Let’s have a little fun with the rosters for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, which were announced on July 4. Every member of this week’s article will be on his way to Philadelphia for the festivities next week. Even within a group of this season’s most successful players, there remains a wide range of potential fantasy baseball values for the second half.
Buy Low
Mike Trout, OF, Angels: Trout hopes to return from the injured list (hamstring) this week. And the slugger will be motivated to make that happen, as returning soon will enable him to serve as a starter for the AL in the All-Star Game, which is being played within an hour of his hometown of Vineland, New Jersey.
Prior to his injury, Trout was crushing the baseball as much as anyone in the majors. His 20.9% barrel rate remains one of the top marks, and his expected stats, including a .260 xBA and .562 xSLG, were notably higher than his actual marks. Trout had also shown improved control over the strike zone, as his 19.7% walk rate is his best mark since 2018 and his 24.8% strikeout rate is his second-best mark since 2020. Trout could be one of the second-half homer leaders, while racking up his share of R+RBI in a mid-level Angels offense that is not the major reason for the team’s 36-56 record.
Paul Skenes, SP, Pirates: In some leagues, there will be Skenes managers who are freaking out. After all, the right-hander has logged poor ratios (7.80 ERA, 1.67 WHIP) in his past three starts, while reports circulate that he is being hampered by diminished velocity. But taking the long view of his 2026 results shows that his strikeout and walk rates are nearly identical to his previous seasons, with the main difference being an unfortunate 65.8% strand rate. Skenes was never going to maintain the sub-2.00 ERA from his initial two seasons but could maintain a mark that is similar to his 2.76 xERA.
Michael Harris II, OF, Braves: This is a good time to acquire Harris, who is coming off a poor month of June (.257 BA, 1 HR, 7 RBI). Despite the quiet stretch, Harris continues to show excellent skills, as he ranks fourth in baseball in xBA (.305) and 15th in xSLG (.723). Harris may be falling victim to being part of a slumping Braves lineup that ranks 24th in runs scored since June 1, but he and his teammates should soon turn things around. After all, Drake Baldwin is too talented to maintain his poor production (.415 OPS) since returning from the IL on June 16. And Ronald Acuña Jr. is expected to return from the IL shortly after the All-Star break.
Buy High
Dillon Dingler, C, Tigers: I’ve written about Dingler often this year, as his breakout season was easy to see. The 27-year-old has led all catchers in almost every key expected stat throughout the season, including xBA (.291) and xSLG (.531). He’s currently the No. 4 overall catcher in terms of 2026 production. The main reason I’ve included him in this article is to make a large-scale point about the catcher position — those in head-to-head leagues who are serious about winning their championship need to have a top catcher on their roster when the playoffs roll around.
There are a few backstops who are dominating the position, such as Dingler, Ben Rice, Shea Langeliers, Hunter Goodman and William Contreras. But there aren’t enough great catchers to go around, and in every league there are 3-4 teams that are playing at a massive deficit at the position. Those who have been getting by with the likes of Gabriel Moreno or Samuel Basallo should attempt to acquire an elite catcher.
Sell High
CJ Abrams, SS, Nationals: This one will take some guts, as Abrams has been incredible this season. In fact, he sits eighth in the Yahoo Player Rater. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to support his power breakout. Abrams has made minimal improvements on his average exit velocity and barrel rate. He’s hitting a few more fly balls, but not enough to support a 35-homer pace from someone with a career high of 20. All his expected stats are much lower than his actual marks. This may wind up being a season where everything goes right for Abrams, but I would still be open to trading him for a legitimate top-20 talent.
Brandon Marsh, OF, Phillies: Marsh is in the midst of a memorable breakout season, as by the end of July he may have established career-best marks in homers, runs and RBI. His .305 average is also far above her previous best mark of .280. Although he deserves credit for maintaining the strikeout improvements he made in 2025, there is little else to suggest that the 28-year-old has improved. His 89.7 mph average exit velocity is the second-worst mark of Marsh’s six-year career, and his expected stats are all notably lower than his actual marks. While Marsh gains notoriety for being in the starting lineup for the hometown team next Tuesday, wise fantasy managers will be pedaling his services.
Aroldis Chapman, RP, Red Sox: According to FanGraphs, the Red Sox have a 23.6% chance of making the postseason. Having Chapman available to save meaningless games down the stretch will be a luxury for a losing team, and while the 38-year-old has an option in his contract that may vest for next season, he may be worth more to Boston as a trade chip than a roster member. A Chapman trade could enhance his fantasy value, as the southpaw would theoretically have more wins to save on a better team. But it could also send his value crashing down if he were to be acquired to work in a setup role on a team that already has a closer. Fantasy managers who hold Chapman until the end of July need to be aware of the risk they are taking.
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