Five Outfield Breakout Candidates for Fantasy Baseball (2026) - National League

March 19, 2026

Andy's five NL outfield breakout candidates and potential fantasy baseball sleepers for 2026. These NL outfielders have big upside as fantasy baseball values.

Finding a breakout player in the middle to late rounds of your draft can provide your team with a massive boost. Those who selected Pete Crow-Armstrong secured an MVP candidate for the first half of the season who greatly outperformed his ADP, despite his rough second half.

In this piece, I will spotlight five of my top breakout outfielders (from the National League) using NFBC ADP since March 1.

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Kyle Stowers, Miami Marlins

ADP: 132

Kyle Stowers began his breakout season last summer but was unable to complete it as he would finish the season on the IL due to an oblique strain. Fortunately, his impressive production last season is still not baked into his ADP as he is going off the board as a mid-range OF3.

In his first full season in the big leagues, the former Orioles top prospect did not disappoint, posting a .288/.368/.544 line with a .912 OPS. Stowers would appear in 117 games for the Marlins and launch 25 home runs with 21 doubles, 61 runs, 73 RBI, and chip in five stolen bases.

Was this just a flash in the pan? Or is this the making of a late-blooming star?

His metrics under the hood suggest the latter could be true, and with an everyday role in the starting nine, Stowers could establish himself as a high-end No. 2 outfielder in all formats. The 28-year-old generated a .375 xwOBA, .265 xBA, and a .537 xSLG, all of which were well above the average marks, with his xwOBA and xSLG placing him in the 94th percentile or higher.

He hit the ball quite hard, posting a 52.0% hard-hit rate (94th percentile) and a 19.0% barrel rate (98th percentile). While he struck out at a high 27.4% rate, he drew walks at an above-average 10.5% rate, which helped offset this.

More importantly, Stowers's HR totals soared not only due to how hard he hits the ball, but also to how he pulls it. Per Statcast, the outfielder generated an elite 23.7% Pull AIR%. If he continues this trajectory in 2026, Stowers could hit 40 home runs and smash his ADP.

KYLE STOWERS GRAND SLAM pic.twitter.com/m7LQMUV4JF

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) August 2, 2025

Dylan Crews, OF, Washington Nationals

ADP: 175

Update - Crews has been optioned to Triple-A and will begin the regular season in the minor leagues. As a result, he is only worth drafting in deep 15-team/NL-only formats.

The Nationals have two worthy breakout candidates in Daylen Lile and Dylan Crews. Given that I have written about Lile several times this season (check him out here in my league-winners piece!), I will instead spotlight his teammate, Crews. The 24-year-old was a former No. 2 overall pick and was a top prospect.

However, the early stages of his MLB career have been nothing short of disappointing. He made his MLB debut in 2024 and held a modest .218/.288/.353 line across 31 games. During this stint, the former LSU standout hit three home runs but showed high-end speed, swiping 12 bags.

In 2025, Crews missed most of the season due to an oblique injury but flashed raw upside, hitting 10 long balls while stealing 17 bases over an 85-game stint. He finished the season carrying a .208/.280/.352 line, but has plenty of room to take the next step in a full season.

Under the hood, Crews generated a .235 xBA with an above-average 9.7% barrel rate and a 73.3 mph average bat speed. While his xBA does not jump off the page, any improvement there would be a welcome addition.

However, what makes Crew stand out is his elite 89th-percentile sprint speed, which opens the door for a high-end stolen base total over a full 162-game slate. Last season, Crews was on pace to hit 19 home runs with 32 stolen bases.

Given that he posted an above-average barrel rate and even raised his fly-ball rate, compared to his rookie season, Crews has legit 20/30+ upside in 2026. He is a strong target when looking for power and speed in the later rounds. Just make sure you have a nice cushion at batting average.

Garrett Mitchell, Milwaukee Brewers

ADP: 553

Let's dig a bit deeper into the player pool for our next two breakouts. Mitchell, like Crews, was one of the top-ranked prospects in the Milwaukee system but has yet to showcase his skills over a full MLB season. The outfielder has battled several injuries and has only appeared in 141 MLB games over four seasons.

In 2025, he appeared in just 25 games and held a .206/.286/.294 line with no home runs and only three stolen bases. However, back in 2024, Mitchell flashed solid upside, hitting eight home runs and stealing 11 bases over a 69-game stint.

Even though he was disappointing with his limited playing time in 2025, he showed steady progress under the hood and could finally turn in his long-awaited breakout season in 2026. Despite being injured for much of the summer, Mitchell posted a 42.2% hard-hit rate and raised his average exit velocity to 90.4 mph, both of which are increases from his 2024 marks.

He also raised his Pull AIR% to 13.3%, up from the 9.4% he posted back in 2024. Although his stat line did not reflect it, Mitchell made significant strides in his raw profile.

Currently, the former 20th overall pick is listed to be Milwaukee's starting center fielder on Opening Day and does not face much competition behind him, which means the Brewers should give him plenty of leeway to work out any rust in the early weeks.

Mitchell has a five-category appeal and is a prime late-round flier in five-outfielder formats. In 43 career games at Triple-A, Mitchell has posted a .316/.404/.475 line with five home runs and 16 stolen bases. The skill set is there; he just needs to stay healthy.

Carson Benge, New York Mets

ADP: 353

Even though Carson Benge has yet to be named to the Opening Day roster, the top-hitting prospect in the system is trending in the right direction and should be on all draft boards. With Juan Soto shifting to left field, Benge is in competition for the starting right outfield job alongside Mike Tauchman and Tyrone Taylor.

MJ Melendez was also in the mix, but he was recently optioned to Triple-A, further suggesting Benge has emerged as a legitimate candidate to start on Opening Day.

The No. 16-ranked prospect on MLB.com has looked quite sharp in spring training, posting a .406/.472/.500 line with an 8.3% BB% and a strong 13.9% K%. While he has yet to go deep, he has shown an elite eye and has also chipped in a stolen base.

Carson Benge lines one the other way for a double pic.twitter.com/z91Kdxuko1

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 16, 2026

Last summer, Benge spent most of his time at High-A but did log 32 games at Double-A and 24 with Triple-A during the second half. At High-A, Benge would carry a .302/.417/.480 line with four long balls and 15 stolen bases. He took another step further at Double-A, posting a .317/.407/.571 line with a career-best .978 OPS.

However, his momentum was stalled during his first stint at Triple-A Syracuse, where the Oklahoma State product would hold a much lower .178/.272/.311 line. Managers should not be overly concerned, as he has looked quite comfortable in camp and was also pushed through the system very quickly.

Benge's ADP will continue to rise as his role on the major league roster begins to look clearer. Take advantage, as Benge will greatly outperform this cost and could turn in a 20/20 season in Queens.

Jakob Marsee, Miami Marlins

ADP: 135

Rounding out this list will be another Miami Marlin. While the team's right fielder, Owen Caissie, was in consideration for this spot, Marsee's ceiling (and floor) looks much higher for the upcoming campaign, making him a prime breakout candidate.

Marsee made his MLB debut last summer and immediately became an intriguing fantasy asset. Over 55 games, Marsee would post a .292/.363/.478 line with five home runs and 14 stolen bases. However, much of his production came in August as he posted a .352/.400/.629 line that month, compared to the low .231/.292/.327 line in September.

While struggling in the final month, Marsee flashed enough upside to warrant selection at this price tag. Overall, he would finish his debut season with a .275 xBA, 38.% LA Sweet-Spot% and 29.6% Squared-Up%, all of which were above the average marks. He also drew walks at 9.4% rate, which should keep his stolen base production steady, even if his bat slumps at times.

Despite his struggles in September, which primarily came against fastballs, he remained elite against breaking balls and above average against offspeed pitches, as shown below.

Struggles are inevitable for young players, and even if his production against fastballs can regress to the mean, he will be a strong selection at this price tag.

Before earning the call to the majors, Marsee held a .246/.379/.438 line with 14 home runs and an eye-catching 47 steals over a 98-game stint with Triple-A. Given his high-end on-base skills, a drop in batting average will not hurt his price as much as his ADP suggests.

Marsee has the power to steal 50 bases over a full season and could hit double-hit home runs. With limited competition behind him, Marsee should be given the ability to work out any struggles, similar to Crews, and greatly outperform his draft cost.

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