San Diego Padres right-handed closer Mason Miller has been as dominant as any reliever we've ever seen in the first half of 2026, which begs the question: Should fantasy managers be selling high? In his 38 appearances (39 2/3 innings) in the first half of his first full season with the Friars, Miller has gone 2-1 with a 0.91 ERA (0.53 FIP), 0.78 WHIP, a National League-leading 25 saves, 72 strikeouts, and 13 walks. The flamethrowing closer is tied with Rays closer Bryan Baker for second in the big leagues in saves, just three behind the leader, Guardians closer Cade Smith. The two-time All-Star has a ridiculous 48.3% strikeout rate and just a 22.2% hard-hit rate. Most of the time when he enters a game, he makes the opposing lineup look silly with his triple-digit fastball and video-game slider. Miller ranks in the 100th percentile in hard-hit rate, the 100th percentile in strikeout rate, the 100th percentile in whiff rate, the 96th percentile in chase rate, and the 97th percentile in barrel rate, so the advanced metrics support his otherworldly dominance. The Padres most likely won't give in and trade Miller at this year's deadline, and fantasy managers should follow suit and hold him.

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Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang is hitting .266/.361/.465 with an .826 OPS, 14 home runs, 60 RBI, 66 runs scored, and 15 stolen bases across 91 games and 416 plate appearances at the All-Star break. Turang probably won't ever eclipse the 50 stolen bases he had in his second year in the big leagues in 2024, but there's no question he has become a much more complete power/speed threat for the Brewers and fantasy managers at the keystone. The 26-year-old left-handed hitter was bummed to see the All-Star break come, as he hit .308 (16-for-52) with two home runs, seven doubles, 12 RBI, seven runs scored, and two stolen bases in 12 games in the early portion of July. Turang's expected batting average of .256 and xwOBA of .348 (wOBA of .358) suggest he's pretty much peaked in 2026, but he remains one of the most consistent and high-end offensive producers at second base in fantasy on one of the better teams in the National League. The former first-rounder in 2018 will easily set a new career high in home runs and should produce the first 20-20 campaign of his career. Turang is a firm hold for fantasy managers going into the second half.

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Since being recalled from Triple-A in mid-May, Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews has hit .211/.270/.343 with six home runs, 18 RBI, 25 runs scored, and five stolen bases across 189 plate appearances. The 24-year-old hit .228 with four home runs and three stolen bases across 107 plate appearances in June, but he struggled to just five hits in 39 plate appearances in July before the All-Star break. Once considered to be one of the top prospects in baseball, Crews owns just a .627 OPS across 643 career MLB plate appearances to this point. However, his underlying metrics suggest that improvement is coming. With a respectable 8.2% barrel rate and 42.5% hard-hit rate, Crews' xBA is .248, and his xSLG is .427. The young outfielder has also posted a respectable 21.7% strikeout rate. While Crews' highest-upside scenarios may no longer be realistic, he could still develop into a balanced five-category compiler. With his value at a low point, Crews is worth targeting on the waiver wire as a potential second-half breakout candidate.

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Kansas City Royals outfielder Lane Thomas got off to a very slow start to the 2026 season, hitting .208 with one home run across his first 125 plate appearances. However, the 30-year-old has begun to turn it on in the summer months, hitting .254 with six home runs across 144 plate appearances since the calendar flipped to June. Thomas owns a strong 12.4% walk rate for the season, which gives him a safe on-base floor and helps keep his bat in the lineup. With Royals outfielder Kyle Isbel (foot) currently on the injured list due to plantar fasciitis, Thomas has emerged as the everyday center fielder in Kansas City. As long as he continues to see regular playing time, Thomas profiles as a useful compiler with some power/speed upside for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

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Across 357 plate appearances in 2026, St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn is hitting .243/.314/.331 with four home runs, 38 RBI, 39 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. The 24-year-old's underlying quality of contact metrics leave a lot to be desired, as he's logged just a 3.2% barrel rate and a 35.3% hard-hit rate. Winn's plate skills are decent, but his 19.8% strikeout rate does not point to a significant batting average ceiling when paired with his tendency to make weak contact. Still, Winn is an elite defender at shortstop, which guarantees him a safe playing time floor in St. Louis. In deeper league formats, Winn's ability to compile slightly below-average production across all five categories has value. Fantasy managers in need of middle infield depth should consider targeting Winn on the waiver wire.

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Across 28 2/3 innings (30 games) in 2026, Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman has pitched to a 2.20 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 36 strikeouts and 19 saves. The veteran left-hander has not been quite as dominant as he was in his resurgent 2025 season, but he's still posted an impressive 29.8% strikeout rate and has blown just two save chances on the year. However, there may be some underlying reason for concern in Chapman's profile. After allowing just one earned run through his first 18 2/3 innings of the season, Chapman has allowed six earned runs across 10 innings since the start of June. His average fastball velocity is currently a career-low 97.0 miles per hour, and his walk rate has crept back above 10% over the last two months. Additionally, Chapman may be a trade candidate if Boston cannot sustain its current hot streak after the All-Star break. While he could easily remain a closer following a trade, there's no guarantee that Chapman would remain in a ninth-inning role with a new team. Managers should require a major haul in return, but Chapman could be a sell-high candidate ahead of the second half of the season.

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Across 254 plate appearances this season, Seattle Mariners outfielder Dominic Canzone is hitting .264/.335/.529 with 15 home runs, 40 RBI, 33 runs scored, and one stolen base. A lefty swinger, Canzone opened 2026 in a big-slide platoon role for Seattle. However, he's logged a .955 OPS in 30 plate appearances against left-handed pitching this season and has recently begun to emerge as an everyday player in the heart of the Mariners lineup. Canzone's splits against lefties could regress over a larger sample size of at-bats. Still, he owns strong underlying contact metrics with a 15.3% barrel rate and a 48.3% hard-hit rate. Canzone also limits swing-and-miss, as he's posted a respectable 20.9% strikeout rate. Now that he's working his way into a full-time role, Canzone profiles as a must-add power bat on the waiver wire.

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Across 423 plate appearances so far in 2026, Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto is hitting .235/.326/.453 with 19 home runs, 45 RBI, 67 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases. The 25-year-old owns a strong 13% barrel rate and should have a solid chance of reaching 30 home runs for the first time in his career if he stays healthy in the second half of the season. However, Neto's batting average floor could be a concern. His strikeout rate is up to a career-worst 31.4%, and his 22.1-degree average launch angle has led to his hard-hit rate dipping to 39.3%. Neto has also been caught stealing eight times in 20 attempts, which could lead to less aggression on the basepaths going forward. Neto is locked into everyday playing time at the top of the Angels lineup and remains a reliable provider of power and counting stats, making him a very useful fantasy shortstop. Still, fantasy managers may want to consider selling high on Neto at the All-Star break, given the riskiness of his profile.

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Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman/third baseman Nick Gonzalez can be a great fill-in addition off the waiver wire if you need help at multiple infield spots. He has spent most of the year at the hot corner, but has other eligibility as well in most formats. The 27-year-old has been a utility man most of his career, but has taken a nice step forward in a regular role over the past several weeks. Since June 1, Gonzales has been hitting .314 with three homers, 24 runs scored, and 17 RBI in 37 games. He has moved all over the batting order during that span, starting as the leadoff hitter and the cleanup hitter as the Pirates shuffle different combinations. He has a .364 wOBA since June 1 and just a 17.8% K%. His contact numbers and solid counting stats production are good enough to earn him a roster spot in most standard-sized leagues. He doesn't have elite power or stolen base potential, but if you need a batting average booster who can score runs and chip in countable stats, Gonzales is worth a look as long as he remains in an everyday role.

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Washington Nationals relief pitcher Clayton Beeter leads his team with seven saves on the season, and he seems to have the job as primary closer under control going into the All-Star break. He did blow a save and take a loss on Saturday, though, allowing two home runs and three hits without recording an out against the Yankees. He entered the game with a one-run lead with one out in the eighth inning and allowed homers to Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt. Before that outing, he had not allowed a hit in five straight appearances, earning a win, a save, and two holds over that stretch. Manager Drew Butera has been very unpredictable in his bullpen usage this season, although he doesn't have many great options to choose from. Beeter is probably the best option in the bullpen, but the situation has been very unpredictable all season. He's one of the best widely available closer options for saves, but he has been a wild ride for fantasy managers all season. Unless the Nats bring in a closer at the Trade Deadline, he'll remain in a high-leverage role with boom-or-bust upside. If you're desperate for saves, he's worth a look, but be ready for some major volatility.

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Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez has been a key contributor for the Fish this year, as they've gone from one of the worst teams in baseball last season to the middle of the NL Wild Card race. After hitting .246 last season, Lopez has had a huge jump to a .334 batting average with nine homers, 17 stolen bases, and a .376 wOBA. Last year, he had a .264 BABIP, but that has improved all the way to .370 this year. While some regression seems almost certain in that number since the league average is around .300, Lopez has definitely improved this year, increasing his hard-hit rate by over five percentage points. The 27-year-old has a chance to challenge his personal highs in home runs (15) and stolen bases (20) with a strong second half, and he is on track for his best wOBA and ISO in any qualifying season in the MLB. He has played all his games at shortstop this season, but if he still has 2B eligibility, he actually brings more value at that spot, due to the scarcity of production at that position. While his batting average is likely to settle down a little bit, based on that elevated BABIP, he can still be a very strong middle-infield play with speed and power potential while hitting in the middle of the Marlins batting order, and he's a solid option for fantasy baseball, even though he doesn't bring elite home run production.

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Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Garrett Whitlock continues to be very effective for the Red Sox, but his future role has been clouded a little bit by his team's recent success. Before the Red Sox won nine straight games heading into the All-Star break, it seemed inevitable that Whitlock or his fellow reliever Aroldis Chapman would be traded at the deadline, with the Red Sox well out of the playoff race. Now that Boston is back in the battle for a Wild Card spot, there's a greater chance the team holds both relievers through the deadline, which would likely keep Whitlock in a setup role. The 30-year-old has been very effective in his 34 games, posting a 2.18 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in his 33 games with 37 strikeouts and two saves. He has huge potential if he steps in as the closer for the Red Sox or another team, depending on where all the pieces land at the trade deadline. If you can stash Whitlock in deep leagues, he still has an elite ceiling down the stretch if he becomes a full-time closer. Since it now seems less certain that he gets that chance, though, he can be left on the waiver wire in standard-sized leagues until the situation becomes clearer as we near the August 3 MLB Trade Deadline.

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Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras was drafted as one of the best bats from behind the plate, but he has had an underwhelming first half of the season. His power numbers and his walk rate are down a bit, but his batting average has bounced back after dipping to .260 last season. His hard-hit rate is down from last year as well, but this barrel rate is up. He has been struggling coming into the All-Star break, hitting only .171 with a 20% hard-hit rate in his first 10 games in July, which may cause his managers to be willing to part with him at a lower price. However, he remains a reliable, proven option behind the plate at a position without much depth. He is in the middle of a very productive lineup, and in each of the last four seasons, he has been significantly better after the All-Star break. He may not reach his ceiling totals this season, but if you can get him at a discount, he can be a reliable anchor behind the plate for the rest of the season.

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In a stunning final round of the 2026 Home Run Derby in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park on Monday night, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker came back to stun Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber to win the event on his final swing, according to MLB.com's Theo DeRosa and Brent Maguire. Walker silenced the relentless Philly crowd by homering on each of his final four do-or-die swings to take home the title, his first ever. The 24-year-old right-handed slugger crushed a dozen homers in the final round to win it, homering on his final six swings to stun the hometown crowd. Walker entered this year's Home Run Derby as one of the biggest underdogs in the field, having never competed in the HR Derby. On 27 total swings on the night, he hit 19 homers, including 13 in the first round. In the process, he became the first Cardinals player ever to win a HR Derby. After teasing high-end power upside for years as one of the top prospects in baseball, Walker has finally put it all together in 2026, batting .294/.354/.532 with an .887 OPS, 22 home runs, 74 RBI, 62 runs, and 13 stolen bases in his 357 at-bats in the first half of 2026.

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Across 392 plate appearances in 2026, Chicago White Sox infielder Chase Meidroth is hitting .269/.341/.379 with seven home runs, 31 RBI, 54 runs scored, and two stolen bases. The 24-year-old has made some power strides this season after hitting five homers across 505 plate appearances in 2025, but he still owns just a 4.2% barrel rate and a 34% hard-hit rate. Meidroth has also seen his strikeout rate spike from 14.3% last season to 24.0% in 2026. Still, Meidroth owns a strong 9.4% walk rate and profiles as a plus defender in the middle infield for Chicago, which keeps him in the lineup on an everyday basis. He also swiped 14 bags in 2025, so he could get to a bit more speed over the final few months of the current season. Fantasy managers should not expect league-winning production from Meidroth, but he's a useful depth piece to target on deep-league waiver wires.

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After undergoing offseason ankle surgery, Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Tommy Edman did not make his 2026 debut until June 17. However, the 31-year-old has performed well since his return, hitting .343/.421/.478 with one home run, 11 RBI, 11 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 78 plate appearances. With a 5.5% barrel rate (career 4.9%), Edman does not profile as a major power source for fantasy managers. However, as a switch-hitter who can play all over the diamond, Edman should see near every-day playing time in the prolific Dodgers lineup. The veteran brings a balanced approach at the plate without any major weaknesses, and he may get back to being a speed asset now that his ankle issues are hopefully behind him. Particularly in deeper leagues, fantasy managers may want to target Edman on the waiver wire ahead of the second half of the season.

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Across 372 plate appearances so far in 2026, Atlanta Braves utility man Mauricio Dubon is hitting .265/.319/.420 with 10 home runs, 51 RBI, 42 runs scored, and three stolen bases. Dubon's underlying power metrics remain underwhelming, as he's logged a 4.8% barrel rate and a 30.8% hard-hit rate on the year. However, Dubon limits whiffs (14.7% strikeout rate) and has already matched his career-high for home runs in a season in his first campaign with Atlanta. The 31-year-old's defensive versatility has allowed him to maintain an everyday role in the Braves lineup and also provides valuable multi-positional eligibility for fantasy managers. Dubon may not have the highest production ceiling, but he profiles as a highly useful depth piece for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

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Across 256 plate appearances in 2026, Minnesota Twins infielder Royce Lewis is hitting .219/.297/.399 with 10 home runs, 29 RBI, 30 runs scored, and six stolen bases. The 27-year-old's overall line is held down by his brutal start to the year, as he hit .164 with three home runs across 119 plate appearances through the end of May. However, Lewis has been much better of late, hitting .266 with seven home runs across 137 plate appearances since the start of June. Lewis owns a 13% barrel rate on the season and has demonstrated significant power upside at earlier points in his career, hitting 31 home runs across 564 plate appearances from 2023 through 2024. Health remains a major concern for Lewis, as he's reached 400 plate appearances in a season just once in his career and has already missed time in 2026 due to a knee injury. Still, Lewis carries notable power/speed potential when healthy and could be worth targeting on the waiver wire in leagues where he remains available.

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Since being called up from Triple-A to make his MLB debut on May 13, Athletics outfielder Henry Bolte has hit .261/.343/.347 with three home runs, 16 RBI, 18 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases. The 22-year-old owns a 66.4% ground ball rate, which limits his power upside. However, he's logged a 46.3% hard-hit rate and also possesses high-end speed, which helps provide him with a relatively safe batting average floor despite his elevated 27.7% strikeout rate. Bolte also hit 12 home runs in 177 plate appearances at Triple-A before his promotion this season, so there may be some untapped power potential in his bat if he can figure out how to lift the ball more consistently. Even if he can't tap into more power in 2026, Bolte has established himself as the Athletics' everyday center fielder and profiles as a speed source with some upside for fantasy managers to target on the waiver wire.

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Across 82 innings (18 games) so far in 2026, Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Sproat has recorded a 3-4 record with a 5.16 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and 87 strikeouts. While the 25-year-old's overall line is not pretty, Sproat has been better after a rough start to the year. Across 33 innings since the start of June, Sproat has pitched to a 3.82 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 35 strikeouts. Command has been a bit of an issue for the young right-hander, as he owns an 11.1% walk rate. Still, Sproat is averaging 96.9 miles per hour on his fastball and has struck out 24.7% of the batters he's faced this season. Now that he's starting to find his footing in Milwaukee, Sproat could be worth targeting on the waiver wire ahead of a potential second-half breakout.

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