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It's still pretty cold around most of the United States, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel – as we sit here on March 12, we are just about four weeks away from the first batch of pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training duty.

I know spring is still a ways away, despite actually seeing a temperature reading in the 50s in recent days here in New York City. I'm not putting my space heater away for good just yet. But I'm starting to get into the spring mood nonetheless, with the official kick-off of the Fantasy Baseball Today's 2026 Draft Prep coverage. We've been producing content all offseason long, but this week we're really getting into it, with the release of full rankings from Scott White, Frank Stampfl, and myself on CBSSports.com coming Tuesday, along with the start of our first ever On The Beat series for the Fantasy Baseball Today podcast, where Frank and I will be interviewing beat writers and team insiders for all 30 MLB teams over the next 30 days.

And to go along with that, we're unveiling the first round of our sleepers, breakouts, and busts picks for 2026 this week on CBSSports.com. I'm going first with Sleepers today, while Frank and Scott will follow later this week with breakouts and busts, and we'll spend the next few weeks alternating until we've got a full round of picks from all three of us. All that is how you know spring is on the way, no matter what that groundhog says in a few weeks.

So, let's kick it off today with Sleepers 1.0. I'm looking mostly at players with an ADP in early drafts outside of the top 200, though not exclusively – don't worry, though, I'm not going with anyone inside of the first 10 rounds of 15-team leagues here, or anything. These are all going to be relatively cheap picks who might be able to make a big impact for your team in 2026 – at least until Spring training hype takes off and they all balloon out of our price range. 

And, for those of you sticklers who think I'm not being obscure enough with my picks, I've got a deep sleeper at every position for you to consider, too. You're welcome.

Sleepers 1.0

Francisco Alvarez, C, Mets

It's hard to call a season where an established major-leaguer was demoted to Triple-A a "success," but I'm at least back to feeling pretty warmly about Alvarez. He went back to Triple-A and hit 12 homers in 26 games after his mid-June demotion, and then came back to the majors and hit .276/.360/.561 in 41 games in the second half. He did that despite dealing with multiple hand injuries, and he did it while shaving a few ticks off his strikeout rate and bumping his average exit velocity to 93.4 mph. Alvarez has been around for a pretty long time and has certainly been surpassed by some more recent promotions in the catching hierarchy. He's also younger than Drake Baldwin and Agustin Ramirez, just for some context. Alvarez may have already figured it out and ascended to the upper tiers of the position last season, with injuries being the only reason everyone didn't realize it.

At the very least, if you want to take a chance on difference-making upside at the position without paying a top-150 price, Alvarez is a nice pivot. 

Deep Sleeper: Harry Ford, Nationals: Ford's development has kind of stalled out, and the presence of Keibert Ruiz will limit his early opportunities. But he's more than held his own in the high minors and could provide some out-of-position speed if the bat plays. 

Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Guardians

The question for any talented, young left-handed hitter is inevitably, "Can they hit lefties?" In Manzardo's case, it's hard to say, because he got just 95 plate appearances against them in 2025, but I think he's got a chance. His .287 wOBA doesn't back it up, but look under the hood, and there are reasons to be optimistic, as he had a .315 expected wOBA, 90 mph average exit velocity, and a viable 26% strikeout rate against southpaws. At the very least, he showed enough last season to be worth a longer look against them. 

And I'm not sure the Guardians really have much of a choice. The offseason isn't over, but there isn't an obvious platoon bat to split time with him. Late last season, they did at least show a willingness to give Manzardo a chance – after starting just one out of 27 games against lefties from late May through mid-August, he started seven of their final 10 against them, including their playoff game against Tarik Skubal. Manzardo hit 27 homers last season despite being much less than a full-time player, so it doesn't take much projection to get him to 30-plus with a bump in playing time. That's not bad for a post-200 pick. 

Deep Sleeper: Triston Casas, Red Sox: After the acquisition of Willson Contreras, finding playing time for Casas in Boston could be complicated, so he might be hoping for a change-of-scenery trade here. There is still big power potential here if he does get something like everyday plate appearances. 

Matt McLain, 2B, Reds

I was way out on McLain as a top-90 pick this time last year, but if he keeps sliding outside of the top 200, I think I can get on board with taking the flier for 2026. McLain's poor approach at the plate and mediocre power were exposed in 2025, but this is still a pretty Fantasy-friendly skill set – despite playing pretty poorly overall, he still had 15 homers and 18 steals in 147 games. And while I think the star expectations folks put on him were an overreaction, it's also worth keeping in mind that those expectations were heaped on McLain coming off a season where he played all of 13 games in the Arizona Fall League after recovering from shoulder surgery. 

Even if all you do is split the difference between his genuinely very good 2023 and his terrible 2025, we're talking about a .249/.323/.411 hitter with 21 homers and 22 steals per 162 games, with the benefit of playing half his games in one of the best hitter's parks in baseball. McLain was never worth all the hype he got last year, but the reaction to that might underrate his chances of still being a pretty good Fantasy option. 

Deep Sleeper: Christian Moore, Angels: Both in the majors and minors, Moore's 2025 season didn't leave a ton to be optimistic about, and the Angels may just have screwed up his development with their aggressive promotion schedule. But there's still plus athleticism and speed here, and no concerns about playing time. In deeper leagues, he's an interesting flier. 

Kazuma Okamoto, 3B, Blue Jays

Okamoto's price is starting to rise, but not especially quickly in drafts since his signing. That's fine, I'll take the discount. I think he's unlikely to be a superstar, but I do think his playing time should be pretty secure, and I think there's a pretty good chance Okamoto ends up eligible at first base and in the outfield in addition to third base – and I wouldn't be totally shocked if he saw some reps at second base in a pinch, too. He won't be the consistent 30-plus homer guy he was in Japan, but his strong contact skills and ability to hit the ball in the air to the pull side should make him a viable source of power. The comp I've been going with is the post-Coors Field version of Nolan Arenado, like when he hit .266 with 26 homers and 93 RBI in 2023 and was a top-75 hitter in Fantasy. Not a superstar, but a very solid starting option, especially for a CI spot. 

Deep Sleeper: Jordan Lawlar, Diamondbacks: The fact that the Diamondbacks have never really embraced Lawlar as an MLB player is a bit concerning, but there have been injuries and playing time roadblocks in his way as an extenuating circumstance. He's struggled with breaking balls, but otherwise hits the ball hard with decent plate discipline and at least above-average power and speed. He's a perfect high-upside bench piece to draft in all categories leagues. 

Konnor Griffin, SS, Pirates

I suspect by the time Spring Training rolls around, Griffin is going to cost too much to qualify for a "sleeper" tag, so I'll take advantage while the price is still reasonable – he's sitting right around 210 in drafts over the past two weeks on the NFBC platform. That's coming off a season where he hit .333/.415/.527 with 21 homers and 65 steals as a 19-year-old. He's played just 21 games at Double-A, but multiple reports indicate the Pirates are going to give him a real chance to break camp with the team this spring. He's arguably the top prospect in baseball and inarguably the one with the highest Fantasy ceiling thanks to his off-the-charts athleticism. According to BaseballProspectus.com, he was posting 90th percentile exit velocities in the same range as Owen Caissie last season, around 108 mph, and he was doing that, again, as a 19-year-old. 

He might end up overwhelmed by the higher levels of competition he hasn't faced yet, but the Pirates are going to give him a chance to prove himself, and if he shows a spark this spring, his price is going to spike. I suspect by the time we update our sleeper picks closer to the start of the season, Griffin is going to be too expensive to qualify. So I'll stick him here while he does. There are outcomes where Griffin emerges as the top player in Fantasy in the next few years. 

Deep Sleeper: Colt Emerson, Mariners: Emerson is another prospect whose profile figures to rise this spring, as the Mariners are expected to give him a chance to win the third base job. Playing much of last season as a 19-year-old himself, Emerson hit .285/.383/.458 with 16 homers and 14 steals in 130 games and could grow into more power. 

Chase DeLauter, OF, Guardians

DeLauter's prospect standing has taken a hit since he was the 16th pick back in the 2022 draft, but it's not because of his performance. When DeLauter has been on the field, he has been very productive, hitting .302/.384/.504 in 138 games. Prior to 2025, the issue had been recurring foot injuries, but he was felled by sports hernia surgery and a broken hamate bone as he was on the cusp of making it to the majors last season. 

The Guardians will almost certainly play it safe with DeLauter's playing time at least early on in 2026, and it's up to him to force the issue by staying healthy and emerging as the force in the middle of the lineup they've expected him to be for years. The smart money shouldn't be on DeLauter staying healthy, but when you're talking about a late-draft dart throw, you're never talking about high-probability bets. At least this one is on a guy who might still be a premium talent (he posted above-average quality of contact metrics with very good plate discipline in his brief time at Triple-A last season) who should have a job as long as he's healthy. 

Justin Crawford, Phillies

Crawford is a controversial player in real-life prospect rankings. Scouting reports tend to focus on what Crawford doesn't do: Despite plus-plus foot speed, Crawford doesn't project as an MLB-caliber centerfielder; despite at least above-average raw power, he doesn't project to hit for power in the majors because he swings at way too many pitches out of the zone and rarely elevates the ball. Those limitations put a real cap on how high the ceiling can be at the big-league level, and they are very fair concerns to bring up when discussing his real-life value.

But I don't know how much we should care about them for Fantasy. Despite poor swing decisions, Crawford still makes a lot of contact and still racks up very strong batting averages because of his ability to hit hard grounders and beat out throws with his plus-plus speed. You'd prefer there was a likelier path to double-digit homers, but this isn't necessarily a Chandler Simpson profile – Crawford will occasionally run into one, hitting 10 homers in 152 games between Double-A and Triple-A. He'll have every chance to emerge as an everyday player for the Phillies and could at least be a plus contributor in batting average and steals, with the potential for a bunch of steals if he can force his way into the mix near the top of the lineup. If I'm looking for a steals specialist, I think I'd rather bet on Crawford than Simpson 100 picks earlier. 

Anthony Santander, OF, Blue Jays

This time last year, Santander was a top-90 pick – now he's going outside of the top 200. He might just be finished as a viable Fantasy starter, but I'm willing to bet on the bounceback here from a guy who was a Fantasy stalwart for years before a season where he got off to a slow start and then suffered a shoulder injury that never allowed him to overcome it. Is he someone you should be expecting 40-plus homers from, like he had in 2024? Probably not. But 30-ish in a very good lineup? Yeah, that's what Santander had established himself as before the past two seasons. There aren't many potential sources of 30 homers and 90-plus RBI who will come this cheap on Draft Day. 

Deep Sleeper: Carson Benge, Mets: The comp we've been throwing around for Benge is Brandon Nimmo, and as long as he doesn't totally flop this spring, we have every reason to believe he'll be in the Mets' starting lineup. There isn't a ton of present power, but some swing optimization could unlock 20-plus homers without sacrificing batting average. I don't think the market has quite caught up with the likelihood of Benge being on the Opening Day roster. 

Kris Bubic, SP, Royals

That Bubic is coming back from a rotator cuff strain that ended his breakout season early is likely what is keeping his price down, and that's a pretty big red flag … if he costs much at all to draft. However, with his price sitting outside of the top 200, much of the downside risk here is mitigated, and what we're left with is a pitcher who showed legitimate front-of-rotation upside last season.

Bubic threw 116.1 innings with a 2.55 ERA, and while the peripherals don't quite back it up, they don't suggest it was some fluke either – you'd still take his 3.16 expected ERA, wouldn't you? Bubic missed plenty of bats with his four-seamer last season, and when he didn't, hitters still struggled to do damage against it, putting up a lowly .287 expected wOBA as they often just got under the ball with the barrel. An excellent changeup surely helped in that regard, and overall, as does an overall five-pitch mix without an obvious weak spot. Bubic isn't an ace when healthy, but he should be a must-start pitcher who isn't being drafted that way. Even accounting for the injury risk, I think he's one of the very best values in drafts right now. 

Joe Musgrove, SP, Padres 

If last season taught us anything, it's that we should be very cautious with pitchers coming back from Tommy John surgery. That obviously applies to Musgrove, who had the procedure back in October of 2024, though that timeline also makes it very likely he'll be good to go from the start of Spring Training. Will he be, you know, good? It's fair to be skeptical, and the market is, with his ADP sitting around 250 – compare that to Shane McClanahan and Sandy Alcantara this time last year, who were being drafted around 150 coming back from their own Tommy John surgeries. Musgrove dealt with injuries in 2023 and 2024 that limited him to under 100 innings in each season, but he has been very effective when on the mound, putting up a 3.20 ERA and 1.11 WHIP from 2021 to 2024. Getting a 100-pick discount on Musgrove compared to Alcantara and McClanahan this time last year. 

Parker Messick, SP, Guardians

For all the hype around this crop of exciting pitchers who debuted in the second half of 2026, it seems like everyone is just forgetting about Messick. Messick doesn't have even average velocity on his fastball, but the pitch has always punched above its weight, including with a 29% whiff rate last season, thanks to a low release point, excellent command, and the way it plays off his terrific changeup. Messick has never garnered a ton of hype as a prospect, but he has been very effective in the upper minors, routinely running 30% strikeout rates, which is one reason to think there might be some juice left to squeeze out of his average K rate from last season. There appears to be some concern in the Fantasy community that he may not have a rotation spot, but I really can't see the Guardians overlooking what he did down the stretch, so they can stick proven mediocrities like Slade Cecconi and Logan Allen in the rotation instead. Messick's gonna be in there unless something goes really wrong. 

Jonah Tong, SP, Mets

Tong's first taste of the majors went pretty poorly, and that might be enough to convince the Mets to give him a bit more seasoning down in the minors, where he had just two starts above Double-A. But right now, there just aren't a ton of roadblocks in his way – Sean Manaea, David Peterson, and Clay Holmes all probably have an inside track ahead of Tong, but none likely has a ton of job security. 

Tong will have to prove himself, but let's not let 18.2 poor innings against major-leaguers overshadow the fact that, as a 22-year-old, Tong was arguably the most dominant pitcher in the minors, putting up a 1.43 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with 179 strikeouts in 113.2 innings of work. His arsenal probably still needs some work – like Trey Yesavage, he doesn't really have any pitches that move gloveside – and his cross-fire delivery could make him an inherently volatile pitcher when he struggles to repeat. But we have proof of this all working against high-level competition, if not the highest level. Yet. Before his debut, Tong was in the same range of prospect rankings as Nolan McLean and Yesavage, and he could still have that upside. 

Deep Sleeper: Robby Snelling, Marlins: Snelling's price will inevitably rise after the Edward Cabrera trade, and he's another one of these "command-over-stuff" lefties who have had so much success in recent years. He was dominant in the minors in 2025, putting up a 2.51 ER\A in 136 innings, including a microscopic 1.27 mark in Triple-A. He deserves to be on your reserve round radar in leagues of any size. 

Edwin Uceta, RP, Rays

At this point, we have very little insight into who the Rays' closer will be – when I talked to Rays TV host Ryan Bass for Fantasy Baseball Today's On The Beat team preview series, he suggested that we're likely to see a return to the days of no set closer in Tampa. That'll be frustrating, sure, but it also creates some opportunities for value here. The market is treating Griffin Jax like the most likely option for saves in Tampa, so I'll just take the cheaper option in a wide-open bullpen, especially since Uceta has already shown elite upside out of the pen, including a 103-strikeout campaign in 2025. You might only get 10 saves out of Uceta, but with a late-round pick, you can live with that, and if he ends up with 20-plus, you could end up with a huge steal.