Fantasy baseball season begins with LABR Mixed draft. Who goes No. 1?
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Fantasy baseball season begins with LABR Mixed draft. Who goes No. 1?
Steve Gardner, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
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2 min read
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Spring training games are underway and players are getting up to speed in preparation for when the real games begin. It's the same drill fantasy baseball managers go through early in the spring when mock drafts serve as our spring training.
This year, some of the game's best players will first need to gear up for the World Baseball Classic. Meanwhile, some of the fantasy industry's best players will jump-start the 2026 draft season with the League of Alternative Baseball Reality (LABR).
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The action gets underway on Monday, Feb. 23, with the LABR Mixed league draft. Who will go No.1 overall … and how will the first round shake out? Those are among the many questions fantasy managers want answered.
$765,000,000: Juan Soto, New York Mets (2025-39)
(Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images)
$700,000,000: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers (2024-33)
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
$500,000,000: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Toronto Blue Jays (2026-39)
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
$426.5 million: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels (2019-2030)* includes extension
(Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports)
$365 million: Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers (2020-32)
(Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports)
$360 million: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (2023-2031)
(Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports)
$350 million: Manny Machado, San Diego Padres (2023-33)
(Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
$341 million: Francisco Lindor, New York Mets (2022-31)
(Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports)
$340 million: Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres (2021-34)
(Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports)
$330,000,000: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies (2019-31)
(Kyle Ross, Imagn Images)
$325 million: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins (2015-2027) – traded to New York Yankees in 2017
$210 million: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals (2015-2021)
(Amber Searls, USA TODAY Sports)
36/39
MLB's $200+ million contracts
$209.3 million: Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners (2023-34)
(Lindsey Wasson, USA TODAY Sports)
37/39
MLB's $200+ million contracts
$206.5 million: Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks (2016-2021) – traded to Houston Astros in 2019
(Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports)
38/39
MLB's $200+ million contracts
$202,000,000: CC Sabathia, New York Yankees (2009-17)
(Rob Schumacher, The Republic)
39/39
MLB's $200+ million contracts
$200 million: Carlos Correa, Minnesota Twins (2023-28) - traded to Houston Astros in 2025
(Jay Biggerstaff, USA TODAY Sports)
What is LABR?
The League of Alternative Baseball Reality is the original fantasy baseball experts league. LABR began in 1994, when Sports Weekly (then Baseball Weekly) fantasy editor John Hunt recruited 12 industry titans to draft and play in AL- and NL-only auction leagues.
LABR has since expanded to a Mixed league draft (in 2012) and a Mixed auction league (in 2020).
2026 LABR Mixed draft participants, draft order
Shohei Ohtani is coming off a 2025 season in which he hit 55 homers, scored 146 runs and stole 20 bases. He also posted a 2.87 ERA in 47 innings on the mound. Ohtani is the consensus No. 1 overall pick so far in 2026 fantasy drafts.
Here are the competitors in this year's LABR Mixed draft, with their corresponding draft positions. It's a 15-team, 5x5 Rotisserie league with twice-weekly free-agent pickups throughout the season.
The 2026 LABR Mixed draft will be broadcast live on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Channel 87). and the 29-round draft grid will be updated live onRTSports.com.
