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The Sucks at Baseball List series continues as I dig into the AL Central Division to find you the hitters you should avoid down the stretch to fantasy championships in this 2 part divisional article.

Hey everyone, your favorite Fantasy Superhero is back with another edition of the Sucks at Baseball List 2026 this time I cover the AL Central Division. If you read my first article I stated that I was a die hard Cleveland fan particularly of the Guardians. So knowing that the people have to know how painful it was for me when I got them, and in particular the hitter I chose really hurt me. Not only is that player a rookie but he’s a former 1st overall draft pick whom I want to succeed so badly I’d trade anything for it. Not to get too graphic but let’s just say there are some parts I would give up for this to happen. That being said I took an unbiased approach and only focused on the statistics from July and their overall 2026 metrics on baseball savant.

After some feedback it occurred to me I probably should have explained what some of the stats I used from savant are and what they mean:

Percentiles- show how a player compares to all other qualified MLB players in a specific stat. So if their percentile is 90 it means they do it better than 90% of the players in the major leagues.

BABIP- batting average on balls in play

xBA- also known as expected batting average- measures the likelihood batted balls become a hit

xSLG- also known as expected slugging percentage- measures the expected extra-base power of a hit. Because we all known xbh lead to either RBI‘s, Runs, or both!

xwOBA- also known as expected on-base average- uses a players real walks and SO’s combined with xBA and xSLG to show a players true underlying offensive skill.

Barrel %- tracks the percentage of batted balls that hit the ultimate sweet spot. Also, a “Barrel” is a ball struck with an optimal combination of exit velocity and launch angle. Because nowadays it’s all about that exit velo and launch angle!

Hard-Hit %- tracks the percentage of batted balls launched with an exit velocity 95 mph or faster.

LA Sweet-Spot %- tracks the percentage of batted balls hit within ideal launch angle window of 8° to 32°. Balls hit in this range avoid easy groundouts and high, lazy pop-ups, maximizing the chance of line drives and HR’s.

So this time I decided to structure my article differently I did not want to bombard you with stat definitions right away. So I‘ll take a slight break and get into the hitters of the AL Central who Suck at Baseball. Without further ado we start with the (and this pains me so much just imagine Captain Holt from Brooklyn Nine-Nine when he says “PAIIIIIIIIIIN” that’s me right now) 1st place White Sox. Truly who could have predicted this is where they would be at this point, certainly not me, but that’s neither here nor there. The player I chose is a rookie who has not had enough bats to qualify for percentiles on baseball savant. Plus the ChiSox hitters are raking this year So my choices were limited. Anywho it is Braden Montgomery so let’s check his numbers from July and then look at his savant page:

Stats in July: .236/.313/.360 slash line with 1 HR, 12 RBI, 11 R, 21 H, 1 SB, 7 XBH, K% of 17.2, BB % of 8.1, and BABIP OF .282

His savant in 2026 read as such: xwOBA .311, xBA .241, xSLG .361, Barrel % 3.7, Hard-Hit % 40.7, LA Sweet-Spot % 29.6

*as I said he hasn’t had enough at bats to qualify in the percentiles or savant just did not want to show me them for some inane reason

Analysis: The average league starts 5 OF’s typically so maybe you picked up Montgomery being he was a top prospect in the ChiSox system, and you needed another OF to help you out. Because let’s face it, it is really hard to draft 5 good OF’s when you have so many other positions to cover. However, Montgomery has not been great or the spark that anyone might have been looking for and he struggled in July. Moving forward I would not rely on this player to provide meaningful numbers for your fantasy team down the stretch. Look elsewhere! Braden Montgomery you sir have made the Sucks at Baseball List 2026: AL Central Edition!

As we move on from Chicago our next stop takes us to the almost Canadian Minnesota Twins. If you don’t believe me then you’ve never heard a Minnesota accent before. I’m going to preface this with the fact that I cannot stand the Twins they are second in teams I hate right behind the Yankees. I have never liked this franchise or it’s players, I’m looking at you former Major Leaguer Tori Hunter and current Twin Royce Lewis, they are public enemy number one in my book and always will be. I will say though if you’re looking for a good baseball movie I highly recommend Little Big League. I may not like the team they use but it was a fantastic movie! All that being said I took great pleasure and finding the Twinkie players that really sucked at baseball and are hurting your chances in fantasy.

I digress, the hitter who I chose is none other than Luke Keaschall 2B/OF who btw I just traded in my dynasty league. Keaschall had a spectacular run in 2025 when he got the call and many analysts, including myself, were high on his potential this season as a guy who hits and runs. So what did his numbers look like in July and what did his savant page tell us for 2026:

Stats in July: .323/.447/.462 2 HR, 7 RBI, 11 R, 21 H, 1 SB, 7 XBH, K % of 14.1, BB % of 11.8, and a BABIP of .352

The savant page in 2026 read like this: xwOBA .307 in the 34th percentile, xBA .238 in the 30th percentile, xSLG .344 in the 14th percentile, Barrel % 3.2 in the 10th percentile, Hard-Hit % 28.3 in the 8th percentile, LA Sweet-Spot % 35 in the 59th percentile

Analysis: Overall Keaschall did not have a bad July with his overall numbers good not great for the month. He hit above .300 but did not provide much in the way of counting stats such as HR, RBI, R, and SB. His savant page for the 2026 season shows a hitter who’s batted balls are not often hits, his expected extra base power is only 14% better than your average major league player, and bottom line his xwOBA is only better than 34% of major league players- in terms of offensive skill he lacks it this season. Pitchers have adjusted to him and while he finally adjusted a bit in July he’s not providing your team with much other than potential. The signs of that potential have not been evident so my advice for you would be to not rely on Keaschall down the stretch to give you the production needed to help lift your team to the championship. At best he’s a 5th outfielder and at worst he’s droppable in your leagues. Dynasty I might hang onto to him because of potential, or I’ll trade him to a team on the bottom to try and upgrade my team elsewhere if contending. Luke Keaschall you sir have made the Sucks at Baseball List 2026: AL Central Edition!

We fly from Minnesota to the now third place team in Detroit also known as the Detroit kitty’s I mean Tigers. Sorry it’s hard for me not to insult the team and fan base who celebrated a division title last year when up by 15 games; I only to collapse in the last month of the season and give the division away on the last day. I won’t name said team but I’ll give you a hint it’s the team I root for on a regular basis. Detroit had been awful for much of the season but have recently turned it around and sailed into 3rd place in the division and not far out of the final wild card slot. However, it was definitely not on the back of this next hitter as his July was complete garbage and the savant did not look sharp. Gleyber Torres it’s your turn as I dive into his numbers in July and his savant for 2026:

Stats in July: .189/.302/.324 slash line with 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R, 7 H, 0 SB, 3 XBH, a K % of 30.2, BB % of 14, and a BABIP of .261

Savant in 2026: xwOBA .326 in the 58th percentile, xBA .239 in the 31st percentile, xSLG .363 in the 24th percentile, Barrel % in the 46th percentile, Hard-Hit % 31.8 in the 15th percentile, and a LA Sweet-Spot % 35.8 in the 69th percentile

Analysis: While his BABIP shows he might just been unlucky in July and hit it to a someoen directly and his LA Sweet-Spot % better than 69% of major leaguers; meaning he hit it in the ideal launch angle of 8° to 32° that % of time, outside of these and maybe his xwOBA, it did not look good for Torres. 2B is always a tough position to cover if you do not get the right guy like Brice Turang or the right guy starts slow i.e. Jackson Holliday. This is just not the case with Torres who’s only rostered in 44% of yahoo leagues and 47.1% in ESPN leagues. He’s available in over 50% of leagues right now and there’s a reason why; if you want to win don’t add him to your roster. Gleyber Torres you sir have made the Sucks at Baseball List 2026: AL Central Edition!

Now we take a short 2 hour 39 minute drive to arguably the worst team in the AL CentrAl currently the Cleveland Guardians. I mean this team can’t get anything right they are not doing the little things right, which is how #GuardsBall was born, when they pitch well they don’t hit, and when they hit they don’t pitch well. It’s just an endless cycle of mediocrity for a team that was a buyer at the deadline, and let me tell you it was not hard to find a hitter on this team. Though this pains me oh so much the hitter making his debut to the list is none other than former number 1 overall selection and top prospect in the Cleveland system Travis Bazzana:

Stats in July: .231/.336/.352 slash line with 2 HR, 9 RBI, 10 R, 21 H, 3 SB, 6 XBH, a K % of 26.2, BB % of 12.1, and a BABIP .336

Savant 2026: xwOBA .304 in the 28th percentile, xBA .226 in the 15th percentile, xSLG .353 in the 17th percentile, Barrel % 4.6 in the 20th percentile, Hard-Hit % 37.6 in the 34th percentile, LA Sweet-Spot % 30.1 in the 13th percentile

Analysis: His BABIP suggests he was just unlucky in July but the fact is he did not hit well and the results do not lie. He started off slow when initially called up but was getting on base a lot, then the bat started to come along, only for it to go dormant again in July. His savant page does not make it any better and for a player who was taken 1st overall this simply cannot happen; especially when the players drafted after him in his draft have performed early. To be up front I don’t think he is a bust but Cleveland has not developed hitting well for awhile now and it’s hard to even trust the guys you normally can on this team outside Chase DeLauter. Long story short in dynasty you have to keep him and in redraft you can safely bench him until he starts showing signs of progress again. Do not let his numbers stop your run to the championship. Travis Bazzana you sir have made the Sucks at Baseball List 2026: AL Central Edition!

Finally, we travel to the actual worst team in the division at least statistically and record wise the Kansas City Royals. Who despite having a superstar in Bobby Witt and young’s coming on like Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen have struggled mightily right from jump street. This hitter while 36 years old and a veteran of the team, who is last one remaining of the 2015 World Series Champion Royals, has had a spectacular career has left little to be desired. Let’s dive into the numbers and try and pay a little respect to one of the best catchers to play the game Salavador Perez:

Career Stats: Also including what he’s already done this year

.261/.299/.452 slash line, 319 career HR, 751 career RBI, and 668 career XBH

A round of applause for a guy who gave us elite production at the catcher position for the majority of his career. Let’s be honest catcher is one of the worst positions to fill in fantasy as well. He had a great July which has resulted in him having 16 home runs currently so we’re gonna take a different angle with this guy.

Stats April to June: .201/.244/.326 slash line, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 28 R, 60 H, 19 XBH, K % of 20.6, BB % 3.8, and a BABIP of .225

*of note Perez has never been an on-base machine as an all or nothing hitter who hits bombs, drives in runs, and gets extra base hits

Savant 2026: xwOBA .297 in the 18th percentile, xBA .229 in the 18th percentile, xSLG .409 in the 55th percentile, Chase % 45.3 in the 1 percentile, Whiff % 25.4 in the 41st percentile, K % 20.2 in the 57th percentile

Analysis: Salavador Perez has had a better career than many players at his position recently, but Father Time catches us all and it seems it may be his time here soon. From April to June he did not provide you much outside of 9 HR, and only 29 RBI, as the entire Royals team struggles and continue to struggle. He’s never been a guy who hits for average or gets on base a ton, but one thing you could always rely on is his HR’s and RBI’s. That being said for the season he has 16 home runs and for the crap fest that is the catcher position in fantasy that’s honestly not bad. However, even after a torrid July I just don’t think you can trust this player down the stretch especially when the Royals are not competing. He could lose at bats to a young guy maybe even when Vinnie Pasquantino returns. If I’m his fantasy manager I’m trying to move off him before your trade deadline and betting on someone like Ryan Jeffers, who is only owned in 47% of yahoo leagues and 41% in ESPN leagues. I say this with all do respect to the this players career, but Salvadore Perez you have made the Sucks at Baseball List 2026: AL Central Edition!

I wrote earlier about not wanting to bombard you with stats; so I will be saving the advanced pitching metrics I used and the pitchers I chose for another article. As I also would not like to keep this article too long because let’s be honest theres is a lot of information here. Look for the 2B to this articles 2a shortly after while I use my superpowers to rescue you and your fantasy sports teams. This is The KANGASMAN flying off for now I hope you enjoy this piece and get something from it.

By: KANGASMAN

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