Avoid Cole Ragans, George Springer and These 2026 Fantasy Baseball Busts

Before draft season begins, fantasy managers should think twice about investing in players like Cole Ragans, George Springer, and Bo Bichette, who carry significant regression or injury risk in 2026 fantasy baseball.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans (55) pitches during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Kauffman Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

In the fantasy baseball market, I struggled with identifying bust players, as many times they come after a significant injury. I do have a much easier time fading players off career seasons or pricing in their injury risk. With the high-stakes live draft season being a week away in Las Vegas, here are five players I’m avoiding in 2026:

1 – SP Cole Ragans, Kansas City Royals

In a recent 12-team draft that I did, Ragans was the 10th starting pitcher drafted. He had a breakout season in 2024 (3.14 ERA, 1.143 WHIP, and 223 strikeouts over 186.1 innings), but a left shoulder issue cost him about 19 starts last year. Part of Ragans' failure could have been a spike in innings pitched (62.0) from 2023 (124.1). He’s been in pro ball since 2016, while also having two previous TJ surgeries, and never pitching over 100.0 innings in any other year. 

Ragans has been very good over 57 starts for the Royals over three seasons (19-14 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.136 WHIP, and 410 strikeouts over 319.2 innings), but I can’t trust him to make 30 starts as a frontline ace.

2 – Shea Langeliers, Athletics

Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) looks to the Athletics dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Over the past five NFBC main events ($1,750 entry fee), Langeliers had an ADP of 52 as the 31st batter drafted. He finished 2025 ranked 60th in FPGscore (1.10) for hitters, suggesting he is over-drafted by 50 picks if he repeated his stats from last year. 

I know his approach improved last year, and the A’s play in an offense-favoring home ballpark, but I don’t see over 550 at-bats, and Langeliers had a ton of batting average risk (.215) over his first 312 games in the majors. His one drawing card is power at catcher, suggesting at least a three-category drag in Roto formats.

3 – Bo Bichette, New York Mets

New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette (19) walks on the field during the New York Mets spring training workouts at Clover Park. | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Bichette had a bounce-back season in 2025 (.311/78/18/94/4 over 582 at-bats), but he lost his edge piece feeling for me. He’ll get plenty of hits with below-expectation damage in home runs (42 over his last 1,464 at-bats). Bichette no longer runs, and his edge in runs left the building in 2021 (121). 

New York paid him $126 million for three seasons in mid-January, which was probably the second-worse move the Big Apple made over the past year. I view him as a steady player who goes in a draft where I’m looking for a much higher combination of power and speed. If his ADP (96) were two rounds later, Bichette would be a better fit for my plan. 

I expect JJ Wetherholt to offer more fantasy value than Bichette in 2026, and he gets drafted 125 picks later.

4 – George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays right fielder George Springer (4) reacts after striking out in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game three of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Last year, Springer could have been had well after pick 225 in all drafts. He comes off his best season (.309/106/32/84/18 over 498 at-bats – 10th-best fantasy hitter season) despite sitting out 22 games at age 35. Over the past four seasons, steals have been an asset in Springer’s equation, a skill set that he had in the minors (89 stolen bases over 1,131 at-bats).

His contact batting average (.398) in 2025 doesn’t look repeatable based on his previous three years (.332, .324, and .279). Springer will be a free agent in 2027. His rebound in power should be an outlier. For him to be worth his price point this year, he’ll need to produce a 205 Mookie Betts-type season (.258/95/20/82/8 over 589 at-bats). From 2021 to 2024, Springer averaged these stats over 500 at-bats (.251/78 runs, 22 home runs, 65 RBIs, and 14 steals). I expect regression this year, and he has averaged under 500 at-bats over the past five seasons.

5 – Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs

Hoerner continues to be a head-shaker for me in drafts. He has a low ceiling in power with a three-category edge outlook (runs, batting average, and steals). I have him rated as the second-best fantasy option at second base, on a similar path as in 2025 (35th-best fantasy hitter). Unfortunately, as the fifth/sixth piece to a fantasy hitting roster, I don’t see enough of an edge compared to other positions.