We still have a long way to go before the start of the 2026 MLB and fantasy baseball seasons. And with many free agents still on the market, value can very much fluctuate between now and late-March. But now that December is gone, let’s take a look at which players are looking very good for fantasy heading into 2026 — as well as those who may not be as fortunate.
Who’s benefited the most from the winter so far?
The Orioles have a new first baseman in Pete Alonso. Alonso signed a multi-year deal with the Orioles in December, ending his tenure with the Mets and his presence in the lineup behind Juan Soto.
Alonso had a fantastic season, one that saw him post the highest SLG (.524) and OPS (.871) of his career since his rookie season in 2019. Additionally, he drove in 132 runs for the Mets.
It was a fantastic season for Alonso, who will now have a different home venue and different protection around him.
On the surface, Baltimore could be friendlier to him. It’s more of a hitters’ park, and it played much better for right-handers in 2025, compared to 2024. For reference, Camden Yards had a 105 RHH Park Factor for home runs, ninth-best in the league. In 2024, before the team shifted the walls again, it was 90 (22nd).
What may also benefit him is that the Orioles have good left-handed hitters to support him. Gunnar Henderson — who may also benefit from the newcomers — and Samuel Basallo are among them.
Aside from Alonso, Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn both retain good value in 2026. Both head to PNC Park, a field that doesn’t have a plus Park Factor for left-handed hitters. That, however, means nothing, as Park Factor is determined by production from all players who hit at a venue.
It’s known for having a shorter right field porch (319 feet at the line). For Lowe, it means a shorter right/center and right field than the Trop. He’s a natural pull hitter, which could work in his favor if he can stay healthy.
Moving on to the pitchers, Devin Williams, Pete Fairbanks, and Emilio Pagan should either be considered to have the same value as 2025 — or potentially even more value than before.
Pagan was the Reds’ primary closer last season. Barring a meltdown, he should remain in that role this upcoming season. Pagan was a fantastic early-season grab for those who rostered him, as he finished fifth in saves (32). Not bad for a reliever available in the vast majority of leagues in March 2025.
The Marlins played 44 games decided by one run last season and largely retain the offensive group for 2026. Ronny Henriquez, one of the Marlins’ co-closers alongside Calvin Faucher last season, won’t be available next season.
Williams, meanwhile, will get a chance at reclaiming his status as a reliable closer with the Mets. Luke Weaver, who also signed with the Mets in December, lines up to be a potential fallback option.
And those who haven’t?
Every day that Alex Bregman sits on the market, one has to wonder more and more whether we’ll see him back in a Red Sox uniform.
Last year, Bregman was believed to be a near-perfect hit in Boston. He’s a pull-leaning hitter who leaned very much towards the left-field side last year. As a matter of fact, his 46.3% Pull% marked the highest of his Major League career since 2021.
However, Bregamn did do a lot of damage on the road. It’s worth noting that 12 of Bregman’s 18 home runs came outside of Fenway Park’s friendly confines, and he hit for a higher batting average on the road, as well.
| Home/Road | OPS | Home Runs | AVG | Runs Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | .761 | 6 | .246 | 31 |
| Road | .875 | 12 | .296 | 33 |
Many of those home runs he hit on the road, by the way, were not cheap ones.
That doesn’t mean his value will plunge if he doesn’t re-up with Boston. If anything, it proved that he will be a very valuable hitter come 2026. However, could Bregman’s numbers pop even more in a full, 162-game season with Boston in 2026, something he didn’t have last season due to injury?
Next are the pitchers on Tier 2/3 teams that have yet to be traded or may not be traded at all this winter. That group includes Sandy Alcantara (Marlins), plus Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan (Twins).
Alcantara found a groove in the second half of 2025, as the right-hander struck out 71 over 83.2 IP and posted a 3.33 ERA, up significantly from the 7.22 ERA that he had over the first half.
A quick aside here on Alcantara’s 2025: things began to look up for him once he began to get more outs on groundballs once June came around. Yes, Alcantara’s walks were an issue; 25 of the 57 he conceded in 2025 came between April and May. However, it didn’t help that hitters batted over .400 on groundballs.
Another aside here: the Marlins shifted Xavier Edwards to second base in late May.
But getting back to the bigger picture here, the NL East is still going to be a slog in 2026. And Alcantara, who won 14 games back in 2022, may see his value shoot up if he were to be traded to an elite contender.
The same can be said for Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan, who have two years of control left for the Twins. Minnesota could be a sleeper contender if things fall into place this season, which may be a part of the reason why those two are still Twins (the asking price is likely the main reason why, though).
Lastly, it should be noted that while some relievers have seen their stock go up, others aren’t so lucky.
Kenley Jansen signed with the Tigers in December, a move that puts him in a better position to win another title. However, will Jansen be the main closer/stopper?
Tigers baseball operations head Scott Harris stated last month that it would be up to manager A.J. Hinch as to whether Jansen will be the closer in Detroit. Hinch has primarily mixed and matched when it comes to save opportunities, although Alex Lange, Jason Foley, and Will Vest all received rope to some degree.
Robert Suarez, meanwhile, looks to be the main setup man behind Raisel Iglesias in Atlanta. Suarez may very well be the closer long-term for the Braves, as Iglesias is under contract through 2026.
However, Suarez, who signed with Atlanta last month, won’t have the premium value going into 2026 as he did in 2025.
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