Now that Week 16 is just about done in the 2026 fantasy baseball season, it’s time to take a look at who is up & down coming out of the All-Star Game break. It was a good one for some San Diego Padres, while it was not a good one for several hitters who had great first halves across the league.
Risers
- INF Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Orioles)
- 3B Manny Machado (Padres)
- OF Jackson Merrill (Padres)
- SP Tarik Skubal (Tigers)
- OF Chandler Simpson (Rays)
- SP Gavin Williams (Guardians)
When we released our 30 first-half MLB team recaps, we noted that Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill both had tough first halves. But the two came on strong right out of the gate after the break.
Over his last seven contests, Merrill had 11 hits, four of which were home runs. And as for Machado, the third baseman had nine hits and three home runs in that span. Home runs have come in bunches for Machado, although the same can’t be said for the number of hits he picked up in the first half.
With the Orioles scrambling for infield depth, turns out Christian Encarnacion-Strand was a short-term antidote. Encarnacion-Strand, acquired from the Reds after he fell off the depth chart, picked up seven hits, three of which were home runs, to post a .467 average in his last four.
Expanding out of the strike zone has been a problem for Encarnacion-Strand throughout his career. No one, though, will doubt the natural power, which is why the O’s taking a shot on him made sense.
Chandler Simpson had 12 hits over his last seven contests. Plus, three stolen bases, a stat where Simpson hasn’t excelled compared to what might have been expected from some this year.
In the AL Central, Gavin Williams and Tarik Skubal had weeks befitting of aces.
Fallers
- OF Wilyer Abreu (Red Sox)
- SS Willy Adames (Giants)
- C/1B Liam Hicks (Marlins)
- SP Gage Jump (Athletics)
- SP Zebby Matthews (Twins)
- OF Bryan Reynolds (Pirates)
Bryan Reynolds didn’t get out of the All-Star Game break on a hot stretch whatsoever. Twelve strikeouts over his last six games, plus a .040 batting average, dipped Reynolds’ short-term value during what’s been a renaissance campaign for the Pirates.
He, along with Wilyer Abreu, posted a sub-.100 average over the last week. It’s also been a tough week for Liam Hicks and Willy Adames, and particularly Adames. Eleven strikeouts over his last six games.
As for notable pitchers, Gage Jump and Zebby Matthews, at times, have been popular streaming options. But both had down weeks. And in Matthews’ case, this has been more than just a trend for the third-year Twins pitcher.
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