Fantasy baseball free agent pickups: Don’t hesitate to add Sal Stewart
Rookie heroics dominated baseball’s opening weekend, as three gamers making their main league debuts homered on an Opening Day for the primary time in historical past, and two rookies hit residence runs in every of their first three big-league video games (they’re two of the 4 in historical past to do this).
It served a reminder of the immense expertise possessed by the group and the significance to make sure that the next first-year gamers are rostered in your league:
But for all of the hype surrounding these top-100 preseason prospects, it was a fellow rookie from that record, one who had an 18-game cup of espresso within the majors final September and wasn’t as celebrated regardless of his comparably stable opening weekend, who’s each bit as related a pickup in commonplace leagues. Best but, he is the considered one of this quartet who stays out there in additional than half of ESPN leagues — a key qualifier for this column.
Sal Stewart1B/3B, Cincinnati Reds (44.2% rostered): He’s fairly a hitter, having succeeded on that entrance all over the place he has performed, from his .309/.383/.524 hitting line between Double- and Triple-A final season, to his 5 residence runs in his aforementioned 18 video games final September, to his .327/.450/.592 spring stat line. Stewart’s Opening Day roster spot appeared in jeopardy following February’s addition of Eugenio Suarezhowever the rookie discovered his manner onto the roster as an identical candidate for taking part in time between first base, third base and designated hitter.
Stewart dealt with first base within the Reds’ first two video games, with Suarez at DH, whereas Suarez performed third base with Stewart at DH within the workforce’s Sunday sequence finale in opposition to Boston Red Sox left-hander Connelly Early. Consider it a sign that the Reds acknowledge Stewart’s significance to their offense, even when his long-term defensive place stays unclear due to his deficiencies in that space.
Stewart’s metrics via his first 21 regular-season video games are eye-popping: An 18.8% Barrel fee, a quantity exceeded by solely six certified hitters through the 2025 season; at 56.3% hard-hit fee, which additionally would’ve positioned sixth; and a .442 anticipated weighted on-base common (xwOBA), which might’ve been exceeded by solely Aaron Judge (.460).
Two-start pickup
Cody PonceSP, Toronto Blue Jays (28.2% rostered)
Ponce is a simple pitcher to overlook, after he compiled a 5.86 ERA and 19.6% strikeout fee in two seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020 and 2021, and confronted what appeared to be an uphill battle for a spot in a deep Blue Jays rotation getting into spring coaching. Ponce is not the identical hurler he was throughout his final stint within the States. His efficiency this spring was electrical, pitching to a 0.66 ERA and demonstrating a rise of greater than 2 mph in his common fastball velocity (in contrast to 2020-21) and the whiff-generating splitter he added to his repertoire whereas pitching abroad the previous three years.
He’s aligned for one of many softest two-start weeks any pitcher might attract 2026, dealing with the Colorado Rockies and White Sox, who ranked twenty ninth and twenty seventh in runs per sport within the league final season. Ponce, out there in almost three-quarters of ESPN leagues, must be universally included with the prospect this might jump-start a breakthrough season.
Deeper-league pickups
Deep (12-team blended): Jordan RomanoRP, Los Angeles Angels (13.9% rostered)
Closer success tales generally is a matter of happenstance (see: Emilio Pagan in 2025), and Romano’s prospects within the function dramatically elevated following late-spring accidents to each Robert Stephenson (elbow) and Kirby Yates (knee). Romano completed off every of the Angels’ two weekend victories, retiring six of the seven batters he confronted whereas hanging out three, and notching the save on Opening Day. Yates’ absence should not be prolonged — Stephenson’s, sadly, may very well be season-ending — however Romano’s previous expertise and above-average abilities (95 mph fastball and 36% whiff slider) might earn him long-term standing within the function.
Deeper (14-team blended): Lucas ErcegRP, Kansas City Royals (9.5%)
Speaking of nearer hopefuls, Carlos Estevez‘s Saturday meltdown (6 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 1 HR whereas recording just one out) solid the Royals’ nearer image into potential chaos. His spring dip in common fastball velocity had been broadly publicized, and a left ankle contusion, suffered when he was hit by a Michael Harris II comebacker in that very same sport, additional clouds his outlook. Royals supervisor Matt Quatraro mentioned on Sunday that “we’re not averse to putting [Estevez] in a lower-leverage situation,” and on that very same day, Erceg notched the save within the workforce’s 4-1 victory.
Erceg, for individuals who do not recall, saved 11 of the Royals’ 27 wins following his 2024 commerce deadline acquisition, and his common fastball velocity rebounded properly this weekend (98.8 mph) after being down for a lot of the spring. He’s not promised the on a regular basis nearer function, however he has each the upside and now the chance to warrant a pickup
Deepest (AL- and NL-only leagues): Emerson HancockSP, Seattle Mariners (6.0%)
Yo is perhaps one of many few believers on this right-hander, which is comprehensible after he posted a 4.81 ERA throughout his first three big-league seasons, however after an encouraging spring coaching and his first begin of his 2026, he is wanting no less than streaming-worthy even in some blended leagues. Hancock is leaning rather more on the sweeper he briefly launched in 2025, throwing it 26% of the time in his Sunday begin after 20% throughout spring coaching.
Combining his spring and Sunday, he has now struck out 30 of the 82 batters he has confronted (36.6%). This is not to say he is destined for an enormous breakthrough — many such early emergences easy out over time — however that is the time of the season when try to be speculatively stashing any pitcher whose success is tied to pitch-repertoire sprucing.
