Misiorowski leads 2026 starter surge as early-round picks lose value

Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers became the most valuable starting pitcher in fantasy baseball after recording a 0.80 WHIP and a 1.80 ERA in 2026. His strikeout rate of 37.9% also ranked as the second-best in Major League Baseball history, excluding the shortened 2020 season. The Brewers right-hander surpassed his 4.36 rookie year ERA to become the consensus top pick for 2027 drafts.

The 2026 season marked a sharp decline in value for starters selected in the first rounds of fantasy drafts. The top 24 pitchers by average draft position combined for $227 in fantasy value, according to FanGraphs Player Rater. This total fell below the $259.1 minimum recorded in any season from 2021 through 2025. Only eight of those 24 early-round selections finished as top-24 performers by the end of the year.

Pitchers drafted in the 25th through 36th rounds outperformed the first 24 selections for the sixth consecutive season. That group generated $155.6 in total value, nearly matching the $158.94 produced by the top 12 draft picks. The only year where this tier underperformed the top 12 was 2021. The 2026 cohort included breakout performers such as Cam Schlittler of the New York Yankees and Chase Burns of the Cincinnati Reds.

Schlittler recorded 239 strikeouts and a 1.95 ERA over 193.1 innings. His performance is projected to earn him the American League Cy Young Award. Other notable performers in the mid-round range included Sonny Gray and Zack Wheeler, while Spencer Strider and Emmett Sheehan represented notable disappointments in that tier.

The value drop at the top of the draft was driven by underperformance from early selections. Crochet, who was ranked as a first-round pick in 2026 drafts, suffered a season-ending injury after six starts. Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates posted a 3.82 ERA and 1.12 WHIP but saw his strikeout rate fall to 22% in August and September.

Fantasy analysts expect the 2027 pool to look different from the 2026 class. The 2026 group featured an unusual concentration of unproven talent, including Misiorowski, Burns, and Schlittler. For 2027, Jared Jones and Walbert Ureña are cited as the leading candidates who combine youth with established track records, though they lack the raw rookie upside of last year's breakouts.