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2026 Fantasy Baseball Player Profile

Richard Fitts enters 2026 as a key beneficiary of the Cardinals' winter fire sale, having been acquired from the Red Sox in the late-November blockbuster trade for Sonny Gray. Fitts’ 2025 campaign in Boston was a trial by fire; in 11 appearances (10 starts), he posted a 2-4 record with a 5.00 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. While he showed flashes of his Auburn pedigree, he was often undone by the long ball, surrendering 11 home runs in just 45 innings. His season ended prematurely in late August due to right arm neuritis (brachial plexus inflammation), a frustrating conclusion to a year where he also navigated a pectoral strain. Despite a concerning 5.55 xERA, the Cardinals saw enough in his mid-90s cutter-fastball and high-spin slider to make him a primary target in their rotation rebuild.

Heading into 2026, Fitts has reported to Cardinals camp in Jupiter with no physical limitations and is a frontrunner for a back-end rotation spot. With several veteran departures, he is currently battling the likes of Andre Pallante and Kyle Leahy for the fourth or fifth starter role behind Matthew Liberatore and Dustin May. Fantasy managers should monitor his performance in spring training, as his ADP is currently non-existent outside of the deepest NL-only formats. However, as a high-volume "depth starter" who is now pitching in a more pitcher-friendly environment in St. Louis, Fitts offers intriguing streaming potential if he can refine his command and keep the ball inside the park.