With the Major League Baseball season just weeks away, it’s time to start thinking about fantasy drafts, and two superstars are head and shoulders above the rest.
If you’re picking first in your league, your decision is simple: Do you want two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, or would you prefer New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge?
If you pick second, your choice is even easier. Just take whichever one is left.
Fred Zinkie, Yahoo’s fantasy contributor, noted that Ohtani and Judge “have separated from the pack” in this year’s preseason rankings.
“At this point, all discussions involving the No. 1 overall pick revolve around Judge versus Ohtani (Ohtani might have gained a recent edge, what with his grand slam in Japan’s first game of the World Baseball Classic — a 13-0 rout over Chinese Taipei),” Zinkie explained.
It’s rare, though, for preseason expectations to be spot-on with how the season goes, so if you’re picking third or later, here are some alternatives who could end up putting you over the top in your league.
The Obvious Choices
Zinkie highlighted other sluggers like Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals and Juan Soto of the New York Mets as other strong choices.
As for pitchers, Zinkie mentioned the Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal, the “consensus No. 1 pitcher in 2026 drafts.”
Higher Ceiling, but Lower Floor
Another alternative is Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet, who is ranked as the third-best pitcher but could “have a higher ceiling than Skubal or [Pittsburgh Pirate] Paul Skenes,” Zinkie explained.
“The left-hander ranked second in baseball in innings last year (behind Logan Webb) and topped the majors in strikeouts,” he added. “His career 31.8% strikeout rate is superior to that of Skubal and Skenes, and the Red Sox arguably have a better offense and bullpen than the Tigers or Pirates.”
If you’re looking for a high-upside batter, consider first baseman Nick Kurtz of the Athletics.
It’s only his second season this year, but he “has a booming bat, and if he could replicate his rookie-year production across 162 games, he would wind up with 50 homers and nearly 220 R+RBI.”
“To truly challenge Judge and Ohtani, the slugger would need to post a double-digit steals total, which is possible given that he’s heading into his age-23 season with 43rd percentile sprint speed,” Zinkie added.
Thinking Long Term
If you’re in a dynasty league, though, the calculus is a little different.
As detailed by Tristan H. Cockcroft of ESPN, Witt and Soto — not Judge — may be the safer bet.
That said, all of this could be for nought if there are injuries, suspensions or other factors. May the odds be ever in your favor.
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