7 Breakout Hitters For Fantasy Baseball Drafts: Joey Pollizze's Picks

March 16, 2026

Joey Pollizze's 2026 fantasy baseball hitter breakouts to target in drafts. His favorite undervalued hitters and fantasy baseball sleepers to break out.

Every season, there are unexpected players who break out. Those players then become fantasy superstars. Some of the biggest fantasy breakout stars from last year were Pete Crow-Armstrong, Geraldo Perdomo, Nick Kurtz, Junior Caminero, Bryan Woo, and Maikel Garcia. All six of those players exceeded expectations in 2025.

In this article, we will look at seven breakout hitters for fantasy baseball in 2026. These hitters are all going outside the top-150 in Yahoo! formats and have the potential to be fantasy stars this upcoming season. Each of these seven hitters is worth grabbing in the middle-to-late rounds of fantasy baseball drafts.

So, here are seven hitters who will break out in 2026.

Colson Montgomery, 3B/SS, Chicago White Sox

ADP - 156.1

Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery had a breakout campaign of sorts in his first big league season in 2025. He slashed .239/.311/.529 with 21 home runs, nine doubles, and 55 RBI across 71 games. Those 21 home runs were the second-most among all rookies, and the 24-year-old was hitting a home run about every 12.1 at-bats. For context, Shohei Ohtani hit a home run about every 11.1 at-bats last year.

There's no doubt that Montgomery showed some encouraging things in Year 1. However, this is the year that fantasy managers will see him put it all together at the plate. He has a strong chance to hit over 30 home runs after finishing with a 14.5% barrel rate in 2025, and his elite bat speed (77 mph) should give managers confidence in his power potential at the plate.

452 FEET. COLSON MONTGOMERY. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/S7MeNJljG3

— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) August 10, 2025

While his whiff rate (31.5%) and strikeout rate (29.2%) need to improve from his rookie season, there's too much to love here about Montgomery. He had an impressive 27.2% pull AIR rate, a solid 44.5% hard-hit rate, and an above-average wxOBA (.341) last year. Considering the young shortstop has one season under his belt, he should be a better all-around hitter at the plate with the potential to hit over 30 long balls.

That's why he is a strong draft target at his 156.1 ADP in Yahoo! leagues. Count on him continuing to grow as a hitter in his second Major League season.

Addison Barger, 3B/OF, Toronto Blue Jays

ADP - 188.7

Toronto Blue Jays utility specialist Addison Barger is coming off a solid hitting season. He hit .243 with 21 home runs, 32 doubles, and 74 RBI across 135 games in the regular season and simply couldn't be stopped in the postseason. Barger slashed .367/.441/.583 with three home runs, four doubles, and nine RBI in 17 postseason games.

Still, there's room for Barger to be even more elite at the plate in 2026. That's a large reason why the Blue Jays outfielder is on this list. He could total even better numbers than he did a season ago, leading to a full breakout campaign for the 26-year-old.

In 2025, Barger posted some of the best metrics among all hitters in baseball. He ranked in the 86th percentile in average exit velocity (91.7 mph), 91st percentile in hard-hit rate (51%), and 93rd percentile in bat speed (75.9 mph). The slugger also lifted his Pull AIR rate (21.1%) by 2.3% from the 2024 season, and both his barrel rate (11.4%) and launch angle sweet-spot rate (35.5%) placed him in the upper half of the league in those categories.

With Anthony Santander set to miss multiple months to begin the season, Barger is in line to have an everyday role. He should see most of the starts in right field for the Blue Jays. Those consistent at-bats could lead to the 24-year-old having a career year at the plate. That makes him a fantastic pick at his 188.7 ADP in Yahoo! leagues.

Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

ADP - 190.3

The biggest question mark surrounding Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin at this point is whether he will make the Opening Day roster. Even if he doesn't start the season with the Pirates, Griffin will be called up to the Major League club at some point early in the year. Whenever Griffin does get his shot in the big leagues, he is going to make an immediate impact right away.

His all-around game is so appealing in fantasy that Griffin will absolutely be a breakout star in his rookie season. The 19-year-old hit .333 with 21 home runs, 23 doubles, 94 RBI, and 65 stolen bases across 122 games across three levels (Single-A, High-A, and Double-A) in 2025. Although Griffin has yet to take an at-bat at Triple-A, it's pretty clear that his talents are off the charts.

He ranked in the 85th percentile or better in expected batting average (.277), expected slugging (.419), average exit velocity (90.7 mph), hard-hit rate (48.7%), and speed in the Minors last season. Some of that elite hitting has also been on display during Spring Training, as MLB Pipeline's top overall prospect has hit three home runs and driven in eight runs.

KONNOR GRIFFIN (@Pirates) HR NO. 2 OF THE GAME:
440 ft
111 mph pic.twitter.com/74iQTIGZLo

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 24, 2026

Being compared to Mike Trout and Bobby Witt Jr. by various outlets shows just how much potential Griffin could have in his first season. The tools are simply there for him to break out in 2026. He's a smash pick at his 190.3 ADP in Yahoo! formats.

Matt McLain, 2B, Cincinnati Reds

ADP - 194.3

There has been no hotter hitter this spring than Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain. In his first 10 Spring Training games, McLain hit .607 (17-for-28) with five home runs, one double, 12 RBI, and one stolen base. His metrics during these games were also elite with a 21.7% barrel rate, a 52.5% hard-hit rate, and a 96.9% zone-contact rate.

While fantasy managers shouldn't read too much into Spring Training numbers as a whole, the potential has always been there for McLain to be a fantasy star. Back in 2023, the Reds infielder put together a solid rookie campaign by hitting .290 with 16 home runs, 50 RBI, and 14 stolen bases across 89 games. Fantasy managers can finally see McLain get back to that version this year.

Last season was a weird campaign for the 26-year-old. He missed the entire 2024 season due to a shoulder injury, so there was a period of adjustment for him after one full season off. With McLain now being two full years removed from that shoulder surgery, there's a strong chance he posts the best number of his career in 2026.

This is a player who has the potential to hit over 20 home runs and steal upward of 20 bases this season. His sprint speed (29.2 ft/sec) ranked in the 93rd percentile last year, and his shoulder should be back to full strength in 2026. The Reds second baseman has a ton of fantasy upside at his 194.3 ADP in Yahoo! leagues.

Jac Caglianone, 1B/OF, Kansas City Royals

ADP - 199.2

Sometimes, younger players need time to adjust to the Major League level. There have been plenty of examples in the past of players struggling offensively as rookies and then tearing it up at the plate in Year 2. Just look at Crow-Armstrong. In 2024, he hit 10 home runs with a .237 batting average across 372 at-bats. In 2025, he then hit 31 home runs en route to a breakout campaign.

Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone could follow a similar path to Crow-Armstrong in 2026. Caglianone really struggled in his first taste in the big leagues, hitting just .157 with seven home runs and 18 RBI across 232 plate appearances. However, the two biggest things to be encouraged by with him are that both his barrel rate (12%) and bat speed (77.4 mph) ranked extremely well.

The Royals might have called up Caglianone a bit too early last year, but the 23-year-old has all the talent to break out in his first full Major League season. The power is certainly there for him to do so after hitting 20 home runs across 264 Minor League at-bats last year. In those 66 games, the Royals slugger had an expected .574 slugging, an 11.7% barrel rate, a 52.3% hard-hit rate, and an 86.4% zone-contact swing.

As a result, Caglianone could hit 30 home runs in 2026. He is likely more comfortable at the plate entering his second season and posted some solid numbers in the pool play round of the World Baseball Classic for Team Italy. The outfielder went 3-for-8 with one double, one home run, three RBI, one stolen base, three walks, and two strikeouts in the pool play round. He's a nice bet to break out this year.

Carter Jensen, C, Kansas City Royals

ADP - 200.1

Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen is a star in the making. The 22-year-old was called up by the Royals in early September and immediately hit the ball well at the plate. He slashed .300/.391/.550 with three home runs, six doubles, and 13 RBI across 20 September games. While this is a small sample size, Jensen absolutely crushed the ball in his limited time in the Majors.

MLB Pipeline's No. 18 overall prospect had a .336 expected batting average, a .633 expected slugging, a 20.8% barrel rate, a 58.3% hard-hit rate, a 41.7% launch angle sweet-spot rate, and didn't chase many pitches with a 24% chase rate. Those are elite metrics for any hitter, especially for a hitter who was in his first year in the league.

Carter Jensen hit this baseball 482 feet 😳 pic.twitter.com/CE151rFkIk

— MLB (@MLB) September 28, 2025

Those strong numbers from Jensen are nothing new, though. He hit 18 home runs and stole 17 bases across 125 Minor League games in 2024 and hit 20 home runs and stole 10 bases across 111 Minor League games in 2025. With above-average power and a solid sprint speed (27.5 ft/sec), Carter has the tools to be the next great fantasy catcher.

The big thing for his fantasy value this year is that the Royals seem content with rolling out Salvador Perez and Jensen on most days. One of those catchers will start behind the plate, while the other will start at designated hitter. Given that the rookie could see upward of 400 plate appearances this season, a breakout season is certainly attainable.

Sal Stewart, 1B, Cincinnati Reds

ADP - 200.1

Cincinnati Reds prospect Sal Stewart didn't see a ton of Major League plate appearances last year. He spent most of the season down in the Minors before the Reds called him up in early September. But like Jensen, Stewart made an immediate offensive impact once he was called up.  The 22-year-old was arguably the best all-around hitter for Cincinnati in the month of September.

He slashed .255/.293/.545 with five home runs, one double, and eight RBI across 58 plate appearances. Those five home runs led all Reds players in September, and his expected slugging (.626), barrel rate (17.5%), hard-hit rate (52.5%), and expected batting average (.289) were all elite. That should give fantasy managers confidence that a breakout campaign should be on the horizon.

Stewart has the upside to hit over 20 home runs and steal double-digit bases in 2026. Despite his below-average sprint speed (25.8 ft/sec), MLB Pipeline's No. 22 overall prospect has stolen double-digit bases in each of his past three Minor League seasons. He stole 42 bases over this three-year stretch, including tallying a career-high 17 stolen bases in 2025.

So, Stewart is worth grabbing at his 200.1 ADP in Yahoo! leagues. There's a lot of upside here for the Reds first baseman. He is expected to be the team's everyday first baseman and should contribute solid numbers in multiple categories.

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