Bargain Bin Top of the Order Bats

This should be an oxymoron. Top of the order bats, typically, are the best hitters in a lineup. They are trusted to be the run producers. They bring home the bacon.

By Statmanjack · March 7, 2026 · Updated October 13, 2026

But not all tree-toppers are created equal, especially not the ones you’ll find in an article with “Bargain Bin” in the headline. Some of them do play for playoff contenders though. And those are the ones I chose to focus on here -- top of the order bats in playoff lineup outside of pick 200 in ADP. We’ll start at the top, with a pair of presumed leadoff hitters. This 29-year-old centerfielder is coming off a career-high 34 homer season, with 87 runs and 74 RBI. His career-best .811 OPS was buoyed by an airy 14.1% walk rate (another career-best). Roster Resource projects him to leadoff for the Yankees against righties and if that isn’t enough, he’s got a solid mustache and is a master of the nonchalant catch. Trent Grisham (ADP 227) spent a few years off in the can’t hit the side of a barn woods, but he came back with a bang last season. All of those career-bests earned him a $22 million qualifying offer from the Yankees, and after 406 PAs atop the order last season, he is hitting there so far this spring.Next is the new Poseidon-haired Swiss Army knife for the Seattle Mariners. He’ll be taking his bright-red Savant page to the AL West, where he would have hit more home runs in all five ballparks. He consistently ranks in the 90th percentile or better in xBA, K% and Chase%, and since Statcast began measuring Squared Up% in 2024, he’s been right amongst the league’s best there too. Now, for the first time in his career, he’ll have a full complement of All-Star hitters behind him. Brendan Donovan (ADP 237.6) will have some combination of Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor, and Randy Arozarena hitting in the 2-5 hole this season. He’s not much of a speed threat (though neither was Naylor before last season), but he does have a career OPS of .772 and 119 wRC+. Despite a lineup and division upgrade, Donovan’s projections keep him below 70 runs and 60 RBI. At this price, if he justs adds 10% to that projection and gets closer to 80 runs, 65 RBI, 10 steals and a .280 AVG, he’ll be a fixture in your lineup. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s eligible at 2B one of the shallowest positions in fantasy this season. If you miss on Donovan, you won’t be completely out of luck. Unless you missed on Jorge Polanco (ADP 206.6) and Gleyber Torres (ADP 207.8). Then you may have to settle a bit at the keystone. For both of these veterans, their best seasons are certainly behind them. Polanco has yet to suit up for the Mets this Spring, but he should hit behind Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor (once he returns from injury). Torres may even have the better case, hitting around Kerry Carpenter (who we’ll get to later), Riley Greene, and Spencer Torkelson. The other options are all platoon risks, but are worth a blurb to keep them top-of-mind during your drafts. We’ll start with a pair of Blue Jays. Coming down from their playoff highs, Addison Barger (ADP 201) and Daulton Varsho (ADP 203) both will be protected from left-handed pitchers this season. Rightfully so, especially for Barger, who has a .195 AVG in 126 plate appearances against lefties to start his career. Varsho actually hit .260 with a pair of homers in 60 plate appearances against southpaws last year, which is more or less in line with his career numbers. He lacks power against same-sided arms, with just nine career homers in 532 such PAs. The PA ceiling for both is limited by the depth the AL Champs boast, including Ernie Clement, Kazuma Okamoto, and Davis Schneider. But for both, after 20 homer seasons in 2025, that should be considered a safe floor at a late draft cost, with counting stat upside, especially for those managers in leagues with daily lineup moves. And if you decided to pick one or the other, Barger does have 3B eligibility... For the last two platoon bats, we’ll stay in the outfield with Kerry Carpenter (ADP 235.4) and Wilyer Abreu (ADP 226.6). Carpenter has been leading off for the Tigers this Spring. And unlike Abreu, who the Red Sox are reportedly considering giving some same-handed ABs to this season, Carpenter is likely in a strict platoon given his limited glove and career .207 AVG. Over the last three seasons, Carpenter has battled injuries, but has an .838 OPS when on the field, averaging 21 home runs and 173 runs+RBI per season, despite the time missed. If he continues to lead off and Greene and Torkelson can build off of their torrid starts to the season from last year, he could be in for another steady campaign. For Abreu, he too has battled platoon woes and injuries. But unlike Carpenter, he is a defensive standout and should hit in the five-hole, a solid RBI spot with Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Trevor Story, and Willson Contreras ahead of him. He also popped a career-high 22 home runs in just 115 games last season and slashed .247/.317/.469 despite running a career-worst .277 BABIP, which likely kept his actual SLG from matching his .475 xSLG. Like his teammate Duran last season, Abreu’s pull-air rate went way up last season, which may not be the best approach in Fenway. If he can blend his homer surge from 2025 with his 33 doubles from 2024, he could see a jump that makes him a top-30 outfielder at a top-60 price.