injured list for the first time since 2022. The only real problem is that the Pasquatch did the vast majority of his damage against righties and really struggled against southpaws. Pasquantino has top-three upside at the first base position in fantasy, but he must stop a disturbing trend of getting worse each year in the big leagues against lefty pitchers.

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Free-agent right-handed reliever Hector Neris signed a minor-league deal with the Kansas City Royals on Monday, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The deal includes an invitation to MLB spring training. Neris, a 36-year-old veteran, will be going into his 13th big-league campaign in 2026. The Dominican native spent the 2025 season with the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, and Houston Astros, posting an elevated 6.75 ERA (5.35 FIP) with a 1.69 WHIP, 35 strikeouts, and 16 walks in 26 2/3 relief innings. He did not have a single save, but he does have plenty of closing experience with 107 career saves with five different teams. For his career, Neris has a 3.47 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with a 29.4% strikeout rate and 9.2% walk rate. He'll be battling for an MLB roster spot in spring training and could start the year at Triple-A Omaha if he remains in the organization.

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Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda is a potential breakout candidate as he ascends into a full-time role for the 2026 season. The 27-year-old was named an American League All-Star for the first time in 2025. He finished the campaign with 2.5 fWAR, which is the highest mark of his four-year career so far. Aranda played a career-high 106 games, slashing .316/.393/.489 with 14 home runs and 146 wRC+ as the Rays' primary first baseman. He will likely earn even more playing time in 2026, especially as Yandy Diaz earns more starts at designated hitter and handles fewer first-base reps. Aranda currently ranks as the #16 first baseman in RotoBaller's fantasy baseball draft rankings for the 2026 season.

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Free agent starting pitcher Trevor Bauer is not currently pursuing a new contract in Nippon Professional Baseball, according to agent Rachel Luba. While Luba framed the decision as Bauer's choice, claiming that NPB teams asked to be notified if his plans changed, an article from ChosunBiz seems to indicate that teams aren't very interested in bringing him back. Bauer spent 2023 and 2025 pitching in the NPB, and he played in the Mexican League in 2024. With the Yokohama organization last season, he pitched to a 4.51 ERA and 2.94 xFIP. He also amassed 8.01 K/9 and 3.23 BB/9 with a 45.3% ground ball rate. The 25-year-old right-hander hasn't pitched stateside since 2021, his final season before being suspended for a violation of MLB's domestic violence policy. It's unclear where Bauer plans to pitch next if he's not returning to NPB, but there haven't been any rumblings of an MLB return lately.

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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow is healthy as spring training approaches, which is a favorable development for himself, his team, and fantasy baseball managers. Glasnow has dealt with many injuries throughout his time in the majors, including a two-and-a-half-month stint on the injured list last year as he recovered from right shoulder inflammation. He also pitched through side soreness during the World Series. The 34-year-old finished the year with 90.1 innings, and he hasn't thrown more than 134.0 innings during a single big-league season in his career. Now that he's healthy, though, he could eclipse that mark, especially in his role as the No. 3 arm in the Dodgers' rotation. Although availability has been a problem for Glasnow in the past, productivity was never the issue. He posted an impressive 3.72 xFIP last year with 10.56 K/9, 4.28 BB/9, and a 44.4% ground ball rate. While the walk rate was higher than ideal, it seemed to be an anomaly since he maintained a sub-3.00 BB/9 rate every year from 2021 through 2024. As long as Glasnow stays healthy in 2026, he should produce as a top option for the Dodgers and for fantasy managers. He currently ranks as the #25 starting pitcher in RotoBaller's fantasy baseball draft rankings.

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Free-agent pitcher Framber Valdez "will probably end up in Baltimore," league sources told Jim Bowden of The Athletic. Valdez remains unsigned and is still waiting for the right offer as spring training approaches, and while he'd be an upgrade to every rotation in baseball, Bowden notes that some teams simply don't want to spend the money on the former Houston Astros ace. The southpaw accrued double-digit wins and at least 22 starts in each of the last five seasons, and he posted an impressive 3.34 xFIP with 8.77 K/9 and 3.19 BB/9 in 2025. He continued to effectively limit weak contact with just 0.7 HR/9 and a 72.9% ground ball rate. His landing spot will determine his exact ADP in fantasy baseball drafts, but for now, he's the #28 starting pitcher in RotoBaller's latest rankings. If he ends up with the Orioles, he'd be the No. 1 option atop a rotation that also includes Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish.

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Free agent third baseman Eugenio Suarez's market isn't very strong, according to a report from Jim Bowden of The Athletic. He says that Boston and Pittsburgh make the most sense for Suarez, but at the moment, teams haven't done anything more than kick the tires on him. When speaking with a league source, Bowden asked why a non-contender wouldn't try to sign Suarez and trade him at the deadline in July. He was told that Suarez barely fetched any sort of return when he was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Mariners amidst a 49-homer campaign last summer, and given the lack of interest in the third baseman this offseason, it's unlikely that any contender would be willing to acquire him for a significant prospect haul in the summer of 2026. To put it simply, teams are hesitant to sign Suarez, even though he slugged 49 home runs last year. The power is indisputable, but he's not a major on-base threat, and last year's 7.0% walk rate and 29.8% strikeout rate are both concerning. Furthermore, he played average-at-best defense, contributing -0.7 fWAR in the field and -3 OAA. We may see Suarez garner a little more interest as spring training gets closer and teams finalize their rosters, but as it stands, his options in free agency are limited. The 34-year-old currently ranks as the #8 third baseman in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball draft rankings, and he'll likely rise or fall a couple of slots once he signs somewhere.

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Baltimore Orioles right-handed reliever Ryan Helsley struggled in 2025, posting a 4.50 ERA and 1.54 WHIP with 79 strikeouts and 23 walks in 66 1/3 innings pitched. Helsley did save 21 games, the second-most in his seven-year career, but none of them came after being traded to the New York Mets, and he also had a 7.20 ERA in 22 outings for the Mets to close out the season. The 31-year-old joined the Orioles on a two-year, $28 million deal this offseason as he looks to bounce back in 2026. Helsley gave up 16 earned runs in his final 20 innings with New York, but he should be the O's primary closer entering the regular season, and he's just one year removed from career bests in ERA (2.96) and saves (49). His poor finish last year may have primarily been the result of him tipping his pitches, so if he can get that fixed, Helsley is a nice bounce-back candidate. RotoBaller has Helsley ranked as the No. 10 fantasy closer.

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The Minnesota Twins and right-hander Joe Ryan avoided salary arbitration on Monday by agreeing to a one-year, $6.1 million deal that includes a mutual option for the 2027 season, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Ryan will earn $6.1 million in 2026. His 2027 option will be worth $13 million with a $100,000 buyout. Ryan had filed for $6.35 million in arbitration, with the Twins countering at $5.85 million. The 29-year-old is likely to open the 2026 regular season in Minnesota, but that doesn't mean the Twins won't consider dangling him during this summer's trade deadline. Ryan was a first-time All-Star in 2025 in his fifth year in the big leagues with the Twins, going 13-10 with a career-best 3.42 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 194:39 K:BB in 171 innings over 30 starts. Despite below-average velocity, Ryan excels via deception and is fantasy relevant in all leagues with a strong strikeout rate and excellent control. His weakness is that he's a fly-ball pitcher, but that is mitigated at pitcher-friendly Target Field.

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