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Fantasy Baseball Rest-of-Season Rankings: Scott Pianowski's updated risers and fallers as of June 1

Once a week I run through the rest-of-season rankings for fantasy baseball. Use them for a fresh draft, use them for self-scouting, use them to evaluate trades and pickups. It’s all up to you.

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Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Royals: He has very little help in the Kansas City lineup — the Royals are the lowest-scoring team in the majors. But Witt was MLB’s best power/speed combo player in May, hitting seven home runs and stealing seven bases. He’s a one-man party. Most of Witt’s Baseball Savant sliders are pinned to the right, and he offers a favorable contact rate and a walk rate better than average. He’s also the fastest player in baseball. It’s not possible to select him too early, and he’d be my No. 1 pick in any league starting today.

Xavier Edwards, 2B/SS, Marlins: He’s always had excellent speed and good plate-discipline skills, giving him a chance to help us in multiple categories. But in 2026, Edwards is one of the most improved players in baseball, pushing his walk rate over his strikeout rate (that’s always the sign of an excellent offensive player) and adding a .480 slugging percentage into the mix (leading to six homers, after just three all of last year). Edwards looks like this year’s Gerardo Perdomo.

Ceddanne Rafaela, 2B/OF, Red Sox: The category juice has always been there and he’s maintained that, but it’s come with maturity as a hitter. Rafaela has bumped all three of his slash lines in 2026, and while he still brings a swing-first mentality into the box, he at least has improved his chase rate. Rafaela’s defense already earned his keep in the lineup, but he’s finally an above-average offensive player.

Braxton Ashcraft, SP, Pirates: We often talk about how bigger pitchers need extra time to develop, and the 26-year-old Ashcraft has been worth the wait. The 6-foot-5 righty earns his keep with three plus pitches — a fastball just under 97 mph, plus a curve and a slider. And he’s not getting hurt in the platoon disadvantage — lefties are slightly better against him, but it’s just a .224/.296/.385 slash. The Pirates have a legitimate chance at a winning season in 2026, as their secondary stars are starting to catch up to their front-door guys.

Curtis Mead, UTIL, Nationals: We move into June and the Nationals still lead the majors in runs scored, a shocking development. Star power is a big part of that story, but the Nats also have some sneaky contributors on the margins, Mead as one example. He’s added power and some speed to his game this year and although the .242 average is underwhelming, his batted-ball profile suggests a 17-point bump. Follow the pedigree with Mead — he was a rated prospect from 2022 to 2024 — and grab a piece of this Washington lineup.

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Kyle Stowers, OF, Marlins: I tend to avoid injured players when drafting, mindful that we not only have to wait for those players, but then we have to see how quickly they return to form. Stowers hasn’t been productive since returning in late April, with his walk, strikeout and hard-hit rates all worse than last season. And we also have to consider that his 2025 breakout essentially came out of nowhere, with little on his resume prior to that. In medium and shallow leagues, he probably belongs on the waiver wire for now.

Jeff Hoffman, RP, Blue Jays: Toronto gave him some save chances in the middle of the month, but a five-run explosion against Baltimore over the weekend probably puts an end to that. There’s nowhere to hide with a 6.31 ERA and 1.753 WHIP, and the Blue Jays have several other relievers who are mowing hitters down (Louis Varland has been outstanding, and Braydon Fisher and Tyler Rogers also have plus stats).

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Dalton Rushing, C, Dodgers: He was too good to be true in April (seven homers, 1.271 OPS), but the pixie dust wore off in May (just six hits, .146 average). Even if Rushing gets his bat going again, he’s blocked by Will Smith at the catcher slot and Shohei Ohtani in the DH slot. Dominoes need to fall right for Rushing to get back onto mixed-league rosters.

Colt Keith, UTIL, Tigers: It was a big deal when the Tigers bought out Keith’s arbitration years with a big contract two years ago, but Keith has yet to mature into a star player. The .280 average is essentially empty — he has a mere .342 slugging and hasn’t homered all year. He’s also a non-factor on the bases (one steal) and occasionally sits against left-handed pitching. Kevin McGonigle and Riley Greene continue to mash for the Tigers, and Dillon Dingler has been okay. Otherwise, it looks like a long and lonely summer in Motown, as the Tigers will likely start looking at ways to trade ace pitcher Tarik Skubal.

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