Second Half Breakouts for Fantasy Baseball - Kipp Heisterman's "My Guys"

July 21, 2026

Kipp's second-half fantasy baseball breakouts for 2026. These are all MLB hitters and pitchers he's trying to get on his rosters via waiver wire or trade, including Jared Jones, Sam Antonacci, Esmerlyn Valdez, and more.

The All-Star break has come and gone, but the second half of the season is where many fantasy championships are won and lost. During the first half of the season, we saw several players break out, including Jordan Walker, Ben Rice, and Parker Messick. These guys are now known commodities.

However, in this piece, we will look at players who have yet to "truly" break out. While some of these players have found success at times during the first half or even in previous seasons, they have yet to enter the "must-start" territory in 2025.

I will highlight five players who I believe are in store to take a significant step forward in the second half. Now is the ideal time to buy low and add these players to your fantasy roster, either via the waiver wire or trade. Let's dive in!

Jared Jones, SP - Pittsburgh Pirates

43% Rostered

We are going to kick this piece off with the guy who will likely be my favorite within this whole piece, and that is Jones of the Pirates. Jones had some success in his rookie campaign in 2024, when he posted a 4.14 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 132 Ks across 121 1/3 IP, but then he underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2025 season.

He came off the IL in May of this season and looked pretty rough, to be honest. He gave up five earned runs in two of his first four starts this season, but boy, has he started to settle in. Over the previous month, Jones has posted a 2.38 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and 30 Ks across 22 2/3 IP.

He has allowed one or fewer earned runs in four of his previous five starts and looks poised to help carry the Pirates to a postseason berth. Overall, his metrics on the season look like he could do just that as well.

He ranks in the 90th percentile or better in both whiff rate and K rate. Additionally, his fastball is ripping at 98.6 mph, which ranks him in the 96th percentile. It is also worth noting that his xERA and xBA sit in the 76th and 77th percentiles, respectively, despite the slow start this season.

He is still just rostered in 43% of Yahoo! leagues, which is very surprising. If he is still available in your league, he is a must-add for the second half of the season. You will not find many starters on the wire with Jones' upside the rest of the way.

Curtis Mead, 1B/2B/3B - Washington Nationals

44% Rostered

Curtis Mead is our first hitter on this list, and he has had quite the 2026 campaign to date. Overall, he is slashing .255/.345/.513 with 17 HR, 47 RBI, 46 R, 33 BB, and five SB. He currently ranks as the 136th-best player in Yahoo! leagues, yet is still rostered in just 43% of leagues.

Mead is in his fourth big league season overall, and while he has shown some flashes of being decent in the past, this is an absolute breakout by all means for him. His metrics look even better than the slash line when we dive in.

Overall, he ranks in the 75th percentile or better in xwOBA, xSLG, barrel rate, chase rate, and whiff rate. He has shown a great ability to get on base, as noted by his walk rate of 10.9%, which ranks him in the 72nd percentile. This Nationals offense has been superb as well, which has helped him be a solid producer.

Curtis Mead for the lead! pic.twitter.com/h6bk2Z5NrS

— MLB (@MLB) July 7, 2026

That being said, Mead has been linked to several contenders in the trade market. I still think he will hold plenty of value if he is traded to a contender, even if the team he is traded to does not perform at the level of the Nationals on offense. He should be rostered in all leagues moving forward, especially when you consider his position eligibility.

Sam Antonacci, 2B/3B/OF, Chicago White Sox

48% Rostered 

No team has been more surprising in the American League this season than the Chicago White Sox, and Sam Antonacci has been a huge part of that. Antonacci has found himself leading off for the White Sox's potent offense, and that is a very good thing for fantasy managers.

On the season, the rookie is slashing .285/.376/.422 with seven HR, 29 RBI, 50 R, 22 BB, and 13 SB. While Antonacci does not hit for power, he does get on base and scores runs in droves, hitting atop the White Sox lineup. The metrics also tell us that we can likely continue to see him perform well down the stretch.

Overall, he ranks above the 80th percentile in xwOBA, xBA, chase rate, whiff rate, and K rate. The chase rate and whiff rate currently sit at 23.3% and 22.2%, respectively, both of which are super impressive for a rookie and directly lead to the 15.3% K rate.

Antonacci is a guy who should be on all fantasy rosters for the remainder of the season, yet is still rostered in just 48% of leagues. Go out and add him while you still can.

Esmerlyn Valdez, 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

62% Rostered 

We have our second Pittsburgh Pirate on this list in Valdez, who has burst onto the scene as a rookie. Overall, he is slashing a superb .304/.363/.716 with 11 HR, 30 RBI, 22 R, and 10 BB. Valdez was called up in late May and has really given the Pirates' offense the jolt they needed.

As it currently stands, Valdez does not qualify for Statcast metric rankings, but if he did, he would be ranked very highly in several categories. He currently sits with an absurd 92.8 mph average exit velocity and a 27.9% barrel rate, both of which directly correlate to his .550 xSLG.

While he has posted an ugly 27.2% K rate, the strikeouts can be forgiven as long as he continues to produce as we have seen thus far. I also think the strikeouts will start to come down in the second half, given his 24.6% chase rate, which is rather solid.

Esmerlyn Valdez's 11th HR and 29th RBI in just his 29th MLB game! pic.twitter.com/nl0rCu4Eku

— MLB (@MLB) July 18, 2026

Valdez is better known than the aforementioned hitters, as evidenced by his 62% roster rate in Yahoo! leagues, but he is still available in 38% of leagues and should be added if he is in yours.

Gage Jump, SP - Athletics

28% Rostered

I wanted to include Gage Jump, as this is a starting pitcher I truly believe in, as he just has the misfortune of pitching on what has essentially become the moon at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. Overall, Jump has posted a very respectable 3.78 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 56 Ks across 52 1/3 IP.

When we break down the home and road splits, we notice that Jump has posted an absurd 0.75 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and a 9.0 K/9 on the road versus a 6.35 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, and 10.2 K/9 at home. It is a tall ask to bring a rookie pitcher in and look for early success, but that is what we are seeing with Gage, despite the ugly home numbers.

Diving into the metrics also paints a solid picture for Jump. Overall, he ranks in the 70th percentile or better in chase rate, K rate, and barrel rate. His fastball velocity also sits at 96.3 mph, ranking him in the 79th percentile. Jump is still rostered in just 29% of leagues, so he is very likely available in your league.

If that is the case, I recommend adding him immediately and starting him at home versus weaker offenses, and then starting him on the road against any opponents.

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