Fantasy Baseball: Breaking Down Scott Pianowski’s Rest-of-Season Risers and Fallers

With roughly a week and a half of the 2026 season in the books, fantasy baseball managers are facing a stark reality: the offense hasn’t arrived yet. Across Major League Baseball, hitters are struggling to find their rhythm, posting a collective batting average of .234. This mark represents a new seasonal low, sitting 11 points lower than the previous year.

Even as on-base percentage (OBP) has remained static year-over-year—driven by an increase in walks offset by a rise in strikeouts—the power surge is missing. The league-wide home-run rate is currently the lowest it has been in 12 years. Much of this can be attributed to early-season weather; for instance, a recent Sunday night clash between the Cardinals and Tigers saw temperatures plummet to 40 degrees, conditions that rarely favor the long ball.

In this volatile environment, navigating roster moves requires a steady hand and reliable data. To help managers adjust, Scott Pianowski has released his latest updates on Scott Pianowski’s rest-of-season risers and fallers as of April 6, highlighting the players who are defying the league-wide slump.

The Risers: Who is Gaining Momentum?

Pianowski’s latest rankings identify a few key players who have surged forward based on early-season production and underlying metrics.

Yordan Alvarez (OF, Houston Astros)

Alvarez is currently operating at an elite level, leading the majors in several critical categories, including OBP, slugging, OPS, runs, and walks. Despite a 2025 season plagued by injuries, Alvarez has shown he can still be a cornerstone of a fantasy lineup. Between 2021 and 2024, he averaged a respectable 135 games per season, suggesting his durability is more stable than his recent history might imply.

Beyond his individual brilliance, Alvarez is benefiting from a potent Houston offense. The Astros currently lead the majors in total runs, and the lineup is remarkably deep; every non-catcher in the Houston order boasts an OPS+ above 100, providing Alvarez with significant protection and better opportunities to drive in runs.

Cam Schittler (SP, New York Yankees)

The narrative surrounding Schittler heading into 2026 was centered on his control. Following an impressive 2025 debut, there were lingering questions about whether he could manage his walk rate, which sat at 3.8 per nine innings. Those concerns have evaporated in the opening games of this season.

Schittler has recorded 15 strikeouts across his first two starts without issuing a single walk. While he has benefited from starts in pitcher-friendly environments like Seattle and San Francisco, the lack of free passes suggests a genuine step forward in his command.

Sal Stewart (1B, Cincinnati Reds)

Stewart enters the season as a high-value asset. Pianowski noted that Stewart was a “screaming value” prior to the start of the year, making him a prime target for managers looking for production at a lower draft cost.

Strategic Context: The 2026 Draft Landscape

To understand where the season is heading, it is helpful to seem back at the “My Guys” targets identified during the draft process in March. The current trends reflect a broader shift toward versatility and “post-hype” recovery.

For example, the Milwaukee Brewers have become a blueprint for lower-market success, emphasizing strong defense and versatile lineups. Players like Brice Turang, who saw a surge in the second half of the previous season, exemplify the type of well-rounded skill set that provides stability when league-wide hitting is down.

Similarly, the rise of “post-hype sleepers” like Andrew Vaughn—who showed marked improvement following a trade last season—highlights the importance of scouting players who have moved past their initial struggles into a more productive phase of their careers.

For those looking at the bullpen, Emmanuel Clase of the Guardians remains a high-floor option. His ability to maintain impressive strikeout and walk rates, paired with the Guardians’ knack for winning tight games, makes him a reliable anchor for managers who typically avoid heavy investment in closers.

Key Metrics for Fantasy Managers

As the season progresses, managers should keep a close eye on the following indicators to identify their own risers and fallers:

• Weather Shifts: As temperatures rise, expect the home-run rate to climb from its current 12-year low.
• Contact Skills: Players like Alec Burleson, who improved his performance against left-handed pitching in 2025, are better positioned to avoid the current league-wide batting average slump. Burleson’s contact skills suggest a potential ceiling of 25-30 home runs.
• Command Trends: Like Cam Schittler, pitchers who can drastically reduce their walk rates early in the season often see a significant jump in their rest-of-season value.

Editor’s Note: For those unfamiliar with the term, “OPS+” is a normalized statistic that adjusts a player’s On-base Plus Slugging (OPS) for league and park effects, where 100 is exactly league average. An OPS+ above 100 indicates a player is performing better than the average MLB hitter.

Looking Ahead

The early-season volatility of 2026 serves as a reminder that fantasy baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. While a .234 league average is sobering, it creates a massive advantage for managers who can identify “risers” like Alvarez and Schittler before the rest of the league catches on.

Scott Pianowski will continue to re-rank his top 250 players every Monday, providing a weekly roadmap for trades and waiver wire pickups.

Next Checkpoint: Look for the next set of rankings updates on Monday, April 13, 2026.

Do you agree with the rise of Cam Schittler, or is it too early to trust his control? Let us know in the comments below.