Five Fantasy Baseball Breakout Candidates - Upside Hitters and Pitchers On The Rise (2026)

March 23, 2026

Andy's NL hitter and pitcher fantasy baseball breakout candidates, sleepers to target in 2026 drafts. These upside players are on the rise and fantasy values.

When looking for the next breakout hitters, a key factor to consider is how they finished the previous season. Watching a hitter or pitcher make major strides over the final two months of action could set them up for a massive breakout season the following year.

In this piece, I will discuss five National League players who enjoyed strong conclusions to the season and are "on the rise" heading into 2026. They are well-positioned to provide even more fantasy value in 2026 and are top choices at their current NFBC ADP (since March 1).

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Daylen Lile, OF, Washington Nationals

ADP: 201

There may not have been a player in all of baseball to improve his fantasy outlook over the final month of the season more than Daylen Lile. In September (25 games), Lile would post an elite .391/.440/.772 slash line with three doubles, seven triples, six home runs, and one stolen base. During this stretch, he would strike out just 15 times and draw eight walks.

Overall, Lile finished his debut campaign holding a .299/.347/.498 line with 15 doubles, 11 triples, nine home runs, and eight stolen bases over 91 games. Can this late-season bloomer carry this momentum into his first full season in the big leagues?

While he may not maintain his September status, a similar finish to his overall stat line is possible in 2026.

Under the hood, the 23-year-old generated a .302 xBA, placing him in the 100th percentile among all qualified hitters. He also generated a .348 xwOBA (80th percentile) and a dominant 44.2% LA Sweet-Spot%, which also placed him in the 100th percentile. Even though he posted a low 5.2% barrel rate and 40.1% hard-hot rate, the way he hit the ball raised his power ceiling.

In addition to his LA Sweet-Spot%, his Pull AIR% was above average at 20.1%.

Lile also placed in the 92nd percentile in sprint speed and showed a strong eye at the plate, striking out at just 16.0% of the time.

Given how he impacts the ball effectively with a pull-heavy approach, Lile has the ability to hit 20+ home runs while chipping in 20+ stolen bases due to his high-end raw speed. The Trinity HS product is pencilled into the team's everyday DH lineup, making him a top target at his current cost. Lile has 20/20+ upside with the skill set to turn in a .300 AVG.

TRIPLES FROM A NATS ROOKIE:
3. Turner (8)
2. Harper (9)

1. LILE (TEN) pic.twitter.com/2vtJvoTM42

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 16, 2025

Justin Crawford, OF, Philadelphia Phillies

ADP: 264

The young center fielder spent his entire 2025 season in Triple-A and played at a high level throughout the campaign. However, over his final 30 games, he took a step further, especially from a power perspective. During this stretch, Crawford posted a .360 AVG with four home runs and 13 stolen bases. Through 112 total games at Triple-A last summer, Crawford hit only seven home runs with 46 stolen bases and a .334 AVG.

Seeing Crawford tap into his raw power over the second half is a very promising sign for his 2026 outlook.

Currently, the former first-round pick is pencilled in as Philadelphia's everyday center fielder to begin the regular season. While Crawford is more known for his high-end offensive skills and elite speed, if he can chip in double-digit home runs, he could be a massive value at his current price tag.

Last summer, Crawford raised his Pull% to 31.7% and his line-drive rate to 22.9%, both of which were increases to his marks back at Double-A during the 2024 campaign. While managers should not expect him to become a 20-HR player, even if he were to hit 10 long balls, he would be a steal at this price.

Crawford has eclipsed the 40-SB mark in each of his last two seasons and has hit for a combined .324 AVG. He should also provide a high total of runs, even batting at the bottom of the order, as he will be followed by slugger Kyle Schwarber in the batting order.

Even though he has yet to take an MLB at-bat, Crawford is set up for a strong breakout campaign and could become a dark horse for the NL Rookie of the Year Award.

Cade Horton, SP, Chicago Cubs

ADP: 194

Similar to Lile, Cade Horton emerged as a late-season league-winner last summer. Over his final 61 1/3 innings, the right-hander posted an incredible 1.03 ERA with a 0.78 WHIP. During this stint, the former top prospect struck out 54 hitters while allowing just 15 free passes. This was a massive improvement over the 4.45 ERA and 1.41 WHIP he held across the first 56 2/3 innings of his rookie season.

While he may not have the strikeout upside as many of the other young, emerging arms in the National League do (which is why his ADP is much more affordable), Horton has the tools to remain a strong contributor, especially when looking for a ratio stabilizer.

As a rookie, Horton leaned on his four-seamer (50.3% usage) and mixed four secondary pitches: a sweeper (21.6% usage), a changeup (12.8% usage), a curveball (9.7% usage), and a sinker (5.5% usage). Over his final two months (his dominant run), his pitch usage did not change much, but he slightly leaned on his fastball even more, throwing over 54.0% in both months and slightly lowering his sweeper while raising his changeup.

This change was very effective as his changeup was his most dominant whiff pitch. This pitch generated an eye-catching 47.8% whiff rate while posting a .245 xwOBA. Even though he relied on his sweeper less, it was still very efficient, posting a 37.6% whiff rate and a .237 xwOBA.

While his four-seamer was not overly effective and could even face some regression (.302 xwOBA to .356 xwOBA), his two offspeed pitches were elite and played every well off his fastball.

While managers should expect some regression from the 2.67 ERA he finished the season with, a low-end 3.00s is possible with an above-average WHIP due to his strong 6.9% walk rate. The 24-year-old is being overlooked in drafts and should continue to deliver in his second full season in the majors.

Robby Snelling, SP, Miami Marlins

ADP: 350

The other prospect we will spotlight here is Robby Snelling of the Miami Marlins. Even though Snelling appears poised to return to the Triple-A Jacksonville to begin the 2026 season, he is worth stashing in standard leagues as he may not need to wait long to make his MLB debut.

Snelling began the 2025 campaign at Double-A and held a modest 3.61 ERA, 1.22 WHIP over 72 1/3 innings of work. During this stint, he struck out 85 hitters while allowing 22 walks. However, his production soared when he earned the call to Triple-A later in the second half.

Over his first 63 2/3 innings at Triple-A, Snelling was dominant, holding a 1.27 ERA and a near-perfect 0.99 WHIP. He would strike out 81 batters while allowing just 17 total walks.

His 32.9% K% at Triple-A was the highest in any MiLB stint, while his 6.9% BB% remained well above average.

Even though Snelling requires some additional development in the minor leagues, he may not need to wait long before earning the call to Miami. Currently, the Marlins are slated to turn to Chris Paddack, Max Meyer, and Braxton Garrett to fill the final three spots in their rotation. Meyer and Garrett have had their fair share of injuries, while Paddack held a 5.35 ERA over 158 innings last season.

The left-hander took a massive step forward at Triple-A and should immediately make an impact in the majors following another development stint at the top level early in the season.

Sal Stewart, 1B, Cincinnati Reds

ADP: 174

Rounding out our list will be young Cincinnati first baseman, Sal Stewart. Stewart did not earn the call to the big leagues until late in the second half, but made the most out of his limited at-bats. Over a short 18-game stint, Stewart launched five home runs while holding a .255/.293/.545 slash line. Under the hood, he generated a .398 xwOBA with a 17.5% barrel rate and a 52.5% hard-hit rate.

He has picked up right where he left off in spring training, holding a .333/.476/.576 line with two home runs and four stolen bases.

Did Sal Stewart hit this over the batter's eye??

MLB's No. 22 prospect clobbers one 410 ft, 107.2 mph for the @Reds. pic.twitter.com/vzbMYOh2pV

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 2, 2026

While he did not run during his first taste of MLB action, he flashed high-end five-category upside in the minors, which he could finally show over his first full season. Earlier in 2025, Stewart would log 118 games (shared between Double-A and Triple-A) and hit 20 home runs while swiping 17 bags. Seeing Stewart already able to showcase his upside speed in spring training suggests he could be in for a massive breakout season in 2026.

Currently, Stewart is slated to be an everyday role player in the offense, seeing time primarily at first while moving to the keystone and the hot corner.

Stewart is a top pick at his current ADP as he could emerge as a must-start top-10 1B in all formats. Not many first basemen have 20/20 upside, and Stewart possesses that skill set.

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