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Eric Karabel
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Each week in MLB has its own story — full of surprises, both positive and negative — and Fantasy Manager Decide what to believe and what not to believe going forward. Perhaps we can help. If any of these thoughts are true…don’t be surprised!
Don’t be surprised… if Los Angeles Angels off Mike Trout Remained a top-10 fantasy hitter all season
It’s certainly fair to wonder if Trout, a generational talent and a future first-ballot Hall of Famer in his age-34 season, will be able to stay healthy enough to help fantasy managers through all six months of this and future regular seasons. After all, he’s shown a worrisome lack of durability through 2021, even though Trout was eligible for 130 games in 2025. However, while doing so last season, Trout only hit .232 and struck out at a career-worst 32% rate. In retrospect, sustainability wasn’t Trout’s biggest concern.
Trout’s first four weeks of 2026 were notable for several reasons, including the fact that he was able to appear in all but one of his team’s games. He returned to center field after spending one game at the position last season (though not particularly well). We can’t help but notice key changes on the plate. Trout combined for a career-best 22.9% walk rate on Wednesday with an impressive 19.3% strikeout rate. Houston Astros off Jordan Alvarez And Trout is alone among the current home run leaders with more walks than strikeouts.
Are Trout’s investors looking to trade him for a safer, more reliable option? We can’t argue with that fair approach, but what if Trout keeps hitting home runs, shows elite plate discipline and, perhaps most importantly, manages to show up in the sun near every box score? That would be amazing! Not only is Trout on pace for 47 home runs — a number he has yet to reach among his myriad accomplishments — but he’s also 5-for-5 in stolen bases. effort Only had 16 steals in the previous six seasons. Scoff if you will, but Trout last swiped more than 11 bases in the 2018 season!
Let’s choose to be hopeful and thankful that this is reasonable after so many years of despair. Trout’s barrel rate of 25.6% has never been higher (his best mark is 19.7% in 2022). His average exit velocity mark of 92.7 mph would be the second highest mark of his career. The power and plate discipline are elite — and only when he hits at Yankee Stadium (five home runs in a four-game set in early April). A .248 batting average (up 16 points from Sunday) isn’t great, but Trout’s .246 BABIP is rather unfortunate. It was .310 last season. Frankly, trout numbers may actually improve!
Perhaps expecting top-10 production isn’t bold enough. What a gift for Angels and fantasy managers!
Don’t be surprised… if Cincinnati Reds 1 b Sal Stewart Won the NL Rookie of the Year award
The pool of rookies in the National League looks pretty stacked, and most people probably expected Pittsburgh Pirates SS Connor Griffin Run away with this prize. Perhaps he will, but Griffin (.226, 29.3% K rate) hasn’t gotten off to a great start. however, New York Mets RHP Nolan McLean is enriched and St. Louis Cardinals 2B/SS JJ Weatherholt Definitely impressed.
Stewart entered Wednesday in fourth place all hitters At fantasy points, backs only Los Angeles Dodgers DH/P Shohei OhtaniAlvarez and Trout. So! Stewart, 22, debuted last season with five home runs in a Sept. 18 game, despite just three walks (5.2%) and a high K rate (25.9%). He did not attempt to steal a base. He would always hit in the minor leagues, but, as usual, the Reds seemed overbooked with young hitters, and there was no guarantee Stewart would play regularly. Many of us hoped he would find a way, but we can’t pretend to hope This is the number.
Stewart, the No. 32 pick in the 2022 draft, is among the home run leaders with nine, knocking in a run per game and his .979 OPS ranks sixth, a smidge behind Trout. He is an overachieving, cleanup hitter for rival clubs and has stolen seven bases in as many opportunities. Unlike Trout, Stewart isn’t blessed with remotely significant speed. Stewart’s breakout minor league season was 2025, when he hit .309/.383/.524 in Double- and Triple-A, with 20 home runs and 17 steals. He could achieve those numbers before this year’s All-Star break.
There’s nothing sketchy behind any of these numbers, either. Like Trout, Stewart is hitting everything hard and over the barrel without too much swing-and-miss. All five of his home runs were hits to right-center field. This combination of power and plate discipline is really cool to watch. Stewart is no ordinary rookie. Griffin may get more attention, but here we have a mature rookie with 50 home runs, 162 RBIs and 38 stolen bases. No cheater has ever come close to doing this before!
Don’t be surprised… if New York Yankees RHP Cam Slitler Join LHP Max Fried As a top 10 fantasy hurler
Littler, 25, had a 2.96 ERA (3.73 FIP) and 27% strikeout rate in 14 starts as a rookie last season, and he allowed just two earned runs in 14⅓ innings (1.26 ERA) during two straight, elimination playoff starts. Armed with a hard cutter and a solid sinker, the 2022 seventh-round pick has allowed three runs or fewer in 21 of his 23 career starts, including the playoffs. Few recognized Slittler as a near-top prospect entering last season, but he entered Wednesday just two fantasy points behind the Angels’ ace RHP. Jose Soriano For most fantasy pitching points.
With the expected showdown on Tuesday night Texas Rangers ACE RHP Jacob DeGrom All was Littler, as he allowed three hits in six shutout innings, lowering his ERA to 1.51 and his WHIP to 0.74. Right-handed batters are just 62 for 7 (.113) against him. There’s a little BABIP love here, but Schlittler’s swinging-strike percentage went from 12.1% to 16.2%. He leads baseball with a 1.52 FIP. Fried (2.72 FIP) and RHP Will Warren (2.77 FIP) is also among the FIP leaders. Probably LHP Carlos Rodon and RHP Gerrit Cole Will be joining them there soon.
Fried is enjoying another great season after winning 19 games and finishing ninth in fantasy pitching points last season. Rodan was seventh. How many Yankees can finish in the top 10 this year? Rodon and Cole likely won’t get there due to late starts to their respective seasons due to injuries, but Littler and Fried are well on their way. It’s an elite rotation, with a strong defense behind it. What Schlittler is doing looks a bit fluky to say the least.
