In many of my articles leading up to the 2026 fantasy baseball season I have talked about roster construction for Roto leagues. While I often fail in this practice in my own drafts, I can give out solid advice to help you put together a balanced team to compete in all categories. The other thing I have talked about a lot is the tough categories. With hitters that is stolen bases and batting average. And while stolen bases has gotten a little easier as more speed and power combo players come into the league, batting average has become increasingly difficult as more and more players trade power for good contact. Deciding where to get your players that are helpful to your batting average can start in the very first round.
The Draft-Day Scenario
Picture this. You have the fourth pick in the draft. Ohtani, Judge and Soto are gone. Sitting there right in front of you to pick is Bobby Witt Jr. He was a couple of homers and steals away from a 25/40 guy and he hit .295. However, the tremendous upside of Ronald Acuña Jr. or the consistency of José Ramírez also has your attention with the potential for more in the other categories. Do you pull the trigger for Witt, or wait and get a better batting average (most likely) several rounds later with Luis Arraez?
The Case for Waiting on Luis Arraez
On the surface this seems like a silly question. Witt is an MVP-caliber player, while Arraez is what we call in the fantasy world a one trick pony. Arraez is a multiple time batting champion but has had double digit home runs exactly once and he had a career high in steals last season with 11. His career high in runs scored is 88 and that was in 2022 and has had 61 and 66 the past two seasons, respectively. He did hit .292 last season, but for his career he is hitting .317. He has walked more times than he has struck out for his entire 840 game career.
For the sake of discussion, let’s say he hits .320 this year, which is slightly above his career average, while Witt dips 20 points and is down in the .270s. Now we are talking about a 50-point difference in average, which can be significant. Given the batting average drain that some of the power hitters today (I’m looking at you Kyle Schwarber and Cal Raleigh among others), having that 50-point cushion could be the difference of a couple of spots in the standings. Not to mention if Acuña stays healthy or José Ramírez is who he should be, they should give you elite production to make up for passing on Witt and Arraez is sitting there in the 20th round. Although, if you go this route you might want to jump on him a couple of rounds sooner to be sure you have his services.
The Case for Bobby Witt Jr.
But then there’s Bobby Witt Jr. He is 25 years old, he has been in the league for four seasons, and he has already finished top 5 in Rookie of the Year voting his first year and top 7 in MVP voting every season since, including runner up in 2024. He took a step back last season, for sure, but he was still a monster of production. It is well within the range of outcomes for him to hit .310 with 35 home runs, 35 steals, while scoring and driving in 100 runs. The Royals have an improving lineup to give him protection as well.
Rather than pigeonholing yourself to need to take that one trick pony late in the draft, you should be using your 20th round pick to load up on starting pitching depth, speculating on a up and coming closer, or stashing a hot prospect that can come up in late April or early May and have a real impact.
Final Draft Decision
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The best answer to this conundrum is “why not both?” You could really own the batting average category if you were able to pair Witt and Arraez. However, the point of this article was about roster build and making choices, so that doesn’t help anyone.
If this situation was placed in front of me (and I hope I get that early of a pick in upcoming drafts), I am mashing the draft button on Witt. He is just coming into his prime, he has been very durable in his short career, and I want as many speed/power guys in the early rounds as I can get. He is that, and he brings in a great batting average.
Going the other route gives you a chance to be sniped on Arraez, and then you are left trying to figure out your batting average problems late in the draft. Witt is a no-brainer and is an awesome choice to start your draft off.
People Want to Know More About Bobby Witt Jr. And Luis Arraez
What are Bobby Witt Jr.’s 2026 projections?
Most projection systems place Bobby Witt Jr. near a .290 AVG with strong power-speed production and high run totals.
What is Luis Arraez’s fantasy outlook for 2026?
Luis Arraez projects as one of the safest batting-average hitters in baseball but offers limited home run and stolen base upside.
Is Bobby Witt Jr. worth a top-five pick in fantasy drafts?
Yes. His rare combination of batting average, power, and speed makes him a foundational first-round player in most roto formats.
How can fantasy managers protect batting average during drafts?
Managers often anchor the category early with reliable hitters, then avoid stacking too many high-strikeout power bats later.
Who provides the better batting-average floor: Bobby Witt Jr. or Luis Arraez?
Luis Arraez carries the higher pure batting-average floor, while Bobby Witt Jr. adds much stronger overall category production.
Is Luis Arraez a fantasy sleeper in 2026?
Arraez can be a value target in later rounds for teams that need batting-average stabilization without chasing power.
