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Joey's MLB rookies who surged in September and may be fantasy baseball draft sleepers for 2026. Target these fantasy baseball rookie breakouts in drafts.
Last year's rookie class was a strong one. There were several rookies who came in and made an immediate impact on fantasy teams. Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Roman Anthony, Drake Baldwin, and Cade Horton were all solid fantasy options as rookies in 2025, and some were even league winners. Even players like Noah Cameron, Jack Leiter, and Jacob Misiorowski had some strong fantasy stretches.
However, some rookies also surged in September. Some of these players might not have gotten their opportunity until September, or might have gotten off to a slow start before figuring things out in the final month of the season. Each of these rookies definitely showed their potential down the stretch.
So, should these players be selected in fantasy baseball drafts? Which four rookies surged in September? Let's dive in and find out.
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Daylen Lile, OF, Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile came out of nowhere in the final month of the 2025 season. Lile first got called up in late May and posted mediocre numbers in his first 66 contests. He hit .262 with three home runs, 12 doubles, four triples, and 22 RBI across his first few months in the big leagues.
Then, September hit, and Lile simply went off.
He slashed .391/.440/.772 with six home runs, three doubles, seven triples, and 19 RBI in 25 September games. He started off the month with a hit in 14 of his first 15 contests and was unstoppable at the plate. His .391 batting average ranked second, his 19 RBI ranked tied for fifth, and his .772 slugging ranked first among all qualified hitters in September.
Lile went on such a crazy run in the final month that fantasy managers have to take notice of it heading into the 2026 fantasy baseball season. However, managers don't seem to believe in the young 23-year-old. He has a current 207.3 ADP in NFBC leagues, which is way too low for a hitter who had a 230 wRC+ in September.
Daylen Lile in September...
100 PA, .391/.440/.772, 20 R, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 230 wRC+
Only Aaron Judge had a higher wRC+ in September among qualified hitters.pic.twitter.com/W4pqoRPYva
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) December 28, 2025
There are also reasons to believe that Lile can continue to be a productive hitter in Year 2. Both his expected batting average (.302) and launch angle sweet-spot rate (44.2%) ranked in the 100th percentile, and his xwOBA (.348), expected slugging (.449), whiff rate (18.9%), and strikeout rate (16%) all ranked in the upper half of the league.
With above-average sprint speed (29.1 ft/sec) as well, Lile has the power and speed to be one of the better value picks in fantasy baseball drafts this spring. He's certainly worth grabbing at his generous ADP.
Joey Cantillo, SP, Cleveland Guardians
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Joey Cantillo had a very interesting rookie season. He started the 2025 campaign as a reliever before being optioned down to Triple-A in late May to build up as a starter. After making eight starts from July 3 to August 15, the Guardians decided to option Cantillo back down to Triple-A. The left-hander had a 4.03 ERA as a starter during that stretch.
But Cantillo got another chance to start in the big leagues a few weeks later. Cleveland called him up again on September 3, and the 26-year-old made the most of that opportunity. He was brilliant in the month of September, with a 1.55 ERA, a 2.72 FIP, and 28 strikeouts across 29 innings pitched (five starts). Those numbers helped the southpaw win the American League Rookie of the Month.
His two best starts came against the Red Sox on September 3 and the Kansas City Royals on September 9. He tossed six innings of one-run ball against the Red Sox and then threw eight shutout innings against the Royals in his next start. Cantillo looked like a completely different pitcher during this stretch than earlier in the year.
Time for baseball tweets! Here's a fun fact...
Joey Cantillo had a 79.3% Z-Contact% last year across 67 innings.
That's in the same range as Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, and Hunter Greene.
— "Thunder Dan" Palyo (@ThunderDanDFS) February 12, 2026
So, he should be on fantasy radars heading into the season. He posted elite numbers in September, and his overall metrics from his rookie campaign are encouraging. Cantillo had a solid whiff rate (29.7%), a strong strikeout rate (26.9%), and opposing hitters had an expected .229 batting average against the Guardians pitcher in 2025.
Now, Cantillo is going so late in fantasy drafts that he is absolutely worth a shot at his 305.7 ADP in NFBC leagues. The reason he is going undrafted in most leagues right now is that he is currently battling Parker Messick for the final rotation spot. If Cantillo earns that final spot, expect his ADP to rise exponentially.
Nolan McLean, SP, New York Mets
The New York Mets called up top pitching prospect Nolan McLean in mid-August. He put together a few strong starts in August and then carried that dominance into September. McLean had a 2.93 ERA, a 3.35 FIP, and 36 strikeouts across five September starts. He completed at least five innings in all five of those starts and had some big-time performances on the mound during this stretch.
McLean allowed two runs with seven strikeouts across six innings against the Detroit Tigers on September 2 and then threw six shutout innings with seven strikeouts against the Texas Rangers on September 14. Even though he allowed five earned runs against the Chicago Cubs in his final start of the season, he showed his strikeout upside in that outing by punching out a career-high 11 batters.
Therefore, McLean enters the 2026 season as a viable target in fantasy baseball drafts. He showed in a limited sample size last year that he has what it takes to be a consistent pitcher on the mound. He had a strong whiff rate (28.4%), an elite strikeout rate (30.3%), and hitters weren't able to hit his fastball/curveball combo.
All that makes the rookie a fantastic pick in fantasy baseball drafts. McLean is a lock to make New York's Opening Day roster and has the tools to break out in his first full season in the majors. There's a reason why he is currently rated as MLB Pipeline's No. 6 overall prospect heading into the season. That's how good he is.
On the mound with Nolan McLean 🤠 pic.twitter.com/05B2hOWh3f
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 6, 2026
Despite having the highest ADP in NFBC leagues among all rookies on this list (104.8), the right-hander deserves to be drafted inside the top-110. He has an extremely high fantasy ceiling.
Sal Stewart, 1B, Cincinnati Reds
First baseman Sal Stewart was a September call-up by the Cincinnati Reds last season. He made his MLB Debut on September 1 and went 1-for-3 in his first career game. That was just the start of Stewart's strong September. The 22-year-old batted .255 with five home runs, 11 runs scored, one double, and eight RBI across 18 games.
By no means was Stewart a perfect player in September. His strikeout rate (25.9%) was high, his walk rate (5.2%) was low, and his chase rate (32.7%) definitely needs to improve. But the Reds' top prospect showed a lot of promise in his limited plate appearances last season. Having an .838 OPS in just 55 at-bats speaks to the rookie's potential.
Stewart also had a .398 xwOBA, a .289 expected batting average, a .626 expected slugging, a 17.5% barrel rate, and a 52.5% hard-hit rate during the month of September. All five of those metrics were elite, and the right-handed slugger showed that he belonged in the majors.
Fast forward to 2026, and Stewart is reportedly in the best shape of his life. He dropped some weight heading into his first full season in the big leagues and should have a consistent role this season. That's enough to take a chance on the rookie at his 212.5 ADP in NFBC leagues. He led all Reds players in home runs last September.
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