Preseason Prep - March 24, 2026

William Contreras, C, Milwaukee Brewers

Contreras was a staple for fantasy managers looking to gain an edge at a thin position. He posted an xwOBACON over .380 every year of his career and a barrel rate over 9%. 2025 was different, where he set career lows in both of those categories. Conversely, he set a career best in K/BB rate, and his hard hit rate, EV, and LASS were all in line with career averages. There is no obvious reason for the down year, and I feel confident about drafting Contreras as a high floor catcher. 

Alejandro Kirk, C, Toronto Blue Jays

Kirk broke out in 2025, hitting 15 homers and slashing .282/.348/.421 across 506 PA's. For being the 13th catcher off the board, Kirk had an excellent 2025. His 50.8% HH rate is excellent, especially for a catcher and his 11/9 K/BB ratio makes him an asset in all formats. The most important part is that Kirk has the least amount of competition for playing time this year, so hopefully he can get some more AB's. I like him as a high-end C2.

Christian Walker, 1B, Houston Astros

Walker posted three straight seasons of an OPS over .800, but dipped to .718 in 2025. His 6.3 BB% was his lowest since 2018, most likely a product of a 30.5% whiff rate and 78.7% zone contact rate. The good news is that the thump is still there, as his .403 xwOBACON marked his fourth full season making that accomplishment. His 2025 launch angle and barrel rates were actually above his career average. Walker is primed for a bounceback and might be a good value as the 1B 22 off the board. 

Miguel Vargas, 1B, Chicago White Sox

In Vargas' first year as a near full-time player he hit 15 homers and slashed .234/.316/.401. Vargas played in a brutal lineup with little to no protection and R/RBI help. His lineup should be somewhat better this year, and while it might not be enough for him to be a real contributor, there are still hitterish elements that make him discussion worthy. Vargas is ultra-disciplined, whiffing and chasing below 22% each. A 36.6% LASS and 23.1 Pull Air rate to boot are signs of potentially good things to come. 

Marcus Semien, 2B, New York Mets

Semien was once a fantasy staple. He hit 45 homers in 2021, but regressed all the way to just 15 in 534 PAs in 2025. The 35% hard hit rate and 6.7% barrel rate are in line with career average. Unfortunately, Semien never had great peripherals, only a sky high pull air rate that kept him relevant. With his ability to hit homers diminishing, I'm almost all but out on him.

JJ Wetherholt, 2B, St. Louis Cardinals

Wetherholt has officially made the team. There are some legacy guys there like Nolan Gorman, but Wetherholt should see regular playing time. He crushed the upper minors in 2025, almost walking as much as he struck out near 14%.He stole 23 bases and hit 17 homers. His 83% zone rate in the minors last year is encouraging, but he does hit a slightly more than average number of groundballs, which I think will be a real adjustment as he faces big league pitching. We'll get solid ratios and he might steal some, but I fear the homers won't come and I don't love the lineup around him. He's cheap, but be careful.

Jonathan India, 2B, Kansas City Royals

India stole 13 bags and hit 15 homers in 2024, making him at least a respectable fill-in in fantasy lineups. That player disappeared in 2025, hitting 9 homers and stealing zero bases across 567 PA's. He was below 30th Percentile in EV, Barrel%, HH%, and LASS. The power has completely faded unfortunately. A career low .238 xBA does not inspire confidence either. Pass

JP Crawford, SS, Seattle Mariners

Crawford's 12 homers last year marked the second time in his career he reached double digits. A career league average pull air rate coupled with an 86.5 career EV doesn't move the needle. Crawford has also never stolen double-digit bags in a single year. The lack of proficiency in the counting stats is a concern and I don't see much appeal for 2026. 

Austin Wells, C, New York Yankees

Wells hit a career high 21 homers in 2025, but its about the only thing he brings to the table. His .214 xBA is simply not playable for fantasy purposes, even from the catcher position. That figure is a little low given his 33% LASS, but the poor runner that he is does no favors. Wells plays in a solid lineup, and the career 20% Pull Air rate is tempting for sure, but he is going to kill you in the ratio department. He's the 18th catcher on the board, but I'm hoping for a better second catcher than him. 

Cam Smith, OF, Houston Astros

Smith was putrid in 2025, hitting just 9 homers and stealing 8 bases across 493 PA's. He was overmatched as a 22 year old. He only barreled 6.9% of balls and posted a .377 xwOBACON. The contact and impact were neither impressive. Luckily, Smith displayed physical tools, including 29.3 sprint speed and 74.5 bat speed. He's an athlete with a very limited number of PA's in his professional career, is young, and comes from draft capital. His 377 overall ADP makes him a great late round lottery pick. 

Ian Seymour, SP/RP, Tampa Bay Rays

The lefty started five games for the Rays last season, but made 19 appearances total. In those 57 innings, Seymour punched out a healthy 26.4% of batters, while limiting hard contact to just 38%. xERA (3.92) and xFIP (3.81) weren't a fan of his low GB% and .383 xwOBACON against. Due to his respectable floor and dual eligibility, SP108 isn't a bad price for a versatile depth piece.

Payton Tolle, SP, Boston Red Sox

The top prospect was optioned and will not make Boston's opening day lineup. This move is actually ideal because it may make Tolle temporarily cheaper, and he'll certainly be back up at some point during the year. In Tolle's 16.1 IP last year, he had a 6.06 ERA, but his 30% whiff rate and 6.4% barrell rate suggest much better is to come. At SP143, he might not be drafted in smaller home leagues, but make no mistake, the upside for a lefty that strikes guys out is still there come midseason.

Aroldis Chapman, RP, Boston Red Sox

After some so-so years, Chapman erupted in 2025, posting a 1.17 ERA, 2.11 ERA, and 2.53 xFIP across 61.1 innings. He punched at least 37% of batters for the third year in a row and walked a career low 6.6%. His .227 xwOBA against was the second best of his career. He was an elite closer with elite underlying traits. As RP7 and ADP 83 overall, I'm very content taking him at cost.

Daniel Palencia, RP, Chicago Cubs

There's some WBC recency bias here, but Palencia posted a 2.91 ERA across 52.2 IP last year. xERA (3.26) and xFIP (3.37) like him, and his 28/7 K/BB is solid for a reliever. Palencia ran a super low barrel rate (4.4%) but a sky high hard hit rate (48.5%), so the profile is far from perfect. The quality of contact against is too good, and the whiff and K rates should be spectacular to compensate for that. He doesn't have elite upside, but as RP16, I like him as a panic pick.

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, New York Yankees

Goldy slashed .274/.328/.403 across 534 PA's last year. That was his highest average since 2022. The once potent slugger is losing a little bit of steam, as his 90.4 EV, 5.8 Barrel %, and 43.7% HH rate all represent at least three year lows. His .381 xwOBACON was not only a career low, but also the only time in his career he dipped below .415. He won't be a liability in the ratio department thankfully, but at the position, there is simply not enough juice.