RADIO
Kipp examines 5 second-year fantasy baseball breakout sleepers, hitters ready to surge for 2026. Target these young upside hitters as fantasy baseball breakouts.
It sometimes takes younger players time to fully break out. The best example that comes to mind from last year is Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. He was decent as a rookie in 2024 but took his game to the next level in 2025 behind a 31-home run, 95-RBI, and 35-stolen base season.
In 2026, there is a bevy of players like Crow-Armstrong, who will be entering their second year and have the potential to really break out. These are the type of guys you want to target to really help bolster your roster.
In this article, we will look at five second-year hitters ready to break out in fantasy baseball. So, let's dive in and find out who they might be. All ADP referenced from this piece is taken from NFBC drafts as of February 1.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball draft tools and resources:- Fantasy baseball draft kit
- Fantasy baseball rankings
- Team Sync platform and Draft Assistant
- Fantasy baseball mock draft simulator
- Fantasy baseball draft cheat sheets
- Fantasy baseball closer depth charts
- Fantasy baseball prospects
Roman Anthony, OF, Boston Red Sox
Current ADP: 55.9
Roman Anthony is probably the most well-known player on this list, as he was a top prospect for the Boston Red Sox and enters 2026 with a ton of hype surrounding him, as noted by his current 56 ADP.
In 2025, Anthony slashed .292/.396/.463, with eight HRs, 32 RBI, 48 R, and four SBs. He did this across 303 PA, as he missed the final month of the season due to injury. He was recently named the leadoff hitter by manager Alex Cora, which only amplifies his value heading into 2026.
In 2025, he posted superb power metrics that strongly support his case. He posted an average exit velocity of 94.5 mph, which ranked him near the top of the league. He also ranked near the top of the league in terms of hard-hit rate (44.3%) and Barrels/PA (8.9%).
The four stolen bases were rather low, and I would expect these to tick up well into the double digits, given his sprint speed of 25.8 ft/sec. He was especially potent against right-handed pitching, as noted by his .903 OPS, and this is where he will thrive the most in 2026, but he can still hit lefties a bit as well; he just may be moved down a bit in the order against them.
His current ADP of 56 means he is being drafted in the middle of the fourth round, which feels about right, given his pedigree and 2025 performance.
Roman Anthony DESTROYS a home run off of Paul Skenes 😮 pic.twitter.com/WkyKHlngCJ
— MLB (@MLB) August 30, 2025
Agustin Ramirez, C, Miami Marlins
Current ADP: 80.9
Agustin Ramirez had a solid rookie campaign in which he slashed .231/.287/.413, with 21 HRs, 67 RBI, 55 R, and a surprising 16 SBs. It was a very well-rounded season for the rookie catcher across his 585 PA, and he could be in line for an even bigger second year in 2026.
When we look under the hood, his power metrics really jump out, especially for a player in his first season. Overall, he posted an 8% Barrels/PA mark, which ranked him in the top 16% of the league. He also posted a superb 90.8 mph average exit velocity, ranking him in the top 25% of the league.
Additionally, his 35.5% hard-hit rate was strong enough to place him in the top 31% of the league. He was notably better against right-handed pitching, as noted by his .720 OPS compared to his .650 OPS against southpaws.
The 16 stolen bases really stand out, as his sprint speed was only marked at 26.7 ft/sec. While I am not sure he can continue this trend, it should be noted that he did manage to steal double-digit bases in three of his four full minor league seasons, so it is not out of the realm of possibility for him to keep this up.
Fantasy managers are clearly aware of his breakout potential, as he currently has an ADP in the 80s, which means he is being drafted in the middle of the sixth/seventh round in 12-team leagues. He makes for a great selection here, as he could be one of the top catchers for fantasy managers in 2026 due to his five-category profile.
Agustín Ramírez UNLOADS on his team-leading 11th homer of the season 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/poKYxHr2pg
— MLB (@MLB) June 20, 2025
Dylan Crews, OF, Washington Nationals
Current ADP: 165.2
Dylan Crews, who slashed .208/.280/.352 with 10 HRs, 27 RBI, 43 R, and 17 SBs, is another solid second-year breakout candidate. While Crews only hit 10 bombs, his power metrics tell us that there could definitely be more to come with a full season under his belt, as he had just 322 PA in 2025.
He received a brief taste of the majors back in 2024, but his first full season was in 2025, which still qualifies him as a second-year player heading into 2026.
Overall, he posted a hard-hit rate of 37%, which ranked him in the top 22% of the league. He also posted a solid barrel rate of 9.7%. Additionally, his 89.7 mph average exit velocity ranked him in the top 42% of the league.
If things go well in spring training, we should expect to see Crews break camp batting in the two hole of the Nationals' lineup, which would be very beneficial, given that James Wood would be behind him and provide run-scoring potential.
Crews can also run, as noted by his sprint speed of 29.0 ft/sec, which ranked him near the top of baseball. His 17 steals in 2025 are something we can certainly look to expect moving forward, which only enhances his value to fantasy managers heading into 2026. He makes for a solid selection in the latter half of the 13th round in 12-team mixed leagues.
Kyle Teel, C, Chicago White Sox
Current ADP: 181.1
Kyle Teel is the second catcher on this list, and while his pedigree (and ADP for that matter) may not quite match that of the aforementioned Ramirez, he has plenty of breakout possibilities heading into 2026 as well.
In 2025, Teel played in 78 games and slashed .273/.375/.411 with eight HRs, 35 RBI, and 38 R. The .375 OBP was especially strong for a rookie and was a direct result of his 12.5% BB rate, which ranked him in the top 9% of the league.
While he did not blow anyone away with his power metrics, he ranked in the top 50% or better on Barrels/PA and hard hit rate. Additionally, his line drive rate of 25.6% really stood out, as he ranked in the top 3% of the league in this category.
Teel will almost certainly hit in the heart of the White Sox lineup, which should provide plenty of opportunities for run production, albeit not as exciting as if he were in a more potent lineup. The fact that he plays catcher, which is a tough position to fill on fantasy rosters, also adds to his value.
His current ADP is around 180, which means he is being drafted in the 15th round of 12-team mixed leagues. He makes for a solid draft choice here and can provide great value at a tough-to-fill position.
Kyle Teel launches his first big league homer! 😤 pic.twitter.com/YPp9k1pavI
— MLB (@MLB) July 24, 2025
Daylen Lile, OF, Washington Nationals
Current ADP: 202.4
Daylen Lile may not be as well-known as his outfield counterpart above, but he has a lot of potential heading into 2026. Last season, Lile played in 91 games, while slashing .299/.347/.498 with nine HRs, 41 RBI, 51 R, and eight SBs. His ability to get on base at a .347 clip while posting a strikeout rate of just 16% as a rookie is what really stands out here.
It is not every day that a player shows that type of bat-to-ball skills in his first shot at the big leagues. Additionally, he posted a very solid 29.1 ft/sec sprint speed, which ranked him in the top 8% of the league. While he only stole eight bases last season, we could certainly see this number tick up as he gets more comfortable on base at the MLB level, as he snagged 21 bases in Low-A (in 66 games) and posted double-digit steals in two additional minor league seasons.
While the power does lack a bit with Lile, he did perform above expectations last season with his nine homers, so there could feasibly be an added boost in 2026. Lile will likely see plenty of time in the heart of the Nationals' order against right-handed pitching, which is good news, as he posted a solid .891 OPS against them in 2025.
He makes for a solid selection in the 17th round of 12-team mixed leagues as his current ADP suggests.
More Fantasy Baseball Advice
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!
