Top 10 Free Agent Bats for the 2026-27 MLB Offseason
With the offseason finally here, Just Baseball ranks the top 10 free agent hitters in a class that leaves a lot to be desired.
At long last, the baseball world is focused on its future. No matter how bleak things may look with the looming lockout, there will one day be the return of Major League Baseball.
With that, following the Milwaukee Brewers’ first World Series title, the 2026 season concludes. As the focus shifts to 2027 and beyond, free agency is always the forefront; aside from blockbuster trades, the sagas with top free agency sweepstakes keep fans engaged during the several-month buildup into next year.
This free agency class is unlike years prior, however. There isn’t a Shohei Ohtani, a Juan Soto, or a Kyle Tucker. This year’s group doesn’t have that transcendent, game-changing talent. There are certainly plenty of talented bats, but even if the new Collective Bargaining Agreement doesn’t bring a salary cap, there won’t be any $60 million Average Annual Value contracts.
This pool, however, is rife with players who can help lengthen a lineup. But who are the best of the bunch?
The Top 10 Free Agent Hitters
10. 1B Ty France
- 2026 Team: San Diego Padres
2026 Stats: 133 GP, .295/.363/.502, 21 HR, 72 RBI, 141 wRC+, 3.6 fWAR
Never a bad hitter, France came out of nowhere this season to break out for the Padres. The 31-year-old set a career-high with a .295 average (minimum 200 plate appearances) and .502 slugging. His 21 homers also set a new career best, while his 72 runs batted in are his third-most.
After consecutive seasons with a sub-100 wRC+, France saw his jump to a career-high 141 in 500 plate appearances.
His 2026 season is a fascinating case study, and his subsequent market will be interesting to track. He churned out an elite-level defensive season in 2026. On offense, he displayed a steady diet of hard-hit baseballs. That said, he chased a lot, whiffed quite a bit, and was only roughly league average in metrics such as bat speed and barrel rate. As a result, he overplayed his expected wOBA by 46 points.
He did play a few games at third this past season, but he’s a true first baseman. The position itself isn’t often seen as a high-value one. Unless you’re changing the fabric of the heart of the order, you’re likely not making the big bucks. The France we saw in 2026, on a results basis, was tremendous. But it’ll be fascinating to see if teams view that as sustainable going forward.
9. C Ryan Jeffers
- 2026 Team: Minnesota Twins
2026 Stats: 92 GP, .256/.353/.461, 14 HR, 56 RBI, 128 wRC+, 2.6 fWAR
The Twins backstop is eerily similar to his former teammate, the recently retired Mitch Garver. Historically, he’s a masher who catches, rather than a catcher who mashes. Since 2023, he’s posted -27 fielding run value behind the dish.
That said, he’s had consecutive years as a fringe-average framer, and this year he reverted back towards the league average as a blocker.
But his calling is his ability to crush the baseball at the plate. This year, injuries limited him to 92 games, but he’s a guy who commands the zone well, doesn’t whiff much, and does a lot of damage. Though a 128 wRC+ is hardly elite, it was second among catchers with at least 250 plate appearances in 2026. He’s also tied for sixth at the position with a 120 mark since the start of 2025.
Teams looking for a right-handed power bat that doesn’t strike out much will flock to Jeffers. The catch with him is he’s only played over 100 games twice. If he’s able to buck the injury trend, he could be one of the best under-the-radar pickups of the winter.
8. 2B Luis Arraez
- 2026 Team: San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies
2026 Stats: 151 GP, .310/.345/.419, 6 HR, 64 RBI, 110 wRC+, 4.1 fWAR
Offensively, Arraez was the same player he more or less always is. His average and was around his career mark of .316, the on base was slightly lower, but his slugging was higher. The hitter he is, 20 years ago, would likely rank in the upper tier of this market. However, the sheer lack of power often makes him a tough player to justify spending a lot of money on.
Now, if his defense remains as good as it was in 2026, there’s real viability there in the middle of the infield.
He entered the 2026 season a career -6 Defensive Runs Saved and -36 Outs Above Average defender at second base. This year, DRS (-4) still didn’t love him, but OAA (+12) sure did. In fact, his turnaround at second might be enough to put longtime manager and infield instructor Ron Washington straight in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
If he’s joining a deep lineup, where he’s able to hit fifth of sixth, there’s a real need for someone like Arraez around the league. However, how many of those teams also need a second baseman?
That said, following the World Series we just got, it’ll be fascinating to see if teams change course with points of emphasis in talent acquisition going forward; at least in the short term.
7. LF Ian Happ
- 2026 Team: Chicago Cubs
2026 Stats: 156 GP, .218/.326/.412, 24 HR, 68 RBI, 107 wRC+, 2.6 fWAR
It certainly wasn’t the contract year Happ wanted to have, but he still managed a productive 2026 campaign for the Cubs.
As is always the case, the switch-hitter was an ironman for Chicago, playing 156 games; his sixth consecutive season playing at least 148 games. That number swells to seven if you want to prorate his 57-out-of-60 games played in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
Despite the added strikeouts to his game, Happ returned to the power stroke he displayed in 2024. From an overall home run standpoint, he finished around where he has every other. He did, however, hit three triples and matched his extra-base hit output of 2025 despite roughly 30 fewer plate appearances.
Now, there was a lot less average out of him, as the .218 mark is his worst ever. But in addition to the power, he played some very good defense en route to 10 defensive runs saved and two outs above average.
The idea of him not being in Chicago anymore feels wrong. He debuted at the tail-end of their previous core of dominance, hung around during the mediocre years, and remained as they ascended into contention again. There are a couple of questions, though. First, how expensive are teams willing to get for a top outfielder on the market? Second, are the Cubs willing to go there, especially since they have another expensive outfielder hitting free agency this winter.
6. 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr.
- 2026 Team: New York Yankees
2026 Stats: 137 GP, .231/.312/.399, 19 HR, 55 RBI, 98 wRC+, 3.5 fWAR
Sheer talent, there’s a case Chisholm is the top guy on the market. However, he’s often held back by mental lapses on the field and, sometimes, sets himself up for ridicule with comments to the media and on socials.
Similar to Happ, this wasn’t a good walk year for Chisholm. After declaring he’d hit the 50-homer, 50-steal threshold, he failed to even reach 40 total extra-base hits. He did manage 41 stolen bases whilst remaining an elite-level defensive second baseman, but a 98 wRC+ is hardly helping him contend for any awards.
He’s still one of the league’s most dynamic players, though. When he’s on, he’s a lefty with power and speed while also athletic enough to play multiple defensive positions. In a league where teams are often looking at projectability, Chisholm seems a player destined to make more than what his 2026 suggests he should.
5. 1B Jake Bauers
- 2026 Team: Milwaukee Brewers
2026 Stats: 144 GP, .266/.389/.484, 26 HR, 86 RBI, 143 wRC+, 3.7 fWAR
The baseball world was put on notice about Bauers before the postseason. But the playoffs made him a household name.
Everyone who watched knows his story, where he was out of baseball but came back for the health insurance because his wife was pregnant. After a fine 2025, he exploded in 2026. His on base was all time high, his slug was too. He’s always been more of a power-over-hit batter, but the hit followed some this year. Additionally, his already strong eye became elite.
The National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player hits free agency a fresh 31-year-old first baseman. He can spell a team at a corner outfield spot as well, but his bat is what will make him valuable.
It’ll be interesting to see how his market plays out. On one hand, this year was a major outlier. On the other hand, there’s nothing about his batted ball profile to suggest this was a mirage.
He will certainly have his share of strikeouts, but you’ve got to beat him in the zone because he had a 91st percentile chase rate in 2026. While the strikeouts can be bothersome at times, a hitter who forces pitchers into the zone are likelier to find mistakes. Someone as strong as Bauers can take mistakes and change the score on a dime.
4. 2B Brandon Lowe
- 2026 Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
2026 Stats: 150 GP, .260/.331/.493, 35 HR, 96 RBI, 121 wRC+, 4.9 fWAR
Not only did Lowe have a very good offensive season, he blossomed defensively en route to a Gold Glove-level play.
In 1,181 defensive innings, the free agent had +13 DRS and +15 OAA. This coming after posting -23 DRS and -23 OAA from 2018 to 2025 with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The power out of the middle of the infield means Lowe will have many suitors. Only 32, the veteran is already a season or two of healthy play away from the top 15 second basemen all-time for home runs. Though he didn’t quite reach his peak of 39 homers from back in 2021, he posted the second most of his career in addition to the second most RBI in a single season.
He’s always flown under the radar for a few reasons. For starters, only playing in small markets doesn’t help, but he’s also historically one of the least productive hitters in the playoffs. It feels like the game is past the point of paying players for postseason success or failure, but it’s certainly part of Lowe’s rap sheet. If you’re going to commit four-plus years to an undersized second baseman, you’re going to want to know big moments are something he can handle.
3. 3B/OF Teruaki Sato
- 2026 Team: Hanshin Tigers
2026 Stats: 143 GP, .306/.383/.609, 39 HR, 106 RBI, 196 wRC+
The top international free agent this winter, Sato is coming to the states after an incredible 2026. His 39 home runs would’ve ranked ninth in the majors this year, while his 106 RBI would’ve been tied for fifth.
But in addition to playing multiple positions and hitting home runs, he does a lot of damage in the interim. While strikeouts are a large part of his game, he works around it by hitting the ball exceptionally hard.
The past few years have brought several phenoms from Japan. This year is no different. It will, however, be interesting to see how different his market is from that of Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami. The strikeouts were a major turnoff to teams last winter, causing him to get a well-below market value contract. But he translated incredibly well to the states.
Sato isn’t quite the same slugger as Murakami, but he’s very dangerous all the same.
2. OF Seiya Suzuki
- 2026 Team: Chicago Cubs
2026 Stats: 143 GP, .270/.368/.473, 26 HR, 86 RBI, 134 wRC+, 4.5 fWAR
A theme of this market is historically poor defenders finding stretches of elite defensive play. Suzuki is yet another example of this. While he wasn’t a bad defender, per se, his +14 DRS and +4 OAA certainly are outliers.
But his bat is the reason teams will be champing at the bit for his services this offseason. For the second time in three years, he posted a wRC+ over 130. After a disappointing rookie season, he’s rattled off no worse than a 123 wRC+ and 2.6 fWAR in four years.
His isolated power was over .200 for the second consecutive year, his walk rate was a career best and he continued to right the ship of his strikeout woes from 2024. He’s a stellar offensive player. If the defense is legit, he’s going to get upwards of nine figures this offseason.
He may be 32, but he’s showing no real signs of slowing down at the plate. If anything, it’s the opposite.
1. OF Randy Arozarena
- 2026 Team: Seattle Mariners
2026 Stats: 154 GP, .281/.381/.484, 26 HR, 79 RBI, 151 wRC+, 5.5 fWAR
If there ever was a time to have a career year, Arozarena’s 2026 was the year to do it. After a couple years where he was good, not great, overall, he posted a 151 wRC+ and 5.5 fWAR across 154 games this past season.
The Mariners overall had a disappointing season, but it was not because their left fielder underwhelmed. Aside from him, only Dominic Canzone had at least 200 plate appearances and a wRC+ over 106.
Arozarena isn’t in the tier of a Soto or an Ohtani. However, he’s one of the more fun players to watch when he’s on a roll. For starters, he’s one of the more emotional players in the league, not afraid to add a little for emphasis when he does something cool.
Additionally, he’s a postseason superstar. Across 45 career playoff games, he’s a .292 hitter with 12 home runs and 19 runs batted in. From a power standpoint, he’s still riding the wave of his 10-homer 2020 campaign, but he still isn’t shy to the clutch.
As the face of this free agency class, he’s primed to get a long-term deal north of nine figures. The Mariners would be wise to stay in his market until the end, but time will tell where he ends up.
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