Fantasy baseball: Bold predictions for every National League team

Making bold sporting statements without real repercussion can be fun, and fantasy baseball certainly is fun, so it is time again for us to combine these fun things into one column. Well, really it is two columns, as we get bold separately with the American League and the National League, making myriad predictions and hoping some/many may hit. Perhaps not, but at least they should make one think.

For example, a year ago we predicted Milwaukee Brewers OFs Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich would each go 30/30. They did not. Miami Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara did not earn an All-Star bid or get traded. However, we also predicted Philadelphia Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber would knock in 125 runs (close, 132 RBI) and Colorado Rockies C Hunter Goodman would hit more home runs than walks (it was close, 31 to 33). Atlanta Braves OF Michael Harris II did lead the team in stolen bases.

Some (most) of these predictions will look a bit silly in six months, if not sooner. Still, there is a basis for making each of these bold statements, and perhaps it makes you think. Perhaps the player in question has a particular skill — or opportunity — that defies groupthink. Perhaps the statement is not a positive one. Fantasy baseball managers tend to follow rankings and projections but trusting your gut is important, too. Trust yourself. Take a few chances. Perhaps some of these bold picks will look wise in a few months.

With that in mind, let us go bold yet again, this time for 2026, finishing up with the National League.

Arizona Diamondbacks: 3B Jordan Lawlar finally becomes a top-50 fantasy option, hitting 16 home runs and stealing 26 bases. … SS Geraldo Perdomo falls short of 20 home runs, but he walks 100 times and steals 32 bases. … Rookie OF Ryan Waldschmidt hits 25 home runs. … RHP Brandon Pfaadt finally figures things out: 3.60 ERA, 180 K’s. … RHP Paul Sewald leads the team with 21 saves.

Atlanta Braves: A healthy Ronald Acuna Jr. blasts 30 home runs and steals 55 bases. … Catchers Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy combine for 52 home runs, with Baldwin seeing ample time at DH. … RHP Spencer Strider strikes out 240 hitters with a 3.40 ERA. … Prospect RHP JR Ritchie wins eight of his 11 MLB starts with a 2.95 ERA.

Chicago Cubs: OF Seiya Suzuki adds more power, reaching 36 home runs with 110 RBIs. … Regular DH Moises Ballesteros hits .260 with 24 home runs. … LHPs Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga each win 16 games with a sub-3.00 ERA.

Cincinnati Reds: Rookie 1B Sal Stewart clubs 28 home runs, bats .280. … Three Reds go 20/20 (Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte). … RHP Chase Burns strikes out 200 hitters with a 3.50 ERA.

Colorado Rockies: Six Rockies hit more than 20 home runs, including OF Jordan Beck and 1B Troy Johnston. … OF Brenton Doyle steals 32 bases. … OF/2B/3B Willi Castro has his first 20/20 season. … Surprising RHP Jimmy Herget saves 22 games. … The Rockies finish with a sub-5.00 ERA for the first season since 2021.

Los Angeles Dodgers: We predicted DH Shohei Ohtani would steal only 20 bases last season. He stole 19. Let’s say he gets back to 30 steals this season. … On the mound, Ohtani makes 20 starts and wins 10 games. … 1B Freddie Freeman, at 36, wins his first batting title. … RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the only Dodger to make more than 22 starts last season, is the only one to do so again in 2026. … However, LHP Blake Snell posts a 1.99 ERA over his 16 starts.

Miami Marlins: OF Jakob Marsee and 2B Xavier Edwards combine to steal 76 bases, and they hit 14 home runs. … C Agustin Ramirez rises to top 3 at the position, hitting 28 home runs with 22 steals. He transitions to first base by midseason. … OF Christopher Morel hits 24 home runs. … LHP Robby Snelling wins 14 games. … RHP Sandy Alcantara does not get traded.

Milwaukee Brewers: The Jackson Chourio true breakout season is here. He goes 30/30. … Longtime prospect 1B Tyler Black, off to a great start at Triple-A Nashville, pushes 1B Andrew Vaughn aside in May. Black hits .280 with a 12% walk rate for the Brewers. … SS prospect Jett Williams does not push SS Joey Ortiz aside. Ortiz bounces back with 15 home runs, 15 steals, Gold Glove defense. … RHP Brandon Woodruff leads the staff with 149 K’s. … RHP Abner Uribe leads staff with 22 saves.

New York Mets: SS Francisco Lindor (hand) plays on Opening Day and all the days. He plays all 162 games, goes 30/30 for the third time. … OF Juan Soto steals 24 bases. … Nine Mets hit 20 or more home runs, including 3B/2B Brett Baty and 3B Mark Vientos. … Overlooked RHP Clay Holmes leads the staff in innings and ties RHP Freddy Peralta with 14 wins.

Philadelphia Phillies: “Elite” 1B Bryce Harper knocks in 100 runs for the first time since 2019, and he scores 90 runs. … Revitalized OF Adolis Garcia hits 35 home runs. … 3B Otto Kemp hits 20 home runs over 400 PAs. … OF Justin Crawford steals 42 bases. … RHP Zack Wheeler debuts in late-April and posts a 2.76 ERA with 16 wins. … Five Phillies hurlers whiff at least 150 hitters, including Wheeler and rookie RHP Andrew Painter.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Rookie SS Konnor Griffin debuts in late-April and still hits .280 with 25 home runs and 22 stolen bases. He is a top-20 fantasy option for 2027 drafts. … Seven Pirates surpass 20 home runs, including newcomers 2B Brandon Lowe, 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn and DH Marcell Ozuna. … RHP Paul Skenes wins a career-high 16 games. … RHP Jared Jones (elbow) returns in June and wins 12 games with a 3.20 ERA.

San Diego Padres: Healthy OF Jackson Merrill hits 32 home runs, leading the team. … 2B Jake Cronenworth settles in at leadoff, and he scores 90 runs. … OF Nick Castellanos, playing mostly DH, hits .270 with 25 home runs. … RHP Joe Musgrove, back from Tommy John surgery, leads the starters with a 3.30 ERA.

San Francisco Giants: 1B Luis Arraez, adding 2B eligibility in early April, wins his fourth batting title with his fourth different franchise. … The Giants get 45 home runs from the DH platoon of rookie Bryce Eldridge and OF Jerar Encarnacion. … Backup C Daniel Susac hits twice as many home runs as starting C Patrick Bailey. … RHP prospect Blade Tidwell forces his way into the rotation by June and wins 10 games with a 3.60 ERA.

St. Louis Cardinals: 3B/2B Nolan Gorman and DH Ivan Herrera deliver their first 30-homer seasons. … OF prospect Joshua Baez debuts in June and belts 18 home runs and steals 16 bases. … No Cardinals pitcher wins 10 games, strikes out 150 hitters or saves 15 games.

Washington Nationals: SS CJ Abrams, looking to deliver more power, leads the team with 26 home runs. He steals 26 bases. … OF James Wood cuts down on his strikeout rate, and he hits only 25 home runs. … C prospect Harry Ford wins the starting role for Opening Day and hits .275 with 16 stolen bases. … No Nationals pitcher wins 10 games or strikes out 150 hitters. However, RHP Clayton Beeter saves 16 games.