Pitchers to Avoid in 2026 Fantasy Baseball: Chris Sale, Josh Hader, and More
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Drafting pitchers in fantasy baseball can feel like walking a tightrope: one wrong pick, and your rotation could crumble before the season even hits its stride.
While flashy names like Chris Sale and Josh Hader catch your eye, even elite arms can come with red flags — injury history, declining velocity, or inconsistent performance can turn stars into liabilities.
In this guide, we’ll highlight the pitchers you might want to avoid in your drafts, helping you make smarter choices and build a rotation that consistently delivers instead of disappointing.
Chris Sale – SP 6 , Atlanta Braves ADP: 34
Chris Sale can still put up elite numbers when on the mound, but he comes with significant fantasy risk due to durability and injury concerns that fantasy managers should seriously weigh.
In 2025, he finished with a strong 7‑5 record, a 2.58 ERA, 165 strikeouts, and a 1.07 WHIP over 125.2 innings, but his season was interrupted by a fractured left ribcage that cost him roughly 10 weeks and landed him on the 60‑day injured list after diving for a ground ball in June.
At age 36–37 with a long history of missed time and repeated injuries, Sale has seldom reached a full workload in recent seasons, and that availability uncertainty makes him a riskier fantasy asset than his peripheral stats might suggest.
Josh Hader – CP 9 , Houston Astros ADP: 50
Josh Hader, despite his elite strikeout ability and track record as a dominant closer, presents significant risk for fantasy baseball managers due to injury concerns.
In 2025, Hader posted an impressive 2.05 ERA, 76 strikeouts over 52.2 innings, and 28 saves in just 48 games, demonstrating his effectiveness when healthy.
However, his season was cut short in August due to a left shoulder strain, highlighting the fragility of relying on him for a full-season fantasy campaign.
Closers are inherently volatile, and Hader’s injury history, including previous stints on the injured list, amplifies that risk.
Fantasy owners counting on him for saves and strikeouts could be left scrambling for a replacement, making him a potentially risky draft choice despite his top-tier talent.
Blake Snell – SP 17 , Los Angeles Dodgers ADP: 63
Blake Snell has the talent to be a high‑strikeout fantasy starter, but his 2025 season underscores why he’s a risky fantasy pick due to health and availability concerns.
In 2025 with the Dodgers, he posted a 2.35 ERA with 72 strikeouts over just 61.1 innings across 11 starts, showing strong effectiveness when on the mound.
However, that limited workload was largely the result of left shoulder inflammation that sidelined him for several months, restricting him to far fewer appearances than most frontline starters.
Pitchers who can’t stay consistently healthy are difficult to rely on in fantasy, especially in standard leagues where innings, starts, and durable performance matter nearly as much as ERA and strikeouts, and Snell’s 2025 injury history makes him a less dependable draft or roster option.
Cole Ragans – SP 12 , Kansas City Royals ADP: 49
Cole Ragans can be a tempting fantasy option because of his ability to rack up strikeouts, but he comes with clear durability concerns that make him risky to draft or roster in 2026.
In 2025, he posted a 4.67 ERA with 98 strikeouts and a 1.18 WHIP over 61.2 innings, showing strong peripheral skills but modest results overall.
However, his season was significantly disrupted by injuries — Ragans first hit the injured list with a left groin strain and, after a brief return, was sidelined again with a left rotator cuff strain that ultimately landed him on the 60‑day IL and kept him out for more than three months.
Pitchers with recurring shoulder issues and limited innings history are inherently unpredictable in fantasy baseball, and Ragans’ 2025 injury setbacks make it difficult to rely on him for a full season of starts, innings, and consistent ratios.
Jacob Misiorowski – SP 35 , Milwaukee Brewers ADP: 132
Jacob Misiorowski, while showing promise as a strikeout pitcher, carries significant risk for fantasy baseball managers due to both limited MLB experience and injury concerns.
In his 2025 rookie season with the Milwaukee Brewers, he logged 66 innings across 15 games (14 starts), posting a 4.36 ERA, 87 strikeouts, and a 1.24 WHIP.
However, his season was interrupted by arm fatigue and a minor shoulder issue, limiting his ability to pitch a full workload and preventing him from establishing consistency.
For fantasy owners, relying on Misiorowski as a starter is risky because his high strikeout upside comes with the potential for missed starts or an innings cap, making him a less dependable option than other rotation candidates who can handle a full season.
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Ryan Shea is a seasoned sports enthusiast with a sharp eye for strategy and a deep love for the game—no matter the sport. Whether he’s analyzing roster moves or spotting trends before they hit the headlines, Ryan brings a unique mix of research, instinct, and insider perspective to his writing. With over a decade of experience dominating fantasy leagues, he knows what it takes to build championship-caliber lineups. A diehard fan of all things New York, Ryan proudly reps the Jets, Yankees, Knicks, and Rangers—win or lose.