Hitter Fantasy Baseball Breakouts - Risers to Watch and Waiver Wire Outlooks (Week 4)

April 17, 2026

Jarod's hitter fantasy baseball breakouts, sleepers, and risers to watch for Week 4 of 2026. His list includes waiver wire outlooks and underachieving hitters.

Welcome back to my Fantasy Baseball Breakout Hitters article for Week 4 of the 2026 MLB regular season. The focus of this article is to highlight players who could be on the verge of a breakout, citing current active hitting streaks along with recent leaders in batting average, isolated power (ISO), stolen bases, and more.

We're just a few weeks into the season, so there can be anomalies due to the small sample size, but we'll take a look nonetheless to see if there are some worthwhile waiver pickups or DFS plays. This week, we'll check in on some hot names like Connor Norby, Jeremiah Jackson, and Jakob Marsee.

Note that when we talk about availability or position eligibility here, we're referring to players' rostership in Yahoo! leagues. So, who should fantasy managers consider grabbing off the waiver wire after the third week of the season, or even plug into their DFS lineup in the coming week? Let's check it out below!

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Hit Streak Leaders

Data through 4/15

Ildemaro Vargas (12 games)

If you read last week's Breakout Watch article, you would have beaten the other managers in your league to the punch. Here he is, a week later, now riding the longest hit streak in the majors at 12 games. Not only that, but he's also got a four-game streak where he's collected an extra-base hit.

The switch-hitter is doing damage from both sides of the plate, and currently owns an impressive .383/.408/.660 slash line with a .465 wOBA and 194 wRC+. Additionally, the 34-year-old, who has a history of making a lot of contact (86.7 percent career Contact%), is eligible at both 1B and 2B.

There's an abnormally high BABIP in play (.421 vs. career .272), so perhaps he's been a tad lucky, but with an xBA of .372 and xwOBA of .399, it looks like legit performance. There will be some regression at some point, but why not take a flier on the veteran while he's hot? The Venezuelan is still available in over 90 percent of leagues.

Connor Norby (eight games)

Finally healthy, Connor Norby is showing off some of the skills that once made him a top prospect. The former second-round draft pick dealt with multiple injuries (oblique, hamate) in 2025 that limited him to just 88 games, but after a slow start to the year, he is starting to round into form.

The right-handed hitter is in the midst of an eight-game hit streak, during which time he's gone 11-for-28 (.393) with three doubles, two home runs, five RBI, and four runs scored. Overall, he's slashing .273/.379/.473 with a .381 wOBA and 139 wRC+. The 25-year-old is showing a much-improved chase rate, and his contact rate of 72.6 percent is the best of his career to date.

He's yet to steal a base, but he does have 81st-percentile sprint speed, so there is room for growth there. Don't be surprised if the product out of East Carolina winds up with a 15/15 season with a decent batting average when it's all said and done. He's still available in most leagues for the taking and is eligible at both 1B and 3B.

Luis Campusano (seven games)

Luis Campusano has flashed in the past, but has never quite lived up to expectations. The former second-round draft pick is splitting time in San Diego with Freddy Fermin (head), who is currently day-to-day after taking a foul off the mask. It's hard to justify rostering a backup catcher, especially with so many productive offensive options out there, but if Fermin were to miss any time, Campusano could be a solid pickup.

Five of the 27-year-old's eight hits have gone for extra bases, so there is certainly pop in his bat, and he's available in nearly all leagues. DFS players should note that, while he's driven in four runs in his last five games, the right-handed slugger is batting at the bottom of the order, which is not ideal.

Highest Batting Average Last Seven Days

Data through 4/15, minimum 13 at-bats

Daniel Schneemann (.500 AVG)

Cleveland's Swiss Army knife, Daniel Schneemann, can fill in at most positions, having played games at 2B, 3B, SS, and every outfield position in 2025. The utility player is eligible at each of those positions for fantasy, making him super useful when trying to plug lineup holes. He's more intriguing when he's hitting well, too, and the left-handed slugger is doing just that.

The 29-year-old is 8-for-16 (.500) over his last five contests, including two doubles and a home run. The former 33rd-round draft pick's versatility should give him a shot at playing most days, so he is worthy of consideration for a roster spot despite not technically being listed as a "starter." The BYU product is available in most leagues.

DFS managers should note, though, that he's the rare owner of "reverse splits" -- meaning he's actually better against same-handed pitchers (lefties), both this year and for his career (.324 wOBA, 111 wRC+ against LHP vs. .285 wOBA, 83 wRC+ against RHP).

Jeremiah Jackson (.480 AVG)

Jeremiah Jackson has hit four home runs so far this season, with all four of them coming in the last week. The former second-round draft pick is 12-for-25 (.480) over his last six games, with 10 RBI and five runs scored over that stretch as well.

Jeremiah Jackson adds an insurance run with his 2nd homer of the game 🚀 pic.twitter.com/pO5Ii6Hy9e

— MLB (@MLB) April 14, 2026

The right-handed hitter belted 20 home runs between the minors and majors last season in 133 games, and with an 11.9 percent barrel rate, more home runs should be in store for the 5-foot-11 slugger.

The 26-year-old is available in more than half of leagues and is another player with good versatility, as he's eligible at 2B, 3B, and OF. With Jackson Holliday (hand) and Jordan Westburg (elbow) out with injuries for the foreseeable future, Jackson is worth a look in most leagues while he's got regular playing time.

Highest ISO Last Seven Days

Data through 4/15, minimum 13 at-bats

Jake Bauers (.563 ISO)

Jake Bauers has three home runs in his last five games, with seven RBI over that span, too. With five home runs total (in 16 games), he's on the verge of eclipsing his total of seven from a season ago (86 games), and a 14.6 percent barrel rate with a 56.1 percent hard-hit rate foretells more to come.

The left-handed slugger is striking out at a better-than-average rate of 20.3 percent, a great improvement over his career rate of 28.7 percent, while walking at a better-than-average rate of 10.2 percent as well.

Although the former seventh-round draft pick owns just a .226 batting average, an xBA of .266, and an xwOBA of .367, there is potential for a potential increase there as the season moves along. An ultra-low BABIP of .194 seems to indicate that some of his hard-hit balls are simply not falling for hits, so there is batting average upside to go along with his power, making the 30-year-old an intriguing waiver wire option.

Bauers can be had in over 80 percent of leagues, and comes with positional versatility, too, possessing eligibility at both 1B and OF.

Most Steals Last Seven Days

Data through 4/15

Jakob Marsee (three SBs)

Jakob Marsee burst onto the scene last season, slashing .292/.363/.478 in 55 games with the big league club. He also stole 14 bags, and combined with the 47 he swiped at Triple-A, he totaled 61 in all.

With three this past week and eight on the year, the 24-year-old is on pace for a similar amount. Unfortunately, he's batting just .164 with a .512 OPS, .247 wOBA, and 51 wRC+, making him quite the disappointment for fantasy in the early going.

However, with an 88.6 percent contact rate and a barrel rate that is sure to increase from where it currently stands (1.9 percent), the left-handed hitter could be a good buy-low candidate who could help give you a distinct advantage in the stolen base category.

xwOBA Underachievers April 9 - April 15

Blaze Alexander (.254 vs. .361)

Blaze Alexander is hitting the ball hard, but it just isn't showing up in the stats with a .220 batting average, .024 ISO, .254 wOBA, and 59 wRC+. The right-handed slugger's expected stats tell a different story, though, as his .335 xBA (98th percentile) and .361 xwOBA are some of the largest discrepancies you can find among qualified players.

Sure, a poor 19th-percentile chase rate and high 29.8 percent strikeout rate don't scream immediate rebound, but perhaps he could land somewhere in the middle. With three steals already this year, he'll surely surpass his previous career high of four from last season, and what fantasy manager doesn't like a player who can contribute across categories?

Westburg's return is still about a month away, so Alexander will need to turn it around in a hurry, but for managers hoping to catch lightning in a bottle, the 26-year-old is someone to keep an eye on because he could be on the verge of a hot streak.

xwOBA Overachievers April 9 - April 15

Brooks Lee (.315 vs. .235)

Brooks Lee is hitting the ball well as of late, currently boasting a seven-game hit streak that includes a double and three home runs, not to mention nine RBI along the way. But can it last?

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