Dynasty: Oneil Cruz. Redraft: Julio Rodriguez. The FanRanked staff dynasty board has Cruz ahead, Cruz #21 and Rodriguez #26, but the expert consensus has Rodriguez ahead (#22 to #48). The community disagrees, leaning Rodriguez, FRV 87.2 to 66.6. For 2027 redraft, the consensus has Rodriguez ahead, #21 to #32, and Frank's 2027 projection agrees ($25.8 and $20.0).
JD on Julio Rodriguez (Oct 2, 2026): To be clear, Julio is great for the game of baseball. I also think he's great for the Mariners, but somehow he has managed to disappoint me as a fantasy asset. Historically, he was always a slow starter that ended the season red hot, but second half Julio decided to take an early vacation this year as he was arguably worse post ASB break than he was before. I think T-Mobile park has historically been a big factor as well, as the run environment seems to really hurt him, but the splits were reversed this year as well. Just look at the splits from 2022 - 2025: 1st Half: .260/.319/.418 wRC+ 114 2nd Half: .297/.351/.552 wRC+ 154 Home: .256/.315/.431 wRC+ 120 Away: .291/.346/.504 wRC+ 137 And here is 2026: 1st Half: .259/.323/.424 2nd Half: .230/.286/.369 Home: .258/.315/.453 Away: .236/.300/.353 I still think that he can have a season where he puts it all together (hence my aggressive ranking of him relative to the value he's put up over the last three years). I wouldn't fault you for not being a believer anymore and seeing Julio for the player he is, not the player he might become.
JD on Oneil Cruz (Oct 2, 2026): This is my favorite ranking in all the top 25 and I'm fully ready for it to blow up in my face. In terms of raw talent, there may not be a player in baseball outside of Elly who has as loud of tools as Oneil Cruz. He absolutely demolishes the ball (94.1 average EV last year), has hit the hardest recorded ball in MLB history (122.9 mph) in 2025, and the second-hardest-hit ball in MLB history (122.4 mph). Why is everyone not salivating over him? Is it maybe that he struck out checks notes 33.2% of the time last year? But the exit velos! Being realistic, Oneil Cruz is a high-risk asset and there's going to be a lot of pain associated with holding him. I do think that a lot of his performance has to do with his team dynamic, as the Pirates were garbage last year and you could tell he wasn't in it mentally. 2026 was a lot different as the Pirates put a fun competitive team on the field and he was dominant and healthy, putting up a 20/30 season in only 368 at-bats. If you had to pick one player outside of the top 20 to bet on being the number one fantasy player next year, I think Oneil Cruz is your best bet. He's also a good bet to hit below .200 and start getting benched halfway through the season. Cruz is your guy if you're a risk-taker, if you like a more predictable player, he's not for you.
Data as of . Consensus boards refresh daily; the staff board moves when it is republished.
| Metric | Julio Rodriguez | Oneil Cruz |
|---|---|---|
| Team | SEA | PIT |
| Position | OF | OF |
| Age | 25 | 27 |
| Staff Dynasty Rank | #26 | #21 |
| Dynasty Consensus Rank | #22 | #48 |
| Redraft Consensus Rank | #21 | #32 |
| FRV (FanRanked Value) | 87.2 | 66.6 |
| Expert Sources | 15 | 15 |
| Dynasty Rank Range | #18–#31 | #29–#117 |
| 2027 Projected Value | $25.8 | $20.0 |
| 2026 $ Earned | $13.0 | $25.0 |
| 2027 Projected Rank | #21 | #43 |
| 30-Day Consensus Move | Up 1 spot | Up 3 spots |
| Stat | Julio Rodriguez | Oneil Cruz |
|---|---|---|
| PA | 654 | 419 |
| HR | 22 | 20 |
| R | 69 | 65 |
| RBI | 71 | 67 |
| SB | 22 | 30 |
| AVG | .247 | .280 |
| OBP | .307 | .368 |
| SLG | .401 | .486 |
| OPS | .708 | .854 |
| wOBA | .310 | .371 |
| xwOBA | .334 | .352 |
Price a Julio Rodriguez-for-Oneil Cruz trade in the Dynasty Trade Calculator · compare their 2027 dollars in the Roto & Redraft Trade Analyzer