Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Scott Pianowski's rest-of-season risers and fallers as of April 6

Scott PianowskiMon, April 6, 2026 at 5:12 PM UTC

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With about a week and a half of games in the books, we’re still waiting for offense to start. MLB is batting .234 as a whole, which would be a new seasonal low (it’s 11 points lower than last year). OBP is static year-over-year, in part because walks are up (so are strikeouts).

The home-run rate would be the lowest in 12 years, but again, it’s early. It’s not warm everywhere yet. Had I been given free tickets to the Cardinals-Tigers game on Sunday night (in 40-degree temps), I probably would have passed. Maybe if I put “Here Comes the Sun” on an extended loop, the weather will comply.

Every Monday, I’ll be re-ranking my top 250 moving forward. Use it to scout out trades and pickups or to self-scout your own roster.

Here are some of the risers and fallers from this week’s list.

RisersYordan Alvarez, OF, Astros

Perhaps I held Alvarez’s injury-plagued 2025 season against him too much; he was dinged in previous years, but still averaged a reasonable 135 games between 2021 and 2024. He surely doesn’t move as well as he used to, but he still swings a lethal bat (leading the majors in OBP, slugging, OPS, runs and walks). Alvarez might also have more Houston support than I initially realized; the Astros lead the majors in runs and every non-catcher in their lineup has an OPS+ above 100.

Cam Schittler, SP, Yankees

Although his 2025 debut was impressive, we were fair to wonder if Schittler could get his walk problem (3.8/9) under control. So it was fun to see him strike out 15 in his first two starts against zero walks. Turns at pitcher-friendly San Francisco and Seattle have helped the cause, but maybe this is a step-forward season.

Sal Stewart, 1B, Reds

Stewart was a screaming value before the year and I’m kicking myself for not landing more shares. All he did was hit last year, both in the minors and majors, and he also had a strong camp. Stewart has shown power and patience through the opening two weeks (1.167 OPS, more walks than strikeouts) and he’s also capable of stealing double-digit bases.

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Wilyer Abreu, OF, Red Sox

He was a star in the WBC and perhaps all that hitting talk with Miguel Cabrera is paying off. Most of the Boston lineup isn’t hitting right now, but Abreu (.429/.444/.857) was ready when the bell rang. Age 27 is a common time for a breakout season.

Miguel Vargas, 1B/3B, White Sox

Stolen bases are often a matter of will over skill, and so far, Vargas shows interest in running (three steals). And there’s nothing wrong with his bat either (.276/.389/.552). The White Sox should be a more competitive team this year, too.

Jordan Romano, RP, Angels

He was pressed into save chances with others hurt, and after three straight conversions, perhaps Romano has a strong hold on the job. His fastball velocity is down a tick but it hasn’t been a problem — his strikeout rate is actually at an all-time high.

FallersChris Bassitt, SP, Orioles

Two messy turns have him tumbling to the waiver wire, especially a six-run debacle against a Pittsburgh lineup that isn’t scary. Bassitt has six walks against just three strikeouts and he’s also hit three batters (at least that doesn’t scar the WHIP). Maybe he’ll work his way back into our good graces at some point, but at age 37, let him figure it out before you reconsider the case.

Carson Benge, OF, Mets

Because so many rookies have hit the ground running, it’s easy to forget that most first-year players are likely to struggle. Benge has been a treat when he reaches base (four quick steals), but he’s striking out a third of the time and isn’t hitting the ball hard when he actually makes contact. He’s still hitless against lefties and won’t start against most southpaws.

Willi Castro, UT, Rockies

The club rewarded his hot spring with the No. 3 slot to open the year, which felt like a wish-casting move. After a .152/.222/.242 start, Castro has tumbled down to the No. 6 position. He’s still useful for his defensive versatility, but Castro might be fantasy relevant for home games only.

Roki Sasaki, SP, Dodgers

He’s had trouble throwing strikes and he’s also been bitten by home runs in his two starts. The Dodgers always have an abundance of starting pitchers, and they might decide to slide Sasaki back into a multiple-inning relief role.

Scott Pianowski’s rest-of-season fantasy baseball rankings (as of April 6):

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Source: “AOL Sports”