X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2022 Fantasy Breakout Candidates - NL East

Ben Rosener identifies early breakout candidates for the 2022 fantasy baseball season in the NL East division. These hitters and pitchers are sleepers to watch in fantasy drafts.

One of the keys to a successful fantasy baseball draft, and a subsequently successful season, is finding players who outperform their draft position. By and large, you’re more likely to find those types of players later in drafts.

Sure, you’ll find those relatively early-round players who perform at an elite level – think Max Muncy or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. last year. But the real value is later in drafts where potential breakout picks can be found. Finding success with some, or even one of those mid-to-late round picks, can make a world of difference between winning a fantasy championship or missing the fantasy playoffs.

Today’s column will aim to help you identify some of those potential players. After covering the American League Central, American League East, and American League West in the last three installments, the story shifts to the National League, with the Senior Circuit’s easternmost division on tap. These players could very well help you find fantasy success in 2022.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Miami Marlins: Edward Cabrera

The Miami Marlins are no stranger to employing fantasy breakout players who throw a baseball for a living. Just last season Trevor Rogers pitched to a 2.64 ERA in 133 innings while registering 157 strikeouts. The season before that, it was Pablo Lopez, who dazzled in the pandemic-shortened season with a 3.61 ERA and a 3.09 FIP in 57.1 frames of work. This year, it could be Edward Cabrera.

It’s no secret that Miami has a surplus of young arms. That’s great for their future, whether those pitchers go through their pre-arbitration and arbitration years in a Marlins uniform or are traded for Major League upgrades to supplement the remaining starters and the rest of Miami’s young core.

Rogers, speculatively speaking, probably isn’t going anywhere. However, if Miami moves one of Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Elieser Hernandez, Jesus Luzardo or, Zach Thompson, it could open up a rotation spot for Cabrera.

The 23-year-old only made seven starts for Don Mattingly’s club last season, but was a strikeout machine in the minors, racking up 92 punchouts in 61.1 frames at three different stops.

The right-hander’s two best offerings are his four-seam fastball and his slider.

The former, which was hit around a bit (not uncommon for a rookie) didn’t disappoint from a velocity standpoint, averaging 96.7 MPH. The latter didn’t disappoint from a performance standpoint.

It’s a small sample size to be sure, but opponents hit just .083 with a .167 slugging percentage and a .281 wOBA against Cabrera’s slider, which also generated a 39.6% whiff rate.

He’s by no means a finished product, but if you’re looking for a starting pitcher in the late rounds of drafts who has the ceiling to produce like Trevor Rogers did last year, Edward Cabrera is your guy.

 

Philadelphia Phillies: Alec Bohm

A popular breakout pick prior to last season, Bohm struggled mightily in 2021, batting .247 with a .305 on-base percentage, seven home runs, four stolen bases, and a 75 wRC+ in 417 plate appearances.

However, despite the struggles, the corner infielder did rather well against left-handed opposition, hitting .289 with a .358 on-base percentage, a .796 OPS, and a 149 ISO against southpaws. And that type of production could help him stake claim to a consistent role in the Philadelphia lineup next season.

Should Dombrowski and the Phillies make a splash on the free-agent (or trade) market and add an impact middle infielder, it could push Didi Gregorious to third base, a position where Bohm is one of the favorites to start next season.

At face value, that might be a death knell for Bohm’s fantasy prospects next season.

However, considering Gregorious struggled against left-handed pitchers last season (.156 average, .264 on-base percentage, and a 53 wRC+ in 106 plate appearances) a Bohm/Gregorious platoon could actually be advantageous for the win-now Phillies.

That Bohm could also see the occasional start at first base (where he’s eligible in Yahoo! leagues) doesn’t hurt either, especially if the designated hitter is introduced in the National League and the Phillies use Rhys Hoskins at that position for more than just for the odd start.

Platoon bats aren’t the flashiest draft picks in fantasy baseball, but in the right situations (for the players) and fantasy leagues (for the managers) they can be awfully valuable.

That’s Bohm's floor right now, but if he can improve against right-handed pitching (and simply improve at the plate) you’re looking at a potential regular in a quality lineup that shouldn’t struggle to score runs.

 

New York Mets: Luis Guillorme

The Mets are a lot like their division rivals in Philadelphia. They’ve got a veteran roster coming off an underachieving season. They’re more likely to fill any needs with trades or free agents than internal options.

Where they differ just a bit is that New York doesn’t have a young, potential breakout pick with the ceiling that Bohm does.

You could make the case right now that New York is the only team in the league without a potential breakout player in fantasy baseball given their roster construction.

Digging deeper into New York’s roster, however, one player who could have a chance at breaking out, to a degree, in fantasy is infielder Luis Guillorme.

Guillorme may not have the ceiling of a player (in fantasy or real life) as Bohm, but he’ll be a useful late-round pick in deeper leagues, especially if the Mets don’t re-sign or replace at least one of Michael Conforto or Javier Baez.

Should Conforto follow Noah Syndergaard out the exit door at Citi Field, the Mets could move J.D. Davis or Jeff McNeil to the outfield more often to take his place.

If that happens, it’ll open up more playing time for Guillorme, who can play third base, second base, and shortstop. And with that playing time, like clockwork, will come a bunch of walks.

In 368 career plate appearances, Guillorme has a 12.8% walk rate and a .356 on-base percentage. His walk rate was 14.7% last season, the same exact number it was during the pandemic-shortened season.

He’s not going to hit for much power (two career home runs), nor is he going to provide much in the way of stolen bases (he’s got three of those since debuting in the Majors), but the infielder has some fantasy value.

Now, that fantasy value might only come in deeper leagues where on-base percentage is part of the scoring, but it’s fantasy value all the same. And for a player who just registered a career-high in plate appearances with 156 last season, he could be poised for a breakout season if the opportunity is there in the Mets infield.

 

Atlanta Braves: Cristian Pache

As of this point in the offseason, Atlanta has yet to replace all the veteran outfielders who helped them secure a World Series title this fall.

Joc Pederson. Eddie Rosario. Jorge Soler.

Of course, Adam Duvall is still around via arbitration eligibility, and Ronald Acuna Jr. will eventually return. But if the defending champs don’t add another outfielder this offseason, it could finally be Pache’s time to shine for the National League East club.

Long one of the game’s elite prospects, Pache has made a name for himself with his glovework in center field. However, he has intriguing power and speed upside. And while questions about if he can get on base consistently are fair, they’re not quite as prominent when regarding Pache as a fantasy player.

Even if Pache is around or even slightly below league average in terms of both batting average (.244) and on-base percentage (.317) he could provide solid value in fantasy thanks to that power and speed upside, which could net him double-digit steals and home runs given consistent plate appearances.

Of course, the big question is whether Atlanta adds another outfielder or not. But with stolen bases at such a premium in fantasy baseball, Pache could be a valuable addition to your fantasy team in 2022.

That is if Atlanta doesn’t add another outfielder.

 

Washington Nationals: Keibert Ruiz

Blocked in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization by Will Smith, Keibert Ruiz finally gets the catcher position all to himself, only this time it's with the Washington Nationals.

Dealt to the Nats as the centerpiece of the seismic Max Scherzer and Trea Turner blockbuster, Ruiz will finally start full time in the Majors, and if his late-season debut with Washington was any indication, we’re looking at a potentially productive fantasy backstop.

In 89 plate appearances, Ruiz hit .284 with a .348 on-base percentage, two home runs, and a walk rate (6.7%) that topped his strikeout rate (4.5%).

And while it’s highly unlikely that Ruiz continues to go down on strikes less than five percent of the time – for reference, Pittsburgh infielder Kevin Newman had the lowest strikeout rate among qualified hitters at 7.4% last season–low strikeouts totals are nothing new for Ruiz.

The 23-year-old has never struck out more than 14.5% of the time at any minor league stop. The low strikeouts are going to lead to more contact for Ruiz, a player with a promising hit tool as one of his calling cards.

He might not be the home run masher that a catcher like Salvador Perez or Eric Haase is, but Ruiz looks like a decent bet to reach double-digit home runs.

If the Nationals’ new catcher can hit anywhere above .260 with double-digit home runs, we’re looking at a potential top-10 catcher in fantasy baseball at a position that falls off a bit after big names like Smith, Perez, Yasmani Grandal, J.T. Realmuto, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Willson Contreras and Mike Zunino.

Hitting ahead of or behind Juan Soto shouldn’t hurt Ruiz’s ability to put up stats like RBI and runs scored either.

If you’re of the mind to wait on a catcher until later in drafts next spring, Ruiz is someone to keep in mind.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Breakouts and Sleepers




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Kerry Carpenter

Leaves Game with Apparent Hamstring Injury
Day'Ron Sharpe

Heads to Free Agency
Santi Aldama

Receives Qualifying Offer
Moritz Wagner

has Team Option Declined
Jabari Smith Jr.

Signs Massive Extension
Jusuf Nurkić

Hornets Trading Jusuf Nurkic to Utah
Collin Sexton

Heading to Charlotte
Cam Thomas

Set for Restricted Free Agency
Bobby Portis

Staying in Milwaukee
Jonas Brodin

Expected to Miss Start of Next Season
TB

Conor Sheary Placed on Waivers for Contract Termination
James Harden

Clippers Agree on a New Contract
Dante Fabbro

Stays with Blue Jackets on Four-Year Deal
Joel Hofer

Commits to Blues for Two More Years
Kevin Bahl

Signs Long-Term Extension with Flames
Oneil Cruz

Smacks Two Homers
Jordan Spence

Traded to Ottawa
Petr Mrazek

Heads to Anaheim
John Gibson

Red Wings Acquire John Gibson
Matthew Knies

Inks Six-Year Extension with Maple Leafs
Aaron Judge

Blasts Two Homers, Dealing With Back Issue
Claude Giroux

Signs One-Year Deal with Senators
Yordan Alvarez

has Chance to Return Next Weekend
Julius Randle

Signs Three-Year Extension
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Opts into Player Option
Luis Robert Jr.

Heads to Injured List
Gabriel Arias

Carted Off on Sunday
Bryce Harper

Faces Live Pitching
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Remains Out on Sunday
Utah Jazz

Bojan Bogdanovic Retiring From Basketball
Dorian Finney-Smith

Declines Player Option
Jaylin Williams

Signing Three-Year Extension
LeBron James

Accepts Player Option
Anfernee Simons

"a Possible Re-Trade Candidate"
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
NFL

NFL Won't Hold Supplemental Draft This Year
Damon Arnette

Getting Second Chance With Texans
Deommodore Lenoir

Arrested for Obstruction of Justice
Yordan Alvarez

Eyeing Return Before All-Star Break
Kevin Porter Jr.

Declining Player Option
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Quinn Priester

Fans 11 in One-Hit Gem
Garrett Temple

Returning to Toronto
Nicolas Batum

Declines Player Option
Spencer Schwellenbach

Dominant in Victory
Keon Johnson

Gets Team Option Picked Up
Rayan Rupert

Staying in Portland
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Expected to Make Second-Year Jump
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Out of Lineup Saturday
Jalin Hyatt

Looking to Flip the Script in 2025
Garrett Mitchell

to Undergo Shoulder Surgery
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez in Guardians Lineup on Saturday
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
Ty Dillon

Could Benefit from Kaulig Speed
Cody Ware

Rarely Enough Attrition at Atlanta for Cody Ware to Seriously Contend
Ryan Blaney

Is Always Strong at Atlanta
Joey Logano

Wins Pole, Looking for Third Atlanta Win
Chase Burns

Slated to Make Next Start on Monday
Dylan Sampson

Being Used as a Receiver
Carson Schwesinger

Figures to be in Full-Time Role in 2025
Cedric Tillman

Should Have Full-Time Role
Bryce Young

Looking More Comfortable, Showing More Intensity
Charlie Coyle

Blue Jackets Acquire Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood From Colorado
Jack Quinn

Signs Up for Two More Years with Sabres
Brandon Saad

Stays in Vegas on One-Year Deal
Trent Frederic

Inks Eight-Year Extension
Josh Naylor

Exits Friday's Contest Early with Neck Stiffness
Emil Heineman

Shipped to the Islanders
Noah Dobson

Traded to Montreal
John Tavares

Agrees to Four-Year Extension with Maple Leafs
Sam Bennett

Signs Eight-Year Extension with Panthers
NYI

Islanders Select Matthew Schaefer With No. 1 Pick in NHL Draft
José Berríos

Jose Berrios Tosses Seven Scoreless Innings in Fourth Win
Nick Martinez

Flirts With No-Hitter, Settles for Win
Gary Sánchez

Gary Sanchez Homers, Reaches Five Times in Onslaught
Trea Turner

Blasts Two Homers, Steals Base
Los Angeles Angels

Ron Washington to Remain on Medical Leave for Rest of the Season
Aaron Rodgers

Roman Wilson Could Fit Nicely With Aaron Rodgers
Josh Simmons

on Schedule to Open the Year as a Starter
Micah Parsons

Contract Length an Issue for Cowboys, Micah Parsons
Denver Broncos

Broncos Unsure How Their Running Back Room Will Look
Russell Wilson

Not the Only Leader in Giants Clubhouse
Jihaad Campbell

to Begin at Inside Linebacker
Josh Conerly Jr.

to Play Right Tackle for Now
Tyleik Williams

Expected to Fill Big Role Right Away
Malaki Starks

Should Make an Immediate Impact
James Pearce Jr.

Impressing the Falcons
Jaxson Dart

has "Excellent" Spring
Donovan Jackson

has Inside Track on Starting Job
Charles Oliveira

Can Become A Two-Time Lightweight Champion
Ilia Topuria

A Favorite At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fourth Title Defense At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Renato Moicano

Returns At UFC 317
Beneil Dariush

An Underdog At UFC 317
Payton Talbott

Looks To Bounce Back
Felipe Lima

Set To Open Up UFC 317 Main Card
Daniil Tarasov

Panthers Bring in Daniil Tarasov
Frederick Gaudreau

Kraken Pick Up Frederick Gaudreau From Wild
Michael Thorbjornsen

Returns in Detroit at Rocket Classic
Adam Hadwin

Could Struggle Over the Weekend in Detroit
Cam Davis

Hopes Detroit Magic Can Spark Turnaround
Matt Wallace

a Boom-or-Bust Option at Rocket Classic
Joel Dahmen

Not Cutting it Lately
Michael Kim

Searching for Spark at Rocket Classic
Rasmus Hojgaard

a High-Ceiling Play in Rocket Classic
Matt McCarty

a Wild Card Heading into Detroit
Emiliano Grillo

Rolling into the Summer Season
Rickie Fowler

Looking for More Magic at Rocket Classic
Wyndham Clark

Brings High Upside to Detroit Golf Club
Max Greyserman

Could Make Noise at Rocket Classic
Akshay Bhatia

a Strong Value Play at Rocket Classic
Eric Cole

Hoping for Better Times at Rocket Classic
Beau Hossler

Searching for Form at Rocket Classic
PGA

Byeong Hun An in Good Form Heading into Rocket Classic
Cameron Young

Looking For Redemption and Possible First Career Victory in Detroit
Collin Morikawa

is The Headliner This Week in Detroit For Good Reason
Si Woo Kim

Back in Competition After Last Week's Withdrawal
PGA

Alex Noren Finishes Tied For 30th at Travelers Championship
Kurt Kitayama

Misses The Cut at RBC Canadian Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF