Adam Howe and Kevin Hasting break down fantasy-relevant MLB veterans who will be 35 or older in 2026, discussing why age-based discounts often go too far in drafts. Position by position, they evaluate starters, relievers, and hitters who still provide stable volume, category juice, or late-draft value—especially in NFBC-style formats. The episode emphasizes trusting skills, roles, and projections over age bias while building balanced fantasy rosters.

0:00–6:30 — Episode Setup & Draft Philosophy
Why veteran players are often overdocked due to age
Can you build a competitive roster leaning heavily on 35+ players?
Format considerations (NFBC, draft-and-hold, redraft)
Setting criteria: age 35+ entering 2026 season

6:30–32:00 — Veteran Starting Pitchers
Core discussion around innings, risk, and projection value

Players discussed:

Chris Sale, Jacob deGrom. Cole Ragans, Hunter Greene, Max Fried, Brian Woo, Merrill Kelly, Matthew Boyd, Kyle Hendricks (historical comp), Seth Lugo, Yusei Kikuchi, Shota Imanaga Sugano

Key themes:

Sale and deGrom as high-impact SP1/SP2 options despite capped innings
Trusting elite ratios over raw innings totals
Backfilling innings rather than chasing 200-IP arms early
“Old and boring” starters stabilizing WHIP and ERA late

32:00–48:00 — Veteran Relievers & Closers

Evaluating save security vs ADP cost

Players discussed: 
Aroldis Chapman, Raisel Iglesias, Kenley Jansen, Robert Suarez, David Bednar, Josh Hader, Devin Williams, Ryan Helsley, Emilio Pagán, Sean Armstrong

Key themes:

Iglesias vs Chapman at cost
Concerns about Chapman’s WHIP and role volatility
Jansen as a discount saves source
Drafting proven closers over speculative youth

48:00–1:05:00 — Infield Veterans (2B, 3B, MI)

Why some aging infielders still matter

Players discussed:

Marcus Semien, José Altuve, Gleyber Torres, Jorge Polanco, Matt McLain, Nolan Arenado, Max Muncy, Josh Bell, Mauricio Dubón, Miguel Rojas, Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto

Key themes:

No true veteran fallback at shortstop

Semien as a volume-driven safety net at 2B

Arenado as a last-round corner infielder target

OBP vs AVG format differences for Muncy

1:05:00–1:25:00 — Veteran Outfielders & DHs

Discounted power and lineup context

Players discussed:

George Springer, Giancarlo Stanton, Randy Arozarena, Seiya Suzuki, Oneil Cruz, Michael Harris II, Tommy Pham, Aaron Judge (contextual)

Key themes:

Springer as a mispriced leadoff hitter

Stanton’s power vs inconsistent playing time

Using veterans as category specialists

Streaming vs drafting fragile bats

1:25:00–1:40:00 — Draft Strategy Wrap-Up

Age bias creating consistent market inefficiencies

Knowing when to push veterans above ADP

Format-driven aggressiveness

Trusting projections and roles over narrative

1:40:00–1:45:00 — Closing Thoughts

Spring training and draft season approach

Position and category previews coming soon

Final endorsement of balanced veteran usage

Join Our Discord & Support The Show: PL+ | PL Pro - Get 15% off Yearly with code PODCAST

Proud member of the Pitcher List Fantasy Baseball Podcast Network

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.