Yes, the 2026 fantasy baseball season just ended. However, even with a pending lockout, it’s not too early to look towards the 2027 fantasy season. Throughout the postseason to this point, some intel is worth keeping in mind for drafts once the calendar turns.
DeLauter
Had it not been for injuries, which have plagued Chase DeLauter throughout his career, perhaps the Guardians outfielder could have made a real run for the AL Rookie of the Year Award. However, a shot at a championship would be a real prize.
Cleveland’s rode the wave of clutch hitting from Jo Adell and Jose Ramirez of late. But the same can be said for DeLauter, who had nine hits, one of which was a home run, in his first eight games of the postseason. Plus, the rookie walked five and struck out three.
There’s a lot of upside with DeLauter; 20-25 home run potential at the very least. He hit 16 home runs and 49 total extra-base hits during the regular season.
Gasser
Back in September, we noted that Brewers pitcher Robert Gasser was one youngster that 2027 fantasy baseball players needed to keep an eye on down the stretch. We hope you listened, or at the very least, put that info in the back of your mind.
Out of the three pitchers who’ve started two games for the National League champion Milwaukee Brewers in the 2026 postseason, Gasser is the one who actually had the best numbers. Not Jacob Misiorowski, and not Logan Henderson. The left-hander posted a 1.00 ERA and struck out six over nine postseason innings.
It’s been a clear, smart run for Gasser, who has a wide array of weapons in his arsenal. And that was made abundantly clear against San Diego and Los Angeles. Perhaps his best work came during a sequence in Game 4, when Gasser couldn’t put away Will Smith with an outside breaking ball with two strikes. So what did he do to follow it up?
A perfectly placed two-seamer on the same side of the plate that ran away from Smith.
Peralta
At least for the playoffs, “Fastball Freddy” is back.
Freddy Peralta, since he was acquired by the Rays back in August, has once again returned to his old form. While he didn’t strike out batters at the level he did with the Brewers, Peralta racked up 43 strikeouts over 55.1 IP, along with a 3.25 ERA.
The metrics on the fastball weren’t great in New York, so what changed in Tampa? An increased usage of the changeup, for one, at least at first. But in October, Peralta’s used that fastball in excess of 60%, way more than in any month during the 2026 season (not including Spring Training, for obvious reasons).
You could tell that Peralta was amped up in the ALCS during his Game 2 start. Peralta clocked in as hard as 99.4 MPH, which was the hardest pitch he threw this season.
A free agent after the playoffs, we don’t know where Peralta will wind up after 2026. However, after a down overall 2026 campaign, these past few weeks have made Peralta more of a safe pick in drafts next spring.
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