Jorge Mateo

Mateo has an outside shot at a regular job to start the season, as Atlanta signed him to a big-league deal one day after it was revealed Ha-Seong Kim (finger) would miss the first six-plus weeks of the season. Mateo, even at 30, is still one of the fastest players by sprint speed in baseball. Baltimore declined the club option on Mateo after a disappointing 2025 season which included him rehabbing from an internal brace procedure on his non-throwing arm and a hamstring strain which put him on the 60-day IL over the summer. Mateo's work since the back to back 30+ steal season has been non-rosterable in mixed leagues while even AL-Only leagues had to work hard to justify carrying this one-trick pony on their rosters after 2022. Mateo has enjoyed just one full season of work at the big league level, and even that was tough to carry with his .221 average and .267 OBP that season. He will earn in-season flexibility, but he is only eligible at second base on draft day. Mateo will compete with Mauricio Dubon and Nacho Alvarez for playing time while Kim is sidelined. Read Past Outlooks