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Articles by Ryan Bloomfield
FAAB File: September 21-27, 2026
FINAL WEEK DISCLAIMER: Take all pitching probables/schedules with a mega-ton of salt this week, as teams will be shuffling things around, abbreviating outings, or shutting down pitchers entirely, especially in the final weekend. Thank you for reading the column this year—hopefully you're still in the hunt and can bring home some hardware! *** Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities.
The 2026 Answer Key
The answer key. This is the column we'd love to read if we could time-travel back to March. As we put a bow on the Speculator for 2026, it's time to reflect on how things shook out (admittedly with a couple of weeks left in the season). We have answers to a number of questions posed here back in February and March. We ran some preseason columns speculating on 2026's long-shot stat leaders and first-round players, as well as an all-second-half team at the midway point.
FAAB File: September 14-20, 2026
Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities. The data is taken from Fantrax, which features a variety of league formats and some first-come, first-serve acquisition leagues, providing us with some insight into player movement over the past week leading up to the Sunday waiver deadline in weekly leagues. Of course, depending on the parameters of your league, further investigation of every player is strongly encouraged.
FAAB File: September 7-13, 2026
Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities. The data is taken from Fantrax, which features a variety of league formats and some first-come, first-serve acquisition leagues, providing us with some insight into player movement over the past week leading up to the Sunday waiver deadline in weekly leagues. Of course, depending on the parameters of your league, further investigation of every player is strongly encouraged.
Peña, Rodón, Ramos, Quantrill, Hicks
Peña succeeds through injuries … It's been an injury-riddled season for Jeremy Peña (SS, HOU) with IL stints in April (hamstring) and June (calf), but the on-field production has been there with a .284 BA, 17 HR, and 9 SB through 380 PA. Have the skills taken a hit at all?
Mulligans, 2026
Earlier this year, we gave out some free passes for pitchers who had one bad day at the office. We're expanding that forgiving mood with an annual exercise of handing out mulligans to those who, frankly, stunk for most (if not all) of 2026. For context, the full lists of all hitters and pitchers drafted in the Top 100 of the NFBC Main Event (15-team mixed leagues, drafting in late March) are shown below with color-coded surface stats through Sunday's games.
FAAB File: August 31-September 6, 2026
Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities. The data is taken from Fantrax, which features a variety of league formats and some first-come, first-serve acquisition leagues, providing us with some insight into player movement over the past week leading up to the Sunday waiver deadline in weekly leagues. Of course, depending on the parameters of your league, further investigation of every player is strongly encouraged.
September experiments and schedules, 2026
As the calendar nears September, it's time to shift gears. We typically take a skills-based approach in this column to speculate on player adds, drops, trade opportunities, etc.; but it's time to throw that out the window. Anybody can go on a heater in September regardless of skills, and conversely, the best hitters in the game can go into month-long slumps.
Olson, Iglesias, Moniak, B. Marsh, Leahy
Olson ramps up power … Since bashing a career-high 52 HR in 2023, Matt Olson (1B, ATL) hit exactly 29 HR per season in 2024 and 2025. He has 36 HR thus far in 2026 and his second 40+ HR season seems a virtual lock. How are the underlying skills?
Lindor, M. Miller, Albies, Pfaadt, F. Alvarez
Lindor's SBO% declines ... Fantasy managers have come to expect consistent fantasy value from Francisco Lindor (SS, NYM), but that has changed after a hamate injury to start his 2026 season. What's going on behind his $7 R$?
Springer, Holliday, Keith, Hader, Rodriguez
Springer falls back … George Springer (OF, TOR) had a career year in 2025 at age 35. He has failed to replicate that production in 2026, while dealing with a few nagging injuries along the way. Let's dig in.
FAAB File: August 24-30
Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities. The data is taken from Fantrax, which features a variety of league formats and some first-come, first-serve acquisition leagues, providing us with some insight into player movement over the past week leading up to the Sunday waiver deadline in weekly leagues. Of course, depending on the parameters of your league, further investigation of every player is strongly encouraged.
Witt Jr., H. Brown, Mullins, Matthews, Canzone
Witt Jr. still elite … It hasn't been a dominant season from Bobby Witt Jr. (SS, KC)—he spent some time on the IL (back) and only has 15 HR through 471 PA—but he's delivered yet another elite BA/SB combo. Is there any reason to question Witt's status among the best in the game?
Summer surgers and faders, 2026
Dog days. A time for summer vacations, weekends where you might be burnt out from 22 straight FAAB periods (five more to go!), for that "other sport" taking over our news feeds and league mates' attention, and (for the purpose of this article) a time when preconceived notions of certain players might be hiding behind recent gains or slumps.
FAAB File: August 17-23, 2026
Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities. The data is taken from Fantrax, which features a variety of league formats and some first-come, first-serve acquisition leagues, providing us with some insight into player movement over the past week leading up to the Sunday waiver deadline in weekly leagues. Of course, depending on your league's parameters, further investigation of every player is strongly encouraged.
Baldwin, Roupp, Castro, Mahle, Gonzales
Baldwin is an elite catcher … Drake Baldwin (C, ATL) has followed his 2025 National League Rookie of the Year performance with a .273 batting average and 20 HR through 419 PA. How are things under the hood?
Goodman, J. Jones, Turang, Cavalli, Winn
Goodman adds barrels ... Building on his 31 HR from 2025, Hunter Goodman (C, COL) has set a new career-high HR total in 2026. What's going on with his skills?
Perez, Montgomery, Giménez, Jansen, Ober
Perez heating up again … Salvador Perez (C, KC) got off to an extremely slow start this season, as he recorded an abysmal .201/.241/.327 slash line through July 1st. But he has since turned things around, hitting .260/.325/.519 with 6 HR across his last 117 PA.
FAAB File: August 10-16, 2026
Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities. The data is taken from Fantrax, which features a variety of league formats and some first-come, first-serve acquisition leagues, providing us with some insight into player movement over the past week leading up to the Sunday waiver deadline in weekly leagues. Of course, depending on the parameters of your league, further investigation of every player is strongly encouraged.
J. Rodriguez, Schlittler, Raleigh, Ra. Suarez, Altuve
Rodríguez slightly off pace… After 30/30 seasons in 2023 and 2025, Julio Rodríguez (OF, SEA) has fallen off the power/speed pace a bit this year with 16 HR and 14 SB through 446 PA. His .255 BA would be a career low as well. What's going on?
Playing with QBaB data
In case you missed it last season, we integrated our Quality of Batted Ball (QBaB) metric into a number of areas on the site.
FAAB File: August 3-9, 2026
Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities. The data is taken from Fantrax, which features a variety of league formats and some first-come, first-serve acquisition leagues, providing us with some insight into player movement over the past week leading up to the Sunday waiver deadline in weekly leagues. Of course, depending on the parameters of your league, further investigation of every player is strongly encouraged.
2026 Rookie Class Check-in, Part 2
Last week, we did a 2026 rookie class check-in, going over what we've seen from the Top 25 prospects and speculating on how their long-term outlook has changed. We're continuing that exercise this week, finishing out most of the Top 100 for any prospect that's seen notable MLB time this year. Same format as last time.
Skenes, Suzuki, O'Brien, France, Marsee
Skenes sees ERA rise … Paul Skenes (RHP, PIT) entered 2026 having posted a sub-2.00 ERA in each of his first two seasons (1.96 and 1.97, respectively), so it’s a bit jarring to see him with a 3.65 ERA through 121 IP. What is going on here?
Luzardo, Devers, Stott, Sasaki, Baty
Luzardo sharpens skills ... An unlucky April brought a 4.76 ERA for Jesús Luzardo (LHP, PHI). Since May, the lefty has 111 strikeouts with a 2.45 ERA in 88 IP. What's behind the strong run?
Cole, Kremer, Lewis, Caballero, Pederson
Cole still going strong … Gerrit Cole (RHP, NYY) got a late start to the season, as he was still recovering from March 2025 Tommy John surgery. In 11 starts since his return, he has posted a 3.92 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning. How do his skills compare to years' past?
FAAB File: July 27-August 2, 2026
Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities. The data is taken from Fantrax, which features a variety of league formats and some first-come, first-serve acquisition leagues, providing us with some insight into player movement over the past week leading up to the Sunday waiver deadline in weekly leagues. Of course, depending on the parameters of your league, further investigation of every player is strongly encouraged.
Neto, Gilbert, W. Abreu, Tr. Rogers, Burger
A step back for Neto? … With a Top-30 ADP on the heels of a 2025 breakout season, expectations were high for Zach Neto (SS, LAA). He's delivered thus far in the power department, but both his BA and SB pace are down from last year. Any cause for concern?
Sale, Freeman, Happ, Weaver, Mitchell
Sales excels … Injuries limited Chris Sale (LHP, ATL) to 125 IP in 2025, but he was highly effective when on the mound, sporting a 2.58 ERA. Through 105 IP in 2026, his 2.06 ERA ranks third among qualified MLB pitchers. How are the skills holding up?
2026 Rookie Class Check-in, Part 1
Not the one with your doc (though please don't skip those!), but it's our annual check-in on each season's rookie class. As with other years, we’ll use this year's preseason HQ100 for this exercise, limiting our observations to those who have had a decent-sized MLB audition so far.
Crow-Armstrong, Fairbanks, Arraez, E. Rodriguez, Lile
Crow-Armstrong turned up the heat in June ... In June, Pete Crow-Armstrong (OF, CHC) hit 11 HR and stole eight bases. With the surge, he has a $41 R$. How are his 2026 skills after his 2025 breakout?
FAAB File: July 20-26, 2026
Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities. The data is taken from Fantrax, which features a variety of league formats and some first-come, first-serve acquisition leagues, providing us with some insight into player movement over the past week leading up to the Sunday waiver deadline in weekly leagues. Of course, depending on the parameters of your league, further investigation of every player is strongly encouraged.
Spotlight: Jac Caglianone
For a while there, it was looking bad. Really bad. Jac Caglianone (OF, KC) arrived with plenty of hype (and a lofty 9D prospect rating) in June 2025, but hit just .157 with 7 HR in 232 PA in his rookie season. Caglianone's sophomore encore got off to a similarly rough start, but he's righted the ship with a .260 BA and 15 HR through 349 PA.
September slowdown speculations, 2026
The All-Star break is the perfect time to evaluate your teams. Where can I gain/lose points? How do I look in those pesky wins, saves, and steals categories? Do I have a realistic shot at winning the league, and (if you're in a keeper league) am I a buyer or seller at my league's deadline? Another question that doesn't get talked about enough… are my pitchers going to last until September?
Turner, L. Webb, Stowers, Elder, Crews
Turner has been a BA drag … Entering 2026, Trea Turner (SS, PHI) had never finished a season with a batting average lower than .267 and owned a lifetime .297 batting average in 5,606 PA. What’s going on here?
Carroll, F. Peralta, Reynolds, G. Soto, E. Suárez
Carroll sees SB0 decline ... The stolen base pace has slowed down for Corbin Carroll (OF, ARI) in 2026. How are his skills behind the slower SB?
Cease, Burke, Carpenter, Durbin, C. Young
Cease dominating … Dylan Cease (RHP, TOR) has excelled in his first season with the Blue Jays, chopping nearly two runs off his 2025 ERA. How much have his skills improved, and is his current level sustainable?
FAAB File: July 13-19, 2026
Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities. The data is taken from Fantrax, which features a variety of league formats and some first-come, first-serve acquisition leagues, providing us with some insight into player movement over the past week leading up to the Sunday waiver deadline in weekly leagues. Of course, depending on the parameters of your league, further investigation of every player is strongly encouraged.
Caminero, Rasmussen, Keaschall, Rocker, Grisham
Caminero finds a new gear… Junior Caminero (3B, TAM) became the second hitter to ever reach 45 HR in an age-21 or younger season last year, vaulting himself into this season's first round. He's taken things up a notch with a similar power pace and a .284 batting average. How good can this get?
Trade Deadline fill-ins, 2026
With the MLB trade deadline around three weeks away, throwing speculative darts at the "next men up"—those who fill vacated spots left by a departing starter—ahead of time can be a profitable endeavor. Several years ago, Jeff Zimmerman researched the odds of a player being traded based on the annual MLBTradeRumors.com (MLBTR) Top 50 Trade Candidates list.
FAAB File: July 6-12, 2026
Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities. The data is taken from Fantrax, which features a variety of league formats and some first-come, first-serve acquisition leagues, providing us with some insight into player movement over the past week leading up to the Sunday waiver deadline in weekly leagues. Of course, depending on the parameters of your league, further investigation of every player is strongly encouraged.
2026's Speculative 1st Half All-Star Teams
We usually take a forward-looking approach here in the Speculator, but we'll use the upcoming All-Star break as a time of reflection and look back at some first-half "speculative" All-Star teams. The only requirement to make our squads? In true Speculator fashion, they had to be off most drafters' radars late in draft season. We'll take anyone who went outside the Top 200 by position and league, looking for the highest 5x5 earners over the first half.
FAAB File: June 29-July 5, 2026
Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities. The data is taken from Fantrax, which features a variety of league formats and some first-come, first-serve acquisition leagues, providing us with some insight into player movement over the past week leading up to the Sunday waiver deadline in weekly leagues. Of course, depending on the parameters of your league, further investigation of every player is strongly encouraged.
2026's All-Second Half Team
Believe it or not, we're halfway home. As the All-Star break approaches, it’s the perfect time to set up your team for the second half. By now, you have enough of an idea of your squad’s strengths and weaknesses and can align those with where the “bunches” are in your league’s standings. There’s still enough ball to be played for middle-of-the-pack teams to make a dog-day run, while first-place teams need to stay aggressive and avoid peaking too early.
FAAB File: June 22-28, 2026
Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities. The data is taken from Fantrax, which features a variety of league formats and some first-come, first-serve acquisition leagues, providing us with some insight into player movement over the past week leading up to the Sunday waiver deadline in weekly leagues. Of course, depending on the parameters of your league, further investigation of every player is strongly encouraged.
Bregman, Wm. Contreras, Soroka, O'Hearn, Pallante
Bregman has struggled … The Cubs inked Alex Bregman (3B, CHC) to a five-year, $170 million contract following an injury-marred 2025 campaign. Things have not gone to plan thus far. How are things under the hood?
A #BloomBoards Barrage
If you've followed me on Twitter/X in the past or currently listen to my Bubba and the Bloom Podcast, you've probably been bombarded with #BloomBoards the past few seasons. And if you haven't been, you're about to be! The quick skinny on #BloomBoards for those unacquainted: They're essentially just a list of players that meet certain filters or criteria that I think are important. An ideal board has some names you'd expect to see (validation!) and others you wouldn't.
Betts, Imanaga, Machado, R. Ray, Bohm
Betts sees value and luck decline ... An oblique injury sent Mookie Betts (SS, LA) to the IL in April. Even with the lost time, he has a career-low batting average and career-low $2 R$. Should we expect a disappointing season to continue?
Díaz, Harrison, Bleday, Sánchez, Contreras
Díaz builds on '25 breakout … Yandy Díaz (DH, TAM) is out to prove his doubters wrong. Not only is he repeating last year's .300-25 HR season, but he's also improving upon it, hitting .325 with 12 HRs. At 34, do the underlying skills support this level of production?
FAAB File: June 15-21, 2026
Market Pulse looks at the movers each week in respective markets as we search for potential buying opportunities. The data is taken from Fantrax, which features a variety of league formats and some first-come, first-serve acquisition leagues, providing us with some insight into player movement over the past week leading up to the Sunday waiver deadline in weekly leagues. Of course, depending on your league's parameters, further investigation of every player is strongly encouraged.
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