Luke Keaschall vs. Jackson Holliday: Fantasy Baseball ADP Battle at Second Base

Two sophomores with identical NFBC price tags offer drastically different roster builds, making this one of the most important middle-infield decisions in 2026 fantasy baseball drafts.

Minnesota Twins second base Luke Keaschall (15) runs to third base against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fourth inning at Target Field. | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Second base is loaded with young upside in 2026 fantasy baseball drafts, and Luke Keaschall and Jackson Holliday sit at the center of one of the most polarizing ADP pockets. Both are being drafted as foundational middle infielders, but their skill sets, growth curves, and category juice create very different risk-reward profiles.

2B7 – Luke Keaschall, Minnesota Twins (NFBC ADP – 149)

The Twins drafted Keaschall in the second round of the 2023 MLB June Amateur Draft. Over three seasons in college, he hit .326 over 631 at-bats with 142 runs, 30 home runs, 122 RBIs, and 59 stolen bases. His highlight year came in 2023 (.353/55/18/58/18 over 218 at-bats). Keaschall walked 10.1% of the time while being challenging to strike out (10.9%).

Over three seasons in the minors, he hit .294 with 125 runs, 19 home runs, 72 RBI, and 49 steals over 585 at-bats. He took more walks (13.6%) with some pullback in his strikeout rate (16.9%). The Twins called him up last season after only having 28 games of experience at AAA (.263/16/1/9/11 over 95 at-bats). TJ surgery cost him development time in 2024.

Keaschall made his major league debut in mid-April last year. He started his MLB career with a six-game hitting streak (7-for-19 with four runs, two RBIs, and five steals while taking five walks with two strikeouts). Unfortunately, a pitch to his right foreman (fracture) led to three months on the injured list. Over his final 163 at-bats, Keaschall hit .294 with 21 runs, four home runs, 26 RBIs, and nine stolen bases. A sprained left thumb ended his season with five games left in the schedule.

His walk rate (9.2%) and strikeout rate (14.0%) remained assets. Keaschall ranked poorly in hard-hit rate (31.2%), barrel rate (5.2%), and exit velocity (86.2). He had a groundball swing path (45.8%), with a reasonable start to his launch angle (10.5). His bat was a liability against left-handed pitching (.169/7/1/7/6 over 59 at-bats – .281 with two home runs and 10 RBIs over 89 at-bats in the minors in 2024).

Luke Keaschall 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: Keaschall is being treated by a proven asset this draft season. The Twins gave him 148 of his 182 at-bats between third and fourth in the batting order. His metrics suggest he’ll underachieve expectations in power while bringing a leadoff profile. I’ll put him in the range of a 10/35 player, whose instincts on base paths are better than his speed. Nice player, but Keaschall must prove that he can stay healthy for a full season.

2B8 – Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles (NFBC ADP – 149)

Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) throws to first for an out during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The Orioles gave Holliday plenty of at-bats last season, but he failed to reach star status in his second year in the majors. His contact batting average (.318) remains below his success in the minors (.408). Holliday finished 107th in FPGscore (-1.37) for hitters. He had a regression in his average hit rate (1.549), which has been a power-producing weakness so far in his pro career.

His bat is still trailing against left-handed pitching (.200/19/4/16/7 over 165 at-bats) while striking out 24.0% of the time. Between May and July, Holliday hit .265 with 38 runs, 12 home runs, 34 RBIs, and eight steals over 321 at-bats. He lost his way over the final two months (.201/23/3/12/7 over 184 at-bats) despite showing an improved approach (walk rate – 15.1% and strikeout rate – 17.9%).

Holliday finished with a step back in his exit velocity (88.8), barrel rate (7.8%), and hard-hit rate (40.7%). His swing path remains ground-ball favoring (48.0%) with no change in his launch angle (8.9). Baltimore gave him 113 starts batting first in their lineup.

Over four seasons in the minors, Holliday hit .304 over 807 at-bats with 202 runs, 23 home runs, 122 RBIs, and 36 steals.

Jackson Holliday 2026 Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Fantasy Outlook: At age 22, Holliday has 776 at-bats of experience in the majors. His end to last year will push some drafters away in 2026, but he brings plenty of talent with an improving approach. Holliday must add more loft to his swing and solve lefties to reach a higher power ceiling. Possible massive jump in his fantasy profile, supported by better offensive play across the board for the Orioles’ players. Next step: .280 with 100+ runs, 20+ home runs, 70+ RBIs, and 20+ steals.

Luke Keaschall vs. Jackson Holliday 2026 Fantasy Baseball Verdict

Keaschall looks like a batting-order asset who can pile up runs and stolen bases if he finally gets a healthy season, even if the power ceiling lags behind his draft cost. Holliday remains the swing player for fantasy leagues in 2026—if the launch angle and platoon issues correct, his five-category breakout will dramatically outproduce this price tag. Despite the recent injury that Holliday sustained, he's still the superior option over a long a season.