Hitter Fantasy Baseball Breakouts - Risers to Watch and Waiver Wire Outlooks (Week 12)

June 13, 2026

Jarod's hitter fantasy baseball breakouts, sleepers, and risers to watch for Week 12 of 2026. His list includes waiver wire outlooks and underachieving hitters.

Welcome back to my Fantasy Baseball Breakout Hitters article for Week 12 of the 2026 MLB regular season. The focus of this column is to highlight players who could be breaking out, taking a look at current active hitting streaks along with recent leaders in batting average, isolated power (ISO), stolen bases, and more.

Last week, Jung Hoo Lee and Dillon Dingler were some solid callouts who kept producing. Some of the highlights for this week include Zack Gelof, Andrew Vaughn, and Matt McLain. Many of the hitters discussed here are widely available in fantasy leagues, so it's a good move to give them a chance here.

Do note that any time we talk about rostered percentages or positional eligibility, we're referring to Yahoo! leagues. With that in mind, let's dive into potential hitter breakouts for Week 12 of the 2026 MLB season.

Hit Streak Leaders

Data through 6/10

Jung Hoo Lee (18 games)

The poster child for last week's article, Jung Hoo Lee, is still here and is still rostered in only 44 percent of leagues. The left-handed hitter made a move to the middle of the order amid his recent hot stretch, and it appears to have boosted both his RBI and run-scoring production, with seven RBI and 11 runs scored over his last 11 games.

The 27-year-old also has three stolen bases on the year, ALL of which have come in his last five games. He's turning into a four-category producer (just three home runs this season), and as hot as he is, managers should make room for him on all fantasy rosters.

Zack Gelof (15 games)

Zack Gelof owns the second-longest hit streak in the majors at 15 games, during which time he's gone 20-for-59 (.339) with five doubles, two home runs, six RBI, and six runs scored. The former second-round draft pick was hitting in the seventh or eighth spot in 14 of those 15 games, but in his latest, he was bumped up to the fifth spot. That could prove beneficial to his RBI production.

Zack Gelof extends the lead!

The @Athletics have EIGHT runs through three innings 😮 pic.twitter.com/yctjOeVGoc

— MLB (@MLB) June 9, 2026

Remember, this is a guy who hit 17 home runs and stole 25 bases in 2024. The drawback then was a .211 batting average with a 34.4 percent strikeout rate and 65.3 percent contact rate; however, those have been much improved this year, with the strikeout rate coming in at 25.7 percent with a 74.7 percent contact rate, so there are reasons to believe his current batting average of .266 could remain well higher than his 2024 result, even if there is some eventual regression.

The 26-year-old is pacing for 23 home runs and 17 steals if he just reaches 547 plate appearances as he did in 2024, but is rostered in only 22 percent of leagues and is eligible at 2B, 3B, and OF, adding to his appeal.

Highest Batting Average Last Seven Days

Data through 6/10

Jac Caglianone (.667 BA)

Perhaps Jac Caglianone is finally living up to his draft pedigree. The former sixth-overall draft pick is scorching in June, hitting .538 (14-for-26) with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI, seven runs scored, and two steals over his last eight games. The 6-foot-4 slugger played in just 62 games last year, but is already at that number so far in 2026.

The University of Florida product owns a .275-8-19-25-3 stat line with a .355 wOBA and 123 wRC+. If he can just get to 600 plate appearances, he's on pace for 20-plus home runs. Although a 29.1 percent strikeout rate (12th percentile) and a 33.4 percent chase rate (28th percentile) would typically point to an eventual regression of the batting average, expected stats (i.e., xBA, xSLG, xwOBA) are all in line with current numbers, so perhaps it can continue.

He's certainly hitting the ball hard, and at 57 percent rostered, that feels a little light. The 23-year-old even offers some multi-positional eligibility, with the ability to be plugged into 1B or OF.

Andrew Vaughn (.478 BA)

Andrew Vaughn showed up repeatedly in this article last year as his late-season surge kept him on these leaderboards consistently. After appearing in just one game earlier this year, the right-handed slugger was placed on the IL with a fractured left hamate bone when he was hit by a pitch on his hand, which kept him out until early May.

Not only has he been hot over the past week, though, but the former third-overall draft pick is 25-for-60 (.417) over his last 18 games dating back to May 18. The home run production has been underwhelming with just two all season, but they could start flowing soon as the hand injury gets farther and farther into the rearview. He even had a two-double game a few days ago, so the power may be coming around.

Andrew Vaughn hits the second @Brewers homer of the inning! pic.twitter.com/od6t5AY8UB

— MLB (@MLB) June 9, 2026

Batting in the middle of the order should continue to provide plenty of RBI opportunities, and with his contact, K%, chase, and swinging-strike rates currently at levels that are easily the best of his career, the 28-year-old should continue to keep on hitting. Vaughn is available in about 70 percent of leagues for the taking.

Highest ISO Last Seven Days

Data through 6/10

Freddy Fermin (.588 ISO)

Freddy Fermin had an absolutely brutal start at the plate, hitting .126 through his first 45 games, but over the last week, his bat came around, particularly in the power department. The 5-foot-10 Venezuelan blasted a home run in three straight games after hitting exactly zero before that, and added a double as well, with seven of his 11 total RBI coming in those three games.

Despite the recent run of success, the 31-year-old is still only slashing .154/.241/.274 for the season, but his xBA is 50 points higher than his batting average, and his career average is .251, so there is plenty of room for improvement. If this recent stretch of production is any indication, then there is room for this to run. Fermin is a consideration in the deepest of leagues or two-catcher formats and is available in nearly every league.

Matt McLain (.556 ISO)

Matt McLain had a strong rookie season in 2023 in which he hit .290 with 16 home runs and 14 steals in just 89 games, but after missing all of 2024, he followed that up with a relative dud in 2025, where he hit just .220 with 15 home runs and 18 steals in 147 contests.

A monster spring training this year, in which he hit .509 with seven home runs in 18 games, had managers thinking 2026 was going to look a lot like 2023, but it was quite the opposite over the first several weeks, slashing .198/.296/.322 over his first 59 games.

The former first-rounder has turned things around over the last week, though, slashing .333/.455/.889 with three home runs and three steals over his last five games. The 26-year-old is rostered in about half of leagues, but it might be time for managers to pick up the guy that their leaguemates tossed to the waiver wire after giving up hope.

Kody Clemens (.545 ISO)

Did you know Kody Clemens hit 19 home runs last year? Well, he did, and it was on the back of a strong 12.0 percent barrel rate, and he did it in just 119 games/386 plate appearances. If he received 600-plus plate appearances like a regular starter would, that's almost a 30-homer pace. That type of power should not be overlooked.

Nothing Compares To 2 😮‍💨

Kody Clemens hits his second home run of the game! pic.twitter.com/EKEJFTi4rn

— MLB (@MLB) June 5, 2026

This season, the former third-round draft pick has hit nine homers in 213 plate appearances, a 21-homer pace if he can just get to 500 plate appearances. But it isn't just the power he's displaying; the 30-year-old is riding a six-game hit streak, during which he's gone 9-for-22 (.409). As an added bonus, he's been a threat to run, too, tallying a career-high six stolen bases thus far.

The left-handed hitter has a 103 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers and a 126 wRC+ against right-handers, so he does not necessarily need to be on the bench in fantasy lineups when facing southpaws, and lately has been locked into the fantasy-friendly three-hole on the lineup card. Clemens is rostered in just 18 percent of leagues, but is worth a look in deeper leagues.

Most Steals Last Seven Days

Data through 6/10

Lots of interesting players here, including the aforementioned McLain, as well as Taylor Walls and recently recalled Noelvi Marte, but let's talk about...

Blake Dunn (three SB)

Blake Dunn stole a total of three bases in the 49 games he played for Cincinnati between 2024 and 2025, but he has swiped three in the last week alone. This must be a blip on the radar, right? Nothing to see here? Not so fast (pun intended)! The 27-year-old owns a 99th percentile sprint speed, so maybe we have something here.

Then you look back at his minor league numbers and see that he stole 54 bases in 2023, and although that was the peak, another 21 were stolen in 2024 and 24 more in 2025. Add in the fact that the former 15th-rounder is riding a seven-game hit streak, and you have the reason why he's finally been able to utilize his speed and a recipe for more to come.

The right-handed hitter isn't hitting the ball very hard, with barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and xSLG in the bottom quartile of the league, but he's been able to hit for average, sitting at .333 during the hit streak and .290 for the season. He doesn't walk much (5.6 percent), which is a shame since it could lead to more steals, but if he can continue to hit for a decent average, then more steals should follow.

For managers searching for steals, the Reds' current leadoff hitter is available in nearly every league with the ability to be a multi-category contributor.

xwOBA Leaders June 4 - June 10

Data through 6/10

Gabriel Moreno (.570 xwOBA)

Looking for a catcher with upside? Look no further than the D-backs' Gabriel Moreno, who is 24-for-74 (.324) over his last 21 games dating back to May 13, which includes three doubles, four home runs, 13 RBI, 14 runs scored, three steals, and a 12:12 BB:K. As good as that has been, the Venezuelan backstop's wOBA over the last week came in at .493, but his xwOBA of .570 shows that things could have been even better.

The 26-year-old's average exit velocity was 94.2, and his hard-hit rate was 66.7 percent (third-best) over that span, so this recent run could have legs. Fold in better-than-average walk and strikeout rates for the season, along with a career-best barrel rate of 11.2 percent, and more production should be on the way. The right-handed hitter is available in over half of leagues.

xwOBA Laggards June 4 - June 10

Data through 6/10

Kerry Carpenter (.192 xwOBA)

Sorry, Kerry Carpenter managers, as good as he's been recently, particularly in the power department (a double, three home runs last seven games), he might be due for a pullback. The left-handed hitter's wOBA over the last week stood at a respectable .380; however, his xwOBA stood at a paltry .192, which was third-worst in the majors over that period.

As opposed to Moreno's 94.2 average EV over the last week, Carpenters' came in at 89.7, while his hard-hit rate was just 30.0 percent. Carpenter is hitting just .234 with a .308 OBP, while his 32.9 percent strikeout rate ranks near the absolute worst in baseball, so to see him with a 120 wRC+ is somewhat surprising.

At 41 percent rostered, there could be a lot of managers who are disappointed with the 28-year-old's performance in the short term.

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