Breakouts are one of the hardest things to define in fantasy baseball.
Some managers use the term for any young player they like. Others reserve it for post-hype names who have already disappointed once. The better way to think about it is this: a breakout is a player who has shown enough skill to hint at another level, but has not fully cashed in from a fantasy perspective yet.
That is what this list is built around.
These 22 names came from FantasyPros’ all-breakout team discussion, with one or more candidates at every position. Some are young hitters on the verge of everyday relevance. Some are discounted bats who could jump multiple tiers. Some are pitchers with the stuff and opportunity to become draft-day steals.
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Fantasy Baseball BREAKOUT Candidates | High-Upside Picks
If you are trying to find players who can meaningfully out-earn their fantasy baseball draft-day cost in 2026, this is the pool to target.
Catchers
Gabriel Moreno has the skill set to finish much higher than his current catcher price. The problem has never really been talent. It has been availability.
When Moreno has been on the field, the profile has been strong. He hit for average last season, showed improved quality of contact, and did a better job getting the ball in the air. He also brings a low-strikeout approach, which matters at a position where batting average can get ugly fast.
If he finally puts together a healthier season, Moreno has a real chance to push into the top-10 catcher range and possibly higher.
Francisco Alvarez still feels like a post-hype catcher, which is exactly why he is interesting.
The lost season, the injuries, and the inconsistent results have pushed him out of the spotlight a bit, but the raw power remains. Alvarez has always had impact bat potential, and now there are signs he is coming into 2026 in better shape and with more urgency.
If he settles into a run-producing spot in the Mets lineup, the counting stats could jump in a hurry. A healthy season from Alvarez could look a lot more like the breakout fantasy managers expected two years ago.
First Basemen
Nolan Schanuel is a great example of a player whose breakout may come through skill growth, not pure hype.
He already controls the strike zone well. He already makes a lot of contact. What he has lacked is enough impact in the air to matter in standard roto leagues. That could be changing.
There has been steady growth in his launch angle and hard-hit quality, and if that translates into even modest barrel improvement, Schanuel could go from a points-league specialist to a much more complete fantasy asset. A jump into the 20-homer range with strong ratios would change the way people view him in a hurry.
Jac Caglianone is one of the easiest breakout bets in this player pool because the raw power is so obvious.
His first look in the majors last year did not click, but the power never disappeared. The key now is approach. Early signs from spring suggest he is seeing the zone better and swinging with more confidence.
If that sticks, Caglianone has 30-homer upside, and possibly more. Kansas City’s lineup context only adds to the appeal. This is the kind of hitter who can go from frustrating rookie to middle-of-the-order fantasy force in one season.
Second Basemen
Matt McLain is a fascinating breakout pick because he has already shown flashes, but there may still be a much bigger season in there.
The biggest issue has been contact consistency. That is why the spring strikeout improvement matters so much. If he is really making more contact while still getting to his power and speed, the fantasy ceiling changes quickly.
In a full season, McLain has the kind of profile that can produce across all five categories. If the Reds get the version of him that cuts the swing-and-miss without sacrificing aggression, he could return early-round value from a much cheaper draft slot.
Marcelo Mayer might not have the flashy upside of some others on this list, but he fits the breakout idea well.
The key with Mayer is development through adjustment. He has shown at multiple levels that he can struggle at first, make changes, and then settle into productivity. That matters for young hitters, especially in Boston.
He has enough pop, enough speed, and enough hit tool to become a very useful middle infielder in fantasy. At his draft cost, a season where he becomes simply steady and lineup-worthy would already be a win. There is also room for more if the hit tool sharpens quickly.
Third Basemen
Caleb Durbin is one of the more interesting deeper breakout names because the fantasy appeal comes from skill diversity.
He does not chase much. He does not strike out much. He can run. And if the swing changes he is showing lead to more pulled fly balls, the power could be more playable than many expect.
Durbin also brings stolen base upside that can matter immediately. If he gets the kind of everyday run that seems possible in Boston, he could become one of those players who quietly contributes across the board and ends up on a lot of winning rosters.
JJ Wetherholt is one of the best pure hitters in this breakout group.
The selling point is not just the slash line from the minors. It is the complete offensive package. He controls the zone, he makes authoritative contact, and he has enough speed to chip in beyond batting average. There may also be more power coming than some managers realize.
If St. Louis gives him the runway he deserves, Wetherholt has the skill set to become an immediate fantasy starter in multiple formats. He looks like the kind of player who can jump quickly from prospect status to everyday mixed-league relevance.
Shortstops
Kevin McGonigle is one of the strongest breakout candidates on the board if the playing time comes right away.
The bat is advanced. The contact skills are real. The plate discipline gives him a high floor, and there is enough developing power and speed to support a fantasy-friendly middle infield profile.
If Detroit lets him hit near the top of the order, the value could spike even more. He has the type of game that translates quickly because he does not need to sell out for power to be productive.
Brooks Lee feels like the perfect post-200 breakout target.
He already flashed some power last year, but the batting average and overall production did not fully come together. That creates an opening for fantasy managers who still believe in the overall skill set.
Lee looks like the kind of hitter who can make the adjustment from interesting young regular to dependable fantasy infielder. If the hit tool settles in and the batting average climbs, the rest of the profile should follow.
Outfielders
Caglianone also qualifies here because his fantasy appeal is strong enough to matter at either spot.
The case is the same: premium raw power, improving approach, and the kind of profile that can explode once confidence and timing line up. The poor first impression at the big league level may end up creating the exact buying opportunity fantasy managers want.
Wilyer Abreu may be the closest thing on this list to a player who already started breaking out, but there is another level available.
The power metrics keep getting better. He hits the ball in the air, he barrels it, and his profile suggests a bigger full-season home run total is still coming. If he gets the volume many expect, 30-plus homers is well within reach.
That kind of jump would move him from a depth outfielder into a much more valuable mixed-league starter.
Alek Thomas is a true post-hype dart throw.
He has long had the defense to stay on the field. The question has always been whether the bat would ever catch up enough for fantasy purposes. At 25, there is still time for that to happen.
The contact quality and spring adjustments are worth watching. If the bat finally clicks, Thomas has enough speed and enough sneaky pop to become useful in multiple categories. This is the kind of late name who can look irrelevant in March and very interesting by May.
Daylen Lile is the type of young outfielder who can be overlooked because there is not one carrying tool doing all the marketing for him.
What he does have is a chance to contribute everywhere. He showed power, speed, and on-base ability in a meaningful sample last year, and Washington should keep giving him opportunities.
In deep formats especially, players who can go 15-15 with decent ratios matter a lot. Lile has a good chance to be that kind of player, with some room for more if the hit tool continues to settle in.
Carson Benge looks like a breakout waiting for a runway.
He moved quickly through the minors, and that kind of rise usually belongs to players with real impact potential. The combination of athleticism, approach, and power-speed ability gives him a chance to matter right away once the Mets clear enough at-bats.
Even if the role is not perfect on Opening Day, Benge is the type of player worth stashing because the upside is too broad to ignore. If he gets regular playing time, a 20-20 pace is not hard to imagine.
Cam Smith is the classic year-two bounceback candidate.
The strikeouts remain part of the package, but the talent is still obvious. A good spring matters here because it suggests he is not carrying last season’s struggles into 2026.
Houston should give him everyday opportunities, and that is enough reason to pay attention. Smith has the kind of power that can make fantasy managers forget a rough rookie year in a hurry if the approach tightens even a little.
Starting Pitchers
Shane Baz has the arsenal to become a major fantasy bargain if the environment change helps the way many expect.
The move away from a difficult home setup could stabilize the ratios, and the stuff is still loud enough to support plenty of strikeouts. He misses bats, he has pedigree, and he still has not had the full breakout season fantasy managers have been waiting on.
If the innings volume finally comes with better home-road balance, Baz could return top-30 starter value.
Braxton Ashcraft is one of the sneaky pitching breakout candidates for managers who want to beat the market before the role is fully appreciated.
The slider is the standout weapon, and the overall pitch mix gives him a chance to be more than just a back-end starter. Pittsburgh’s pitching development has created enough optimism here, and Ashcraft looks like a name who could rise quickly once fantasy players see a few meaningful outings.
At his cost, the upside is easy to chase.
Andrew Painter has become oddly polarizing because the hype cooled after the injuries. That creates an opening.
The important part is that the talent did not go away. He still has a deep arsenal, a strong command foundation, and the kind of starter traits teams trust quickly. Philadelphia also has a rotation situation that could create a real window for him.
Painter does not need to become an ace immediately to be a breakout. If he simply locks in a meaningful role and beats the innings projections, he could be one of the best draft-day profit arms in fantasy.
Eury Perez is one of the easiest breakout calls on the pitching side because the strikeout upside is so loud.
Fantasy managers have already seen flashes, but this feels like the year the full-season version could arrive. The stuff supports a big strikeout total, and another year removed from injury should help everything play a little more cleanly.
If Perez makes something close to a full workload, the breakout is not subtle. It is top-of-rotation fantasy stuff.
Joey Cantillo is exactly the kind of late pitcher fantasy managers should be targeting.
The second-half numbers last year were strong, and the swing-and-miss ability gives him more upside than a typical final-round arm. Cleveland has a long history of finding value with these types of pitchers, and Cantillo fits the mold.
He is especially useful in formats where the SP/RP eligibility matters. That flexibility only adds to the breakout appeal.
Connelly Early is a deeper breakout call, but the ingredients are there.
He looked good in his brief big league run, and the overall profile suggests he can be more than just emergency depth for Boston. The opportunity may not be fully open on Day 1, but the path is there over the course of the season.
If he gets 20 starts, he could be one of those pitchers who suddenly becomes a popular waiver add in every league. The smarter play may be drafting him first in deeper formats.
Fantasy Baseball Takeaways
- Gabriel Moreno and Francisco Alvarez are two catcher breakouts with very different paths, one built on batting average and contact, the other on power and lineup context.
- Nolan Schanuel and Jac Caglianone offer upside at first base, but in very different ways. Schanuel is the skills-growth bet, while Caglianone is the power breakout swing.
- Mat McLain, Marcelo Mayer, Caleb Durbin, JJ Wetherholt, Kevin McGonigle, and Brooks Lee give you multiple ways to chase infield value without paying premium prices.
- Wilyer Abreu, Daylen Lile, Carson Benge, Cam Smith, and Alek Thomas are strong outfield targets if you want upside outside the early rounds.
- Shane Baz, Andrew Painter, Eury Perez, Joey Cantillo, Braxton Ashcraft, and Connelly Early are the pitching names to circle if you want breakout arms with profit potential.
- The best breakout targets are not always the most famous names. Often they are the players whose skills are ahead of their current draft cost.
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