Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Scott Pianowski's rest-of-season risers and fallers as of March 30
Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Scott Pianowski's rest-of-season risers and fallers as of March 30
Scott PianowskiMon, March 30, 2026 at 5:11 PM UTC
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Every Monday, I will work on my rest-of-season fantasy baseball rankings to give Yahoo drafters (yes, you can still draft a new team!) a fresh sheet to work off, as well as help current managers with their player analysis. Here is a stock watch of movers and shakers from the opening week.
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You’ll find my full rest-of-season rankings at the end of this story.
RisersUT Brendan Donovan, Mariners
He was one of my regular targets all draft season, so perhaps moving him up my board is a little confirmation bias — we’re all human. And Donovan came out smoking, with a 6-for-14 opening stretch with a couple of homers mixed in.
But what especially makes me happy is seeing Donovan attempt two stolen bases (one success, one thrown out) after hardly running in his St. Louis days. The Mariners are a running team and Donovan has the potential to steal double-digit bases. He also led off in three of four games, and we love chasing volume.
SS Kevin McGonigle, Tigers
The four-hit opener got everyone’s attention, but the second game was impressive, too. McGonigle hit a drive to center that looked like a sure homer; Jackson Merrill brought it back with an outstanding catch. Later in the game, McGonigle was allowed to face lefty reliever Wandy Peralta, and the result was a classic at-bat: a 10-pitch marathon which culminated in McGonigle stroking a two-run single to the gap.
The at-bat was like a poem, McGonigle spitting on bad pitches and fouling off difficult ones. It’s encouraging to see that McGonigle is not going to be a platoon player, and given his excellent OBP skills, I would not be surprised if he’s leading off for Detroit before summer arrives. Also note, McGonigle saw some time at third base; he’ll probably add a position of eligibility soon.
OF Mike Trout, Angels
I wish the Halos would let him DH and just focus on the offense. Playing him in center field seems like a wish-casting mistake. But Trout can still rake at the plate, as the Astros saw last week — two homers, seven walks, .462 average. Give him a break, Injury Gods.
SP Emerson Hancock, Mariners
He’s been a mediocre pitcher for two years in Seattle, but maybe the timing is right for a breakthrough. Hancock was the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft, had 21 strikeouts against just one walk in Spring Training and then he threw this gem at the Guardians on Sunday night: 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB. 9 K.
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Hancock needs more impressive performances to keep a spot in the Seattle rotation when everyone is back healthy, but you force your way onto the radar with this type of outing. He carries a pedigree, he pitches for a contender, he works in a big ballpark. I considered the plausible upside and added him in a deeper league or two.
1B Nolan Schanuel, Angels
We’ve always admired him for a solid average and excellent plate discipline. He’ll take a walk, he’s hard to strike out. But if Schaunel’s power is ready to blossom — now we’re getting somewhere. He homered twice in the truncated week and he’s stepping into his age-24 season. The timing might be right for a step forward.
SP Randy Vázquez, Padres
Despite a respectable 3.84 ERA in the San Diego rotation last year, I did not consider Vázquez in my March drafts. Perhaps it’s because he outpitched his component stats (4.85 FIP), setting up trust issues. But after an eight-strikeout breeze against Detroit (six scoreless innings), I’ll at least add Vázquez to the streaming list.
UT David Hamilton, Brewers
I don’t know how much he’s going to play or how much he’s going to hit — he was a .198/.257/.333 stick last year. But he’s already got four walks and three steals for the Brewers, so Hamilton at least deserves a spot somewhere on the redraft board. Despite modest playing time, he did swipe 55 bases the last two years. It’s like Billy Hamilton is back in our lives.
RP Jordan Romano, Angels / RP Cole Sands, Twins
The most important save in an unsettled bullpen is the first one. Romano stepped up for the Angels — called on with others hurt — and Sands earned the Minnesota handshake. This gives them mixed-league relevance until further notice.
Fallers1B Rafael Devers, Giants
Life was pretty good in Boston for Devers, hitting in an offensive paradise and surrounded by other capable players. Now he’s tied to San Francisco’s roomy park, and a Giants offense that’s filled with holes. The Giants can’t be as bad as they looked in the opening series against the Yankees, but it’s possible this could be a bottom-five offense.
RP Carlos Estévez, Royals
His debut against Atlanta couldn’t have gone worse — a six-run nightmare, punctuated with an ankle injury. Estévez is merely day-to-day with the ankle issue, but while he was unavailable Sunday, Lucas Erceg recorded a clean save. Estévez kept the closing gig last year despite an ordinary strikeout rate and a bloated walk rate. The Royals fancy themselves contenders this year, so Estévez’s leash is likely to be short.
RP Mick Abel, Twins
He’s not in the rotation yet and he was hammered in his first relief appearance (five runs, eight hits, four walks). Abel still deserves monitoring, but let’s do it while he’s sitting on the wire.
1B Kyle Manzardo, Guardians
He couldn’t figure out the Seattle staff, striking out 10 times over 16 at-bats. And it’s possible Manzardo will fall into a platoon, holding a career .196/.256/.402 slash against southpaws. Manzardo’s highs against RHPs do not justify the other side of the case here.
Scott Pianowski’s rest-of-season fantasy baseball rankings (as of March 30):
Source: “AOL Sports”
