In a player pool that is full of contributors, we are all looking for league winners — the players who outperform expectations to such a large degree that they carry teams to fantasy baseball championships.
Here are the players who best fit the league winner label this season. And we have data to back it up, as these players have the highest roster rate among the top-500 teams across this vast platform. Let’s look at where they came from, what they accomplished, and how successful they will be next year. As you’ll see, although we look for league winners on draft day, the best values are found on the waiver wire. After all, only two of the 10 players in this article (Sal Stewart, Pete Crow-Armstrong) were selected in more than 10% of Yahoo drafts.
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Jordan Walker, OF, Cardinals: In head-to-head formats, Walker is far and away the leading roster member on top-500 teams, which is hardly surprising for someone who went from 6% drafted to sitting ninth overall on the Yahoo Player Rater. The 24-year-old still strikes out more often than the average hitter (25.9%), but his 100th-percentile bat speed has enabled him to rank among the top 15% of players in average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard-hit rate. Walker has also flashed his 92nd-percentile sprint speed by swiping 20 bases. There is room for a further uptick in steals and his power skills are sustainable, but there could be a slight pullback on his batting average. Overall, Walker belongs in the second round of 2027 drafts.
Bryan Baker, RP, Rays: The entire Rays bullpen was an afterthought in draft season. After all, the team was coming off a 77-win season, they lacked an established closer and the organization hadn’t produced a 30-save pitcher since 2017. And those who drafted a Tampa reliever grabbed Griffin Jax or Edwin Uceta ahead of Baker. But Baker pitched the ninth inning of a four-run win on the second day of the season, picked up his first save of the campaign a week later and never looked back. I expect Baker to have some regression next season, as his 62:21 K:BB ratio is a good-not-great mark for an elite closer. But he will be a fine option once 5-6 relievers have come off the board.
Sal Stewart, 1B/2B/3B, Reds: Stewart gave us a preview of his potential late last season when he went deep five times in 18 games. But his exciting debut was only good enough to get him an ADP of 193.7 during draft season. Those who gave him a late-round opportunity quickly found out that they had struck gold, as the rookie had accumulated nine homers, 29 RBI and seven steals by the end of April. Stewart keeps his strikeout rate in check and regularly barrels up the baseball, which makes his 30-homer power sustainable. And anyone who looked at his minor league stats knew that he could swipe 15 bases. Like Walker, Stewart belongs in the second round of 2027 drafts.
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Louis Varland, RP, Blue Jays: The season was nearly four weeks old when Varland earned his first save, but he made up for lost time and now ranks tied for fifth in the majors with 34 saves. The right-hander was a workhorse in high-leverage innings during the Blue Jays 2025 run to the World Series, which made him an obvious candidate to take over the ninth inning when Jeff Hoffman faltered for a second straight season. Varland strikes out batters in bunches and induces oodles of grounders, which should be a sustainable recipe for success. He’s a top-five closer for 2027.
Parker Messick, SP, Guardians: This paragraph hurts to write, as I started the season by labelling Messick as my FOMO player of 2026. Although I loved his skills, I didn’t draft the 25-year-old in many leagues, as I guessed that the Guardians would send him to Triple-A. I was wrong. Messick tossed six shutout innings on March 30 and never looked back. The southpaw ranks among the top 10 in baseball in ERA and WHIP, and his success is supported by a top-10 mark in xERA (3.09). Most managers will value Messick as a No. 2 starter in 2027, but I will likely value him as a low-end ace.
Logan Henderson, SP, Brewers: Although a back injury has kept Henderson under 20 starts, he has been spectacular when in the rotation. In fact, his 0.81 WHIP would rank second among qualified pitchers if he had enough innings to qualify. I expect some regression for Henderson, who is unlikely to enjoy a .219 BABIP for a second straight season. But I stopped doubting Milwaukee pitchers a long time ago, which means that I’ll be happy to make the right-hander my No. 2 starter.
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Jake McCarthy, OF, Rockies: McCarthy and Coors Field were a match made in heaven. The sparkplug limits strikeouts, so it makes sense that he would find success in the park that best boosts batting averages. Sure enough, McCarthy is hitting .318 with a .906 OPS at home, while maintaining average numbers (.275 BA, .747 OPS) on the road. McCarthy had already enjoyed a trio of 20-steal seasons as a part-time player in Arizona, so it’s not surprising to see him reach the 30-steal plateau this year. McCarthy will be back with Colorado next year, so we can expect more of the same.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Cubs: Crow-Armstrong is the only player in this article who was a coveted commodity in March, as he was a fourth-round selection in most Yahoo drafts. By next March, the 24-year-old will be selected first overall in nearly every draft on the heels of what will likely be a 40-40 season. Nearly everything has improved for PCA this year, including his walk rate, strikeout rate and quality of contact. He could experience some regression and still sit atop the fantasy landscape.
Miguel Vargas, 1B/3B, White Sox: The massive breakout by Vargas has been somewhat understated in fantasy circles, for all the right reasons. The slugger hasn’t enjoyed an attention-grabbing stretch but has instead been incredibly consistent from month-to-month. And instead of dominating a single category, Vargas has made significant contributions in all four counting-stat areas while maintaining a reasonable batting average. The best news is that Vargas has slightly underperformed his expected stats in every area, which makes a repeat of 2026 seem likely.
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Cade Cavalli, SP, Nationals: The fingerprints of the new front office in Washington are all over the organization. The minor league teams have exceeded expectations, and James Wood and CJ Abrams have reached new heights while anchoring a vastly improved lineup. Cavalli is the team’s biggest success story on the mound. He got off to a solid start before really turning things on (8-1, 1.90 ERA, 90:16 K:BB ratio) in the second half. Cavalli hasn’t been lucky, as his .307 BABIP and 76.6% strand rate are normal marks and the ERA estimators give him ratios that are similar to his actual mark. The one cause for concern is that Cavalli’s Stuff+ (102) and Location+ (99) numbers are mediocre. He’s a No. 2 starter for 2027, and I will likely rank him behind Messick and Henderson.
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