Now that the 2 largest energy threats on the free-agent market are off the board, the place can groups flip with the intention to add some slug to their lineups heading into 2026?
Right here’s a take a look at 12 free-agent choices starting from sluggers coming off large seasons to candidates for a rebound marketing campaign subsequent yr:
Suárez tied a career-high by smashing 49 house runs between the D-backs and Mariners final season, together with 4 in a single recreation whereas he was with Arizona. He then hit three extra within the playoffs for Seattle, together with a memorable go-ahead grand slam late in Recreation 5 of the American League Championship Collection.
There’s quite a lot of swing-and-miss with Suárez and he strikes out incessantly (29.8% Ok fee in 2025). However when he connects, the ball usually lands over the wall. And it’s usually over the left-field wall — amongst certified batters final season, Suárez ranked third with 16.3% of his batted balls being within the air to the pull facet (minimal 300 batted balls).
Suárez’s 14.3% barrel fee ranked within the 89th percentile, in response to Statcast. Suárez was significantly prodigious together with his energy in opposition to sliders in 2025, slugging .655 in opposition to the pitch.
Solely 5 gamers have hit extra homers than Suárez’s 261 since 2018. Relating to pure slug remaining in the marketplace, he’s your man.
If it’s a well-rounded hitter with pop that you just’re looking for, there are a number of free brokers nonetheless on the market to fill that want.
Coming into this Scorching Range season, Tucker was thought of the highest total hitter on the free-agent market. The 28-year-old proper fielder has established himself as an elite all-around participant, and whereas he’s coming off a down yr by his requirements on the plate, he’s in the course of his prime.
Over the previous 5 seasons, Tucker posted an .878 OPS with 134 house runs and 105 steals. The four-time All-Star does include harm issues — over the previous two years, he’s missed time because of shin, finger and calf points.
Whereas Bellinger hasn’t been in a position to replicate the unbelievable numbers he put up in his 2019 NL MVP marketing campaign, he’s nonetheless an influence menace — his 29 homers for the Yankees final season represented his highest complete since he launched 47 in that MVP season. He additionally struck out on the lowest fee of his profession in 2025 — his 13.7% Ok fee ranked within the 91st percentile.
Bregman, like Bellinger, hasn’t been in a position to reproduce the sort of season he had when he completed runner-up in AL MVP voting in the identical yr Bellinger gained the honour within the NL. That yr, Bregman belted a career-high 41 homers and led MLB with 119 walks.
The similarities between Bregman and Bellinger don’t finish there — each are troublesome to strike out and infrequently swing and miss. Bregman’s Ok fee final season was 14.1% and he had an elite whiff fee of 15% (92nd percentile). Bellinger’s whiff fee was 18.1% (84th percentile).
Bichette proved that his down yr in 2024, through which he was restricted by harm, was only a blip on the radar and never the beginning of a development. He bounced again in an enormous approach in ’25, serving to lead the Blue Jays all the best way to Recreation 7 of the World Collection. Nonetheless simply 27 years outdated, he posted the second-highest slugging share (.483) in any full season of his huge league profession.
Bichette’s energy was on show in World Collection Recreation 7, when he crushed a dramatic three-run homer off Dodgers celebrity Shohei Ohtani. The ball traveled a Statcast-projected 442 ft to dead-center-field.
Murakami has been mentioned to have “Ruthian” energy, demonstrating that with an enormous 2022 marketing campaign in Nippon Skilled Baseball through which he belted 56 house runs and gained the Triple Crown. He’s had strikeout issues, fanning 29.5% of the time in 2024. In ’25, he was restricted to 56 video games by an indirect harm, however nonetheless hit 22 homers.
Murakami’s energy additionally interprets by his elite exit velocities — in 2025, his most exit velocity was 116.5 mph. That bodes properly for his transition to the Majors after being posted by his NPB membership, the Yakult Swallows. The strikeout fee is regarding, however the upside is huge right here.
Okamoto additionally confirmed vital energy in Japan, hitting 30 or extra house runs in every season from 2018-23, and 248 homers for his profession. He’s thought of to be a extra polished hitter than Murakami with the next ground, although Murakami’s “epic energy,” as one government put it, may give him the upper ceiling over time.
Bell has constantly been a 20-plus-homer hitter however hasn’t approached his large 2019 All-Star marketing campaign with the Pirates, when he launched 37 homers.
Jorge Polanco was initially on this part however information broke Saturday that he’s becoming a member of the Mets on a two-year deal.
It was considerably stunning — although, when you think about all of the components at play, maybe not — that the Rangers non-tendered García following the 2025 marketing campaign. The 2023 ALCS MVP and walk-off hero in Recreation 1 of that fall’s World Collection noticed his output on the plate decline over the subsequent two seasons.
After a profession yr in 2023, through which he belted 39 house runs with an .836 OPS, García’s OPS was properly under .700 in every of the subsequent two seasons. In ’25, his OPS was .665 and he hit 19 homers. However since he’s nonetheless simply two seasons faraway from that massive efficiency and together with his total observe report, a rebound in ’26 is actually possible.
Ozuna noticed his numbers drop final season after ending fourth in NL MVP voting in 2024. He was nonetheless an above-average hitter, however the decline in manufacturing was stark given the heights of the prior season. In ’24, he hit .302/.378/.546 with 39 homers, however final season, his slugging share fell by greater than 140 factors to a good .400 whereas his house run output was down by practically half (21).
One issue with Ozuna is that he’s coming into his age-35 marketing campaign in 2026, and it’s laborious to find out whether or not and the way a lot being on the unsuitable facet of the age curve will impression his manufacturing shifting ahead. However for a man who delivered such a prodigious efficiency simply two years in the past, he ought to actually discover one other spot as he appears to be like to rebound.
After present process surgical procedure to restore a torn left ACL in 2023, Hoskins hasn’t been the identical slugger he was in six seasons with the Phillies previous to that. He’s proven he’s nonetheless able to hitting 20+ homers in a season (26 for the Brewers in ’24) however his slugging share earlier than the harm was .492, and since then, it’s .418.
Nonetheless, Hoskins has but to play in a season of greater than 131 video games for the reason that operation, so there’s some potential for a bounceback if he can keep wholesome in ’26.
Conforto was a rising star with the Mets early on in his profession, however he simply couldn’t keep wholesome constantly sufficient to succeed in his potential. He did hit 88 homers from 2017-19, however he’s had inconsistent outcomes since present process a proper shoulder surgical procedure that value him your complete 2022 marketing campaign. Final season with the Dodgers, he had the bottom offensive output of his profession (.637 OPS) in 138 video games.
There are some underlying numbers that point out there could also be hope for a rebound, although. Conforto’s .404 xSLG final season was 71 factors increased than his precise slugging share, his 44% hard-hit fee was increased than his profession norm (41.1%) and his 9.7% barrel fee didn’t deviate alarmingly from his 10.3% profession common. His whiff fee, strikeout fee and stroll fee have been additionally in keeping with profession norms.
