Infield Fantasy Baseball Breakout Candidates: High-Upside Draft Targets for 2026

February 15, 2026

Andy's high-upside infield breakout candidates, sneaky 2026 later-round draft values to outperform their ADPs. Draft the next fantasy baseball breakouts including Kyle Manzardo, Colston Montgomery, Kazuma Okamoto, more.

In the back half of your draft, it is crucial to target players that not only have a safe floor but also possess the upside to become league-winning assets. Last season, managers who took the late-round flier on Nico Hoerner, Jacob Wilson, and Jeremy Pena were rewarded with the breakout campaigns.

In this piece, we will spotlight five sleepers (going after pick 200.0 on NFBC drafts) who have the skill set to turn in a career season and become must-start fantasy breakouts.

Be sure to check out my top outfield breakout candidates and Kyle McCarthy's top late-round starting pitcher breakouts. Let's dive in!

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Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Cleveland Guardians

ADP - 235.7

While I initially planned on spotlighting Cincinnati Reds prospect Sal Stewart, he has held a 201.5 ADP since January 1, which all but excludes him from our "200.0" ADP benchmark. Instead, I will turn a few rounds later to the Cleveland Guardians first baseman, Kyle Manzardo.

While some may argue a 27-HR campaign from Manzardo last season was close to a "breakout season", I believe the slugger could take another step forward in his second full season in the big leagues. Manzardo began his professional career in the Tampa Bay system as a second-round selection in the 2021 MLB Draft.

He was eventually shipped to Cleveland in the Aaron Civale trade of July 2023. In 2024, Manzardo would make his MLB debut, appearing in 53 games with the Guardians. During this stint, the first baseman posted modest .234/.282/.421 line with a .703 OPS. He hit only five home runs.

However, in 2025, Manzardo was quite productive in a full-time role from a power perspective. Sharing time as the team's primary DH and first baseman, Manzardo would launch 27 long balls but would not hold the highest fantasy value, given his low .234 AVG. He would swipe only two bags and score 47 runs with 70 RBI. In points leagues, he was tough to roster, given his hefty 23rd percentile K% (25.4%).

He stumbled against southpaws, posting a modest .186/.253/.419 line wit a .672 OPS, compared to the .245/.326/.464 line he held against right-handed tarters. However, given that Carlos Santana is no longer on the roster, the Guardians may not have another option to protect Manzardo against southpaws, which could provide him with the opportunities to work out these early-career struggles.

In fact, in the minor leagues, the left-handed slugger was quite productive against southpaws. In 2024 (83 Triple-A games), Manzardo posted an impressive .271/.398/.514 line against left-handers, which was right in line with the .266/.399/.559 line he posted against right-handed pitchers, suggesting the skill set is there; it may just take some time to translate to the big leagues.

Additionally, Manzardo took major strides over the course of his first full season in the big leagues. In the first half, the former Washington State standout posted a modest .217/.292/.442 line with 15 home runs. However, after the Mid-Summer Classic, Manzardo would take a significant step forward in his development, hitting 12 home runs (over his last 231 PA) with a .256/.338/.473 line.

Under the hood, Manzardo posted a much higher .309 BAIP in the second half (compared to the .239 BABIP in the first) while his line-drive rate jumped from 19.1% to 25.5%.

Lastly, his overall production of four-seamers (a pitch type he saw 52.1% of the time in 2025) rose significantly in the second half. In the opening portion of the campaign, Manzardo never saw his xwOBA against fastballs exceed .328. In the second half, it would top a .390 xwOBA in two of the final three months.

With the potential not only to see a full-time role in 2026, but also to improve against left-handers given his minor league track record, Manzardo is a top corner infield target if looking for 30+ HR upside and has the skill set to take a step forward in batting average.

Colson Montgomery, SS, Chicago White Sox

ADP - 221.5

Colston Montgomery made his MLB debut in July and immediately became an impact player for fantasy. Over his first 71 games in the big leagues, Montgomery launched an eye-catching 21 home runs but held an inconsistent .239 AVG. He drove in 55 runs while scoring 43.

The young infielder has always had batting average concerns in the minor leagues, as he posted a modest .215 AVG across 185 career games at Triple-A. However, during this stint, he hit 29 home runs, drove in 93 runs, and stole 10 bases. Unlike Manzardo, who could take a step forward in both power and average, Montgomery is a late-round target for elite power and the potential for above-average counting stats.

Through his first look in the majors, Montgomery was on a 162-game pace to hit 48 home runs, 98 runs, and 125 RBI. Is this Cal Raleigh-type stat line sustainable? Probably not, but his underlying power metrics are borderline elite and will keep the door open for a potential 35+ HR season.

Per Baseball Savant, the former 22nd overall pick generated a .341 xwOBA, .501 xSLG, 14.5% barrel rate, and 77.0 mph average bat speed, all of which would have placed him in the upper percentile of the sport if he had logged enough at-bats. His 44.5% hard-hit rate would have also been above the average marks, as would his 8.8% walk rate, which can keep his run total stable, despite his low batting average.

His most impressive metric was his 27.2% air-pull rate, which showcased his ability to pull the ball down the line and significantly raised his home run floor. Additionally, Montgomery generated a 37.6% ground-ball rate (a 2.0% drop from Triple-A) and a 46.8% fly-ball rate (a 4.0% increase from Triple-A), further suggesting that his raw profile is built to hit for elite power at the highest level of competition.

While managers should look to target high batting average contributors earlier in their draft, Montgomery has legit 35+ HR potential in the back-half and could push for a near 100-RBI campaign if the Chicago lineup continues to improve with the addition of Munetaka Murakami.

scheduled Colson Montgomery home run tweet pic.twitter.com/DVkVJ0wvoD

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 27, 2025

Lenyn Sosa, 1B/2B, Chicago White Sox

ADP - 291.5

In addition to Montgomery, Lenyn Sosa is another budding infielder on the White Sox who could provide a massive return at his ADP. Coming off a 22-home run season with a .264/.293/.434 line, he may fall more into the "sleeper" range, but there is still another level his play could reach, which pushes him into the breakout range.

After appearing in 100 games in 2024, Sosa became a full-time player in 2025. In 2024, Sosa held a modest .254/.283/.359 line and was nothing more than a depth utility man in AL-only formats. However, this past season, Sosa jumped onto the deep-league radar, appearing in 140 games for the White Sox and hitting career highs in batting average and home runs.

In 2025, Sosa lowered his ground-ball rate to 32.2% (the lowest of his career) and raised his fly-ball rate to 29.6%, a stark 7.0% jump from 2024. Additionally, his pull-air rate sat at 20.0%, a career high.

These marks showcase consistent development for Sosa, as his pull rate has increased and his ground-ball rate has decreased in each of his four seasons since making his MLB debut in 2022, indicating that his profile is improving each season.

Removing his September collapse from the data, Sosa saw his xwOBA against four-seamers steadily improve each month, throughout the 2025 season.

Lastly, his overall hard-hit rate (43.8%) and barrel rate (10.1%) were not only above the average marks in the sport but also set career highs.

Penciled in as the everyday DH in Chicago, Sosa should push for a similar workload and has the upside to flirt with a .270 AVG with 25+ HRs and a career-best in counting stats batting in the previously-noted improving White Sox offense. His non-factor in stolen bases will hurt your team's output, but he has the upside to set new career-highs in the other four standard categories and could become a weekly must-start middle-infielder.

J.J. Wetherholt, SS, St. Louis Cardinals

ADP - 263.9

The one player on this list that is sure to see their ADP rise by mid-March is J.J. Wetherholt. Wetherholt is ranked as the sport's No. 5 overall prospect on MLB.com and is on the verge of making his MLB debut.

Last summer, Wetherholt logged quite comfortably in his first full professional season. After joining the Cardinals in the opening round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of West Virginia, Wetherholt began 2025 with Double-A. However, he would need only 62 games to prove he was ready to make the leap to Triple-A Memphis.

Through his first 47 games at Triple-A, Wetherholt looked quite comfortable, posting a .314/.416/.562 line with a dominant .978 OPS. During this stint, Wetherholt hit 10 home runs and swiped nine bases, showcasing his ability to be a five-category contributor.

A look under the hood shows that Wetherholt's production at Triple-A was not only left, but should translate to the major leagues quite early in 2026. Per FanGraphs, Wetherholt earned a .428 wOBA at Triple-A, a slight jump from the .415 wOBA at Double-A.

Additionally, Wetherholt lowered his infield fly-ball rate from 19.0% to 10.4% once he reached Triple-A, and only saw his ground-ball rate jump up by 2.6% once he reached the top level of the St. Louis system, despite facing the top pitching in the MiLB.

When assessing prospects, we must always look at their current path, as their talent may not matter unless they have a legitimate opportunity to see full-time at-bats in the near future. Fortunately for Wetherholt, his outlook greatly improved over the past month. The Cardinals shipped infielder Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners this past week, opening yet another position for Wetherholt.

Earlier in the winter, they also traded third baseman Nolan Arenado to Arizona. With an opening at 2B (Donovan's old position) and the hot corner, Wetherholt will be given plenty of leeway during camp to work out any struggles. His five-category potential makes him a prime middle-infield breakout candidate.

Can we interest you in a JJ Wetherholt leadoff @HueysRestaurant home run? pic.twitter.com/LtpByN8eaJ

— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) August 15, 2025

Kazuma Okamoto, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays

ADP - 235.7

To round things out, let's highlight a player who is a top breakout candidate, given his current ADP and "prospect" label. Okamoto has spent his entire career overseas with the Yomiuri Giants and will make his MLB debut with the reigning American League Champions.

Through 69 games in 2025, Okamoto launched 15 home runs with a .327 AVG and 33:33 K:BB. He posted a career-best 11.3% K% with a stellar .454 wOBA. From 2018 through 2025, Okamoto posted six 30+ HR campaigns, and in two of those eight, he even reached 35+ HR.

His batted-ball data placed him near the top percentile of the NPB and suggests he may face little growing pains as he makes the jump to Major League Baseball.

Per his batted-ball data, Okamoto sits in the 91st percentile or higher in nearly all hitting metrics. The only concern in his profile is his swing-and-miss tendencies. While he still placed in the 70th percentile in Chase% when facing breaking balls and offspeed pitches, he generated modest whiff rates of 26.9% and 28.1%, which could be expected at the MLB level.

Despite this, Okamoto's raw profile suggests he could carry his 30-HR upside into the major leagues in his debut season. With the Blue Jays not opting to re-sign Bo Bichette, Okamoto will face minimal competition for an everyday role and should be in a prime position to rack up counting stats, batting behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer.

The Bat X projects him to fall just under his typically 30-HR mark with 25 HRs, 72 RBI, and 65 runs. At this price, managers can add a hitter with high power upside that has the skill set to become a must-start 3B for most of the summer. Okamoto has the profile to make an immediate impact and become a prime league-winning selection in the back half of your draft.

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