One draft pick could decide an entire fantasy baseball season.
And according to experts, letting Shohei Ohtani slip past No. 2 might be the biggest mistake a manager can make in 2026.

Fantasy Experts Say Shohei Ohtani Must Be the No. 2 Pick in 2026 Drafts

Fantasy baseball draft rooms are already heating up across the world — and one debate keeps dominating the conversation.

Who should be taken with the No. 2 overall pick?

According to many fantasy experts, the answer is clear.

Shohei Ohtani.

As the 2026 MLB season approaches, fantasy managers are carefully preparing their strategies, hoping to build a roster capable of dominating their league. And near the top of every draft board, two superstars stand above the rest.

Aaron Judge.
Shohei Ohtani.

Judge, the Yankees’ towering slugger and reigning American League MVP, is widely expected to go No. 1 overall in many leagues.

That leaves one incredibly valuable opportunity.

The manager drafting second will likely land Ohtani.

And experts say that might actually be the smartest pick of the entire draft.

A Player Who Breaks Fantasy Baseball Logic

Shohei Ohtani isn’t just another elite player.

He’s a category-breaking phenomenon.

In most fantasy leagues, managers must balance power hitters, speed threats, and pitching aces separately when building a roster.

Ohtani changes that equation completely.

Because he delivers all of those things at once.

His two-way ability makes him arguably the most valuable fantasy asset in baseball history.

Ohtani’s 2025 Season Was Almost Unbelievable

The Dodgers superstar put together another jaw-dropping campaign in 2025.

At the plate, he dominated.

.282 batting average
.392 on-base percentage
172 hits in 611 at-bats
55 home runs
102 RBIs
146 runs scored (MLB leader)
20 stolen bases

Those numbers alone would easily justify a top-three fantasy pick.

But Ohtani doesn’t stop with hitting.

Pitching Value That Changes Everything

Even while managing his pitching workload, Ohtani still took the mound 14 times during the 2025 season.

And he was extremely effective.

2.87 ERA
62 strikeouts
1.90 FIP (career best)

Few fantasy players offer meaningful production in both hitting and pitching categories.

Ohtani does it naturally.

That dual value allows fantasy managers to gain an advantage across multiple statistical categories without sacrificing roster flexibility.

Why the No. 2 Pick Is So Important

Draft position can dramatically affect fantasy strategy.

In snake draft formats, managers picking early must wait a long time before making their second selection.

That delay means many top-tier players disappear before their next turn.

Because of that, the first pick becomes even more critical.

A player like Ohtani provides elite production across multiple categories immediately, allowing managers to build the rest of their roster around a stable superstar foundation.

Chasing Baseball History in 2026

Ohtani also enters the 2026 season with history in his sights.

The Dodgers icon has already won three consecutive MVP awards.

If he performs at a similar level again this year, he could capture four straight MVP titles, a nearly unprecedented achievement in modern baseball.

For fantasy managers, that kind of consistent dominance is incredibly valuable.

Players who contribute across multiple categories while maintaining elite performance year after year are rare.

Ohtani might be the ultimate example.

A Draft Pick That Could Decide the Season

Most first-round fantasy picks excel in one or two areas.

Some provide massive power.
Others deliver elite speed.
A few dominate on the mound.

But Shohei Ohtani offers something almost unfair.

Power.
Runs.
RBIs.
Stolen bases.
Pitching production.

All from a single roster spot.

That’s why fantasy experts say managers with the No. 2 pick should not hesitate.

Because if Shohei Ohtani falls any further than that, the rest of the league may end up paying the price all season long.