The Perfect Fantasy Baseball Mock Snake Draft from the 1st Overall Pick

Fantasy baseball draft season has arrived and it is time to explore mock drafts. We will analyze the full board, determine our top picks, value picks, and sleepers to achieve league-winning upside. In doing so today, we will complete a mock snake draft of 12 teams from the 1.1 slot. This way, we gain an early, general idea of what to expect come draft day.

1.1 — OF, Aaron Judge (NYY)

Judge is the best hitter in baseball, hands down. Judge is elite in every aspect of hitting, except for whiff rate. However, that is okay because in Yankee Stadium, Judge will take advantage of its 3rd-easiest rating in home run park factor. He has played over 150 games in back-to-back seasons, and while Judge is healthy, he will fire off unmatched, reliable power.

2.12 — 1B, Pete Alonso (BAL)

Alonso matches most of the MLB in pure power off his bat. Per Statcast, Alonso is in the 96th percentile of Batting Run Value, and as seen on his spray chart, Alonso hits every part of the park. Heading to Camden Yards, this will even further his home-run upside, as it ranks 8th in home-run park factor, up four spots from Citi Field.

3.1 — SP, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD)

As explained in our NL Cy Young analysis, Yamamoto is one of few MLB pitchers with the ability to catch Paul Skenes in the race. Yamamoto commands a sub-3.00 xERA, and despite being shelled in Spring Training, when Yamamoto is on his game, he is untouchable.

4.12 — SP, Cole Ragans, (KCR)

Waiting on pitchers past the first two rounds may be the strategy this season. It seems that Skubal and Skenes are too clearly the top-2 pithcers in the MLB. They will surely be caught up to. In our AL Cy Young analysis, we love Ragans as a contender to catch Skubal, if that is even possible. The 28-year-old has the age, arsenal, and movement to destroy batters.

5.1 — OF, Wyatt Langford (TEX)

The 24-year-old former 4th overall draft pick proved his stardom in 2025 with 22 home runs and a decent .775 OPS. His Statcast showed Langford in the 77th percentile among fielders, but more importantly, the 75th percentile of batters. He will only get even better in 2026, and that upside in the 5th round is reluctant to be matched.

6.12 — CL, Cade Smith (CLE)

With Emmanuel Clase suspended due to shady business, Smith is the full-time closer for the Guardians. He had 16 saves in 2025 and ranked in the 94th percentile of fastball run value and 86th in pitching run value. Smith throws an ultra-consistent 96 MPH four-seam fastball with a splitter of elite vertical movement. On a good Guardians team, the saves may have 40+ upside.

7.1 — SP, Jesus Luzardo (PHI)

When healthy in 2023 and 2025, Luzardo had a mid-3.00's ERA. In 2025, his pitching, breaking, and offspeed run values were in the top-10th percentile of all MLB pitchers. The 28-year-old has a very promising Statcast sheet, making it much more likely to expect big things than bad ones.

8.12 — SS, Jeremy Pena (HOU)

We will take the chance on Pena, despite his arisen finger injury. Pena could miss Opening Day, but he should not be out long. Pena is among our best mid-round sleepers this season. He ranked in the top-20th percentile of every run value key metric on Statcast, having ended the season with a .840 OPS. The 28-year-old shall only get better in a great organization.

9.1 — 1B/OF, Tyler Soderstrom (ATH)

The 24-year-old former first round pick has only improved in his three-year career. Soderstrom batted .820 OPS in 2025, doing both pull and push, spraying the field. His batting run value was in the 82nd percentile, and as the Athletics may be an overlooked team, Soderstrom may rise to elite levels.

10.12 — SP, Chase Burns (CIN)

Burns is the 2024 4th overall pick in the MLB draft. He rose to the majors quickly, putting out elite Statcast metrics in a short sample size. Burns crushes his fastball to 99 MPH, with a 91 MPH slider to complement it. By all accounts, Burns is meant to be elite, and so far, we have zero reason to doubt it.

11.1 — CL, Raisel Iglesias (ATL)

The Braves expect to be back to elite form in 2026. Thus, Iglesias shall have plenty of save chances as the Braves closer. Despite a velocity of just 95 MPH in his fastball, Iglesias' fastball run value was in the 98th percentile in 2025. Back in 2024, Iglesias also had a sub-2.00 ERA and a 0.74 WHIP. He has elite control and has no reason to fail.

12.12 — C, Yainer Diaz (HOU)

When we get this deep into our draft, we must chase upside. Diaz is 27 years old and has proof in the pudding of finding elite upside. Diaz had a .846 OPS in 2023 and a .766 OPS in 2024. Though he stumbled a bit in 2025, Diaz should hopefully return to his true ability as an above-average catcher on a great offense, thus adding RBI potential.

13.1 — 2B, Xavier Edwards (MIA)

Our team can use stolen bases. Edwards hands that to us with 58 total stolen bases over his last two seasons. Edwards even posted a .820 OPS in 2024, so we can hope he gets back to it. Edwards is elite at contacting the baseball, ranking in the 98th percentile in whiff rate and 91st in squared-up rate. The Marlins may also fly under the radar as a sleeper playoff contender.

14.12 — SP, Ranger Suarez (BOS)

Suarez enters the season with a back injury, but he should not be out too long. Suarez just recently almost won the Cy Young. His low ADP is one that we will gamble on for its upside. Suarez was in the 88th percentile in 2025, breaking and offspeed run value, as well as overall pitching run value. Suarez easily fools batters with his sinker-ball style. He is still just 30 years old, and he should still have plenty of gas in his tank.

15.1 — CL, Ryan Walker (SFG)

The Giants will field Walker as their closer in 2026. He goes sinker and slider 100% of the time, with elite movement above league average. Walker is very hard to touch, ranking in the 91st percentile for hit rate and 86th for hard-hit rate. If the Giants are good this year, which is certainly possible, Walker may have 30+ save upside.

16.12 — 3B, Colson Montgomery (CHW)

Let's make another gamble on a player. Montgomery is a former first-round draft pick, knocking 21 home runs as a rookie in 2025. His OPS was .840 with a .529 SLG, and if Montgomery gets only better, the ceiling is quite high for a 16th-round pick.