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Mike Carter looks at five hitter fantasy baseball breakouts, sleepers off to hot starts in 2026. Are Caleb Durbin, Esmerlyn Valdez, A.J. Ewing, Henry Bolte, and Cole Carrigg for real?
As we head into July, the weather heats up, and so does the war of attrition for our rosters. Each week, we are forced to look at where we are while dreaming about where we want to be. Is this the time to add an undervalued hitter to your roster to replace a low performer?
That is the point of this article. In this piece, we will look at five hitters who have been hitting well and could emerge as must-start players right now. This week, we feature a slew of younger players who are making their mark and could really help your squad.
The following hitters are rostered in 40% or fewer leagues, and every week, we will give you two or three guys who are rostered less than 20% of the time in Yahoo leagues who could help your teams. Let's dive in! Any feedback on this new piece to @rotoballermlb or me, @mdrc0508, would be welcome.
Featured Promo: Save 50% the regular price with discount code SUMMER, for a limited time. Exclusive access to our Team Sync platform, DFS cheat sheets, Lineup Optimizers, betting/prop picks, and exclusive content from Nick Mariano and Eric Cross! GAIN ACCESS NOWCaleb Durbin, 2B/3B, Boston Red Sox
38% rostered
Durbin was a player who was heavily drafted later in winter drafts as an option if you missed on the top-tier third basemen. Some players, like yours truly, thought pairing him with someone like Matt Chapman might replicate good production at the third base spot.
His horrific start to the year, hitting .171 through April. scuttled that. To the waiver wire Durbin went, and rightfully so. However, he has shown signs of life that made him a great fantasy help in 2025 with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Over the last month, Durbin has been hitting .325 with six home runs, 13 RBI, five stolen bases, and 16 runs scored. Moreover, he has a whopping 27 hits in June, which is only three fewer than he had in April and May combined.
If you lost Jose Ramirez like many did, or are suffering through a subpar performance from Alex Bregman, maybe using Durbin in the interim makes sense for you. Fantasy players are starting to catch on to Durbin's value.
Durbin is an exemplary case of why we look at current numbers relative to season totals. If I just look at his season batting average, which is .231, I miss out on a guy who is hitting well over .300 the last month. Dig a little deeper, and you might find a gem before anyone else in your league does.
Esmerlyn Valdez, 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
29% rostered
The young Valdez is a great play if you are looking for power. He had homered in four straight games before Tuesday night, giving him six on the season in only 16 games. Valdez also has five multihit games in his last seven starts.
Valdez moved to the number two spot in the order on Tuesday, and it remains to be seen if he will remain there. Valdez has hit as many as 26 home runs in the minor leagues, so we know the power is real. Look for an average in the .275-.280 range for Valdez.
It's early to say, but you can see his insane Statcast page below. So there is going to be lots of bright red here, but a 38% strikeout rate is a glaring problem. In the short term, Valdez is a great power play in deeper leagues and will be added in many leagues all week.
The barrel percentage, average exit velocity, and hard-hit percentage are all off the charts. Thus far, Valdez has struck out 19 times in 54 plate appearances. If he can get that number down to 25% or so, Valdez will be a player to reckon with in fantasy leagues.
A.J. Ewing, 2B/OF, New York Mets
19% rostered
Many fantasy players started cutting Ewing when he came back to earth in May. I encouraged players to keep him because I felt the speed would play and that he could hit better with more time and seasoning. I held on to him in all of my leagues where I had him.
Well, Ewing hit .302 in June with three homers, 13 RBI, four stolen bases, and nine runs scored, and thus rewarded more patient players who struck with him. He is batting sixth in the lineup most days, while getting all of the center field reps.
Below, you can see how Ewing has rebounded in June after a lackluster May. Add in that he has second base eligibility, and you have a usable player in deeper leagues.
Now, it appears that Luis Robert Jr. may return to the lineup soon, and with that return, Ewing's playing time could suffer. However, the Mets could do something different and rotate guys through the DH spot as well in an attempt to keep guys fresher. Ewing belongs in the lineup as one of their nine best players.
Henry Bolte, OF, Athletics
15% rostered
I have had the chance to watch Bolte play on MLBTV, and this guy can play baseball at a high level. Bolte has five stolen bases in his last 10 games, giving him 11 on the season in only 43 games. He's hitting .295 overall with a couple of home runs and 13 RBI with 14 runs.
With Zack Gelof going down to injury, Bolte has moved up the order and is now hitting leadoff. If you need an outfielder with great speed and batting average, Bolte could be the guy for you. He is an intriguing talent who is still on the waiver wire.
The graphic below shows his insane bat speed. Bolte's 76.8 MPH bat speed is five points higher than the major league average in 2o26. Power could develop for Bolte as well; he had 12 home runs in 37 Triple-A games before getting the call.
At any rate, Bolte should remain the starting centerfielder flanked by Lawrence Butler and a combination of Carlos Cortes and Colby Thomas. He should be rostered in far more leagues, and likely will be soon.
It can be hard to find players who are getting daily at-bats on the waiver wire, but Bolte is doing that, so feel free to roster him in deeper leagues.
Cole Carrigg, OF, Colorado Rockies
14% rostered
Carrigg is a player who will start to be known more soon in fantasy baseball circles. I have heard many concerned that there is bound to be a roster crunch in Denver, but when Jordan Beck returned from the IL, the team sent him to Triple-A and kept Carrigg with the big league team.
Carrigg has moved up to the number five spot in the batting order and has hit .279 with three home runs, 11 RBI, two stolen bases, and 13 runs scored in only 74 plate appearances. Carrigg has a 13.7% BB%, which has led to an outstanding .384 on-base percentage.
In 57 Triple-A games, Carrigg had six homers, 42 RBI, 55 runs scored, and a whopping 30 stolen bases. He has hit as many as 17 home runs in the minor leagues and stolen as many as 53 bases. As long as he continues to hit, Carrigg should stick in a rebuilding Colorado lineup.
That will be the nature of this new weekly article. My best advice is not to be afraid to churn the bottom parts of your roster for guys like these, listed here, who can help now and into the future. Message me @mdrc0508 on X if you have questions or if I can help in any way.
Remember that fantasy baseball is supposed to be fun above all else, so have fun with your teams! Always get the players you like, and it makes the game even more fun! Next week, we will return with another edition highlighting more breakout hitters.
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