7 Infield Breakout Candidates for Fantasy Baseball

One thing you will often hear fantasy players discuss is breakouts. We have to find them to be able to win our leagues. It can be easy earlier on in drafts, but those middle rounds are where we make or break our rosters.

In this piece, we are going to focus on a few infielders in the age 26-29 age bracket who could break out this year. Some people might refer to them as the "post-hype sleeper" crowd. Call them what you want; these are players that, with a larger opportunity, can provide you with the statistics you crave when building your roster in the middle rounds.

As fantasy players, we are always searching for those under-the-radar talents who might have an opportunity to bolster our teams with stats to fill our categories. You might be looking to create balance with some boring veterans while taking a flyer on guys like those listed below. Let's take a look at some players who could create value for you before your competitors get wind of them.

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Jonathan Aranda, Tampa Bay Rays

Age 26

What is intriguing about Aranda is the potential for cheap power. Playing at Steinbrenner Field instead of the heavily damaged Tropicana Field, Aranda could shine with this venue, which closely mirrors Yankee Stadium. The left-handed hitting Aranda is slated to get regular at-bats as the designated hitter for the Rays while also backing up starter Yandy Diaz at first base.

Projection systems are only showing Aranda as playing 80-100 games, but with the news of his starting role, projections should catch up. I don't see any reason why he could not hit 20+ home runs especially playing half of his games at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

He is expected to play for left-handed power, with the right field fence being merely 314 feet from home plate. With an ADP of nearly around 350 since the beginning of January, cheap power can be yours at a very late draft pick. Consider Aranda.

Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles

Age 26

Savvy fantasy players had Westburg targeted as a flyer before the 2024 season, and those who made a small investment received a good payout. Westburg also has second and third base eligibility this season in most formats, making him even more valuable.

Michael Toglia, Colorado Rockies

Age 26

Toglia is known in fantasy circles for his prodigious power, which is why I include him here.  What you may not realize is the skills growth that Toglia showed in the second half. Even through the struggles, Toglia hit 25 home runs and stole 10 bases. His second-half batting average was .235, 38 points higher than his .197 in the first half.

The key is cutting down on his strikeout rate, which was 32.1 percent in 2024. That being said, he also had an 11.8% walk percentage, which helps out. His hard-hit rate was a whopping 50.2 percent and his barrel rate was 17.3 percent. There is reason to think that Toglia could hit 35 home runs and steal 15-20 bases as well. He goes in the lower tier of first-base options, but do not forget about him in your drafts.

Luis Rengifo, Los Angeles Angels

Age 28

Rengifo might seem like cheating here since his abilities have been known in many circles over the last couple of seasons. What I am looking for here is a coalescing of skills. Shout out to KC Bubba and Ryan Bloomfield for their knowledge of Rengifo and championing him. Rengifo's season ended in early August after having right wrist inflammation in July that required surgery.

In 2024, he hit .300 with six home runs, 30 RBI, 24 stolen bases, and 41 runs. In years past he has hit as many as 17 home runs. It will be interesting to see what a healthy Rengifo with 600 plate appearances could do, and the multipositional eligibility makes him even more valuable. It is easy to see a 15+ home run season with 20+ stolen bases and a .270 batting average.

Isaac Paredes, Houston Astros

Age 26

Paredes is a bit divisive as a player, but the talent is there to hit 30 home runs. I like that he will be playing half his games in Houston, where the left field fence is only 315 feet, and likely hitting near the top of the batting order.

Paredes has extreme pull tendencies in his game (see his spray chart below), and with playing 140 games or so, he could easily hit 25 home runs with a .240 batting average, which is today's game and properly handled, doesn't sink your team's batting average. Paredes is a great prize should you miss on the upper tier of third basemen in your drafts.

Spencer Horwitz, Pittsburgh Pirates

Age 27

Horwitz injured his wrist and is set to miss six to eight weeks. However, he could be ready for Opening Day or shortly thereafter. While other fantasy players may shy away due to this injury, don't be one of them.

Horwitz has a clear opportunity once he is healthy and could hit for a good average (think .270) and hit 20 home runs. With first and second base eligibility, Horwitz could be a great addition to your team as an MI or CI slot if he proves to be healthy.

Joey Ortiz, Milwaukee Brewers

Age 26

I had Ortiz in several leagues last year, and I can tell you he had a good first half. Ortiz then had a neck injury, which he largely played through, but his offense suffered in the second half. Speculation is that he played hurt. Even still, Ortiz put up decent production: a .239 batting average, 11 home runs, 60 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 58 runs in only 440 at-bats.

He will get regular at-bats in Milwaukee again this season, but his position is in question. Manager Pat Murphy will weigh his options among Ortiz, Brice Turang, and the newly acquired Caleb Durbin.

My wager is that Turang, who won a Gold Glove in 2024, will stay at second base, Durbin will get a look at third base, and Ortiz will shift over to shortstop, making him even more valuable while adding another positional eligibility. If Ortiz adds shortstop to his resume, he would be eligible at third base, shortstop, middle infield, and corner infield positions.

While not necessarily a breakout in the typical sense, a season of 600 at-bats could easily yield 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases at an ADP of almost 300.  That is valuable on most fantasy teams, especially those in deeper leagues. As mentioned earlier, you can see how good Ortiz was in the first half before the neck injury. If that was the cause for his second-half slippage, I am willing to give him another shot in 2025.

Honorable Mentions

Jose Miranda, Minnesota Twins: He needs playing time opportunity, which is unclear with the addition of Ty France.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Cincinnati Reds: He needs the same as Miranda with an opportunity. The power is real.

Hyeseong Kim, Los Angeles Dodgers: It is hard to know what he will do, but he should get ample playing time for the defending world champions and could be a good contributor in stolen bases and batting average.

Otto Lopez, Miami Marlins.

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