Luis Robert Jr. And 2 Other Fantasy Baseball Bounce-Back Hitters For 2026
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The MLB season is rapidly appraoching and fantasy baseball managers have sights set on fantasy drafts ahead of Opening Day later this month. While stars like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani will fall off the board near the top of most drafts, a number of bounce-back candidates will fall down the board, potentially offering tremendous value after struggling in 2025. Entering the new year, some players will rebound in a big way, while others could continue to struggle.
From a fantasy baseball standpoint, offensive consistency is the name of the game. Some All-Star-caliber players will come at a discount for fantasy managers as the season approaches while eyeing bounce-back campaigns. Here are three bounce-back candidates for managers to consider come draft time:
Luis Robert Jr., New York Mets (OF/DH)
Following an up-and-down tenure in Chicago, former All-Star Luis Robert Jr. will gear up for his first season with the New York Mets, coming off back-to-back injury-riddled campaigns over the past two seasons. Injuries have plagued Robert throughout his career, but he showed tremendous flashes with a near-full season in 2023. Over 145 games, Robert earned the lone All-Star bid to this point of his career, posting career-highs with 38 home runs, 80 RBIs and 144 hits. Since then, Robert’s numbers and efficiency have dipped noticeably, as he’s failed to replicate the success of his ’23 campaign, batting sub-.230 in each of the last two seasons. Entering his seventh season, his first with the Mets, Robert appears poised for a bounce-back campaign as he works to stay healthy for the majority of his first season in New York.
Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates (OF)
Coming off a career year in 2024, earning the second All-Star bid of his career, expectations were high for Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds coming into the 2025 season. Though he sustained solid production throughout the season, he failed to replicate his success from previous years. Reynolds posted 144 hits, 68 runs, 16 home runs and 73 RBIs, but hit just .245 from the plate, his worst single-season mark since 2020 and the second-worst of his career. He also closed the season with a WAR of just 1.4, his lowest since a shortened 2020 season. Reynolds is widely expected to rebound in 2026 and is off to a solid start in Spring Training. Over eight contests in Spring Training, he’s posted a .294 average with five hits and an RBI. The star outfielder will come at a favorable discount for fantasy baseball managers come draft time.
Ben Cherington on the work Ryan O’Hearn and Bryan Reynolds have done at the corner outfield positions this spring. — From José Negron in Bradenton, Fla. pic.twitter.com/mawkpviL9B
— DK Pittsburgh Sports (@DKPghSports) March 8, 2026
Christian Walker, Houston Astros (1B)
Christian Walker has become a reliable offensive contributor over recent years, eclipsing 25 home runs in each of his last four seasons, but struggled to sustain efficient output during the 2025 season. Through 154 games, Walker posted 72 runs, 139 hits, 27 homers and 88 RBIs, though his batting average dipped tremendously. The three-time Golden Glove winner hit just .238 from the plate over 585 at-bats, his worst single-season mark since 2018, when he appeared in just 37 games. If he can reignite his efficiency at the plate, Walker will offer tremendous value in fantasy drafts and could emerge as a league winner in fantasy baseball this season.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.