2026 Fantasy Baseball: 20 Spring Training winners and losers include Didier Fuentes, Cole Young, Dylan Crews

Not everything you see in spring training matters, and overall, I’d say there’s a greater danger in overemphasizing spring performance than downplaying it.

But sometimes, players do things that genuinely move the needle. It’s less about performance than what’s underlying the performance, but performance is typically the first sign that something is different.

To help you sort out what matters from what doesn’t, I’ve highlighted the players whose stock has changed the most this spring, mostly in light of what they’ve done. Obviously, the ones who’ve gotten injured have seen their stock change all the more, but you don’t need me to point that out.

In all, you’ll find 20 players featured here, 14 winners and six losers, ordered alphabetically. I’ve also listed a generous number of honorable mentions in case you want to dig deeper into them.

Winners

Mick Abel

MIN

Minnesota

• #20

•

Age: 24

Spring stats

ERA

2.00

WHIP

0.83

INN

BB

K

HR

Acquired in the Jhoan Duran deal last season, Abel has blown away the competition for a spot in the Twins rotation, registering a 15 percent swinging-strike rate while reaching new heights with a fastball that’s peaked at 99 mph.

Carson Benge

NYM

N.Y. Mets

•

Age: 23

AVG

.366

HR

SB

AB

BB

K

Though it took an injury to Mike Tauchman for Benge to secure the starting right field job, the 23-year-old absolutely did his part, showing the patience and all-fields approach that should make Mets fans forget all about Brandon Nimmo.

Jac Caglianone

KC

Kansas City

• #14

•

Age: 23

(WBC included)

AVG

.294

HR

2B

AB

BB

K

Between his three balls hit over 115 mph during the first week of spring training and his heroic performance in the World Baseball Classic, this past month has reintroduced us to the Caglianone who hit .337 with 20 home runs in just 66 games prior to his promotion last year. Few players have seen their stock rise more.

Didier Fuentes

ATL

Atlanta

• #72

•

Age: 20

INN

H

ER

BB

K

HBP

You could say Fuentes’ spring amounted to a perfect game with 17 strikeouts if not for a pesky hit-by-pitch, but in any case, the 20-year-old has forced his way onto the Braves’ opening day roster and we might even say into their rotation plans if only Bryce Eldridge still had minor league options. It seems like just a matter of time.

Shota Imanaga

CHC

Chi. Cubs

• #18

•

Age: 32

INN

4.85

WHIP

1.08

INN

BB

K

HR

A velocity jump has had people dreaming of 2024 again, before the hamstring injury that cost Imanaga some of the strength in his lower half. He’s gone from being a No. 5 in 12-teamers to a borderline No. 3 for me.

Jordan Lawlar

ARI

Arizona

• #10

•

Age: 23

AVG

.333

HR

SB

OBP

.444

OPS

1.066

AB

After years of being squeezed out of the infield, the former top prospect has gotten a chance in the outfield this spring and run with it, making consistently hard contact to his pull side and showing an improved approach against breaking balls. He retains eligibility at third base, too.

Matthew Liberatore

STL

St. Louis

• #32

•

Age: 26

ERA

1.80

WHIP

0.80

INN

BB

K

HR

Though any changes to his arsenal have been understated, the normally pitch-to-contact lefty has delivered an unbelievable 18.7 percent swinging-strike rate during the exhibition season, registering double-digit whiffs in three consecutive starts at one point.

Coby Mayo

BAL

Baltimore

• #16

•

Age: 24

AVG

.389

HR

OPS

1.039

AB

BB

K

Jordan Westburg’s elbow injury gave Mayo an unexpected path to playing time, and he’s proven deserving of it by taking a big bite out of the strikeout rate that inhibited him in the past.

Matt McLain

CIN

Cincinnati

• #9

•

Age: 26

AVG

.529

HR

SB

AB

BB

K

Probably the single biggest riser of the spring, McLain’s massive performance has gone a long way toward reassuring drafters that the 2023 version is still in there and ready to reclaim prominence at second base. He’s reportedly made changes to reduce his vulnerability to sliders low and away.

TJ Rumfield

COL

Colorado

• #68

•

Age: 25

AVG

.280

HR

OPS

.882

AB

BB

K

The new Rockies brass made a point to acquire Rumfield from the Yankees in the offseason, and though he was considered a fringe contender for the team’s starting first base job coming into spring training, he seized it away from an equally hot Charlie Condon, setting him up for a possible sleeper run at Coors Field.

Kodai Senga

NYM

N.Y. Mets

• #34

•

Age: 33

INN

9.2

H

ER

BB

K

HR

Senga showed up with new mechanics after a pair of injury-plagued seasons, gaining a couple miles per hour on his fastball and showing none of the control problems that have hindered him in the past.

Josh H. Smith

TEX

Texas

• #8

•

Age: 28

AVG

.390

HR

SB

AB

BB

K

The Rangers’ intended starter at second base has equaled a career-high for hardest-hit ball this spring while homering at a rate that’s completely unfamiliar to him (six total if you count an exhibition game against Team Brazil). He says he’s swinging with more intent after being too focused on not striking out previously.

Sal Stewart

CIN

Cincinnati

• #27

•

Age: 22

AVG

.333

HR

SB

AB

BB

K

While Stewart was always the favorite to start at first base, the rookie had less margin for error after the Reds signed Eugenio Suarez. He’s been one of the standout performers of the spring, not only hitting the ball 95.3 mph on average but also walking more than he’s struck out and even stealing some bases.

Cole Young

SEA

Seattle

• #2

•

Age: 22

AVG

.281

HR

SB

AB

BB

K

Young’s six home runs this spring (two more than in 77 games as a rookie) haven’t been Cactus League cheapies, with multiple traveling in excess of 440 feet. He was earning rave reviews early in camp for his improved physique.

A few other winners: Michael Burrows, Justin Crawford, Grant Holmes, Rhys Hoskins, Rhett Lowder, Parker Messick, Max Muncy (ATH), Cody Ponce, Luis Severino, Will Warren, JJ Wetherholt

Losers

Chase Burns

CIN

Cincinnati

• #26

•

Age: 23

Spring stats

ERA

5.25

WHIP

1.42

INN

BB

K

HR

Sure, he made the team, but the fact it was even in question is a loss for Burns’ previously skyrocketing stock, and it sounds like he may be less of a true starter to begin the year than part of a piggyback situation with Brandon Williamson.

Dylan Crews

WAS

Washington

• #3

•

Age: 24

AVG

.103

XBH

SB

AB

BB

K

The Nationals finally had enough of Crews’ empty stat lines and sent the former No. 2 overall pick down to the minors in what was perhaps the most surprising transaction of the spring.

Bryce Eldridge

SF

San Francisco

• #78

•

Age: 21

AVG

.225

HR

3B

2B

AB

K

The Giants gave Eldridge a wide-open lane to the DH job after already letting him get his feet wet last year, but the slugger proved to be too rough around the edges still at age 21, needing to refine his defense, baserunning and, most of all, bat-to-ball skills.

Sean Manaea

NYM

N.Y. Mets

• #59

•

Age: 34

INN

9.2

H

ER

BB

K

HR

Manaea has seemed unconcerned with his 3 mph drop in velocity as he’s worked to rediscover the Chris Sale-like arm slot that gave him so much success in 2024 — and to be fair, the results have been fine — but the Mets are concerned enough to have him open the year in the bullpen.

Roki Sasaki

LAD

L.A. Dodgers

• #11

•

Age: 24

INN

6.2

H

ER

BB

K

HR

The Dodgers have maintained all spring that Roki Sasaki will be a part of their starting rotation, hardly batting an eye at his struggles, but we can’t afford to be so sanguine in Fantasy. So far, his only success this side of Japan has come as a reliever, and even that was a qualified success.

Spencer Strider

ATL

Atlanta

• #99

•

Age: 27

INN

8.1

H

ER

BB

K

HR

We needed to see Strider regain the life on his fastball to have any hope of a rebound from 2025, but instead, his velocity has continued to lag. Thoughts of him offsetting that loss by leaning more on his limited secondary arsenal are wishful at best. Strider will start the season on the IL with an oblique strain.

A few other losers: Harry Ford, Konnor Griffin, Reynaldo Lopez, Zebby Matthews, Bailey Ober, Andrew Painter, Robby Snelling